Tag Archives: Head of the Class

Wilmer Valderrama’s Allied Management Group Signs a Slew of Latino Writers

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Wilmer Valderrama is giving up-and-coming Latino writers their big break…

The 44-year-old Venezuelan & Colombian American actor’s Allied Management Group, which he set up with John Pollak, has signed a number of Latino writers to its roster.

Wilmer ValderramaThe company has signed Luisa Leschin, Raphael Draccon & Carolina Munhóz, The Original Content Society’s Raúl Campos and Felix de Valdivia, and Daniel and Diego Ayala López.

The goal is for Allied to bring these Latino writers to networks, streamers and studios in the U.S English-language market.

Leschin has worked on nearly 500 episodes of television including Netflix’s Gentefied, where she was a co-exec producer on its second season, Max’s Head of the Class, where she was a co-EP and Hulu’s East Los High. She has also worked on series including Everybody Hates Chris and The George Lopez Show.

Draccon and Munhóz are a husband-and-wife writing team who showran The Chosen One and Invisible City for Netflix and have a first-look deal with Warner Bros. Discovery LatAm to work with Max. They have also written comic books for both Marvel and DC

Campos and de Valdivia are brothers, born in Mexico, who run The Original Content Society. They created, wrote, directed and produced the first YouTube Original sitcom in Latin America – Sobrevivi – as well as Spotify’s first original comedy series, El Grupo, and are co-exec producers for the third and fourth seasons of Amazon’s LOL starring Eugenio Derbez. In addition to producing and directing 24 Netflix comedy specials, they have a first look deal with ITV America, where they are developing an international comedy series called Güerita.

Daniel and Diego Ayala López, born in Colombia were behind Amazon series Manes, which was the most-watched series for Amazon Colombia, and Los Billis. They have worked with Colombia’s Caracol and are currently developing a number of projects with U.S. studios and production companies.

“These writers are currently helping to define the future of Latino story telling by creating universal stories that aren’t defined by borders or language, but instead reflect the modern content experience- groundbreaking storytelling that can be consumed by viewers in a global market,” said Pollak and Valderrama.  “As the need for fresh stories and unique points of view continue to be the priority for Hollywood, these writers will lead the charge and redefine how premium content is created and Allied Mgmt Group is honored to be working alongside them.”

HBO Max Releases Trailer for “Head of the Class” Reboot Starring Isabella Gomez

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Isabella Gomez is heading to class…

HBO Max has released a first-look trailer for its Head of the Class reboot, starring the 23-year-old Colombian actress.

Isabella Gomez

The series, which features original cast member Robin Givens, will debut on November 4.

The 10-episode series, which hails from executive producer Bill Lawrence, is based on the sitcom created by Rich Eustis & Michael Elias that aired on ABC from 1986-91.

It revolves around a group of overachieving high school students who meet their greatest challenge — a teacher, Alicia Gomez (Gomez), who wants them to focus less on grades and more on experiencing life.

Givens reprises her role as Darlene Hayward (née Merriman), catching up with the former high school overachiever as an adult, whose career in law is thriving. Darlene wants what is best for her son and is hyper-focused on setting him up for success. She might need a reminder of the positive impact an out-of-the-box teacher can have — having had her own similar experience in high school — but she’s fighting for the good of all students at Meadows Creek High as co-head of the Parents’ Association.

The HBO Max Original also stars Jorge Diaz, Jolie Hoang Rappaport, Gavin Lewis, Dior Goodjohn, Brandon Severs, Adrian Matthew Escalona, and Katie Beth Hall, with Givens guest-starring alongside Christa Miller.

Amy Pocha & Seth Cohen wrote the pilot episode for the series from Doozer Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television.

HBO Max Gives 10-Episode Order to Isabella Gomez’s “Head of the Class” Reboot

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Isabella Gomez is officially heading back to the classroom…

HBO Max has handed the reboot of Head of the Class, starring the 23-year-old Colombian-American actress and One Day at a Time star, a 10-episode order.

Isabella Gomez

The series hails from Bill Lawrence, fresh off the back of two Golden Globes nominations for Ted Lasso, and American Vandal writers Amy Pocha and Seth Cohen.

This comes after the project was handed a pilot order and five additional scripts in May 2020.

Based on the 1980s ABC comedy created by Rich Eustis & Michael Elias, the half-hour multi-camera series stars Gomez as teacher Alicia Adams, who wants her group of overachieving high school students to focus less on grades and more on experiencing life.

Jorge Diaz, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Gavin Lewis, Dior Goodjohn, Brandon Severs, Adrian Matthew Escalona and Katie Beth Hall also star with Christa Miller guest starring.

The series is produced by Doozer Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Production is set to begin later this summer in L.A.

Jorge Diaz to Star in Pilot for HBO Max’s “Head of the Class” Sitcom Reboot

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Jorge Diaz is moving to the head of the class…

The 37-year-old Mexican American actor has joined the cast of HBO Max’s multi-camera comedy pilot Head of the Class, a reboot of the popular 1980s ABC sitcom.

Jorge Diaz

Diaz joins a roster of new additions to the cast that includes Dior Goodjohn, Brandon Severs, Adrian Matthew Escalona and Christa Miller.

They join previously announced Isabella Gomez, Gavin Lewis and Jolie Hoang-Rappaport in the reboot which hails from American Vandal writers Amy Pocha and Seth Cohen, Bill Lawrence and his Doozer Productions; and Warner Bros. Television, which produced the original series.

Written by Pocha and Cohen, based on the original series created by Rich Eustis and Michael Elias, the reimagined Head of the Class revolves around a group of overachieving high school students who meet their greatest challenge — a teacher Alicia Adams (Gomez), who wants them to focus less on grades and more on experiencing life.

Diaz plays Elliot Olsen, a goofy English teacher who loves his job and is genuine to a fault. Goodjohn is Robyn Rook. Stem queen turned Twitch streamer, Robyn’s the defacto leader of the class – though she’d never admit it. Severs will portray Terrell Smith, is a year-round athlete, who is uber-positive and all about team mentality. Escalona is Miles Mendelson, the shy, introverted, overthinking coder, who’d rather spend time with computers than people. Miller recurs as Principal Maris, an intimidating, tough love boss that always puts the students first.

Diaz has appeared on a number of hit comedies including the CW’s Jane The Virgin, NBC’s The Good Place and Netflix’s Arrested Development. He also starred as SPC Israel Garza in Nat Geo’s Critics Choice-nominated Iraq war drama, The Long Road Home. On the film side, Diaz portrayed Hector Estrella in Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, earning a nomination for an Imagen Foundation Award for his performance.

Escalona was first discovered in 2018, when a video of him singing “She Used To Be Mine” from the Broadway musical Waitress went viral with almost 4 million views and counting. He went on to be invited by Waitress writer and composer Sara Bareilles to make a guest appearance during her tour stop in Pittsburgh, near his home town. Head of the Class is Escalona’s first major TV role.

Isabella Gomez to Star on Comedy Pilot Reboot of ABC’s 1980s Sitcom “Head of the Class”

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Isabella Gomez is moving up to the head of the class…

The 22-year-old Colombian-American actress and One Day at a Time has been cast as the lead of HBO Max’s multi-camera comedy pilot Head of the Class, a reboot of the popular 1980s ABC sitcom.

Isabella Gomez

Gomez’s casting reveals a gender swap in the follow-up as the lead in the original series was played by Howard Hesseman.

HBO Max in May ordered a pilot and five additional scripts for Head of the Class, which hails from American Vandal writers Amy Pocha and Seth Cohen, Bill Lawrence and his Doozer Productions; and Warner Bros. Television, which produced the original series.

Written by Pocha and Cohen, based on the original series created by Rich Eustis and Michael Elias, the reimagined Head of the Class revolves around a group of overachieving high school students who meet their greatest challenge — a first-time teacher, Alicia Adams (Gomez), who wants them to focus less on grades and more on experiencing life.

Gomez’s Alicia Adams is a whip-smart, funny, blunt high school teacher we all wish we had. A former GPA junkie, Alicia thought she had the world all figured out when she was in school. Teaching for the first time, Alicia’s is figuring out what she really wants in life.

Created by Eustis and Elias, Head of the Class ran on ABC from 1986-91. It followed a group of gifted students at the fictional Millard Fillmore High School in Manhattan and their history teacher Charlie Moore (Hesseman).

Gomez most recently played Elena Alvarez on the acclaimed multi-camera comedy One Day at a Time. The series was on Netflix for three seasons before it was canceled and moved to PopTV for Season 4. The ViacomCBS cable network on Tuesday revealed that it has canceled the comedy. One Day at a Time studio Sony Pictures Television is currently trying to find a new home for the show. It’s considered a long shot, but if it happens and if Head of the Class is picked up to series, Gomez can do both shows.

Gomez’s previous credits also include Shatterproof Films’ Dembanger, Disney Channel’s Big Hero 6: The Series, Netflix’s A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish and ABC’s Modern Family.