Ramon Rodriguez
Almost a year ago, in the “up fronts” for the 2013-14 season, we talked about the five programs on broadcast and cable that were actually showcasing Latino stars and Latino storylines: Devious Maids, The Fosters, The Bridge, Welcome to the Family…and Gang Related. Four of those titles have long since appeared; three of them have done well enough both critically and in terms of ratings to warrant a second season; only Welcome to the Family has permanently disappeared…but now, finally, Gang Related appears as the very, very last of the Fox “mid season,” even as the last of the shows that premiered in the fall are closing up shop.
Jay Hernandez
It looks like an interesting premise: in this “gritty new action drama,” Ramon Rodriguez plays a rising star in the Los Angeles Police Department who is forced to go undercover to bust up one of L.A. Most dangerous gangs–and one populated by old friends and family members. He has to balance “two allegiances, two father figures, and two families,” as his own sense of loyalty is challenged and he must determine “which side of the law he’s really on.” A range of talented and ethnically diverse actors are joining Rodriguez, from Lost veteran Terry O’Quinn to a host of Latino including Emilio Rivera, Jay Hernandez, Carlos Gómez, Reynaldo Gallegos, and Luis Moncado.
Gang Related Ramon Rodriguez, RZA, Inbar Lavi,
Sung Kang and Terry O’Quinn
Still, Fox’ timing is odd, to say the least. It’s not unheard of to premiere a brand-new show in May, in the twilight zone between finales and summer replacements. In fact, NBC’s bringing a couple forward (including one featuring a Latino–the medical drama The Night Shift has Freddie Rodríguez as part of the ensemble), but it’s hard to remember the last time one of those actually caught fire. And yes, they are giving it the added jolt of premiering after the finale of American Idol, though it’s questionable if the millions of fans of a music competition will be interested in a solemn drama about police and L.A. street gangs. And additional publicity and promotion for the show is pretty thin, especially when compared to Fox’ other recent debut, the return of 24.
So we shall see. Whatever showcase the drama has will begin on Thursday May 22, and will continue for as long as the viewers show up. Let’s see how it goes…
