Written by Julio Martinez

The highly anticipated second season of the HBO Original The Last of Us, the American post-apocalyptic drama series, is set to premiere on Sunday, April 13 at 9 PM ET/PT. The series, based on the popular video game franchise created by Naughty Dog, LLC, is written and executive produced by Neil Druckmann and directed by Craig Mazin.

Set two decades into a devastating global pandemic caused by a fungal infection that turns humans into aggressive, zombie-like creatures, The Last of Us explores a world where society has crumbled—and the fight for survival reveals both the best and worst of humanity.

At a recent press conference, Druckmann, Mazin, and the cast gathered to discuss the upcoming season, which follows the storyline of the 2020 game The Last of Us Part II. Season 2 continues the journey of Joel, portrayed by Pedro Pascal, as he faces new challenges in a darker, more emotionally complex world.

Pascal expressed excitement about further developing Joel’s character. “There’s something really exciting about giving everyone another season of a show they loved—and that we worked so hard on,” he shared.

Pascal’s rise to stardom has been a long time coming. After nearly two decades of smaller roles on stage and screen, his breakout came as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones. He gained further acclaim playing DEA agent Javier Peña in Netflix’s Narcos (2015–2017).

Returning for season two is Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Joel’s younger brother. “It’s so comforting to get the family back together,” Luna said. “And we’ve added incredible new cast members who’ve brought a deep love for the source material. I may be 43, but their energy really lifted us all. We can’t wait for audiences to see what we’ve created.”

Luna is no stranger to high-energy roles, having previously starred as Robbie Reyes in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Tony Bravo in Matador, and Paco Contreras in Wicked City.

Season two introduces a host of new characters, including:

• Isabela Merced as Dina
  
• Young Mazino as Jesse
  
• Ariela Barer as Mel
  
• Tati Gabrielle as Nora
  
• Spencer Lord as Owen
  
• Danny Ramirez as Manny
  
• Jeffrey Wright as Isaac
  
• With a guest appearance by Catherine O’Hara

Merced, 24, shines as Dina, bringing both confidence and heart to the role. “I felt like the new kid at school,” she said. “I think Dina and I share this random, unshakable confidence. How does the new kid instantly become the ‘it’ girl?”

Luna joked, “She shows up to a press conference in a sparkly dress!” Merced laughed, “And you know I had to sparkle.” She went on to praise the inclusive and welcoming environment on set. “I felt really seen by Craig and Neil. That’s the kind of space where an actor can thrive.”

Merced, who considers herself “more Peruvian than American,” shared that Spanish was her first language and that she struggled with English in grade school. By age 15, however, she had already been accepted into college.

Bella Ramsey, returning as Ellie, opened up about the pressure and pride of continuing the story. “When season one came out, it was huge. Now with season two, all eyes are on us—and me—and that’s a bit scary. But it’s also exciting. I’m trying to see it as a celebration of all our hard work.” She highlighted the trust and camaraderie she shares with fellow cast members like Kaitlyn Dever and Young Mazino. “We went into this with total trust, and we’ve been supported every step of the way.”

Showrunners Mazin and Druckmann closed out the press event by reflecting on the intense preparation behind the scenes. “We’ve been working nonstop for two years,” Mazin said. “Season one ended—and we jumped right into writing, shooting, and editing season two. We’re incredibly proud and eager for fans to see it.”

Druckmann added, “Someone asked me if I’m excited for the premiere. I told them: I can’t even think that far ahead—we’ve still got this press conference to get through! But now it’s close, and I’m starting to imagine people watching. It’s going to be a wild ride.”

The Last of Us Season 2,  will run for 7 episodes, beginning Sunday April 13 (9pm, ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. 

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Ever since NBC’s comedy series, Reba, ended in 2007, the show’s executive producers, star Reba McEntire and Kevin Abbott, and the network have been looking for another project to return McEntire to the world of sitcom. She’s back! McEntire stars in the new NBC sitcom, Happy’s Place, which co-stars Belissa Escobedo (Blue Beetle). The series is scheduled to debut this fall o October 18th (8pm) and will air ahead of the season three renewal of Lopez vs Lopez (8:30pm) the same day. The series will then also stream on Netflix. 

Happy’s Place, which features an impressive supporting cast, characters a bit more combative than her previous family comedy, Reba. However, it’s the tensions that provide fodder for the humor that follows. The fact that her supporting characters are a mélange of diverse co-workers rather than family members, only serves the hilarity.

When Bobbie (McEntire) inherits her late father’s tavern, Happy’s Place, she is shocked to learn that she has a co-owner– Isabella (Escobedo), the half-sister she never knew existed. Isabella is young, inexperienced and has some unusual new ideas about how to run the business. 

Escobedo, whose last high profile gig was starring alongside Xolo Maridueña in the Warner Bros superhero film Blue Beetle, is a Gen Z , but proudly says, “I’m a Chicana from L.A.” Adding that she was a bit intimidated at the beginning, “I went into the first rehearsal with some nervousness, because, in the script, Reba’s character isn’t happy [with my]character.  However, when I met Reba, she gave me a big smile and a hug. I immediately felt welcome.”

Escobedo made her TV acting debut in an episode of the 2016 comedy mini-series, Meet Me @ the Clinic and while still in high school Belissa was part of a spoken poetry team that performed Somewhere in America on The Queen Latifah Talk Show.  

Her  breakthrough role was in ABC‘s 2020 series, The Baker and the Beauty after which her her career began to take off. In 2021 she appeared in two episodes of American Horror Stories, going on to star as Izzy in Hocus Pocus 2.

Along with their Happy’s Place’s close-knit staff, Bobbie and Isabella need to figure out how to work together harmoniously. When Isabella sincerely tells Bobbie, “I’m just looking for a place where I belong,” Bobbie moves her toward the door and replies, “Safe travels.” But Isabella’s inability to recognize rejection, along with her relentlessly positive attitude only add to the humor. 

The supporting cast features characters a bit more combative than Reba’s previous comedy family. There’s Gabby, the bartender, with a love of drama; Emmett, the cook, and man of few words; Takoda, the friendly waiter; and Steve, their brilliant yet eccentric accountant. However, it’s the tensions that provide fodder for the humor that follows. The fact that her supporting characters are a mélange of diverse co-workers rather than family members, only serves the hilarity.

Cast regulars include Melissa Peterman (also a regular on “Reba”) as Gabby the bartender who is the queen of the one-liner. Rex Linn, Tokala Black Elk and Pablo Castelblanco. In the opening episode, each character reveals a quirk that will provide mush comedy to the episodes. When Gabby hears Bobbie complain, “Daddy always said family is the most important thing,” Gabby deadpans, “Maybe that’s why he started two of them.” 

Tokala Black Elk admits, “I’ve had a career playing villains, being a really scary bad guy.” Now he plays Takoda, the nicest waiter in Tennessee. Emmett (Linn), a taciturn cook, gives every evidence he will have more to say in the upcoming episodes.

Then there’s Steve (Castelblanco), the brilliant yet eccentric accountant, who has OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and he’s a germaphobe. In the opening episode, the fact that the bar has a new co-owner has him a bit rattled at first. Born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, Castelblanco moved to the United States by himself at only 17 to pursue his dream of becoming an actor, living in New York City and then Los Angeles. He was featured in the drama series,  Alaska Daily, starring Hilary Swank.

The opening episode of Happy’s Place spends a bit too much time dealing with Bobbie and Isabella’s family issues. By the end of the first episode, however, they are getting used to the idea of working together. Isabella exclaims, “I’ve always wanted a big sister, even if you’re old enough to be my mother.” Bobbie chuckles and replies, “Oh honey, this is Tennessee, I’m old enough to be your great grandma.”  As the series proceeds, it will eventually find its rhythm. What is clear is that each member of the cast has the goods to make this happen. 

Happy’s Place is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.  Writer Kevin Abbott executive produces with Michael Hanel, Mindy Schultheis, Julie Abbott and Reba McEntire

Happy’s Place premieres on NBC October 18.  Check your local listing

@nbchappysplace

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Written by Julio Martinez

John Leguizamo was born in Bogotá, Colombia but raised in New York City. He has appeared in over 100 films, working as a stand-up comedian, actor, writer and producer. On stage, his one-person play, Latin History for Morons garnered him a Tony Award after 400+ performances, and he followed that up by his PBS special: Great Performances: The Road to Broadway.  Now, working in tandem with acclaimed television director Ben DeJesus, they have co-created PBS’s VOCES American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos, hosted by Leguizamo and scheduled to debut September 27, 2024.

“This project was originally inspired by my stage play, which I created because I was horrified by the almost total absence of Latinos from my son’s American History books,” Leguizamo exclaimed during the recent Television Critics Association press tour.

Leguizamo’s one-man show highlighted the fact that Latinos didn’t just simply arrive here, they’ve been here since 1492. The first Euro language spoken in America was not English, it was Spanish, and the American land mass, from the Mississippi to the Pacific, was, in fact, Mexico until 1840.

“To label John as just the host of this show would be doing him a disservice,” deJesus adds.  “John is the genesis of the whole thing.”  Leguizamo laughs, “I’ve always been a history nerd, especially when it comes to Latin history. I’m like the Rain Man of Latin facts.” 

So all this came to him easily because he’d been studying the subject for the last 20 years. Leguizamo doesn’t just narrate the documentary.  He conducts one-on-one interviews. Instead of just telling this history, he talks to individuals who can help bring the narrative to life.

 “You need witnesses and testimonies,” Leguizamo explains. “Most people are Latin history deniers in this country. You need evidence. We need to have verification to authenticate what we’re talking about.”

 Leguizamo makes it clear that many deniers are entrenched in academia. When he was touring the country with Latin History for Dummies, he learned that U.S. Latino history was banned in Arizona for ten years. This is a state that has a population of 30 percent Latinos. In Texas, educators are allowed to teach Latino history only one day of the year, yet Latinos make up 40 percent of the population in Texas, and represent the majority.

“John Hopkins University did a study and found that 87 percent of Latino contributions to the making of America are not in history textbooks,” DeJesus adds. “So that’s erasure right there.”  

DeJesus believes this special that he and Leguizamo have produced is one of the ways to combat all the deniers. Concluding that, “If we can get this to be a regular series, it can be brought right into the schools.”

When DeJesus was asked to describe a few of the stories that really struck him, they were war stories, particularly the ones from Army veteran Guy Gabaldon. He explains, “Guy Gabaldon’s was a guy from East L.A. who happened to grow up with Japanese neighbors, so he picked up some Japanese. Based on his ability to speak Japanese, he was able — in the middle of the night – to get 1300 Japanese soldiers to surrender.

As for Leguizamo, his happiest and most satisfying interview was easy.  “Dolores Huerta. Oh, my God, she’s so lovely. It was such an honor to meet such a gracious, gentle, generous warrior. And her sense of inclusivity and embracing everybody, even though she’s a fighter, she’s still about nurturing. And that’s who I’d like to aspire to be.”

Leguizamo and DeJesus talked about future projects, particularly dramatic ones and if they thought their projects could have a home on PBS?  “That would be up to the producers on PBS.  It would be great to do it at PBS. There’s so many great stories to be told,” he said with a shrug and a smile. 

Case in point, during their research, Leguizamo and DeJsus discovered Gil Bosques Saldivar to be be an important figure in one of many stories. In World War II, he was a Mexican ambassador who saved 40,000 Jews in Vichy, France.  He hid them in two churches. That’s more than Oskar Schindler saved. Bosques then gave his refugees asylum in Mexico. “It’s an amazing story that needs to be told. It was pitched to the studios but was rejected,” DeJesus exclaimed.

“What is a Latino?” Leguizamo asks rhetorically.  “For the most part, Latinos are of three ancestries — African, European Indigenous. We’re one of the few ethnic groups whose religion, culture, and language were completely destroyed, and yet here we still are, and thriving in America.”

In fact, according to the Latino Donor Collaborative, Latinos contribute $3.2 trillion to the GDP of the United States and as a group, Latinos have the buying power of $3.4 trillion in the U.S.

 ‘We’ve come from so much oppression, yet our superpower is tenacity. We just don’t accept no for an answer,” Leguizamo proclaims.

VOCES American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos

Director and Co-Creator: Ben DeJesus – Co-Creator: John Leguizamo

Documentary Series:  90 minutes

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Apple TV+ began this May with the unveiling of the third season of Acapulco, which originally premiered in October 2021. The global bilingual hit series is highlighted by the understated comedic timing of its star and executive producer, Emmy and SAG-Award winner Eugenio Derbez. He returns as Máximo in season three, debuted internationally on Wednesday, May 1, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through June 26.

The ten episodes explore the story of Maximo Gallardo, told in two timelines: present day and the mid-80s, as he makes a valiant effort to reconcile past mistakes and heal old wounds. In the present day, older Máximo (Derbez) finds himself returning to Las Colinas resort which he no longer recognizes. Flashbacks to 1985 reveal a younger Máximo (Enrique Arrizon), relentlessly climbing the ladder of success while potentially jeopardizing all the relationships he’s worked so hard to build, especially a budding romance with fellow hotel employee Julia (Camila Perez).  

The series admirably creates the glamour of a posh Mexican seaside resort.  The present-day episodes now find successful Maximo explaining to his nephew Hugo (Raphael Alejandro) the history of his past life at Las Colinas. But most of the comedy happens in the past, as we are made privy to the adventures of Maximo and a colorful array of fellow resort employees. Ruling the roost is Diane Davies (Jessica Collins), owner of Las Colinas. In the meantime, Maximo is constantly seeking advice from kindly Don Pablo Bonilla (Damian Alcazar), Head of Hotel Operations. Much of the fun is provided by laundry worker Guillermo (Fernando Carsa) and Hector (Rafael Cebrian), head pool boy with a talent for knowing how to fleece the wealthy resort guests. The action is highlighted by the talented song-and-dance routines of poolside performers Augusto (Rodigo Urquidi) and Adriana (Rosana de Leon).     

To round out the story, young Maximo’s family life comes under scrutiny, underscored by Nora (Vanessa Bauche), Maximo’s widowed mother and his sister Sara (Regina Reynoso). An intriguing subplot juxtaposes Nora’s marriage to a new love as her bisexual daughter struggles to find her own lasting romance. The returning “Acapulco” ensemble cast includes Vanessa Bauche, Regina Reynoso, Raphael Alejandro, Jessica Collins, Rafael Cebrián, Regina Orozco, and Carlos Corona with recurring guest stars Jaime Camil and Cristo Fernandez. Kudos to the phenomenal production values, providing a glimpse of how just enjoyable a visit to Las Colinas could be.  And there is already a planned Season Four (TBA). Acapulco should enjoy long run. The series regular characters are specifically realized, making it is easy to imagine many of them branching out to series of their own. 

In addition to starring in the series, Derbez serves as executive producer alongside Ben Odell. Actor Jaime Camil (Jane the Virgin) makes an appearance in the first episode of the season.

Hailing from Lionsgate Television, Acapulco is inspired by 3Pas Studios and Pantelion Films’ box office hit How to Be A Latin Lover, and is produced for Apple by Lionsgate Television. The series is created by Austin Winsberg, Eduardo Cisneros and Jason Shuman. Sam Laybourne who serves as the showrunner.
Acapulco can be streamed for free on Apple TV+ and Roku.

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If season one of Lopez vs Lopez was all about the problems, one can say that season 2 is about solutions and moving on, which is refreshing and equally hilarious!

On April 2, NBC will premiere the second season of Lopez vs Lopez, with back-to-back episodes at 8 and 8:30 p.m., which will continue in those time slots going forward. 

“We’re back, baby,” George Lopez exclaims. Indeed! The first season of this comedy sitcom made its debut on NBC, November 2922, starring actor/comedian George Lopez and his real life daughter, Mayan Lopez, created by the Lopez duo and showrunner Debby Wolfe. 

“There might be some overlaps with the first season, George confides. “But this one deals with many more contemporary issues,” says Mayan. “There are millennial life decisions and other generational problems that my character needs to explore.”   “Yeah, her dad is trying to stay sober, that’s his generational issue,” George explains. 

Although the sitcom still is captures the Latino experience, George and Mayan feel there are other aspects that will be universally appealing to audiences no matter their background, which George attributes to the talent in the writers’ room. “On the show right now, we have a lot of Latine writers,” he explains. “We have people who are younger; we have people who are gay, and from every facet of everyday life.  They can write for all the shows and not just the one that deals with a specific issue. These stories are everybody’s stories. The friction between parents and their kids while getting older hasn’t changed.”

The comedy tells the story of a working-class, old-school blue collar worker,  who moves in with his modern Gen Z daughter as they rebuild their dysfunctional relationship one argument at a time. The season 2 opening episode addresses the problems of his alcoholism, and points out the “addictions” the family as a whole need to deal with.  Additionally, Mayan focuses on keeping a handle on the household which includes a son (Brice Gonzalez), her “Gringo” husband (Matt Shively), and her clean-freak mom played by Selenis Leyva. Though it all, George keeps reminding Mayan nachos are a finger food and that he is not to blame for all her troubles, her one liners comebacks are pristine!

“Mayan has been funny her whole life,” George affirms. “We’ll be working on the set and I can see her when she was five, seven and a 10-years-old girl. That’s the way my mind works. It’s hard for me sometimes to believe that the little girl, whose cord I cut in the hospitais the young lady who’s on the television show with me. It’s really beyond my imagination.” Contributing to George’s show vision are Mayan and Wolfe are the other series regulars, Selenis Leyva, Brice Gonzalez, Matt Shively and Al Madrigal. 

This season the cast of surprise guest stars include Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, Diana Maria Riva, Jaime Camil and Marshawn Lynch.Creator/showrunner Debby Wolfe executive produces with Bruce Helford, George Lopez, Michael Rotenberg and Katie Newman. Lopez vs Lopez is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Mohawk Productions, Travieso Productions, Mi Vida Loba and 3 Arts.

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Set in 1969, the Apple + ten-episode dramedy, Palm Royale, follows the story of Maxine Waters (Kristen Wiig) as she endeavors to break into Palm Beach high society. Her only way in to this closed and treacherous den of monied “royalty,” is her connection to the now infirm former grand dame matron, Norma Dellacorte (Carol Burnett) and Robert (Ricky Martin), a Palm Royale employee who assists Maxine in caring for Norma. 

Puerto Rican-born singer/songwriter Martin admits that acting in a comedy series with such stars as Wiig, Burnett and Laura Dern (also an Executive Producer) was a challenge. “Getting the role was a fluke. It all started at an Oscar party. I was dancing and happened to bump into Abe Sylvia (Series Creator/Executive Producer). He had a conversation with my agent after that night. And three days later, I had the script and a week later, I was flying from Puerto Rico to LA to meet with producer/director Tate Taylor. 

“It happened that fast for me, too,” says Burnett. “I didn’t even have to read the script. “All I had to do was hear who was going to be in it, Kristen, Laura, Ricky. I just wanted to work with these people and get to know them, and go out to dinner, and have some fun. Of course, in the first few episodes, I’m in a coma…but I still got paid. So, I mean, it was a slam dunk. And then to work with Ricky in some of those scenes was just heaven.”

“The energy that Carole brought on stage every day, was amazing, says Martin. “It didn’t matter if the call time was at 05:00 in the morning. It was incredible. I will always be forever grateful just to have the opportunity to be with her on set. We worked so well together…and I gave her a lot of massages, as well.”

Burnett adds, ”And Ricky’s very funny.” 

“It’s so contagious,” he laughs. “I just feed off what they give me, and then I just press play. You know, when I was 15 years old, I had the opportunity to do a TV series in Argentina for the first time, and for me, there was something about being in front of the camera and telling a story without music that really seduced me. Then, obviously, music did its thing, and it was easier to hop on the music wave and surf.” 

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1971, Enrique “Ricky“ Martín began appearing in television commercials at age nine and started his musical career at twelve, as a member of Puerto Rican boy band, Menudo. He began his solo career in 1991, gaining recognition in Latin America with the release of his first two studio albums, Ricky Martin (1991) and Me Amaras (1993). Martin has since released several successful albums. As an actor, Martin took a role in the hit soap opera, General Hospital (1994–1996), while his portrayal of Antonio D’Amico in The Assassunaton of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (2018) garnered him an Emmy nomination. He also starred as Che in the Broadway revival of the musical, Evita (2021), as well as a Holiday TV film, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey.   

“Now, I feel it is very important to tell stories by owning the character and believing every word that I say. For me, music will always be there. I will always be forever grateful; but when I walk on stage telling my stories, it’s about owning the script, without wearing a mask. I’m in love with this work, and I hope this is only the beginning.

When asked if he is preparing any new music as well, Martin chuckles, “I am always preparing music. I’m telling you, the immediate reaction of the audience when I’m doing music is something addictive; but there is something about being in front of the camera as an actor that really fulfills me incredibly. I feel so much passion towards it. I hope I keep doing it, so let’s see what happens.”“Palm Royale” debuts March 20 on Apple TV+. It is based on the book, Mr. & Mr. American Pie by Juliet McDaniel. The series was created and Executive Produced by Abe Sylvia. Executive Producers: Jayme Lemons, Katie O’Connell, Laura Dern. Producer/Director: Tate Taylor. Theme music composer: Jeff Toyne. Production companies: Jaywalker Pictures; Pattiwhack Pictures; Wyolah Entetainment; Wyolah Entertainment; Platform One Media; Boat Rockert Media; Apple Studios.

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Actress Eva Longoria has come a long way in her career since she was first introduced to prime time television audiences, portraying Gabrielle Solis in the ABC series, Desperate Housewives (2004-2012). Now she is serving as Executive Producer and Star of Apple TV’s Land of Women, shot in both English and Spanish. Longoria portrays Gala, a high-society New Yorker whose life is turned upside down when her husband implicates the family in a financial scandal, forcing her to flee, along with her mother and teenage daughter.

Hailing from Apple Studios, and inspired by award-winning author Sandra Barneda’s best-selling novel La tierra de las mujeres,  Land of Women is created by Ramón Campos, Gema R. Neira and Paula Fernández and is directed by Iris Award winner Carlos Sedes. 

Also starring legendary film and television star Carmen Maura and newcomer Victoria Bazúa. 

Longoria quips, “Yes, my character Gala, is indeed suffering an identity crisis at the beginning of the show. Her whole life has been a lie, and she has to flee suddenly to Northern Spain, living in a small vineyard with her mother, who was raised there and now hates it; and her daughter, who is definitely going through a rebellious phase. To top it off, off, the people she meets, speak a language she doesn’t really understand (Catalon).”

The series creator/writer and Executive Producer Ramón Campos interjects, “We live with different languages. Eva and I are now speaking English to be interviewed; but the moment we start to speak in Spanish we live in that world. We both think this situation must be reflected in the series. It’s important to authentically function in that environment.”

Castilian and Catalan accents were heavily incorporated into the series, which is a sharp contrast to Mexican, which is what Longoria spoke growing up in Corpus Christi. “I think streaming has really broken down content,” says Longoria. “We no longer just watch what’s from America and Spaniards don’t just watch what’s from Spain. “We now live in a global community.”

Ramón Campos has lived through this streaming renaissance of programming, particularly in Spain where Netflix and now Apple are now invested heavily in local output. “I started with FreeTV” he says. When we had an amazingly successful series, Netflix come to Spain and we created “Cable Girls.” We were very lucky and we developed series for Amazon, for Netflix, and now for the amazing Apple TV+.

The episodes move smoothly, authentically flowing from Gala speaking English to her American daughter, then speaking Spanish with her mother. The ladies at the vineyard are from Catalonia, so they speak Catalan. It makes for a very rich, fun environment because it’s one of the big sources of comedy…miscommunication.

“I think it’s important to analyze the people who wait for your story,” says Campos. “I don’t believe in creating series just for me. I love my stories, but I always create the series for the people. My first audience is my mother. When I finish one series, I send my mother the episode and she has one of two reactions. Either it’s ‘I love it, it’s amazing,’ or ‘Oh, it’s nice.” It is with the second response, I know I’m in trouble?”

In the 12 years since the end of Desperate Housewives, Longoria has mostly been producing and directing, with a little bit of acting thrown in. So, how does she choose what she wants to act in, what kinds of projects does she want to produce and direct? Also, was she really interested in continuing to work on both sides of the camera?

Longoria just shrugs. “I wanted to get behind the camera to have more control of my career. I wanted to tell the stories from my community, from a woman’s perspective. And I started doing that during Desperate Housewives, I used that series as my film school.” Longoria shot her first two short films during Desperate Housewives and then produced Devious Maids with Marc Cherry. That’s also when she started her episodic directing career. It was Campos who segued her career into starring in a series.

“Yeah, that’s true,” Campos continues. “I love to write for women set in period series, but I decided I wanted to also speak in contemporary times, because I have strong women in my life. My team, all are women. And for me, it became very important to speak about them. And then Eva approached me.”

Longoria continues, “Ramón and I did Grand Hotel together. I optioned the format from Spain and that’s where we met. And then I optioned another one of his shows that I loved. And then after that, I was like, “Ramón, why don’t you write me a show? I want to drink wine and shoot in Spain.” He just shrugged and said, O.K.’ Oh my God! I was really excited to work with a showrunner like Ramón.” I’ve never acted in Spanish. I have never shot in Spain. To be playing such a phenomenal Spanish cast, including the legendary Carmen Maura, it was just something I couldn’t pass up.”

The series is produced by Bambu Studios, and executive produced by showrunner Campos, Neira, Sedes, Iris Award winner Teresa Fernández-Valdés, Ben Spector, Sandra Condito and Longoria via her award-winning production company UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, founded in 2005 by Longoria to produce film, television and documentaries.

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TV Writer Shea Serrano has created an eight-episode coming-of-age, single-camera comedy, inspired by Serrano’s life growing up on the southside of San Antonio. It follows a San Antonio teenager balancing college aspirations, societal expectations and a hectic home life anchored by his single mom and five uncles who each think they know best and are intent on steering their nephew in “the right” direction in FreeVee’s Primo.

Co-executive produced by Mike Shur (co-creator of Brooklyn Nine-Nine). Primo follows the daily life of Rafa Gonzales (Ignacio Diaz-Silverio), a wide-eyed 16-year-old, being raised by his relentlessly matriarchal mother, Drea (Christina Vidal), who not only rules Rafa’s life but also his five overbearing uncles, Rollie (Johnny Rey Diaz), Mike (Henri Esteve), Ryan (Carlos Santos), Jay (Jonathan Medina) and Mondo (Efraín Villa), as they survive day-by-day.

Diaz-Siverio, a relative newcomer with Primo being his series regular role, admits he did not have prior experience of growing up with older brothers. “I had a lot of older cousins whom I spent Summer vacations with,” he explained. “They let me know I was at the lower end of the pecking order.” While Christina Vidal, chimes in about her sibling rivalry experience. “I was the youngest with two sisters and a brother. I remember my brother practicing karate on me. Someone was always bossing me around.”

Vidal, on the other hand brings an extensive career as an actress and singer to the table. She is best known for her roles in films such as Life with Mikey (opposite Michael J. Fox and her debut at age 12), Brink!, Freaky Friday, See No Evil, and her title role in the Nickelodeon sitcom, Taina (2001–2002), followed by Code Black (2015-16) and Training Day (2017). As a singer, at age 17, she joined a girl group called Gemstone (with Jade Villalon and Crystal Grant). In 2002, she provided guest vocals on the remix of Will Smith’s summer hit, Black Suits Comin’ from the Men in Black II soundtrack. She also recorded a track for the workout CD called Byou from Sabrina Bryab of The Cheetah Girls.

Vidal understands the dilemma for Rafa in this series, navigating his way through his junior year in high school, attempting to find his place in a family that has no boundaries. “It is chaos for Rafa,” she affirms. “All the uncles are at the house all the time, eating the food, bossing Rafa around as if they live there.”

“Rafa is used to the chaos. He’s never known anything else”, Diaz-Silverio adds. “Through it all he is trying to concentrate on three things: he wants to bond with his friends as he is nearing the end of high school; he’s sure he just met the girl of his dreams, Mya (Stakiah Lynn Washington); and he just found out he has a real chance to become the first person in his family to go to college.”

Diaz-Silverio started his acting career at a young age in live theater and film. Now 21 years old, although he plays a lot younger, Diaz-Silverio also has a film e starred in with Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman in Zach Braff’s A Good Person (MGM). Other works include Samuel D. Hunter’s A Bright New Boise at the Signature Theater and he was nominated for a 2023 Helen Hayes Award for his work in John Proctor Is The Villain at Washington D.C.’s Studio Theatre.

“I was raised by a single mother and I did have five uncles who all lived nearby in South San Antonio,” screenwriter Serrano tells us. He mixed in elements of his married life. “Mya is based on my wife, Laramie, who I met during my first year of college. We both graduated and went on to become teachers.”

Serrano’s road to screenwriting was serendipitous. “After college, I became a middle-school science teacher. My wife went through a difficult pregnancy and couldn’t work for a while. I looked at different jobs I could do while still teaching. I became a sports writer for a local neighborhood paper, making fifteen dollars per article.” Then over the next eight years, Serrano worked his way up to writing for ESPN.

“Then one night I was out having dinner with Laramie and discussed with her writing a series about the people who were important to me,” he explained. She thought it a was brilliant idea. Serrano called his friend Mike Schur. “Mike liked the concept and guided me through the whole process,” he recalls fondly. “I am amazed. This is my first screenwriting job, an eight-episode television sitcom. I am simultaneously overwhelmed and overjoyed.”

Primo debuts May 19, streaming on Amazon Freevee. Over the course of the eight episodes, Rafa, his mom, uncles, friends, and crush—will all help one another grow in ways they expected…whether they like it or not. It is also very, very funny.

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Gina Rodriguez is the star and Executive Producer of ABC’s comedy series, Not Dead Yet (debuting February 8), playing Nell Serrano, a woman attempting to jump start her life and the career she left behind five years earlier. “Nell is a self-described disaster, says Rodriguez. Returning to the newspaper she used to work for, she lands the only position available…writing obituaries. “She’s just ended a five-year relationship and is broke. Her life becomes complicated by a job she didn’t even want when Nell begins getting life advice from the dead people she’s writing about.”

Marking Gina Rodriguez’s first television series since her Golden Globe-winning five-year run   on CW’s Jane the Virgin (2014-19), Not Dead Yet, adapted from Alexandra Potter‘s book, Confessions of a 40-Something F**k Up, also stars Hannah Simone (New Girl), Lauren Ash (Superstore), Rick Glassman (As We See It), Joshua Banday (Upload), and Angela Gibbs (Hacks, Black Jesus). 

When asked how it feels being an Executive Producer on the series, she explains, “Well, in real life, I am about to have a baby. I accidentally got pregnant right before the show started. My husband and I were very excited about it, but it wasn’t planned. I was so afraid.”  Rodriguez explained to Dean, their pilot director, the situation and that she was not about to get any smaller, on the contrary. “He just smiled and told me, ‘You are pregnant. You are a miracle.  Just live in it, and we’ll figure it out.’  And they did.” 

Dean Holland, also an Executive Producer, helped craft the show. “We came up with very creative ways to cover the belly, whether it was costumes or her office cubicle.”  “They used plants, even a refrigerator,” quipped Gibbs, who plays Cricket, the widow of Nell’s first obituary subject, and who befriends Nell. “The directors were ingenious.” 

Another ingenious aspect of this series is the built-in need to have guest stars in each episode to play the recently deceased who interact with Nell. “Oh, we have so many incredible people, Rodriguez exclaims. “We have Rhea Perlman, Paula Pell, Ed Begley, Jr., Telma Hopkins, Brittany Snow, Julia Sweeney and more to come. We got very lucky.”

Executive Producer, Casey Johnson, who co-wrote the pilot with Holland talked about the writing process, “During our writing sessions, we sort of discovered that we both always loved to read obituaries.  Even the most ordinary-seeming person is fascinating if you just pay attention.  And so that’s something we love about these characters. There are some people who lead extraordinary lives. Our guest stars have so much to work with in playing them.”  

Rodriguez connected with her character on a family level.  “My fascination with the people who came before me in my family is one of the reasons I connected with this show so much,” she explained. “I have always felt like my ancestors have been around, have been with me, have been present in my journey, taking care of me in those moments of fear or doubt.”

As far as what we can expect from her character, Rodriguez had quite a lot to say, “You might meet some of Nell’s family. But it’s more about me playing a person going through an experience of establishing her identity. For sure, she can never deny her roots, but it’s not the plot. I’ve been deconstructing my identity for the past eight months, and I am nothing.  I’m just dust, guys. It’s great to play somebody who gets to fail but also gets to learn from her failures. It’s really cool to be playing this role at a time when I’m continuously unraveling and rebuilding myself.”

Rodriguez has had an adventurous life. She was born in Chicago, Illinois, the youngest daughter of Puerto Rican parents. At the age of seven, Rodriguez performed at the salsa dance company, Fantasia Juvenil. She focused on salsa dancing until age 17 when she began acting. She went on to voice the title character of the Netflix animated action adventure series, Carmen Sandiego and  portrayed Frida Kahlo in the world premiere of Casa Blue in the United Kingdom.

When asked if the Latino culture she grew up with is present in Nell’s life in the series, Rodriguez retorts, “It’s impossible for it to not. I’m always Latina.  It’s so much of my identity. I have writers that are creating a woman and her experience, a human, and I always bring something of myself to everything I play.” 

Hannah Simone, who plays Sam the editor of the Life & Style section of the newspaper interjects, “I think it’s kind of groundbreaking and refreshing that you have this show with these three women at the top of the call sheet. But this is not a show that’s about women.  You have two women at the top of this call sheet who are women of color. But it’s not a show about being any particular ethnicity. That’s usually how it was in the past.  You always had to explain yourself or define the show by those identities.”

Not Dead Yet premieres with back-to-back episodes Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. The series will be available to stream on Hulu from Feb 8.

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There will be a plethora of Latino talent gracing the airwaves this holiday as Lifetime launches its annual It’s a Wonderful Lifetime programming event. Offering joyous cheer will be films that feature stars such as Rita Moreno, Mario Lopez, Camila Banus, Mario Cantone, Ariana Ron Pedrique, Rodrigo Massa and many others. 

Beginning on Novemver 17 at 8/7c Sweet Navidad starts off the season with a focus on a young, hard-working pastry chef Carmen (Camila Banus), who dreams of opening her own Puerto Rican-influenced bakery, like the one her family owned on the island. When hotel owner Victor Flores (David Fumero) discovers Carmen’s treats at a local coffee shop, he invites her to apply for a position as pastry chef for his hotel’s holiday gala.  When she is accepted, she’s paired with chef Jax (Mark Hapka). At first, the two do not mix well. Carmen is messy and cooks from the heart; Jax is a perfectionist fixated on technique. 

Miami-born Banus, of Spanish and Cuban descent, is best known for her role as Gabi Hernandez on the soap opera, Days of Our Lives (2010-2015). “This Lifetime film does reflect my upbringing,” says Banus. “In the film, when all the chefs are competing, they brag about what important culinary schools they attended. When they ask Carmen about her training. She exclaims, ‘I studied at the academy of mi familia…in Miami.’ Also featured in Sweet Navidad are Melissa Marty, Teri Hoyos, Manny Streetz Guevara, Norma Maldonado and J. Santiago Suarez.      

Sweet Navidad is produced by Ninth House Films for Lifetime. Autumn Federici and Jake Helgren serve as producers. Marianne C. Wunch, Hannah Pillemer, Fernando Szew from MarVista serve as executive producers. Script by Cristina Boada with Brittany Underwood as director.

Santa Bootcamp (November 19 at 8/7c) finds event planner Emily Strauss (Emily Kinney, (The Walking Dead) being commanded by mall magnate Ed Mancini (Patrick Cassidy of Castle) to stage the ultimate Christmas Gala for his most important investors. Emily is sent to Santa Bootcamp where she is confronted by Belle (Rita Moreno, (West Side Story), the bootcamp’s drill sergeant with a heart of gold, who helps Emily rediscover the magic of Christmas and find romance along the way. 

“The director, Melissa Joan Hart, was wonderful to work with,” says Moreno. “While keeping a tight rein on the script and the flow of the movie, she allowed me to improvise a bit within the lines. That was wonderful.” Moreno further exclaims, “I have always been a holiday person. I have been known to decorate anyone in my house who happens to stand still for more than a minute, because during the holidays, I turn into a child.” Additional stars include Tony winner Marissa Jaret Winokur, Justin Gaston, John Schuck, and deaf actors Deanne Bray and Zyra Singleton.

Hart  also serves as executive producer, along with Irene Dreayer, Gina Rugolo Judd, and Paula Hart. The film is produced by Hartbreak Films Inc with a script written by Michael J. Murray.  

Steppin’ Into the Holiday (airing November 25 at 8/7c) features Mario Lopez, portraying a former Broadway star who returns to his hometown after being fired from a TV dance competition series where had served as host-producer-judge. “This has been great for me,” says Lopez. “Netflix reached out to me and asked if I would like to co-star with Jana Kramer. I think the network thought of us both because of our backgrounds, competing on Dancing With the Stars.”

As the title intimates, there is a lot of ‘steppin’ in the show. Lopez’s character, Billy, meets Rae (Kramer), the owner of a dance studio, where Billy’s 12-year-old nephew is her standout student. Billy volunteers to help Rae with the studio’s recital by reviving the town’s traditional Christmas Eve show. Along the way, the holiday spirit affects the disillusioned Broadway star and the hopeful small town dance teacher…in a good way.

Lopez and Kramer are executive producers on the movie, which served them both well. “Jana lives in Nashville where we are shooting and two of my favorite writers created the script, Peter Murrieta (The Wizards of Waverly Place) and his wife, Eliza.”  Lopez, whose parents were both emigrants from Mexico, became a child actor while a student in Chula Vista, California, eventually landing a series regular role on Saved by the Bell (1989-1994). Trained as a dancer from the age of seven, he made his Broadway debut in the 2008 in a revival of A Chorus Line.  

Steppin’ Into the Holiday, which also features Mario’s wife, Courtney Lopez, as well as Cheri Oteri and Mario Cantone, is produced by Via Mar and Roberts Media, LLC. in association with Motion Content Group. Mark Roberts, Mario Lopez, Jana Kramer,  Jeff Stearns, Richard Foster and Chet Fenster serve as Executive Producers. David Kendall directs from a script by Aliza Murrieta and Peter Murrieta.

Additional It’s A Wonderful Lifetime Latino-themed films include:  Cloudy, With a Chance For Christmas, starring Valerie Ortiz (11/5); Well Suited For Christmas, starring Mercedes de la Zerda (11/6); A Show-Stopping Christmas, starring Jamie Perez 11/20); and Merry Textmas, starring Ariana Ron Pedrique & Rodrigo Massa (12/4).

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