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.

The post ‘Lopez vs Lopez’ Shines With a Focus on Generational Issues first appeared on .

Sitting “al fresco” at the community screening of Eva Longoria’s directorial debut Flamin Hot (releasing June 9, 2023), at Los Ángeles cultural center La Plaza de Cultura Y Artes was such a beautiful experience! 

Over 1000 men, women, and children, mostly Latino audience seeing themselves reflected on screen.  It was an amazing thing to witness.  As I looked around at the audience I saw grown men watching the screen with wonder. The ladies hooting and hollering when the female character took charge, while the children watched and giggled along. I turned to look back and saw a wave community collectively feeling what representation on screen feels and looks like, as they watch a Latino-themed, all-Latino cast film directed by Longoria and produced by the man that saw its potential Devon Franklin (Miracles from Heaven). 

This inspiring true story of Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia), a Frito Lay janitor who disrupted the food industry by channeling his Mexican heritage to turn Flamin’ Hot Cheetos from a snack into an iconic global pop culture phenomenon.  He along with his wife Judy (Annie Gonzalez) knew how our community loves to spice up any food with a little bit of “chile”.  He saw an opportunity and took it. Back in the early 1990’s Montañez convinced the big bosses at Frito-Lay they were missing out on making money with the growing Latino consumer market.  That caught their attention.   

So when the company’s marketing failed to attract the Latino community, Montañez rallied his co-worker and friends, and family to help promote the new Flamin’ Hot Cheetos product to the people he knew would love it. He took matters into his own hands creating a grassroots marketing campaign to prove that our community buys when we are marketed to with intention.

As a film-going community, we now have an opportunity to prove our VIEWING POWER.  We can choose to rally our friends and family to watch this film. 

Garcia and Gonzalez turn in outstanding performances as the lead of the film, and the supporting cast is a combination of established actors that include Emilio Rivera (Mayan MC), Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Pepe Serna (Art is Life, Scarface) and Dennis Haysbert (Lucifer).  Additionally, other cast members include Bobby Soto (The Tax Collector)  and the charismatic Brice Gonzalez (Lopez vs. Lopez).  At the end of the day, if we can really show that we support well-made films with talented Latino actors, there will definitely be more stories.  Maybe next time it will be your story.  

Just as Montañez did in real life, rallying his community to support Flamin Hot Cheetos, we as a film-going community, have an opportunity to rally our friends and family to watch this film on Hulu and/or Disney+ starting Jun 9.  We have an opportunity to watch and enjoy this film and show our LATINO VIEWING POWER…and have a good time doing it.

When “community” comes together it is an unforgettable experience. 

The post ‘Flamin’ Hot’: Creating A Beautiful Experience And An Opportunity to Shine first appeared on .