NBC Developing Latino Immigrant-Family Comedy Inspired by Chris Garcia’s Own Upbringing

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Chris Garcia is looking to bring his story to the small screen…

NBC has put in development a semi-autobiographical immigrant-family comedy from the Cuban American comedian-writer-actor and Mr. Iglesias creator Kevin Hench.

Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio.

Written and executive produced by Garcia and Hench, the multi-generational immigrant-family comedy, inspired by Garcia’s life, is about an anti-communist Cuban father who enrolls in ESL classes at the same high school as his sensitive poetry-loving son.

Garcia is a comedian, television writer, actor, and podcaster from Los Angeles, who has appeared on his own half-hour special on Comedy Central, The Late Late Show with James Corden, This Is Not Happening, Adam Devine’s House Party, and @Midnight.

Garcia was named a New Face at the 2016 Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival and a “Comedian You Should and Will Know” by Vulture.

He has written for Comedy Central, Adult Swim, Broadway Video, and Netflix. Garcia’s podcast Scattered was named one of the “10 Best Podcasts of 2019” by TIME Magazine.

Netflix to Premiere Part 2 of Gabriel Iglesias’ Comedy Series “Mr. Iglesias” in June

Posted on May 20, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias is headed back to school next month…

The second season of the 43-year-old Mexican American stand-up comedian/actor’s Netflix series will premiere on Wednesday, June 17.

In the series created by Kevin Hench, Iglesias stars as Gabe, a good-natured public high school teacher in Long Beach, CA who works at his alma mater. Gabe takes on teaching gifted but misfit kids to not only save them from being “counseled out” by a bully bureaucrat assistant principal (Oscar Nuñez), but also to help them unlock their full potential.

Sherri Shepherd co-stars as the school’s principal, Paula.

Love is in the air for Part 2 of the series as Mr. Iglesias convinces his star student, Marisol (Cree Cicchino), and fellow student, Mikey (Fabrizio Guido), to go out for the school play of Romeo & Juliet while, unbeknownst to Gabe, Principal Paula plays Cupid to find him the girl of his dreams.

The series is part of a three-project deal Iglesias signed with Netflix in 2018, which also included a pair of stand-up specials.

Netflix Renews Gabriel Iglesias’ “Mr Iglesias” for Second Season

Posted on August 10, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesiasis returning for his sophomore year…

Netflix has renewed Mr. Iglesias, starring the 43-year-old Mexican American stand-up comedian and actor, for a second season.

In the series created by Kevin Hench, Iglesias stars as Gabe, a good-natured public high school teacher who works at his alma mater. Gabe takes on teaching gifted but misfit kids to not only save them from being “counseled out” by a bully bureaucrat assistant principal (Oscar Nuñez) but also to help them unlock their full potential.

Sherri Shepherd, Jacob Vargas, Maggie Geha, Richard Gant, Cree Cicchinoand Fabrizio Guidoco-star.

Hench returns for Season 2 as showrunner and will serve as executive producer alongside Iglesias, Ron DeBlasioand Joe Meloche.

“A lot of my fans ask me what I would be if I wasn’t a stand-up comic,” Iglesias said previously. “I tell them a history teacher because I love history. So it’s great that in this sitcom, I have the opportunity to live out my alternate reality had I not become Fluffy.”

The series is part of a three project deal Iglesias signed with Netflix a year ago, which also includes a pair of stand-up specials from the veteran comic.

Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias’s Netflix Series “Mr. Iglesias” to Premiere in June

Posted on April 25, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesiasis ready to lead the class…

Netflix has announced plans to globally premiere the 42-year-old Mexican American comedian/actor’s multi-camera comedy Mr. Iglesias on Friday, June 21.

Iglesias plays Gabe, a good-natured public high school teacher who works at his alma mater. Gabe takes on teaching gifted but misfit kids to not only save them from being “counseled out” by a bully bureaucrat assistant principal (Oscar Nuñez) but also to help them unlock their full potential.

Sherri Shepherd, Jacob Vargas, Maggie Geha, Richard Gant, Cree Cicchino and Fabrizio Guido co-star.

“A lot of my fans ask me what I would be if I wasn’t a stand-up comic,” Iglesias said. “I tell them a history teacher because I love history. So it’s great that in this sitcom, I have the opportunity to live out my alternate reality had I not become Fluffy.”

The series is part of a three-project deal Iglesias signed with Netflix a year ago, which also includes a pair of stand-up specials from the veteran comic.

Mr. Iglesias is created by Kevin Hench and executive produced by Iglesias, Hench, Ron DeBlasio and Joe Meloche.

The first season will be 10 episodes.

Jacob Vargas to Star on Netflix’s “Mr. Iglesias”

Posted on August 18, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Jacob Vargas is making the grades…

The 47-year-old Mexican-American actor has been cast as a series regular opposite Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias in Mr. Iglesias, Netflix’s upcoming comedy series from the comedian and Cristela co-creator/executive producer Kevin Hench.

In the comedy, Iglesias plays Gabe, a good-natured public high school teacher who works at his alma mater. He takes on teaching gifted but misfit kids to not only save them from being “counseled out” by a bully bureaucrat Assistant Principal, but also to help them unlock their full potential.

Vargas will play Tony Medina, Gabe’s longtime best friend and fellow teacher at the high school.

Iglesias executive produces with Hench.

Vargas is known for his role as Allesandro Montez on Sons of Anarchy. He stars in the feature The Public with Emilio Estevez, which will screen at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival. His recent television credits include Luke Cage and HBO’s Mosaic.

Alonzo’s Semi-Autobiographical Comedy Project “Cristela” Still Alive at ABC

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Cristela Alonzo’s television dreams are still alive…

The Mexican American actress and stand-up comic’s semi-autobiographical comedy Cristela still has a shot at ABC with a potential Fall 2014 premiere date.

The network, which originally bought the 20th TV-backed comedy in August, has given the green light on what it describes as a “proof of concept” for the project, which has acquired many fans among ABC’s top leaders.

On the recently released breakdown for Cristela, it’s listed as a pilot presentation with John Pasquin directing a cast of 10, led by Alonzo.

The show, co-written by Alonzo and Kevin Hench, tells the story of Cristela (Alonzo), an American Latina straddling two cultures while not fully belonging to either.

Cristela, in her sixth year of law school and living rent-free with her sister and brother-in-law, hopes to land a prestigious law firm internship as her mother badgers her about getting a real job, her brother-in-law encourages her to move out and her sister runs low on patience.

20th Century Fox Television is producing the project, with Alonzo executive producing.

Alonzo, originally from the South Texas, has appeared on Conan, Live At Gotham and Last Comic Standing.

Alonzo Receives Script Commitment from ABC for Her Sitcom “Cristela”

Posted on August 3, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Cristela Alonzo is television-bound…

ABC has given the 34-year-old rising Mexican American standup comedian/actress a script commitment with a sizable penalty, reportedly in the six figures, for the half-hour multi-camera comedy she co-created as a starring vehicle.

Entitled Cristela, the project, inspired by Alonzo’s life, is the story of an American Latina (portrayed by Alonzo) straddling two cultures while not fully belonging to either.

Alonzo will co-write the script with writer-producer Kevin Hench.

20th Century Fox Television and 21 Laps/Adelstein will produce the series.

Alonzo, originally from the south Texas border town of San Juan, has appeared on Conan, Live At Gotham and Last Comic Standing.

She made her acting debut on FX’s Sons Of Anarchy. And Alonzo’s first stand-up special, The Half Hour, recently premiered on Comedy Central.

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