Natalie Chaidez Signs Exclusive, Multi-Year Deal with Warner Bros. Television

Natalie Chaidez has been warn(er)ed.

The Latina television writer and producer has signed an exclusive, multi-year deal with Warner Bros. Television.

Natalie ChaidezAs part of the deal, she’ll develop and create original programming via WBTV for all platforms.

The news comes ahead of HBO Max’s Season 2 premiere of The Flight Attendant on April 21, marking Chaidez’s debut as series executive producer and co-showrunner alongside Steve Yockey.

Chaidez is a veteran creator, executive producer and showrunner who works in both television and features. Prior to joining The Flight Attendant, she served as executive producer and writer on USA Network’s crime drama Queen of the South.

She previously created and executive produced the Syfy drama series Hunters. Her additional TV writing and producing credits include 12 MonkeysIn Plain SightTerminator: The Sarah Connor ChroniclesHeroesJudging Amy and New York Undercover among many others.

She was nominated for an Emmy and WGA Award for her work on Heroes.

Most recently, Chaidez received a pilot order from Freeform for the coming-of-age story AZNBBGRLa collaboration with Dinh Thai.

Octavio Pisano Promoted to Series Regular on NBC’s “Law & Order: SVU”

Octavio Pisano is taking on more shifts…

The 35-year-old Latino actor and producer, who portrays Detective Joe Velasco on NBC’s Law & Order: SVU, has been promoted to series regular.

Octavio Pisano 

Pisano’s Joe Velasco is a former undercover and detective under Chief McGrath (Terry Serpico) who’s been assigned to the SVU. Pisano has appeared in 3 episodes so far, beginning with the season 23 premiere.

Season 23 picked up mere hours after last season’s finale, where Catalina Machado (Zabryna Guevara) was arrested for trafficking single mothers living in shelters in a complex housing-for-sex scheme. She now wants to flip on her superiors in exchange for a deal with the feds, and names a powerful congressman as the big fish. It’s a make-or-break case for the NYPD and puts enormous pressure on the entire SVU squad to get a conviction.

Starring Mariska HargitayLaw & Order: SVU chronicles the lives of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, an elite squad of detectives who investigate crimes of sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence.

Ice T, Peter Scanavino and Kelli Giddish also star.

Law & Order: SVU is TV’s longest-running primetime live-action series. It received a three-year renewal in 2020, taking it through Season 24.

Pisano starred alongside Michael Chiklis in the CBS All Access limited series Coyote. He was cast in the pilot for the New York Undercover reboot created by Dick Wolf and in Tyler Perry’s If Loving You Is Wrong. Pisano’s film credits include Ms Purple directed by Justin ChonBadsville, Powder & Gold and Smartass.

Otmara Marrero to Star in NBC’s Quarantine-Themed Comedy Series “Connecting”

It’s a new connection for Otmara Marrero

The Cuban-American actress has been cast as the lead in NBC’s comedy series Connecting.

Otmara Marrero

Written and executive produced by Martin Gero and Brendan GallConnectingis an ensemble comedy about a group of friends trying to stay close (and sane) through video chats as they share the highs and lows of these extraordinary times.

Last month it received an eight-episode straight-to-series order.

Marrero will play Annie (fka Abby), who identifies as female. Her friends describe her as a hermit who would barely go out, even before the quarantine started.

Universal Television, a division of NBCUniversal Content Studios, is the studio.

Marrero played the female lead in Dick Wolf’s ABC drama pilot reboot New York Undercover, which was produced by Universal Television

She previously starred for three seasons on Sony Crackle’s series StartUp opposite Martin Freeman and Adam Brody

Her film credits include Vandal and Clementine