Revolution, Chicago Fire, Parenthood, Grimm, and Law & Order: SVU have Latinos in front and behind the camera…and they’ll all be back for the 2013-14 season.
It’s still early for renewals, but NBC is already racking them up. And the network with the strongest commitment to Latinos in front and behind the camera is remaining true to form: its five most recent renewals all have Latinos in the mix.
Danny Pino will continue to be at the center of Law & Order: SVU, whether or not Marisa Hargitay returns (she has yet to sign on for sure). So the ancient and revered Law & Order franchise hangs on for at least a little while longer.
Monica Raymund as been a major part of Chicago Fire since the beginning, and a number of other Latinos have passed through the show during its shakedown cruise. She’ll be back, of course…and Chicago Fire may even have a companion piece of its own, about the Chicago police force, in the coming year. Let’s hope that’s as Latino-friendly as Fire has proven to be.
Meanwhile, Daniella Alonso may have been a late arrival to the post-apocalyptic Revolution, but she is indisputably part of its success, so expect to see plenty of her in Season #2. In fact, the Monday night drama is actually the highest rated new hour-long on any network, with an average of more than 11 million viewers every week. Go, Daniella!
Sara Ramos, who was a major player in Parenthood for a long time, may be out of the picture, but young Xolo Maridueña as the family’s adopted son has helped to revive this fading Emmy Award-winner. A surprise renewal, Parenthood will be back in the fall, and Xolo will almost certainly still be part of the family.
Finally, exec producer and frequent director Norberto Barba is one of the key reasons that Grimm continues to make a good impression on viewers. This season, he was joined by Latino co-executive producer Jose Molina on five episodes as well. What’s more, Bertila Damas has shown up in three episodes as the formidable, all-Spanish-speaking “Pilar.” Let’s hope she’s seen even more often in the season to come.
NBC hasn’t finished its renewal announcements, of course. Deception with Meagan Good and Laz Alonso is almost certainly gone–its ratings went from soft to abysmal in a few short weeks. And of course The Office, with Oscar Nuñez, is officially finishing up forever in just a couple of weeks. Go On, with Tonita Castro, is definitely “on the bubble,” while Parks and Recreation has had a surprising surge in the last few weeks, and Aubrey Plaza, along with Amy Poeler and the rest of the gang–may make it into the next year. The only sure thing that hasn’t been scheduled yet is The Voice, the single bona fide hit that NBC can claim at the moment, and whether it’s more Shakira or the return of Christina Aguilera (or both), beautiful Latina musicians and all their fans are sure to come out winners.
