ABC Orders Pilot of the Eva Longoria-Produced Drama “Grand Hotel”

Posted on February 4, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a grand old time for Eva Longoria…

ABC has ordered a pilor for the soapy drama Grand Hotel based on the Spanish series, from the 42-year-old Mexican American actress and former Desperate Housewives star and the hit ABC/ABC Studios dramedy’s writer Brian Tanen.

Written by Tanen, Grand Hotel is a soap opera-like drama set against the backdrop of a Miami Beach hotel, centering around the family who owns the business, the staff who run it, and the explosive secrets they hide under the perfect exterior.

Longoria and Ben Spector are executive producing via UnbeliEVAble Entertainment alongside Tanen as well as Oliver Bachert and Christian Gockel of Beta Film, which distributed the original series.

UnveliEVAble, ABC and ABC Studios also developed a Grand Hotel adaptation last season with a different writer.

Televisa USA previously took a stab at an English-language adaptation of the series set in pre-Castro Havana.

Gran Hotel (aka Grand Hotel) was created and produced by Bambu Producciones and ran on Spain’s Antena 3 for three seasons, with its first season reaching a 18.5% share. Dubbed “a Spanish Downton Abbey,” the original series, set in 1905 Spain, has been a top international seller for Beta Films.

Eva Longoria Developing English-Adaptation of Spain’s “Gran Hotel” for ABC

Posted on November 21, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Longoria is having a gran old time…

ABC is developing Grand Hotel, a soapy drama from the42-year-old Mexican American actress/producer and former Desperate Housewives star and writer Brian Tanen.

The project, from Longoria and Ben Spector’s UnveliEVAble Entertainment and ABC Studios, is based on the popular Spanish telenovela Gran Hotel.

Written by Tanen, Grand Hotel is a soapy drama set against the backdrop of a Miami Beach hotel, centering around the family who owns the business, the staff who run it, and the explosive secrets they hide under the perfect exterior.

Tanen, Longoria and Spector executive produce alongside Oliver Bachert and Christian Gockel of Beta Film, which distributes the original series.

UnveliEVAble, ABC and ABC Studios also developed a Grand Hotel adaptation last season with a different writer. Televisa USA previously took a stab at an English-language adaptation of the series set in pre-Castro Havana.

Gran Hotel was created and produced by Bambu Producciones and ran on Spain’s Antena 3 for three seasons, with its first season reaching a 18.5% share.

Dubbed “a Spanish Downton Abbey,” the original series, set in 1905 Spain, has been a top international seller for Beta Films.

Longoria recently teamed with another former Desperate Housewives writer, David Schulner, for immigrant drama Lucky Boy, with Nisha Ganatra directing.

Televisa USA to Adapt Spain’s Hit Drama Series “Gran Hotel” in English

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Spain’s Downton Abbey is getting an English makeover…

Televisa USA is breaking ground on Gran Hotel, an English-language adaptation of the popular Spanish series.

Stephen Kronish, the executive producer of 24 and The Kennedys, will pen the project, which will move the setting for the mystery drama from 1905 Spain to pre-Castro Havanam Cuba.

In the new version, following his sister’s disappearance, Julio is led on a dangerous journey that takes him to the opulent Gran Hotel, a frequent getaway for the rich, powerful, famous and infamous and into the arms of the sexy daughter of the hotel’s wealthy owner.

“It was a time when mobsters, politicians and celebrities flocked to Havana, the world’s most exotic and permissive playground,” said Chris Philip, head of Production and Distribution at Televisa USA. “Setting Gran Hotel in a sexy, sinful atmosphere offers up a rich fusion of glamour and intrigue deeply rooted in an exceptional murder mystery format with a proven global footprint.”

Televisa USA, a subsidiary of the Mexican media company Grupo Televisa, is teaming up with Lantica Media for the series, which will be shot at Lantica’s Pinewood Dominican Republic Studios.

It’s one of several projects planned for Lantica to co-develop and co-finance with Televisa.

Televisa USA plans to shop the series to U.S. and international buyers.

The original Gran Hotel was created and produced by Bambu Producciones and ran on Spain’s Antena 3 for three seasons, with its first season reaching a 18.5% share.

Dubbed “a Spanish Downton Abbey,” the original series has been a top international seller for Beta Films, which is co-producing an Italian version airing on RAI. As a finished series, Gran Hotel has been sold to networks in France, the UK and Russia.

Iconic TV Sitcom “One Day at a Time” to Get a Latino Makeover

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Iconic television series One Day at a Time may be getting a Latino makeover…

Norman Lear, who developed the sitcom, is looking to revive the series with an all Latino cast, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

One Day at a Time, which aired on CBS from December 1975 to May 1984, starred Bonnie Franklin as Ann Romano, a divorced mother who moves to Indianapolis with her two teenage daughters, Julie and Barbara Cooper (Mackenzie Phillips, Valerie Bertinelli) to an apartment building in Indianapolis where the family becomes friendly with the super, Schneider (Pat Harrington).

As first reported by TV Insider, the potential series would be produced by Sony Pictures Television, whose T.A.T. Communications and Embassy Television produced the original.

The new comedy would be an English-language remake and be a co-production of SPT and Televisa USA. No deals are currently in place and the project is in the early stage of discussion.

The series was hailed for its portrayal of a divorced woman and its ability to tackle series issues including feminism.

Lear produced the series, which was created by Whitney Blake and Allan Manings, a husband-and-wife duo who based the show on the former’s life as a single mother raising her daughter — actress Meredith Baxter.

Sony previously attempted a Spanish-language take on One Day at a Time with Telemundo in the 1990s. Lear has also considered putting a new spin on All in the Family as well.

Plans for a Latino-focused One Day at a Time revival come as more and more broadcast networks are focused on creating diverse programming that better reflects society. ABC has found success with Latino family comedy Cristela as well as Black-ish and its upcoming Asian-American half hour Fresh Off the Boat is already generating positive reviews.

Lifetime Renews Sanchez’s “Devious Maids” for a 13-Episode Third Season

Posted on September 27, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

There’s more deviousness in Roselyn Sánchez’s future…

More than two months after Devious Maids’ second season came to a close, Lifetime has picked up the 41-year-old Puerto Rican actress/singer’s mystery comedy-drama for a 13-episode third season.

Ratings-wise, Devious Maids earned its renewal. Its second season premiere episode in April, which was directed by the show’s executive producer Eva Longoria, was on par with its series debut in total viewers (2 million) and climbed 15% in 18-49. It didn’t experience the ratings upswing of the dramedy’s freshman season, which grew to 3 million in the finale, but has averaged a strong 1.8 million viewers in Live+same day calculations.

Created by Marc Cherry and inspired by the Mexican telenovela Ellas son… la alegría del hogar, Devious Maids stars Sánchez, Ana Ortiz, Dania Ramírez, Edy Ganem, Judy Reyes, Rebecca Wisocky and Susan Lucci.

Cherry executive produces the series with Longoria and othes, including Televisa USA’s Paul Presburger and Michael Garcia.

Higareda Signs on for Televisa USA’s Scripted Action Drama Series “Coma”

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Martha Higareda is preparing for double-duty on Televisa USA’s new project.

The 30-year-old Mexican actress will executive produce and star in Televisa USA’s scripted action drama series Coma.

Described as an hourlong action drama with sci-fi elements, Coma focuses on 10,000 comatose patients around the world who in the course of three days suddenly wake up fighting for their lives. Inexplicably, they all have the same message: Stop Ian Wallace, the man they say will be responsible for starting World War III.

Higareda will portray Dr. Victoria Neves in the pilot.

The division of Televisa, a subsidiary of Spanish-language producer-distributor Grupo Televisa, acquired the spec series written by Francesco Papini and Noé Santillán López.

Televisa USA will shop the series to broadcast, cable and digital outlets including Netflix and Amazon.

The deal comes as Televisa USA continues its push into original scripted fare. The banner co-produces ABC Family‘s Chasing Lifeas well as Lifetime‘s Devious Maids.

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