Pedro Pascual in Mandalorian, Diego Luna in Rogue One & Narcos: Mexico, Jay Hernandez in Magnum P.I., Nicholas Gonzalez in The Good Doctor Trivia: Iconic Pioneer Desi Arnaz

Written By Luis Reyes

The Mandalorean, the Star Wars spin off hit series starring Pedro Pascual as the titular bounty hunter has been renewed for a second season on the new Disney + streaming service. The series, which ended its first season run last Friday, has been a most watched hit since its streaming service debut with record 10 million subscribers on its first day.  Along with Pascual, the series also stars Carl Weathers, Gina Carano and Nick Nolte and has caused a sensation with the introduction of the character of BabyYoda. Disney+ The Mandalorean Season 2 will begin airing in the fall of 2020.  

 Then more Star Wars content is coming in the months ahead as this streaming service is in production on a Rogue One prequel series starring Diego Luna reprising his role of Cassian Andor from the 2016 film.

Narcos: Mexico Cast and Ready To Go

Over at Netflix, Luna returns as Guadalajara’s head Narco Felix Gallardo in season 2 of Narcos: Mexico on February 13, 2020. 

Widely sought after Casting Director Carla Hool has cast the new season to include actors Scoot McNairy as DEA agent Walt Breslin, Mayra Hermosillo (Falco) as Enedina Arelano Felix, Sosie Bacon (Here and Now) as Mimi Webb Miller, Andres Londono (Fear The Walking Dead) as Enrique Clavel Alex Knight (legion) as Kenny Moss, Miguel Rodarte (Time Share) as Danilo Garza, Jesse Garcia (From Dusk Till Dawn) as Sal Orozco, Matt Biedel  (Altered Carbon) as Daryl Petski, Jesus Ochoa (Overboard) as Juan Guerra, Flavio Medina  (The House of Flowers) as Juan Garcia Abrego, Alberto Zeni (The Noble Family) as Amat Palacios, Jero Medina (Belle De Jour) as Ossie Mejia, Jose Julian (The Society) as Javier Arellano Felix, Noe Hernandez (We are The Flesh) as Rafael Aguilar and Nat Faxon (Family Guy) as Ted Kaye. Gaumont Television produces Narcos: Mexico for Netflix and is executive produced by Eric Newman and Jose Padilha.

Hawaii Five-O Crosses Over To Hawaii Five-O

Last week CBS Television, for the first time did some cross-over with their Friday night hit shows Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I. On January 3rd their aired a two episode, two hour (8-10 p.m.) event in which Jay Hernandez’s Magnum P.I. is enlisted by Hawaii Five-0 to help in an investigation.  In the subsequent episode Magnum must use all of his resources when the CIA prevents Five-0 from aiding him in rescuing a close friend held hostage.  

The 41 year old Hernandez, was born and raised in Montebello, California is completing his second season playing the iconic character of Magnum P.I. portrayed by Tom Selleck in the 80’s. 

Nicholas Gonzalez Photo: ABC

Hernandez is CBS’s “diversity in a major dose” in a time where broadcast television representation of leading Latinx roles are still infrequent. Last year 2019 CBS brought us Jimmy Smits in the short lived series Bluff City Law and over at ABC Nicholas Gonzalez is in his third season on the hit show The Good Doctor

“ There needs to be representation and there needs to be diversity on television,” said Hernandez in a recent interview. “if you’re telling an honest story about America, you need to have shows that represent what the country looks like today. We’re a very diverse place and media should represent that.”

Latinos In Hollywood Trivia

I Love Lucy Still Brings In 4.9 Million Viewers With 0.5 Nielsen Ratings.

Lucille Ball and then Husband Desi Arnaz

The classic I Love Lucy comedy series of the 1950s’ starring Lucille Ball and Cuban American Desi Arnaz  (1917-1986) is still drawing audiences after all these years and creating new generations of fans as the annual colorized Christmas episode dominated the ratings with 4.9 million total viewers on CBS television last Friday Dec 19. 

It’s an amazing accomplishment for a 70-year-old television series that was groundbreaking for its time, about a struggling Cuban–American bandleader Ricky Ricardo and his wacky American housewife Lucy. It shot up to number one in its heyday and became a national obsession on the CBS run (1951-1957) and continues to entertain to this day.

Up to that time, Arnaz was known primarily as a musician and performer who pioneered and popularized Afro-Cuban music to mainstream American audiences.  He proved himself an innovative producer and savvy businessman being instrumental in the development and use of the three-camera system for filming television comedy programs in front of a live audience. He retained the right of filmed TV series ownership through his Desilu productions and created the television syndication business model

He became the first Latino studio head when he used the profits from I Love Lucy to purchase the former RKO studios facilities, which he ran. Arnaz and Ball through their production company Desilu developed such television series as Star Trek and Mission Impossible.