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5 New Primetime Shows Featuring Latino Leads in 2016
- Details
- Category: Television
- Published: Monday, 04 January 2016 19:06
- Written by Lupe R Haas
2016 is kicking off with a much more diverse slate on primetime television with 5 mid-season replacements featuring Latino leads. Jennifer Lopez, America Ferrera, Eva Longoria, and George Lopez return to television in half-hour sitcoms. Also joining the television slate includes an animated comedy titled “Bordertown” from the producer from Family Guy featuring the voices of Nicolas Gonzales and Hank Azaria. Get a sneak peek at each show.
Besides "Jane the Virgin" starring Gina Rodriguez, no other successful show features a Latino/a lead. Things are looking brighter and colorful for 2016 with the debut of five new shows featuring some familiar faces and voices. NBC is leading the way with three new shows featuring Latina leads.
Bordertown (Sundays, 8:30pm)
The animated FOX comedy is perhaps the most controversial of the new series with political and social commentary about immigration and race relations. Consulting producers include Chicano cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz (“La Cucaracha”) and Gustavo Arellano from “¡Ask a Mexican!” contribute their satire to the new show which premiered Sunday, January 3rd following “The Family Guy.”
BORDERTOWN centers on two families living in a Southwest desert town on the U.S. - Mexico border. The series takes a satirical look at the cultural shifts occurring in America, where the U.S. Census forecasts that by 2017, ethnic minorities will become the majority. Set against this increasingly diverse backdrop, the comedy explores family, politics and everything in between with a cross-cultural wink.
BORDERTOWN focuses on two clans: the Buckwalds and the Gonzalezes. BUD BUCKWALD (Hank Azaria, THE SIMPSONS) is a married father of three and a Border Patrol agent who is just a tad behind the times and feels slightly threatened by the cultural changes transforming his neighborhood. He lives next door to ERNESTO GONZALEZ (Nicholas Gonzalez, SLEEPY HOLLOW), an ambitious family man, who has been in the country less than 10 years, but is already doing better than Bud – which, it turns out, is a bit of an issue for Bud. Bud is married to JANICE BUCKWALD (Alex Borstein, FAMILY GUY), both the wisest and most oblivious member of the family. The Buckwald kids include BECKY (Borstein), a socially awkward, big-boned geek; SANFORD (Judah Friedlander, “30 Rock”), a loser who thinks he’s a player; and GERT (Missi Pyle, “The Exes,” “Galaxy Quest”), a beauty pageant-obsessed five-year-old with a pet pig. Watch clips and trailer
Superstore (Mondays on NBC, 8:00pm)
America Ferrera (“Ugly Betty”) and Ben Feldman (“Mad Men,” “A to Z”) star in the hilarious workplace comedy “Superstore” (from the producer of “The Office”) about a unique family of employees at a super-sized megastore. “Superstore” centers around Amy (Ferrera), the store’s most stalwart employee as well as the glue holding the place together, and newly hired Jonah (Feldman), a naive dreamer determined to prove work doesn’t have to be boring. Their fellow associates include the sardonic Garrett (Colton Dunn, “Key and Peele”) the ambitious Mateo (Nico Santos, “Mulaney”) and the sweet pregnant teenager, Cheyenne (Nichole Bloom, “Shameless”). Overseeing them all are Glenn (Mark McKinney, “Kids in the Hall”) the store’s affable, clueless store manager, and Dina (Lauren Ash, “Super Fun Night”), the aggressive assistant manager who lives by a very specific code — namely the store’s employee handbook.
From the bright-eyed newbies and the seen-it-all veterans to the clueless summer hires and the in-it-for-life managers, together they hilariously tackle the day-to-day grind of rabid bargain hunters, riot-causing sales and nap-worthy training sessions.
Interview: America Ferrera On Returning To Television
Telenovela (Mondays on NBC, 8:30pm)
Eva Longoria (“Desperate Housewives”) stars in this big, fun and flashy half-hour comedy as Ana Sofia, the star of a popular Spanish language soap opera. One problem, she doesn’t speak any Spanish. Other problems? Ana must manage a new boss, jealous castmates and high-maintenance best friends — and that’s all before her ex-husband is hired as her new on-screen love interest. Just like a real telenovela, this comedy is full of all kinds of drama, including love, hate, life and even death! Despite all the chaos, this telenovela’s cast and crew is a family … or, at least, they try to be.
During a press event for “Telenovela,” Eva Longoria admits some of the hilarious scenarios are from her own personal experience in Hollywood as a soap opera star on the "Young and the Restless” (2001-2003) and then on ABC’s “Desperate Housewives.”
Shades of Blue (Thursdays on NBC 10pm/9PM C)
Jennifer Lopez is a bad cop in her new television series, “Shades of Blue” starring alongside Ray Liotta (“Goodfellas”) and Drea De Matteo (“The Sopranos”). Get your first look at la J-Lo for the NBC cop drama which premieres on NBC January 7, 9PM/8PM C. Lopez started out on television as a fly girl on the Wayan Brothers skit show, "In Living Color." She's been producing television shows, but this is her first lead on a television series.
In a steamy new drama, the iconic Jennifer Lopez stars as sexy New York detective (and single mother) Harlee Santos, who fell in with a tight-knit group of dirty cops, taking bribes and protection money that she uses to provide the best life for her honest and talented daughter. When she's trapped by the FBI, however, and forced to inform on her own "brothers," she'll have to walk the fine line between love, loyalty, honor and betrayal, and try to keep it together for her daughter's future. Watch Trailer
Lopez (TV Land, Spring)
George Lopez returns in “Lopez” which is his third sitcom. His new half-hour show premieres on TV Land in the Spring. The plot for the new series has not been released, but the hilarious stand-up comedian and actor will also executive produce the show.