Tag Archives: The District

Alberto Ferreras’ “B as in Beauty” Being Developed as a Television Series

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Alberto Ferreras’ first novel is getting the small screen treatment…

The Spanish/Venezuelan writer and director’s novel B as in Beauty is being developed as a television series from writers Manuel Figueroa and Jordan Heimer after Concord Originals partnered with Marsh Entertainment and Telemundo Streaming Studios.

Alberto Ferreras, At this time, no broadcaster is attached.

The bilingual dramedy will follow Bella “B” Zavala, whose personal life, career and relationships are at best a mess. That is until she meets a mysterious and unique woman who offers her a moonlighting job as an emotional companion. Through the unexpected adventures she faces with her eccentric new clients, Bella’s own notions of beauty, love and self-worth will never be the same.

B as in Beauty won the International Latino Book Award for Best English Popular Fiction in 2009. It was also chosen by Siempre Mujer magazine as the Best Novel of the Year after its release.

Figueroa and Heimer previously developed drama series The Three Joaquins at ABC. The duo served as executive story editors on Starz’s Step Up: High Water and developed Eastside at NBC with Ruben Fleisher’s The District and previously staffed on ABC’s Stumptown and Syfy’s Defiance.

Concord Originals is the television and film division of the company that owns music catalogs such as Creedence Clearwater Revival and Otis Redding and musicals from Rodgers & Hammerstein and Tennessee Williams.

“The magic of B as in Beauty is in B’s ability to look inward and redefine her personal power. It’s our hope that this character and the path that she finds herself on will touch hearts all over the world because B’s journey is global in nature,” said Marsh.

“This project represents the culmination of our key objectives – giving existing IP new life in another format and championing filmmakers as they create content for underserved audiences,” said Concord Originals’ Sophia Dilley. “We know Sherry and our friends at Telemundo share this vision, making them the perfect partners to bring Alberto’s whip smart B to life on screen.”

“Telemundo Streaming Studios’ core mission is to tell stories that inspire connection while elevating Hispanic voices and representing them authentically on the screen. We are committed to representing diverse perspectives in front of and behind the camera and are excited to partner with Marsh Entertainment and Concord Originals who share in our values. We are confident audiences will identify with Bella’s universal story about self-love,” added Ponce, SVP and GM of Telemundo Streaming Studios.

America Ferrera to Return to NBC’s Comedy “Superstore” for Series Finale Episode

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There’s one last super shift in America Ferrera’s future…

The 36-year-old Honduran American actress will return for the series finale of NBC’s comedy series Superstore.

America Ferrera, Superstore

Ferrera, whose character (Amy Sosa) moved to California for a new corporate gig at Zephra earlier this season, will reunite with the Superstore cast once more as a final farewell.

She will appear in the one-hour series finale on Thursday, March 25 at 8:00 pm ET/PT.

Prior to her departure back in November, Ferrera’s Amy devised a system that would help the the Cloud 9 staff thrive amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. In what was a bittersweet ending to Amy’s Cloud 9 journey, “California Pt. 2” featured fellow staff members celebrating their manager’s new adventure and saw Jonah (Ben Feldman) and Amy end their romantic relationship, and near-engagement, amicably.

Ferrera first announced her exit from the NBC comedy back in February 2020, two weeks after creator Justin Spitzer and Universal Television shared that Superstore was renewed for a sixth season. The actress also executive produced the series and directed four episodes.

Superstore is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Spitzer Holding Company, Miller Green Broadcasting and The District.

NBC Renews Ferrera’s “Superstore” for Second Season

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America Ferrera is still on Cloud Nine…

NBC has given an early renewal to midseason comedy Superstore starring the 31-year-old Honduran American actress.

Superstore

The comedy joins breakout fall drama Blindspot, solid new Chicago addition Chicago Med and fellow midseason entry Shades of Blue as the freshman NBC series that have already secured Season 2 pickups.

Superstore has done well for NBC, which has struggled in the comedy genre for the past couple of seasons. After a promising ratings start in the preview behind The Voice, Superstore has held up well as the 8:00 pm Monday anchor, pulling in very respectable numbers with no lead-in, both in Live+same day and delayed viewing.

Season to date, Superstore is averaging a 2.1 rating in adults 18-49 and 6.9 million viewers overall in Live+7, making it NBC’s highest rated first-year comedy in two years.

Superstore also delivers an upscale audience, indexing at a 112 among adults 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes.

Superstore is set behind the scenes of a big box retail megastore, Cloud 9. It centers around Amy (Ferrera), the megastore’s most stalwart employee as well as the glue holding the place together, and newly hired Jonah (Ben Feldman), a naive dreamer determined to prove work doesn’t have to be boring. Their fellow associates include the sardonic Garrett (Colton Dunn), the ambitious Mateo (Nico Santos) and the sweet pregnant teenager Cheyenne (Nichole Bloom). Overseeing them all are Glenn (Mark McKinney), the store’s affable, clueless store manager, and Dina (Lauren Ash), the aggressive assistant manager who lives by a very specific code — namely the store’s employee handbook.

Superstore was created by Justin Spitzer, who serves as an executive producer with director Ruben Fleischer, David Bernad and Gabe Miller & Jonathan Green.

“We’re thrilled to renew a show that’s so incredibly funny and relatable, full of great characters who are brought to life by an amazing cast and creative team,” NBC Entertainment president Jennifer  Salke said.

Superstore is produced by Universal Television, Spitzer Holding Company and The District.