Miguel Gomez to Appear on Season 2 of CBS’ Drama Series “FBI: Most Wanted”

Posted on February 28, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel Gomez has found his most wanted role…

The 35-year-old Colombian actor and former hip hop artist is joining the Season 2 cast of CBS’ drama series FBI: Most Wanted as a new series regular.

Gomez plays Special Agent Ivan Ortiz, a former LAPD Gang Unit officer born and raised in Los Angeles. After a stint with the FBI’s counter-terror unit in Washington, DC, he joins the team to be with the “best of the best” who track down the country’s most wanted fugitives. Ortiz has a street cop’s instincts, a gift for undercover work, and a sly sense of humor that he’ll employ as he tries to find his place with Jess (series star Julian McMahon) and the tight-knit team.

Gomez’s character will be introduced in the Tuesday, March 9 episode at 10:00 pm ET/PT.

FBI: Most Wanted stars Julian McMahon, Kellan Lutz, Roxy Sternberg, Keisha Castle-Hughes and Nathaniel Arcand. It’s executive produced by Dick Wolf, David Hudgins, Arthur W. Forney and Peter Jankowski. It’s produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television in association with CBS Television Studios.

Gomez is known for his roles as Gus on The Strain and Rafi on Showtime’s SMILF. He most recently recurred in L.A.’s Finest.

His film credits include Southpaw.

Mark Indelicato to Appear on HBO Max’s Still-Untitled Comedy Starring Jean Smart

Posted on February 9, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Mark Indelicato has landed his next role…

The 26-year-old part-Puerto Rican actor, singer, fashion blogger and photographer has landed a recurring role in HBO Max’s as-yet untitled comedy starring Jean Smart.

Indelicato, who rose to acclaim on ABC’s Ugly Betty, joins a cast that includes Hannah Einbinder, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Kaitlin Olson, Christopher McDonald, Poppy Liu, Johnny Sibilly, Meg Stalter and Rose Abdoo.

The series, from Universal Television and executive produced by Mike Schur, is set to premiere on HBO Max this spring. It hails from

Paul W. Downs, who will appear in a recurring role, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky.

Written by Downs, Aniello, who also directs, and Statsky, the comedy explores a dark mentorship that forms between Deborah Vance (Smart), a legendary Las Vegas comedian, and Ava, an entitled, outcast 25-year-old (Einbinder).

Demi Lovato to Star in the NBC Scripted Food Issues Comedy “Hungry”

Posted on January 25, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato is hungry for new projects…

The 28-year-old part-Mexican American singer/actress will return to scripted television in a food issues comedy in the works at NBC.

Lovato, who got her break in the Disney Channel’s Camp Rock franchise and starred in Sonny with a Chance, is to star in and executive produce Hungry, which has received a put pilot commitment from NBC.

The single-camera comedy is being written and exec 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.

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

Lovato, herself, appeared in a guest role in the final season of Will & Grace, her first role since guest starring on Glee in 2013. The singer, who has battled bipolar disorder and addiction, is the subject of a YouTube Originals doc series Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil, which will premiere at SXSW.

Lovato and Martin will exec produce with Hazy Mills’ Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner and SB Projects’ Scooter Braun, James Shin and Scott Manson.

Peacock Renews Mario Lopez’s “Saved By the Bell” Series Reimagining for Second Season

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Mario Lopez is still being saved…

Peacock has ordered a 10-episode second season of the critically praised comedy Saved By the Bell, a reimagining of the classic NBC series starring the 47-year-old Mexican American actor and television personality.

“I’m thrilled that Saved By the Bell has been renewed. I’ve been blown away by all the love for the show and can’t wait to go back and make more episodes,” said writer and executive producer Tracey Wigfield. “Hopefully we stay on Peacock for many more seasons, and then in 30 years, somebody does a reboot of our reboot and invents the threeboot.”

The No. 1 show on the NBCUniversal streaming service is the second Peacock Original series to get a renewal. A.P. Bio, which originated on NBC, was renewed for its fourth season on the streaming service in December. Peacock picked up the comedy for a third season after it was canceled by NBC after two seasons.

In the reimagined series, when California governor Zack Morris gets into hot water for closing too many underfunded high schools, he proposes they send the affected students to the most well-funded schools in the state – including Bayside High. The influx of new students gives the privileged Bayside kids (who never have a problem that can’t be solved in 22 minutes) a much-needed dose of reality.

Elizabeth Berkley Lauren and Lopez star in the new series, reprising their roles as Jessie Spano and A.C. Slater, respectively. John Michael Higgins also stars as Principal Toddman alongside the new class featuring Belmont Cameli, Dexter Darden, Mitchell Hoog, Alycia Pascual-Peña, Josie Totah and Haskiri Velazquez.

“Saved By the Bell brought a fresh and modern take to the beloved original series that resonated with viewers of all ages,” said Lisa Katz, President, Scripted Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “Season 1 tackled topical, relevant issues with wit, heart, humor and just the right amount of nostalgia. And we look forward to bringing fans back to Bayside next season.”

Season 1 addressed many important topics such as race, inclusion, class and education. In the season finale, Daisy (Velazquez) stages a walkout in order to keep the Douglas High students at Bayside.

“We are immensely proud of Tracey’s innovative reimagining of Saved By the Bell for a new generation. The stories told in Season 1 are both authentic and meaningful, and are elevated by outstanding performances from our cast,” said Erin Underhill, President, Universal Television. “We are grateful to our partners at Peacock and the fans for their continued support of the series. We can’t wait to be back next semester at Bayside High – a place where all are welcome!”

Wigfield serves as writer and executive producer for the series alongside executive producer Franco Bario. Peter Engel also serves as executive producer. Saved By the Bell is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Peacock to Launch “Punky Brewster” Reboot, Starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Next Month

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Things are brew(ster)ing for Freddie Prinze, Jr.

Peacock has announced the premiere date for its next continuation of a beloved classic sitcom, Punky Brewster, starring the 44-year-old part-Puerto Rican actor.

The Punky Brewster reboot will premiere on February 25 on the streamer.

All 10 episodes of the series will drop at once, following Punky (Soleil Moon Frye). Once a bright young girl being raised by a foster dad in the 1980s series, Punky is now a single mother of three trying to get her life bak on track.

In the new series, Punky will meet Izzy (Quinn Copeland), a girl in the foster system who reminds her of her younger self. Cherie Johnson reprises her role as Punky’s best friend Cherie, and the series also stars Prinze Jr. as Travis, Punky’s ex-husband; Noah Cottrell as Diego; Oliver De Los Santos as Daniel, and Lauren Lindsey Donzis as Hannah.

Punky Brewster hails from UCP and Universal Television, divisions of Universal Studio Group. It is written and executive produced by Steve and Jim Armogida.

The original Punky Brewster, which aired for four seasons between 1984 and 1988, is available to stream on Peacock already.

Carlos Portugal Developing Thriller Drama “Heirs” for NBC

Posted on December 20, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Portugal is television’s heir(s) apparent…

NBC has put in development Heirs, a thriller drama from the Daytime Emmy-nominated Latino television writer, director and producer, Davis Entertainment and Universal Television.

Written by Portugal, Heirs is set in Miami Beach’s exclusive Star Island. It revolves around the heirs of a Latin American ex-dictator who face an unexpected dilemma when a young girl is kidnapped from their home on the night of their own daughter’s lavish quinceañera.

Portugal executive produces with Davis Entertainment’s John Davis, Jordan Davis and John Fox. Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio.

Portugal is also developing his original scripted drama Miss-ng at HBO Max with Macro/UCP, as well as a feature film musical entitled El Beso at Netflix with Lucky Chap and Screen Arcade producing. El Beso is based on the romantic Mexican urban legend around Guanajuato, Mexico’s famous ‘Alley of the Kiss’.

Portugal previously co-created the Hulu series East Los High, on which he also served as a director and executive producer. The show, which earned him a Daytime Emmy nod, was one of Hulu’s first original series and ran for four seasons.

His other credits include Meet the Browns, House of Payne and the feature film East Side Story.

Sofia Vergara Teams Up with Robert Rodriguez & Rebecca Rodriguez to Develop Modern Take on “Zorro” with Female Lead

Posted on December 12, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Sofia Vergara isn’t masking her excitement for her latest project…

The 48-year-old Colombian actress has teamed up with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and his writer-director sister Rebecca Rodriguez to develop Zorro, a contemporary take on the classic masked vigilante character with a gender swap, for NBC.

The project’s creative team includes Vergara’s LatinWe production company, as well as Ben Siverman and Howard T. Owens’ Propagate. CBS Studios, where Propagate has a deal, will co-produce with Universal Television.

Co-written by the Rodriguezes and to be directed by Rebecca, Zorro centers on Sola Dominguez, an underground artist who fights for social injustice as contemporary version of the mythical Zorro. Her life is threatened by several criminal organizations after she exposes them.

Propagate set out to develop a television series re-imagining of Zorro with a female protagonist last season as one of the company’s first projects under its first-look deal with CBS Studios. The idea’s first incarnation, written by Alfredo Barrios Jr., also was set up at NBC.

Vergara and Silverman are frequent collaborators; they have teamed to produce together several projects over the past decade while Silverman was at Electus and after he joined Propagate, including the ABC drama series Killer Women.

Vergara received Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations for her starring role on ABC’s Modern Family. Her feature credits include the Warner Bros. buddy comedy Hot Pursuit, which she also produced. Additionally, she executive produced the Spanish version of Desperate Housewives.

Robert Rodriguez was attached to direct The Mask of Zorro and cast Antonio Banderas as the title role before leaving the feature project. In television, he developed and executive produced the series adaptation of his movie From Dusk Till Dawn for his television network El Rey and also executive produced the Spy Kids animated series offshoot for Netflix. He recently directed an episode of Disney+’s The Mandalorian.

Rebecca Rodriguez’s recent directing credits include episodes of TNT’s Snowpiercer and Showtime’s The Chi.

Oz Rodriguez Signs Two-Year Producing Deal with Universal Television

Posted on November 15, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

There are more Universal projects in Oz Rodriguez’s future…

The Latino Emmy-winning Saturday Night Live director has signed an exclusive two-year producing deal with Universal Television.

Rodriguez has been with SNL since 2013, first directing Digital Shorts. He went on to become head of the film unit, and won an Emmy for his behind-the-scenes series Creating SNL.

He’s next set to direct all six episodes of SNL star Michael Che’s new HBO Max sketch series from Universal Television.

“We feel so lucky to be solidifying our relationship with Oz, who has been in the family for many years and has played a key role in our success,” said Jim Donnelly, Universal Television EVP of Comedy Development. “He brings a creative vision and distinct visual style to every project he is involved in, and we couldn’t be more excited for all that’s to come.”

Rodriguez just wrapped the pilot of AMC’s Kevin Can F***k Himself. He directed the pilot and multiple episodes of AP Bio, in addition to the Kal Penn/Mike Schur pilot Sunnyside, both for NBC, as well as episodes of Last Man on Earth for Fox, Detroiters for Comedy Central, Shrill for Hulu, and Mixed-ish for ABC.

He most recently directed NBC & Peacock’s 30 Rock reunion, which aired on July 16.

On the film side, Rodriguez wrote and directed Vampires vs. the Bronx for Universal and Broadway Video, which premiered on Netflix earlier this month.

“I am very excited to continue my partnership with Universal Television,” said Rodriguez. “The studio has been my home for the last eight years, starting with my first season of Saturday Night Live. There are so many opportunities at the studio right now and we have a chance to tell stories that reflect characters that have been missing from television for far too long. It feels great to keep this creative partnership going with the studio that gave me my first big break.”

Peacock Releases Official Trailer for Mario Lopez’s “Saved by the Bell” Reboot

Posted on October 27, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Bells are ringing for Mario Lopez…

Peacock has released the official trailer for the Saved by the Bell reboot, starring the 47-year-old Mexican American actor and television personality.

The trailer for the NBC streaming platform’s original title gives Saved by the Bell fans, both new and original, a first look into the updated, quirky world of Bayside High.

The trailer kicks off with Alycia Pascual-Peña’s Aisha and Haskiri Velazquez’s Daisy in a school bus en route to the iconic television high school. But upon their first minutes at Bayside, they realize things are far from what they’re used to. “Why is everybody so rich?” asks Aisha as Mitchell Hoog’s Mac parks his red Corvette.

After getting a glimpse at the new members of the Bayside family, the trailer gives viewers a look at Lopez’s A.C. Slater and Elizabeth Berkley Lauren’s Jessie Spano.

“We all want these new kids to feel welcome. It’s not going to work unless we get to know them,” says Jessie.

Upon feeling alienated from her affluent peers, Daisy confronts the Bayside legacies, calling them out for their limited perspectives.

The trailer sees a return of the go-to grub spot The Max, as well as its quirky staff and regulars. The teaser also shows a collection of parties, performances and cast reunions only a true Bayside Tiger could love.

Saved by the Bell premieres on Peacock on November 25. Tracey Wigfield writes and executive produces alongside executive producers Franco Bario and Peter Engel. Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, produces the series.

Jaime Camil to Star in Still Untitled Apple TV+ Musical Comedy

Posted on October 2, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Jaime Camil has found the Apple (project) of his eye…

Apple TV+ has set a star-studded ensemble cast for its upcoming musical comedy that includes the 47-year-old Mexican actor, singer and television personality.

In addition to Camil, the project – which will be led by Saturday Night Live‘s Cecily Strong and executive produced by Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video – will also star Keegan-Michael Key, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, Kristin Chenoweth, Aaron Tveit, Dove Cameron, Ariana DeBose, Jane Krakowski and Ann Harada.

Written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, the as-yet untitled comedy series follows a couple on a backpacking trip designed to reinvigorate their relationship when they discover the magical town of Schmigadoon, in which everyone acts as if they’re in a studio musical from the 1940s. They then discover that they can’t leave until they find “true love.”

Key will play Josh, Melissa’s (Strong) long term, pragmatic partner, and the last person who wants to be stuck in this magical town. Cumming is Mayor Menlove, the welcoming mayor of the town with a secret (and a song) in his heart. Armisen plays Reverend Layton, the mild-mannered religious leader of the town. Chenoweth is Mildred Layton, Reverend Layton’s morally superior wife who is in everybody’s business. Tveit plays Danny Bailey, the town bad boy who is trouble with a capital T, especially once he sets his sights on Melissa. Cameron is Betsy, the farmers daughter who instantly falls for Josh. DeBose portrays Emma Tate, a more modern woman and the town’s teacher, she struggles to fit into the town’s strict mold. Camil plays Doc Lopez, the handsome town doctor with an icy heart. Krakowski plays The Countess, a stunning and sophisticated woman determined to marry Doc Lopez. Harada is Florence Menlove, the oblivious and dutiful wife of Mayor Menlove.

Paul will serve as showrunner, and will write all of the original music. Barry Sonnenfeld will direct.

The series hails from Broadway Video and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Camil earned two Teen Choice Awards for his scene-stealing role on Jane the Virgin.

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