Cote de Pablo Executive-Producing New Detective Drama for CBS, “MIA”

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Cote de Pablo is headed back to the Eye Network…

The 38-year-old Chilean actress and singer and her fellow former NCIS cast member Michael Weatherly are reuniting to executive produce MIA, a new detective drama in the works at CBS.

The network has put in development the hour-long MIA, from writer/executive producer Shepard Boucher (Upload), and CBS Television Studios.

Written by Boucher, in MIA, when a newly minted homicide detective is assigned to an experienced, by-the-book partner to solve cases in Miami, she struggles to keep the personal entanglements of her final undercover assignment from jeopardizing her future.

Boucher executive produces with Weatherly and de Pablo. CBS Television Studios, where Weatherly via his Solar Drive Productionshas been under an overall deal, is the studio.

Weatherly, who currently stars in the title role in Bull, which is going into its third season on CBS, played lead Tony DiNozzo on the first 13 seasons of NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

de Pablo joined Weatherly in Seasons 3-11 as Ziva David.

Gina Rodriguez to Direct an Episode of The CW’s “Charmed” Reboot

Posted on August 27, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Gina Rodriguez is heading behind the lens…

The 34-year-old Puerto Rican actress and Jane the Virgin star will direct the 11th episode of the CW’s Charmed reboot, according to Variety.

“I’m very excited about that opportunity and obviously very excited that I get to do it with three Latinas,” Rodriguez said. “It’s really f—ing awesome. It’s going to be really exciting to see what that journey is.”

Rodriguez made her directorial debut on her CW series last season, with the 10th episode of its fourth season. At the time, she told Variety that some of her influences in stepping behind the camera were past Jane the Virgindirectors Brad Silberling and Melanie Mayron.

“Brad Silberling is very poetic with the camera — the way he sets up blocking and the way he tells a story is very poetic, where it’s a reflection of the script and it’s telling a story inside of the story. Melanie Mayron sets up really stunning shots — whether it’s a really big wide where you have somebody running through the scene or it’s inserts of a hand moving a chair, or it’s a cut between a look and a look,” she said.

Charmed, which comes from Jane the Virginshowrunner Jennie Snyder Urman, marks the first project Rodriguez will direct that she is not also starring in.

The new version of Charmed isbased on a story by Urman, with Jane the Virginwriters Jessica O’Toole and Amy Rardin writing and executive producing. Silberling, Ben Silverman and Carter Covington also executive produce. CBS Television Studios produce in association with Propagate Content.

The show stars Melonie Diaz, Madeleine Mantock and Sarah Jeffery as the sisters who discover they are witches in the pilot episode.

Rodriguez will also be back in the director’s seat on “Jane” for the fifth and final season premiere episode. She is also developing a few projects with the network.

Esai Morales Lands Recurring Role on CBS’ “NCIS: Los Angeles”

Posted on August 21, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Esai Morales is getting deputized…

The 55-year-old Puerto Rican actor has landed a recurring role on the upcoming tenth season of CBS’NCIS: Los Angeles.

Morales will play Deputy Director Gaines. Smart, authoritative, polished and trustworthy, Gaines accompanies a special prosecutor from the Department of Defense who is investigating the NCIS office and its employees. He is there to protect his people and advise them on how to navigate the prosecutor’s interviews. The character will be introduced in a late October episode.

“Following the rescue mission in Mexico from last season’s finale and this season’s premiere, our NCIS: Los Angelesteam will face challenging repercussions but they will have a new ally in the Deputy Director,” said executive producer R. Scott Gemmill. “We are thrilled that the talented Esai Morales has signed on to this recurring role.”

Starring Chris O’Donnell, LL Cool J, Linda Hunt, Daniela Ruah, Eric Christian Olsen, Barrett Foa, Renée Felice Smith and Nia Long, NCIS: Los Angelesis produced by CBS Television Studios and executive produced by Gemmill, John P. Kousakis and Frank Military.

Morales, who rose to acclaim in the 1987 biopic La Bamba,was most recently seen in a major arc on Netflix’s Ozark and as a recurring on Nat Geo’s Mars. On the big screen, Morales’ credits include Sony Pictures’ Superfly.

Season 10 of NCIS: Los Angelespremieres Sunday, September 30 at 9 PM on CBS.

CBS Gives Pilot Commitment to Tom Segura’s Family Comedy “The Little Things”

Posted on August 18, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Tom Segura could soon be bringing the laughs to CBS…

CBS has landed family comedy The Little Things, starring the 39-year-old part-Spanish and Peruvian American standup comedian/actor and his real-life wife Christina Pazsitzky with a put pilot commitment.

Co-written by Segura, Pazsitzky and Marder, The Little Things focuses on the funny coping mechanisms that get you through the harder parenting dilemmas.

The project hails from Segura, Pazsitzky, The Mick executive producer Scott Marder, 3 Arts and CBS Television Studios.

Segura and Pazsitzky executive produce with Marder and 3 Arts’ Michael Rottenberg and Josh Lieberman. CBS Television Studios is the studio.

Segura has had three stand-up specials on Netflix; his latest is titled Disgraceful. Pazsitzky has Netflix special Mother Inferior and recently wrapped a second one. The duo also are planning stand-up tours for 2019.

Ana Villafañe Signs Talent Deal with ABC Studios/ABC Entertainment

Posted on August 14, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Ana Villafañe has a new deal…

The 29-year-old Cuban and Salvadoran American actress and singer has a signed a one-year overall talent deal with ABC Studios and ABC Entertainment.

Under the pact, ABC Studios and ABC will target comedy and drama projects for Villafañe.

Villafañe made her Broadway debut portraying Gloria Estefan in the TonyAward-nominated hit musical On Your Feet!, earning the 2016 Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut Performance.

On the screen, she played the female lead in Max Steel and has appeared on Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle.

Most recently, she starred in the Sony Television Studios/CBS Studios/CBS half-hour multi-camera pilot History of Them, written and executive produced by Gloria Calderon Kellett.

Villafañe will return to the New York stage later this month in a new comedy by Jen Silverman, Collective Rage, being produced by MCC.

Wilmer Valderrama Signs First-Look Deal with CBS Television Studios

Posted on June 25, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Wilmer Valderrama has a new deal…

The 38-year-old Colombian and Venezuelan American actor’s production company, WV Entertainment, has signed a two-year first-look deal with CBS Television Studios.

WV Entertainment’s first-look agreement is for scripted and unscripted projects, with a strong emphasis on diversity.

“As someone who immigrated to the United States at 14 years old, I am immensely passionate about this opportunity to create engaging and culturally relevant projects with CBS Television Studios,” says Valderrama.

Valderrama’s production company has produced several projects, including The Hollywood Puppet Show, Handy Manny for Playhouse Disney, and Douglas Family Gold for Oxygen.

On the feature side he produced and is voicing the upcoming animated film Charming alongside John H. Williams, producer of the Shrek franchise.

Valderrama’s philanthropic endeavors include Harness, a group he launched recently with America Ferrera and Ryan Piers Williams, which is dedicated to connecting communities through conversation to inspire action and power change. Valderrama also serves on the board of Voto Latino and is co-chair of their artist coalition. He is also the spokesperson for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, and is the founder of their Ready 2 Lead program, which educates and empowers Latino youth.

In 2013, Valderrama was honored with an ALMA Award for Outstanding Social Activism.

CBS Renews Adam Rodriguez’s “Criminal Minds” for a 14th Season

Posted on May 14, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Adam Rodriguez will still be Minds-ing his business…

CBS has renewed its veteran drama Criminal Minds, starring the 43-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor, for a 14th season.

After a long run at 9:00 pm, Criminal Minds moved to 10:00 pm this season. It has improved the time period and is doing well in delayed viewing.

The crime drama ended its 13th season on a cliffhanger, reportedly with the blessing of CBS. A cancellation would’ve robbed the show’s loyal fans of a proper ending and would’ve deprived the series of hitting the 300th episode milestone, ending its run with 299.

Now Criminal Minds‘ Season 14 premiere will also mark the show’s 300th episode, giving it an extra promotional push.

Criminal Minds revolves around an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country’s most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. Joe Mantegna stars as David Rossi, along with Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss, Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reid, A.J. Cook as Jennifer “JJ” Jareau, Aisha Tyler as Dr. Tara Lewis, Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia, Rodriguez as Luke Alvez and Daniel Henney as Matt Simmons.

ABC Studios produces in association with CBS Television Studios.

Lisa Vidal to Star in the Comedy Pilot “History of Them”

Posted on January 23, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

It’s one for the history books for Lisa Vidal…

The 52-year-old Puerto Rican actress and Being Mary Jane star has joined the cast of the multi-camera/hybrid comedy History of Them, from One Day at a Time co-creator/executive producer Gloria Calderon-Kellett,

Vidal joins a cast that includes Felix Solis (Ten Days in the Valley), Amit Shah (The Hundred-Foot Journey), and female lead Ana Villafañe.

The project, from Sony Pictures Television and CBS Television Studios had a big production commitment and had been actively casting, also has been formally greenlighted to pilot.

Written by Kellett and to be directed by Pam Fryman, the semi-autobiographical History of Them is a multi-cultural (Latinx & white) ensemble that revolves around two friends, Luna (Villafañe) and Adam, and how they fell in love, using the couple’s social media (Instagram/Twitter/Facebook) as a guide.

Solis will portray Manny Reyes, Luna’s father who seems tough but is really a gentle sweetheart. He is conservative and religious.

Vidal will play Tatiana “Tati” Reyes, Luna’s mother who looks sweet but is unapologetic, loudmouthed and opinionated. Her husband Manny loves her fight and the two argue about politics all of the time, but they’ve been together forever and still love each other.

Shah will play Vikram Johar, a whip-smart and sarcastic doctor who basically has been adopted by the Reyes family. He’s been Luna’s best friend since high school, when his family moved in next door to the Reyes family.

History of Them marks Kellett’s return to CBS and to the hybrid comedy format. She began her writing career as a staff writer on the network’s hybrid comedy series How I Met Your Mother.

Vidal co-stars on the departing BET drama Being Mary Jane.

CBS Gives Stephanie Sigman’s Drama Series “S.W.A.T.” a Full Season Order

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Stephanie Sigman is going full time…

CBS has ordered two episodes each the new drama series S.W.A.T., starring the Mexican-American actress.

Hailing from Sony Pictures Television Studios and co-produced by CBS Television Studios, S.W.A.T. originally received an order for seven more episodes two weeks ago, bringing its total to 20 episodes. That was two short of a traditional full season (22 episodes) but was considered full season as S.W.A.T. launched more than a month after the start of the season.

S.W.A.T.‘s total is now going up to 22 episodes.

In its most recent airing last night, the drama toplined by Shemar Moore drew 6.63 million viewers and a 1.0 rating in adults 18-49 (Live+Same Day). The viewership was up +14% from last week when CBS’ primetime lineup was boosted by a big NFL lead-in, logging the crime drama’s largest L+SD audience since the series premiere. In the 18-49 demo, S.W.A.T was off by a tenth from its football-assisted Thanksgiving delivery but up a tenth from the Thursday before that.

Sigman, who previously appeared on The Bridge, Narcos and American Crime, stars at Jessica Cortez on the series.

Ana Villafañe Lands Lead Role in CBS’ Comedy Project “History of Them”

Posted on December 3, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Ana Villafañe is ready to make history…

The 28-year-old Cuban and Salvadoran-American actress/singer, the star of the Gloria Estefan Broadway musical On Your Feet!, will star as the female lead in CBS’ comedy project History of Them.

From One Day at a Time co-creator/executive producer Gloria Calderon Kellett. the semi-autobiographical project is a multi-cultural (Latinx & white) romantic comedy about how two friends, Luna (Villafañe) and Adam, fell in love, narrated by their future daughter, using the couple’s social media from present-day (Instagram/Twitter/Facebook) as a guide.

Villafañe’s smart and spunky Luna runs a successful Latinx food truck business with her parents. Despite this, she struggles with what she wants and doesn’t feel like a fully-fledged grown up yet. She wants to find love and figure out who she is separate from her very tight-knit family, and her journey will be full of bumps and bruises as she navigates the rest of her twenties.

Director Pam Fryman, who helmed several episodes of Netflix’s One Day at a Time reboot, including the key opening one, has come on board as director/executive producer.

History of Them, from Sony Pictures Television Studios and CBS Television Studios, landed at CBS in August in a very competitive situation with a big pilot production commitment. While it hasn’t been formally picked up to pilot yet, attaching Villafañe and Fryman, combined with the size of the commitment, a green light is expected.

Kellett executive produces via her Glo Nation banner alongside Marc Provissiero of Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment and Fryman.

Villafañe made her Broadway debut as Gloria Estefan in the hit musical On Your Feet!, earning the 2016 Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut Performance. On the screen, she played the female lead in Max Steel and starred in the Hulu original series South Beach. Her other credits include Los Americans, Rizzoli & Isles and Mozart in the Jungle.

History Of Them marks Kellett’s return to CBS and to the hybrid comedy format. She began her writing career as a staff writer on the network’s hybrid comedy series How I Met Your Mother, which was executive produced and directed by Fryman.

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