Longoria Developing Drama Project “Casino” NBC with Carlos Portugal

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Longoria’s gamble is paying off…

The 40-year-old Mexican American actress, producer and activist’s production company UnbeliEVAble Entertainment has sold another project, the drama Casino, to NBC.

Written by East Los High co-creator Carlos Portugal, the project centers on the aftermath of a mogul’s mysterious death when his ambitious young widow and his illegitimate son have to join forces to save his famed casino, while circumstances surrounding his death come to light and threaten to take them both down.

Portugal executive produces with UnveliEVAble Entertainment’s Longoria and Ben Spector.

Universal Television, where the company is based, is the studio.

Casino stems out of efforts by the former Desperate Housewives star — who holds a master’s degree in Chicano studies — to bring Hispanic voices to television.

Born in Cuba, Portugal began his career at San Francisco PBS station KQED, where he produced the Emmy-winning documentary Frida Kahlo: Portrait of an Artist.

For the past three seasons, he has served as creator, showrunner, head writer and director of Hulu’s original drama series East Los High, directing 42 of the 48 produced episodes to date.

Before East Los High, Portugal worked on Tyler Perry’s Meet The Browns and House of Payne for TBS.

UnbeliEVAble has midseason NBC comedy series Hot & Bothered, starring Longoria, as well as three other broadcast projects in development: genre drama Zone of Silence at NBC with Blumhouse Productions and writer Rashad Raisani, comedy Bonita & Mechelle at NBC with Will Packer Prods and writer Kriss Turner Towner and a comedy at ABC with veteran comedy writer Bobby Bowman.

Longoria to Produce Interracial Comedy Project for ABC

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Longoria is proving to be the hardest working Latina television producer…

The 40-year-old Mexican American actress/producer’s production company UnbeliEVAble Entertainment has set a half-hour project at ABC with veteran comedy writer Bobby Bowman.

The untitled interracial family comedy centers on an ambitious and meticulous Latino chef who runs a cafe with his unpredictable white father-in-law.

Bowman will executive produce the project alongside UnbeliEVAble’s Longoria and Ben Spector.

Universal Television Studios, where the company is based, is the studio.

This marks the return to ABC for the former Desperate Housewives star Longoria and Family Tools creator Bowman.

Last year, ABC and ABC Studios developed a half-hour comedy as a starring vehicle for Longoria before she committed to NBC’s Hot & Bothered, formerly called Telenovela. That series, which UnbeliEVAble produces with Universal Television, debuts in midseason.

In addition to Hot & Bothered, UnbeliEVAble has Bonita & Mechelle in development at NBC, as well as projects at HBO Films and NBC International.

Longoria Producing Comedy Project “Bonita & Mechelle” for NBC

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Longoria is expanding her presence at the Peacock Network…

The 40-year-old Mexican American actress, producer, director, activist and businesswoman has partnered with Will Packer – known for producing movies featuring African American characters –for Bonita & Mechelle, a multi-camera comedy for NBC.

The project centers on two women, one Hispanic and one African American. The women find themselves living together while conquering the ups and downs of single life and parenting.

Written by Kriss Turner Towner, Bonita & Mechelle hails from Will Packer Prods. and Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment.

Universal Television, where both companies are under deals, is the studio. Towner executive produces with Packer and UnbeliEVAble’s Longoria and Ben Spector.

Longoria is producing two series with Latino protagonists, Devious Maids, which was just renewed for a fourth season, and NBC’s upcoming Hot & Bothered, in which she stars.

In addition to Bonita & Mechelle, UnbeliEVAble Entertainment has a comedy penned by Hot and Bothered writer-producer Rob Sudduth set at NBC, as well as projects in development at HBO Films and NBC International.

ABC Buys “Splitting the Difference” from Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Longoria is splitting with ABC…

Splitting The Difference, a comedy created by filmmaker Kat Coiro, has sold to ABC with penalty.

It hails from the 39-year-old Mexican American actress’ UnbeliEVAble Entertainment and Universal Television, where the company is under a first-look deal.

The project is based on Tré Miller-Rodriguez’s memoir Splitting the Difference, which chronicles her life in New York as a 34-year-old widow who reunites with the daughter she gave up for adoption at 18.

The ABC show, written by Coiro, centers on a buttoned-down 17-year-old who reunites with her recently widowed 36-year-old biological mom and they become the heart of a patchwork family bound by more than blood.

Coiro and UnbeliEVAble’s Longoria and Ben Spector will executive produce.

This is the fifth sale for UnbeliEVAble this development season.

Longoria to Executive Produce Politically Themed Latino Family Drama “Pair of Aces”

Posted on September 20, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Longoria is bringing Texas politics to the small screen…

The 39-year-old Mexican American actress, who hails from the Lone Star State, is set to executive produce the Latino family drama Pair of Aces.

Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment and Conde Nast Entertainment will bring to life the project, which has landed at ABC with penalty.

The project is loosely inspired by a 2003 Vogue article that profiled Democratic rising-star twins Julián Castro, mayor of San Antonio, and Joaquin, then-newly elected U.S. congressman.

Created and written by Meredith Lavender and Marcie Ulin (ABC’s Nashville), Pair Of Aces, described as an operatic family drama, revolves around brothers Chris and Alex Reyes, Latino golden boys who are both best friends and rivals. They are rising stars in Texas politics whose destiny is engineered by their manipulative mother Maria. She is determined to turn the Reyes family into the most powerful dynasty modern politics has ever seen.

The drama explores the American dream and the lies, blackmail and manipulation it takes to rise to the top of power in Texas — and perhaps someday D.C.

Universal Television, where UnbeliEVAable Entertainment has a first-look deal, is producing, with UnveliEVAble’s Longoria and Ben Spector executive producing alongside Conde Nast’s Dawn Ostroff and Gina Marcheschi.

Longoria Expands Her Behind-the-Scenes Television Series Roster

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Longoria’s portfolio of behind-the-scenes television projects is expanding…

The 38-year-old Mexican American actress and former Desperate Housewives star’s production company UnbeliEVAble Entertainment has set up two more projects – a comedy at NBC and drama at Lifetime.

The NBC project stars rising comedian Erik Rivera and is based on his life and standup comedy routine.

Peter Murrieta, a comedy veteran, will write the script and executive produce the project with Scott Ellis, who is set to direct, and UnbeliEVAble’s Longoria and Ben Spector. The project stems from a deal UnbeliEVAble made with Rivera earlier this year to develop a vehicle based on his comedy.

The setup is reminiscent of ABC’s The George Lopez Show, which also started with a well-known actress, Sandra Bullock, championing a Latino comedian on the rise, Lopez, and partnering him with an established sitcom showrunner, Bruce Helford, for a comedy project starring Lopez and based on his standup. .

The Lifetime drama, titled Blackout, is a small town soap written by Elle Triedman (Revenge). It centers on a woman whose failed career leads her to return home after 10 years to the small blue collar town run by her estranged siblings. She tries to make amends with her family and her past but the murder of a teenage girl forces her to face her own demons.

Blackout expands Longoria’s relationship with Lifetime where she serves as an executive producer on the soapy drama Devious Maids.

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