Ana Villafañe to Star in NBC’s Comedy Pilot “Night Court,” a Follow-Up to the Classic Legal Series

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Ana Villafañe is holding court…

The 32-year-old Cuban and Salvadoran American actress/singer has landed a series regular in NBC’s half-hour pilot Night Court.

The project is a follow-up to the classic legal comedy series headlined and executive produced by The Big Bang Theory’s Melissa Rauch, with the original series’ John Larroquette reprising his Emmy-winning role.

Written/executive produced by Dan Rubin based on the original series created by Reinhold Weege, the multi-camera Night Court centers on unapologetic optimist judge Abby Stone (Rauch), the daughter of the late Harry Stone, who follows in her father’s footsteps as she presides over the night shift of a Manhattan arraignment court and tries to bring order to its crew of oddballs and cynics, most notably former night court prosecutor Dan Fielding (Larroquette).

Villafañe will play Monica, the court’s assistant district attorney. Type A, superficial and tightly wound. Monica sees the night court as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. She’s above this place and all the people in it, but it’s a good way to get some courtroom experience under her belt. It’s all part of her plan to land a job at one of the big firms. Thirty will be here before she knows it and if she’s not wildly successful by then…well it’s best not to think about it.

Villafañe is recurring on the final season of Younger, which streams on Paramount+.

She has also recurred on two NBC/Universal Television series, drama New Amsterdam and comedy Sunnyside.

On stage, Villafañe originated the role of Gloria Estefan in the Broadway production of On Your Feet and starred throughout the musical’s entire 2014-2017 run, winning the 2015 Theatre World Award for Best Actress.

She later starred as Nina Rosario in the Kennedy Center’s 2018 production of In the Heights and made her off-Broadway debut in MCC’s Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties in 2018. She is a two-time Drama League Award nominee for On Your Feet and Collective Rage.

NBC Gives Pilot Order to Demi Lovato’s Comedy Series “Hungry”

Posted on April 15, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato is officially hungry…

NBC has handed a pilot order to the 28-year-old half-Mexican American actress/singer’s Hungry.

Lovato is starring in and executive producing Hungry, a single-camera comedy that follows a group of friends who belong to a food issues group who help each other as they look for love, success and the perfect thing in the fridge that’s going to make it all better.

It’s written and executive produced by Will & Grace writer and Hot In Cleveland creator Suzanne Martin. It comes from Hazy Mills and SB Projects in association with Universal Television. Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner & Scooter Braun, Scott Manson and James Shin executive produce.

Hungry’s pilot order comes as Lovato’s recent documentary series Dancing with the Devil recently aired on YouTube. The four-parter documented Lovato her eating disorder as well as use of heroin and crack cocaine.

Javier Veiga Receives NBC Pilot Order for English Remake of His Hit Spanish Series “Pequeñas Coincidencias”

Posted on April 15, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Javier Veiga is getting a second chance to remake his Spanish hit series…

NBC has given another pilot order to the romantic comedy Someone Out There, which will be executive produced by 48-year-old Spanish writer and actor.

The network had originally ordered the project to pilot last year, but plans were halted due to the pandemic.

Someone Out There is a single-camera romantic comedy about two set-in-their-ways adults who are challenged by very unexpected strangers to become the best versions of themselves in order to find love and possibly each other.

Based on the Spanish format Pequeñas Coincidencias, created by Veiga, the English version comes Matt Hubbard and writing team Josh Siegal & Dylan Morgan. Produced by Universal Television, it is executive produced by Veiga and Emiliano Calemzuk, the former president of Fox Television Studios who was also CEO of Shine Group Americas.

The pilot was originally set to star Ryan Hansen and Aimee Carrero, but producers will look to recast.

Nicholas Gonzalez to Star in NBC’s Sci-Fi Drama “La Brea”

Posted on March 23, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Nicholas Gonzalez is ready to sink into a new role…

The 45-year-old Mexican American actor, who has starred as Dr. Neil Melendez on ABC’s The Good Doctor for the last three seasons, will co-star opposite Eoin Macken, Natalie Zea and Jon Seda in NBC’s sci-fi drama La Brea.

Gonzalez also joins previously cast Veronica St. Clair, Chiké Okonkwo, Jack Martin, Zyra Gorecki and Lily Santiago.

In La Brea, written by David Appelbaum, when a massive sinkhole mysteriously opens in Los Angeles, it tears a family in half, separating mother (Zea) and son (Martin) from father (Macken) and daughter (Gorecki). When part of the family find themselves in an unexplainable primeval world alongside a disparate group of strangers, they must work to survive and uncover the mystery of where they are and if there is a way back home.

Gonzalez will play Levi Brooks, an Air Force pilot and Gavin’s (Macken) best friend who is recruited to lead the mission to save the people who fell into the sinkhole.

Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio, producing with Keshet Studios.

For the past three seasons, Gonzalez was a series regular on ABC’s hit medical drama The Good Doctor, playing the popular character of Dr. Melendez, who died in the two-part Season 4 premiere. His series credits include Being Mary Jane, How to Get Away With Murder and Pretty Little Liars.

Benny Mora to Guest Star on NBC’s “Chicago Med”

Posted on March 21, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Benny Mora is heading to The Windy City…

The 32-year-old half-Latino actor will guest star on Dick Wolf’s NBC series Chicago Med.

Mora will appear in the series’ current season.

He plays Mike, a blue-collar truck driver in his 30s whose ex-wife brings their baby to the ER.

Chicago Med, in its sixth season, continues to draw strong ratings for NBC. In Live+7, it is among the top three dramas on every Wednesday night of originals in the 2020-21 season-to-date.

Chicago Med airs Wednesdays at 8:00 pm ET/PT on NBC. It is produced by Wolf Entertainment in association with Universal Television, a division of the Universal Studio Group.

Mora’s previous credits include Neighborhood Buzz and Aquarius.

Peacock Offers First Look at Sierra Teller Ornelas’ Groundbreaking Comedy Series “Rutherford Falls”

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Here’s your first look at Sierra Teller Ornelas’ groundbreaking project…

Peacock has released the first trailer at Rutherford Falls, an upcoming original comedy series from the 40-year-old Navajo and Mexican American showrunner, screenwriter, filmmaker and weaver from Tucson, Arizona and her co-creators Michael Schur and Ed Helms.

Peacock will premiere the series on Thursday, April 22.

The comedy centers around two lifelong best friends, Nathan Rutherford, played by Helms, and Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding), who find themselves at a crossroads – quite literally – when their sleepy town gets an unexpected wakeup call. Michael Greyeyes, Jesse Leigh and Dustin Milligan also star.

The series represents a breakthrough in Native representation in comedy television both in front of and behind the camera with Schmieding (Cheyenne River Lakota Sioux) and Greyeyes (Nêhiyaw from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation), along with five Native writers staffing, comprising one of the largest Indigenous writer’s rooms on television.

The writers include Schmieding, Ornelas (Navajo), Bobby Wilson (Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota), Tai Leclaire (Kanien’kehá:ka [Mohawk Nation]/Mi’kmaq), and Tazbah Chavez (Nüümü [Bishop Paiute Tribe], Diné [Navajo], San Carlos Apache).

Rutherford Falls is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

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.

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

Posted on March 10, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

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.

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.

Jon Seda Rejoins Cast of NBC’s Drama Pilot “La Brea”

Posted on March 6, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Jon Seda is heading back to La Brea…

The 50-year-old Puerto Rican actor has rejoined the cast of NBC’s drama pilot La Brea.

Seda, who will star opposite Eoin Macken and Natalie Zea on the series, was originally cast in the project a year ago and released in June due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, Hollywood newcomer has joined the cast of the pilot.

In La Brea, written by David Appelbaum, when a massive sinkhole mysteriously opens in Los Angeles, it tears a family in half, separating mother (Zea) and son (Martin) from father and daughter. When part of the family find themselves in an unexplainable primeval world, alongside a disparate group of strangers, they must work to survive and uncover the mystery of where they are and if there is a way back home. (The family’s last name has been changed from Wolcott to Harris.)

Seda plays Dr. Sam Velez (originally Dr. Benjamin Glass). The father of a teenage girl, he carries himself like the general of an Army. Santiago plays Veronica. Very rigid and formal, she does her best to comfort and protect her younger sister.

Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio, producing with Keshet Studios.

Seda starred for seven seasons on the Chicago franchise as Detective Antonio Dawson. One of the original stars of the franchise, he started off as a recurring on the mothership Chicago Fire before he was spun off to Chicago P.D. He also appeared for a time on the short-lived legal drama spinoff Chicago Justice. He previously played Nelson Hidalgo on Treme.

Santiago, a graduate of Northwestern University and LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, has appeared in numerous stage productions including the All-Female Macbeth (Red Bull Theater), Othello (Shakespeare in the Park, Romeo & Juliet (Huntington Theatre), and most recently the Public’s mobile Shakespeare production of Measure For Measure.

Juani Feliz Lands Recurring Role on Amazon’s Comedy Series “Harlem”

Posted on March 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Juani Feliz is heading to Harlem…

The Dominican actress has landed a recurring role on Amazon’s Harlem, the comedy series from Tracy Oliver, Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions and Universal Television.

Feliz joins a roster of new cast additions that include Andrea Martin, Robert Ri’chard, Kate Rockwell and Sullivan Jones.

They’ll join previously announced Whoopi Goldberg and Jasmine Guy, who also recur.

Created, written and executive produced by Oliver, Harlem, formerly the Untitled Tracy Oliver Project, is a single-camera comedy following the lives of four black women, friends from their college days at NYU, as they navigate sex, relationships and chasing their dreams.

Feliz is Isabela, a local politician on track to beating AOC’s record as the youngest member of U.S. Congress and a new friend of Quinn’s.

Feliz was a series regular on the ABC pilot, Until the Wedding. She has also recurred on CBS’ Blue Bloods and NBC’s Shades of Blue.

On the film side, her credits include the thriller Canal Street, The Purge: Election Year, The Polka King and indie feature Quiet In My Town.

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