Three out of five of the Latino-themed shows announced this time last year are coming back with more (a pretty good showing in a wretched year for newcomers). And at least three entries already in the wings for this upcoming season mean that the picture for Latino TV continues to improve.
Don’t misunderstand: TV is a tough business for everybody, and it’s never been tougher than it is now, despite all the new ways to frame and deliver scripted programming. You don’t have to look too far for proof: consider the abysmal year that NBC had in general, or the number of new shows on any network that never made it to a second season, much less finished their first.
Still, taking the long view, things were pretty good for Latinos playing Latinos in the 2013-14 year, and it looks like that will continue. We already know of at least three shows that fall solidly into that category:
Cristela Alonso and her show-biz friends gamed the pilot system by making their show almost secretly on the set of Last Man Standing, but it was so impressive to ABC execs that they not only forgave them, they took this reportedly hilarious look at family life for a modern Latina straight to series. (If it’s half as funny s her stand-up routines on the same subject, it’ll be great). Better yet, Maria Canals-Barrera, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, Carlos Ponce and Terri Hoyos, among others, are along for the ride.
Gina Rodriguez of Filly Brown fame is best known for her tough, street-smart portrayals, at least in recent years. But she’s taking an entirely different approach with Jane the Virgin, a new sitcom from The CW Network coming this fall. Gina (Jane) plays a gentle and chaste young woman–and yes, a virgin–who is accidentally inseminated by her doctor, and hilarity as well as some touching moments ensue. It’s a pretty ‘high’ concept, and it remains to be seen if it can retain viewers’ interest and ratings as the initial shock wears off, but there’s no question: Gina and her family are Latino, and the cultural and character issues they confront come firmly from that tradition.
And then there’s Matador, which is more summer than fall (it’s premiering on the El Rey Network in mid-July), but it’s certainly, emphatically Latino in many ways. Though the international spy-adventures are clearly global in scope, the lead–played by Gabriel Luna–is Latino, as well as much of the supporting cast: Alfred Molina, Johnny Cruz and Yvette Monreal among them, with beloved Latino character actors like Elizabeth Peña, Eve Torres, and Isabella Gomez, among others, slated to appear as guest or recurring characters. Best of all, Robert Rodriguez is not only producing and putting it on “his” new cable net, but the program was created by hugely successful writer/producer Roberto Orci–his first show with an overtly Latino character in the center.
Last year there were five Latino-centric shows included in the schedules on network and cable (Devious Maids, Gang Related, Welcome to the Family, The Bridge and The Fosters, though Gang Related didn’t make it onto TV screens until well into 2014). Three are still with us, and at least one we didn’t expect at all–Saint George, starring George Lopez and bunch of other Latino actors–showed up and disappeared during that time (Saint George was canceled by FX after one season). Now, we see, at least three more will be appearing in the next six months or so, and we know of many others already waiting in the wings. All in all, it’s a good sign: the trend towards creating programming for the widest possible audience, but programs that still manage to feature Latino culture, characters, and actors is still on the rise.
