The 65-year-old half-Puerto Rican actor, playwright and director has been cast as a series regular opposite Amanda Warren in the CBS drama pilot East New York.
In East New York, co-written by William Finkelstein and Mike Flynn, Regina Haywood (Warren) is the newly promoted deputy inspector of East New York, an impoverished, working-class neighborhood at the eastern edge of Brooklyn. She leads a diverse group of officers and detectives, some of whom are reluctant to deploy her creative methods of serving and protecting during the midst of social upheaval and the early seeds of gentrification.
Hudson will play Marvin Sandeford, who could have become a boss or a detective, but he never wanted to be anything but a street cop. He’s very opinionated and given to quick, intractable judgments, but not without compassion. No one knows as much about East New York as he does.
Finkelstein and Flynn executive produce with Mike Robin of Skyemac Productions, Christine Holder and Mark Holder of Wonder Street. Andrew Maher of Skyemac is co-executive producing. Warner Bros. Television is the studio.
Hudson is a two-time Tony Award winner and star/writer/director of Lackawanna Blueson Broadway. He also write Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Natalia Cordova-Buckley will be swatting at mosquitoes…
The 39-year-old Mexican-American actress and Ian Hart have joined the cast of Apple TV+ series The Mosquito Coastas Season 2 regulars.
Cordova-Buckley and Hart join returning stars Justin Theroux, Melissa George, Logan Polish, and Gabriel Bateman.
The Mosquito Coast follows the events prior to Paul Theroux’s famed 1981 novel about obsessed, idealist inventor Allie Fox, who is on the run from the U.S. government and uproots his family for Mexico.
The series is created for television and executive produced by Neil Cross.
The Mosquito Coast is a Fremantle Production for Apple TV+.
Cordova-Buckley most recently appeared in the third season of FX’s Mayans M.C.and the CBS series Coyote.
She is most notably known for her portrayal of one of the rare Latina superheroes, Elena “Yo-Yo” Rodriguez, in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Tony Romo is bringin’ the drama to the small screen…
The 41-year-old former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current NFL analyst is teaming up with star Chace Crawford, executive producer and Showtime to develop a football drama.
The series, currently in the early stages of development at the ViacomCBS-owned network, follows a fictitious first family of football and the players, coaches, and power brokers behind the high stakes world of America’s biggest professional sport.
The network is searching for a writer for the untitled project, which comes from eOne, where Comins and his Creative Engine Entertainment is based.
Romo and Crawford are brothers in law. Romo, who is currently an announcer for CBS after spending 14 seasons with the Cowboys, is married to Crawford’s sister Candice.
The project has been described as a cross between Succession and Friday Night Lights.
The Latina actress has landed a key recurring role on How We Roll,CBS’ multi-camera bowling comedy from Crashing’s Pete Holmes.
Perez joins a list of cast newcomers that includes Tahj Mowry, Rondi Reed, Judy Kain and Matt McCarthy in the project.
Based on the life of professional bowler Tom Smallwood, the series stars Holmes as Tom, a stoic Midwest husband and dad who gets laid off from a car assembly line and makes the extraordinary decision to provide for his family by following his dream of becoming a professional bowler.
It’s set to premiere Thursday, March 31.
As a skilled player, Tom knows that in bowling you get two chances; no matter what you do with the first ball, you get another one to make it right — the ultimate second chance. Keeping that in mind, he begins his new career with the loving OK from his wife, Jen (Katie Lowes), and the unfaltering support of Archie (Chi McBride), his mentor and the proud owner of Archie’s Lanes: Home of the Curly Fry. It remains to be seen if Tom will strike it big on the pro bowlers circuit, but right now, the pins are set, he’s taking his second shot, and it’s 300 or bust.
Perez will portray Tia, a hair stylist at the beauty salon with Jen. She’s party girl who’s always up for a good time. But as wild as she gets, Tia is still a dear friend to Jen, and there to listen and offer love and support.
How We Roll hails from writer Mark Gross and producers David Hollander and Brian D’Arcy James. The series is produced by CBS Studios with Gross, Hollander and D’Arcy James as executive producers. Mark Cendrowski directed the pilot.
Perez recently recurred on Netflix’s On The Vergeand Fox’sCall Me Kat. Her guest star credits include Fox’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine,ABC’s Momand Modern Family, and Netflix’s The Kominsky Method. She also appeared in featuresCHiPs, Summonedand Don Jon, and will soon be appearing in Marvel’sMorbius opposite J.K Simmons in 2022.
Jaime Camil will be portraying a late Mexican idol…
The 48-year-old Mexican actor, singer and television personality will star as the late Vicente Fernandez in a series based on his life.
The news arrives on the heels of Fernandez’s death last week at age 81.
The project, titled The Idol of the People, is a Caracol TV production and will air on the Colombian television network.
Netflix has taken world rights to the series outside of Colombia.
Camil has spoken at length on social media about how honored he is to play Chente, a shortened version of the name Vicente that served as one of his many monikers.
“Portraying Vicente Fernandez, without a doubt, is one of the biggest and most important challenges of my career,” he wrote in Spanish via Instagram in September. “In my opinion, Chente is Mexico’s biggest idol and the most monumental exponent of Mexican music all over the world.”
Fernandez earned three Grammy Awards throughout his five-decade career for Best Regional Mexican Album in 2009, 2016, and 2016 from a total 13 nominations. He recorded more than 50 albums, sold more than 50 million records and appeared in more than 30 films.
Fernandez had been suffering medical complications after a fall at his home this summer that injured his cervical spine and required an operation.
After Fernandez’s death, Camil paid tribute to the Ranchera legend while reflecting on how much he’s learned about him through his portrayal in the series via Twitter.
“Thanks to the project I’m working on, I’ve been able to learn the history, infancy, journey, legacy, and all the adversities he faced. My Chente, to get to be the person you were has taught me to respect you, to love you, and to honor you even more. No one can deny Vicente is a monument and a treasure for Mexico and Ranchera music on a global scale,” he said in part.
Camil is a veteran actor of Spanish-language telenovelas who made a splash stateside in the role of Rogelio de la Vega in the CW’s Jane the Virgin. After the series wrapped, he starred in the short-lived CBS series Broke, and has lent his voice to animated series including Elena of Avalor, BoJack Horseman, and currently stars as Doc Lopez in the Apple TV+ series Schmigadoon!
He also released two full-length albums in 1999 and 2002. Camil is expected to sing in The Idol of the People.
There are more investigations in Mel Rodriguez’s future…
CBS has renewed its freshman dramaCSI: Vegas, starring the 48-year-old Latino actor, for a second season to premiere during the 2022-2023 broadcast season.
A sequel to the groundbreaking 2000 series, season 1 of CSI: Vegas was led by the original series’ stars William Petersen and Jorja Fox.
Petersen had only signed on to reprise his role as Gil Grissom in the initial 10-episode installment. He’ll not continue as an actor but will remain an executive producer for Season 2. According to sources, Fox’s contract allows her to continue as Sara Sidle if she chooses to, and the series’ producers are hopeful that she may come back.
“The incredibly talented CSI: Vegas creative team and cast did a superb job this first season, brilliantly updating and portraying the CSI universe with fresh stories and a new crime lab, proving that after 20 years, the CSI fan base is still hungry for more and ready to embrace a new chapter in this illustrious franchise,” said Amy Reisenbach, EVP Current Programs at CBS.
CSI: Vegas improved its Wednesday night 10:00 pm time slot by +60% in viewers, according to Nielsen data. While it got off to an inauspicious start in linear ratings, the series proved a strong delayed viewing/streaming draw. Through the first nine episodes (as of Dec. 1), CSI: Vegas added +3.10m viewers (6.81m from 3.71m, +84%) with 7-day playback. This is the highest playback of any new drama on any network, per CBS. The first season of CSI: Vegas is streaming on Paramount+. No streaming data is being released, but, according to sources, the revival has been performing very well on the platform.
Additionally, CSI: Vegas‘ ratings followed an unusual trajectory. Possibly helped by the serialized, season-long arc, the numbers started consistently picking up after the traditional post-premiere dip.
Season 1 opened a new chapter in Las Vegas – the city where it all began, introducing a serialized storytelling to the classic crime procedural drama. Facing an existential threat that could bring down the entire Crime Lab and release thousands of convicted killers back onto the neon-lit streets of Vegas, a brilliant new team of investigators led by Maxine Roby (Paula Newsome) enlisted the help of old friends, Gil Grissom (Petersen) and Sara Sidle (Fox), to investigate a case centered around former colleague David Hodges (Wallace Langham). This combined force deployed the latest forensic techniques to follow the evidence – to preserve and serve justice in Sin City. The first season also starred Matt Lauria, Mandeep Dhillon and Rodriguez.
CSI: Vegas is produced by CBS Studios in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television and distributed internationally by ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group.
The 41-year-old Colombian/Venezuelan American actor is developing a television series based on the Disney western Zorrofor Disney Branded Television.
Valderrama will executive produce and star as Don Diego de la Vega and his alter ego, the titular masked horseman.
The project is executive produced by former Disney Branded Entertainment president and Chief Creative Officer Gary Marsh under the multiyear production deal for his banner at Disney General Entertainment, and John Gertz of Zorro Productions, Inc.
“We’re reimagining this Disney classic as a compelling period piece, set in Pueblo de Los Angeles, but told in a very modern telenovela style — with richly drawn contemporary characters and relationships set against the action, drama, suspense, and humor of the original, iconic Zorro,” said Ayo Davis, President of Disney Branded Television. “Wilmer shares our commitment to reflect the interesting and rich diversity of the human experience and we look forward to delivering a culturally relevant and entertaining story with definitional characters that will connect with our viewers for generations to come.”
Valderrama said he is excited to add to the legacy of the masked avenger while representing the Latino community, especially the younger generation that will grow up feeling represented as he did.
“Growing up, Zorro was the one character that made me, as a Latino, feel like I could be a hero. As an adult and a storyteller, I have a responsibility for the stories that I help bring to life,” he said. “To partner with Gary and Disney to bring Zorro back into the family after 60 years and be a part of the legacy for other children to know they too can be the heroes of their own stories is a dream come true.”
Most recently, Valderrama voiced the character, Agustin, in Disney’s Encanto, and continues to portray NCIS Special Agent Nicholas Torres in CBS’ NCIS.
Others set to take the stage include H.E.R., who will perform a tribute to the life and legacy of Motown legend Marvin Gaye. This year marks the 50th anniversary of his landmark album What’s Going On.
Blake Shelton is also set to perform on the People’s Choice Awards, which will be hosted by Kenan Thompson.
The show will air simultaneously on NBC and E! for the first time, after airing only on E! the last three years. From 1975-2017, the show aired on CBS.
The 2021 People’s Choice Awards will air on Tuesday, December 7, at 9:00 pm ET from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif.
E! will kick off the night with a red-carpet special, Live From E!: The 2021 People’s Choice Awards, at 7:00 pm ET.
Both shows are produced by Den of Thieves with executive producers Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Barb Bialkowski.
Performers: Christina Aguilera
H.E.R.
Blake Shelton
Presenters: Becky G
Cardi B
Chase Stokes (Outer Banks)
Eliza Coupe (Pivoting)
Ginnifer Goodwin (Pivoting)
Jack Quaid (Scream)
Jojo Siwa (Siwas Dance Pop Revolution)
Laverne Cox (Live from E!)
Leslie Jones (Coming 2 America)
Lil Rel Howery (Free Guy, Vacation Friends)
Lili Reinhart (Riverdale)
Maggie Q (Pivoting)
Mike Epps (The Upshaws)
Paris Jackson (American Horror Stories)
Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria)
Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish)
Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws)
The 46-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor and Magic Mike star has shared the official trailer for his upcoming holiday film A Christmas Proposal. The CBS film premieres on Sunday, December 12 at 8:30 pm ET/8:00 pm PT and will be available on demand via Paramount+.
Rodriguez— who executive produces and stars in the project—is proud to bring a holiday story featuring a Latino family to the small screen that focuses on the lives of the characters and steers clear of stereotypes.
“It was my goal from the beginning [that we’re represented in a non-stereotypical way],” Rodriguez tells Deadline.”The script was never written for a Latino family, to begin with. It was written, I’m sure, with a white family in mind. And CBS had the foresight to jump aboard and get a Latin cast in there. I was really happy to get to participate in that and help give it shape because we wanted this to be authentic. We wanted this to be about the people in it and not having to make those people characters that we’ve seen so many times before. It’s really time to see something fresh and I think we accomplished that.”
In the film, Rodriguez plays Julian Diaz, an attorney willing to do whatever it takes to win his father’s favor over his brother to ascend to the role of managing partner of the family firm upon their dad’s retirement.
When Julian meets Maria Winters (Jessica Camacho),—a chef who is hustling as a rideshare driver for extra income—he sees an opportunity to impress his parents. The pair go down this rabbit hole together but could it all be a huge recipe for disaster?
“Julian is a guy that has become obsessed with getting what he thinks is ahead like getting ahead at work, being the most important person there, and the best dressed. He’s so caught up in this competition with his brother, which really feels like it’s just a competition to see who gets the most attention from their parents. It’s sad. He’s in a place in his life where he’s missing out. He’s missing out on the things in life that are really important,” Rodriguez revealed.
He continued, “Julian doesn’t even think about slowing down until all of a sudden this person with a completely different outlook on life, forces him to do that. And the only reason she forces him to do it is that he needs her. Without that, he would have kept being the Julian he was—somebody that looks past people and is not really evaluating his life in any way.”
Rodriguez hopes A Christmas Proposal helps open up the floodgates for more Black and brown love stories in the future, especially in holiday-themed projects.
“I’ll be honest, in my head, I look at these things all on a big scale. We don’t see enough of [Black and brown love stories] and slowly but surely we’re seeing more of it. But especially in the Christmas genre, you never see it,” he shared. “I think just by putting it out there and hopefully having it be something that pops with people, they’ll be excited about the next one. Not even necessarily with these characters but where’s the next brown Christmas movie?”
Although he wasn’t specifically referring to a sequel for A Christmas Proposal, he clarifies he would be open to exploring Julian and Maria’s relationship further.
“Listen, I had a great time working with Jessica and would work with her again anytime. She’s a wonderful actress and a great person. I’m on board!” he exclaimed.
Erick Galindo is punching a ticket to California’s Mexican Beverly Hills…
The Latino award-winning writer, producer and journalist is developing the family comedy Mexican Beverly Hills for CBS alongside Aaron Izek and Wilmer Valderrama.
The single-camera project is inspired by Galindo’s New York Times essay of the same name.
Mexican Beverly Hills tells the story of a working-class Mexican-American family that moves to the wealthy, heavily Latinx city of Downey—also known as the Mexican Beverly Hills—where they both fit in and stand out in ways they never have before.
Galindo and Izek will write and executive produce; Valderrama and Kaitlin Saltzman will also executive produce under Valderrama’s WV Entertainment banner.
Galindo is a five-time Telly Award-winning writer, director, and producer known for his personal essays. He regularly writes about culture for LAist, NPR station KPCC, and The New York Times, and was the first managing editor of L.A. Taco, where his work won a James Beard Foundation award.
His co-written pilot Hot in Carsonwas a finalist for the Black List’s inaugural Latinx TV List, and his dark comedy script Legendswas selected for the 2020 NHMC Latinx Screenwriters Showcase. He just launched Sin Miedo Productions with Patty Rodriguez.
