Longoria to Executive Produce Comedy Project “940 Saturdays” for ABC

It’s all about Saturdays for Eva Longoria

The 41-year-old Mexican American actress/producer is reuniting with Chrissy Pietrosh and Jessica Goldstein, the creators of her NBC comedy series Telenovela, to executive produce a new single-camera comedy project for ABC.

Eva Longoria

The comedy, tentatively titled 940 Saturdays, hails from Universal Television and Longoria & Ben Spector’s studio-based UnbeliEVAable Entertainment.

Written by Pietrosh and Goldstein, 940 Saturdays refers to the number of Saturdays between the day your child is born and the day they turn eighteen. In this single-camera series, three families band together to enjoy… and survive them all.

This is the second sale at ABC for UnbeliEVAble this season, along with the Magnum P.I. sequel. The company also has NBC comedy project Big of Me, written by Awkward creator Lauren Iungerich.

Pietrosh and Goldstein’s Telenovela was one of two high-profile single-camera comedy projects vying for Longoria to star during the 2014-15 development season. She went with Pietrosh and Goldstein’s Telenovela, and the comedy, set behind the scenes of a telenovela, was picked up to series by NBC. It launched last midseason, with Longoria starring and Pietrosh, Goldstein, Longoria and Spector executive producing. It did not draw a wide enough audience for a second-season renewal but garnered solid reviews.

Moreno Brooks to Star Opposite Eva Longoria in NBC’s “Telenovela” Series

Jose Moreno Brooks is ready for a little melodrama in his life…

The Latino semi-pro-soccer-player-turned-actor has landed a series regular role in NBC’s 13-episode single-camera comedy series Telenovela.

Jose Moreno Brooks

Starring and executive produced by Eva Longoria, the series is based on an idea by Longoria.

Directed by Steve Pink, Telenovela stars Longoria as popular diva Ana Maria, star of Latin America’s most beloved telenovela who strives to stay on top in a world where the drama on-camera is nothing compared to the drama off-camera.

Moreno Brooks will portray Gael Garnica, a masculine soap star who happens to be gay, married and not in the closet. He’s one of Ana’s best friends.

Jencarlos Canela and Diana Maria Riva co-star.

Longoria and Ben Spector executive produce for Universal Television. The project is written/executive produced by Chrissy Pietrosh and Jessica Goldstein.

Moreno Brooks’s other television credits include appearances on Big Time Rush, The Nine Lives of Chloe King, The Game and One Bad Choice.

Longoria to Star in NBC Comedy “Telenovela”

Eva Longoria is heading back to the spotlight on the small screen…

NBC has given a 13-episode order to the 39-year-old Mexican American actress’ single-camera comedy Telenovela. 

Eva Longoria

It will mark Longoria’s first series starring role since Desperate Housewives.

Telenovela, set behind the scenes of a Spanish language telenovela, was guaranteed a 13-episode order if Longoria committed to star in the project and a pilot order if she didn’t.

Additionally, since Telenovela is set behind the scenes of a telenovela, NBC has had discussions with sister network Telemundo about doing 4-5-minute segments in Spanish that would be used to promote the NBC series to Spanish-speaking audiences.

Despite the straight-to-series 13-episode order, Telenovela will do a pilot.

NBC was one of two networks pursuing Longoria in a big way this development season. At ABC, there was a comedy from ABC Studios. It was fast-tracked as a script that will go to pilot with a 13-episode penalty for Longoria attached if she commits to star.

Longoria had been developing Telenovela through her Universal Television-based UnbeliEVAble at NBC for some time.

Written/executive produced by Cougar Town co-executive producers Chrissy Pietrosh and Jessica Goldstein, based on an idea by Longoria, it stars Longoria as the willful but popular diva Ana Maria, star of Latin America’s most beloved telenovela who strives to stay on top in a world where the drama on-camera is nothing compared to the drama off-camera.

Since the end of Desperate Housewives, Longoria had been focused on producing through her UnbeliEVAble banner.  She executive produces Lifetime’s Devious Maids and her company has sold nine projects this development season, including medical drama Critical at NBC and Texas political/family drama Pair of Aces at ABC.

Longoria Being Eyed for Starring Roles on Two Television Projects

Eva Longoria is ready to return to television…

The 39-year-old Mexican American actress, who became a household name as one of the stars of ABC’s hit dramedy Desperate Housewives, is looking to make her television comeback as the star of a half-hour, single-camera comedy series.

Eva Longoria

Two years after Desperate Housewives ended its eight-season run, Longoria has two projects in the works that could see her back on the small screen.

She’s been wooed by NBC for a project called Telenovela and for an untitled comedy at ABC. Originally, the script she was to choose would end up being the project going go to pilot.

But NBC stepped up in a big way, according to Deadline.com.

Telenovela, from Cougar Town co-executive producers Chrissy Pietrosh and Jessica Goldstein and Universal Television, will get a 13-episode order if Longoria commits to star and a pilot order if she doesn’t. The project is expected to hire a casting director shortly.

The project is set behind the scenes of a telenovela, and NBC is in discussions with sister network Telemundo to make episodes of the fictional telenovela that would air on the Spanish-language network.

NBC, which helped her launch her production company UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, which is based at Universal Television, already has several projects with her as a producer.

Meanwhile, Longoria is already an established player behind the scenes. In addition to serving as executive producer of Lifetime’s Devious Maids, she’s also set to executive produce the politically themed Latino family drama Pair of Aces.