Tag Archives: Universal Cable Prods

Isabel Arraiza to Star in USA Network’s “Suits” Spinoff Series with Gina Torres

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Isabel Arraiza is Suits-ing up…

The Latina actress has joined the cast of USANetwork and Universal Cable Prods.’s upcoming Suits spinoff series starring Gina Torres.

Isabel Arraiza

Arraiza joins a cast that includes Bethany Joy Lenz, Chantel Riley, Eli Goree, Simon Kassianides and Morgan Spector.

Centered on powerhouse lawyer Jessica Pearson (Torres) as she adjusts to the dirty world of Chicago politics, the spinoff hails from UCPand is executive produced by Suitscreator and executive producer Aaron Korsh alongside executive producer and showrunner Daniel Arkin.

The project was introduced in the Season 7 finale of Suits, which served as a backdoor pilot for the spinoff. It featured four main characters at the center of the offshoot, played by Torres, Kassianides, Spector and Rebecca Rittenhouse.

The role played by Rittenhouse in the backdoor pilot is being recast with Lenz. Riley will reprise a character that she played as a guest star in the backdoor pilot, while Arraiza and Goree play new characters.

Arraiza will portray Yoli Castillo, Jessica’s passionate assistant who will learn from the best how to most effectively channel her intensity.

The series is starting production in Los Angeles.

Arraiza’s previous credits include television appearances on The Oath, Elementary and American Dreamer.

USA Network Renews Torres’ “Suits” for a Seventh Season

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Gina Torres is suiting up for seven…

USA Network has renewed its longest-running original scripted series Suits, starring the 47-year-old Cuban American actress, for a 16-season seventh season for a premiere in 2017.

Gina Torres

The news comes just three episodes into the legal drama’s Season 6 run and will push Suits through the 100-episode mark, the fifth USA scripted series to do that after Monk, Burn Notice, Psych and Royal Pains.

Suits, from Universal Cable Prods., continues to be a solid ratings performer, averaging more than 3 million total viewers and 1.1 million P18-49 in Live+3 in its sixth season to date. That is off slightly from Season 5.

The current season focuses on Mike (Patrick J. Adams) facing the tough reality of prison life, with his relationship with his fiancée Rachel (Meghan Markle), and the future of Pearson Specter Litt hanging in the balance. Gabriel Macht, Sarah Rafferty and Rick Hoffman also star.

The series, which airs Wednesdays at 9:00 pm, was created by Aaron Korsh.

Gomez to Executive Produce Latin-Themed Drama Project for Freeform

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Selena Gomez is developing her Empire…

The 23-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress has partnered with Aaron Kaplan and Freeform for a drama series project.

Selena Gomez

Described as a Latina Empire, the untitled drama, now in development, is set in a low income Latino neighborhood. It’s told through the eyes of an 18-year-old girl destined for greatness.

Gomez will serve as an executive producer on the project with Los Angeles high school senior Ana Cobarrubias serving as a consultant.

The project stems from an idea by Kaplan, who got the inspiration while attending The Zimmer Children’s Museum Discovery Award dinner last November. One of the speakers at the event was Cobarrubias, who captivated the audience, getting a standing ovation for her speech about making a difference in her poor East LA neighborhood and her determination to defy society’s expectations for someone like her by being a strong and confident young woman.

Inspired by Cobarrubia’s speech, Kaplan reached out to Burke with the idea for the series. Burke liked it, and the two approached Gomez, who came on board as an executive producer.

There are no plans for Gomez to act in the series. The show will be co-produced by Freeform and Universal Cable Prods.

Kaplan sought out Cobarrubias, who had said in her speech that she plans to pursue a career in cinematic arts so she could tell the stories of people from low-income neighborhoods like hers.

Gomez is also executive producing Netflix’s upcoming series 13 Reasons Why, which has set Tom McCarthy to direct the first two episodes.

USA Network Renews Torres’ “Suits” for a Sixth Season

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Gina Torres will be suiting up for another season…

A week into Suits’ fifth season, USA Network has renewed its flagship drama for a 16-episode sixth season.

Gina Torres

The news comes after the Season 5 premiere of the legal drama, starring the 46-year-old Cuban American actress, logged 3.4 million viewers and 1.3 adults 18-49 in Live+3.

In Live+same day ratings, Suits was down slightly from the Season 4 opener (2.13 million vs. 2.50 million) but remains USA’s top drama.

The series, created/executive produced by Aaron Korsh and set at a fast-paced Manhattan corporate law firm, is also a reliable utility player

It was just used to launch USA’s new hacker drama series Mr. Robot, which was given a second season renewal last Wednesday.

Also working for Suits is the fact that the series is owned by USA, coming from Universal Cable Prods.

“Suits has set the bar high in every way and continues to be a strong performer and marquee property for USA,” said USA president Chris McCumber. Added UCP president Jeff Wachtel, “Aaron Korsh has some great surprises for the audience at the end of Season 5 that should really set future seasons on an exciting new course.”

Along with Torres, Suits also stars Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Meghan Markle, Sarah Rafferty and Rick Hoffman.

Roday Signs with ICM Partners

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James Roday has new representation in Hollywood.

ICM Partners has signed the 38-year-old Mexican American actor and former Psych.

James Roday

Rodriguez is s best known for his eight-season turn playing the lead, fake psychic Shawn Spencer, on the USA crime dramedy created by Steve Franks, also an ICM client.

The show and Roday developed a big following on social media and also were a top draw at Comic-Con. In addition to starring, Roday wrote and directed several episodes of Psych. Following the end of the series earlier this year, he wrote and directed Shoot The Moon for USA and Psych producer Universal Cable Prods. through a development fund. The presentation will be delivered to USA for pickup consideration in the next few weeks.

Roday, who was at CAA, co-founded Red Dog Squadron, a Los Angeles theater company, and took over the El Centro theater on Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood in order to give actors the opportunity to realize stage passion projects as actors, writers and/or directors.

He also wrote and directed the indie Gravy, starring Lily Cole, Sarah Silverman, Dule Hill and Gabourey Sidibe.

Roday is managed by Gotham/Principal and also repped by law firm Peikoff Mahan.