By Bel Hernandez
The fact that Gloria Calderon Kellett, Executive Producer/Showrunner (One Day At a Time) signed an “overall deal” with Amazon Studios this past week is a major “Big Deal”. For starters, this would be a major accomplishment for any woman in Hollywood, the fact that she is Latina puts her in an elite group.
This is not Calderon Kellett’s first TV deal. Her hit show, the adaptation of Norman Lear’s One Day At A Time, she worked with writing partner Mike Royce, falls under their current overall deal with Sony Pictures TV, which lapses in June 2020. At the time of this deal’s lapse, her three-year overall deal with Amazon begins.
Calderon Kellett belongs to an elite group of Latinas that have secured deals at TV or cable networks. Other Latinas who have had or still have production deals are America Ferrera with a deal at NBC/Universal; Salma Hayek with an overall film deal at Lionsgate; Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin) has a TV overall deal with CBS; Zoe Saldana whose deal with DreamWorks Animation’s AwesomenessTV is to produce original content for the company’s forthcoming Awestruck service; and Eva Longoria who has had two deals, one with ABC under which she produced Telenovela and one with Fox Studios under which she produced the recent Grand Hotel which also aired on ABC.
Photo: Michael Yarish/Netflix
However, Calderon Kellett’s Amazon deal has the distinction of being a three-year deal and she is the first-ever Latina writer/creator to sign an eight figures deal.
Calderon Kellett began her career in entertainment as a playwright whose scripts went on to win distinction and awards. She did stand up, writing her own comedy routines before turning to a career writing for TV. In 2005 she joined the writer’s room on How I Met Your Mother and she has worked herself to the top of her game from there.
Calderon Kellett is not only making news as an Executive Producer/Showrunner she has also joined the small ranks of woman directors in Hollywood and is one of only a handful of Latinas who have taken their turn directing for TV. While on hiatus from producing One Day at a Time, she directed an episode of the reboot series Mad About You. Her other directing credits include having directed episodes on One Day At A Time and Mr. Iglesias on Netflix.
When Netflix canceled One Day at a Time earlier this year after the third season, there was a social media uproar with audiences and critics alike calling for its return. Netflix did not reverse the cancellation, however, the series was picked up by POP TV giving them a fourth season which is set to premiere in the Spring of 2020.
With Latino TV writers as a whole only making up 2.8% of all writers staffed on TV shows, the percentage of Latinas, derived from that percentage is much smaller. With that in mind, what Calderon Kellett has accomplished becomes even more impactful as this twice Emmy nominated and Peabody Award nominee only getting started.
The Latino community is lagging when it comes to TV writers and more specifically executive producers/showrunners. This community needs a prolific writer/showrunner with not just one, but several Latino series on the air. Longoria has been leading in this area, with having had two series in the past five years go to series. Both Telenovela (under the ABC deal) and Grand Hotel under the FOX deal aired on ABC. Both these series starred an all Latino cast, however, both were canceled after only one season.
Calderon Kellett’s One Day at A Time already a three seasons series will premiere its 4th season on POP TV. And, if Calderon Kellett chooses to produce more Latino themed content under her Amazon deal, she would be the front runner for the title of “the Latina Shonda Rhimes”. It’s a tall order, but given Calderon Kellet’s track record, it could well be a possibility.