Jimmy Smits Portrays Chief Justice in new NBC Series Pilot

By Luis Reyes

Jimmy Smits will play Cyrus Garza, a by the book Supreme Court Justice who excuses himself from the bench to go into private practice and fight constitutional injustices in an untitled one hour NBC legal drama. Veteran Mexican actor Pedro Armendariz has also been cast as his political activist father who inspires him. Smits will also serve as a producer on the series.

The pilot is currently shooting on location in Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Atlantic City.

Smits most recently headlined the short lived CBS Latino family drama Cane. He also co-starred on NBC’s The West Wing and did a season long arc on Showtime’s Dexter. which earned him his 12th Emmy Nomination (He won in 1990 for L.A. Law). The former NYPD Blue star is coming off a Broadway run in Gods of Carnage and next appears in Rodrigo Garcia’s upcoming theatrical feature to be released in May, Mother and Child.

The NBC drama is being developed by John Eisendrath, Universal Media Studios and Conan O’Brien’s production company.

Let’s hope this pilot makes it to series. It would be an important step forward to see a major Latino actor as a series lead in such a positive role as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice and lawyer.

MTV's NEW FACE; LATINO TALENT FOR WORLD CUP

TeleVISION by Julio Martinez

DESI SANCHEZ IS THE FACE OF MTV2…Distributed in nearly 80 million homes, super macho MTV2 is launching a slew of brand defining original programming while tagging on-air personality Desi Sanchez as the face and voice of the all-new channel. With the highest concentration of men 12-34 on TV today, MTV2’s new shows include a mix of hip-hop, guy lifestyle and action sports programming with new series, Rock N Jock, Funk Flex Full Throttle, Nacho Libre, Ball Out Comedy Fridays and Sucker Free Sundays.

Sanchez, a NYC-born and bred TV host, visual artist and musician, feels right in her element. “I'm super psyched and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of MTV2! I've always been a tomboy at heart, and love all things tech, gaming, sports and music. Plus, at MTV2 I can just be myself and I get to interact with so many talented people. I'm looking forward to bringing my high energy and flavor to the channel. It’s going to be an awesome ride!”

Named by MAXIM as one of the “15 Hottest Latinas in Music,” Sanchez is also a classically trained pianist and is working on her first album, a blend of hard rock, pop and Latin that balances Sanchez’s soothing keyboard work with some decidedly non classical guitar riffs. But MTV2 is counting on Sanchez’s more visible talents to keep the boys attention between episodes of Jock and Funk. For specific MTV2 programming, check local listings or visit www.mtv2.com.

MTV TR3S GOBBLING LATINO TALENT FOR WORLD CUP SPECIAL…When it comes to knowing who to concentrate high level attention on during the advent of World Cup soccer, MTV Tr3s has the ready answer…the Latino Male. The Network is bringing together renowned soccer stars and leading Latino entertainers for a unique celebration of the world’s most popular sport. Set for filming on March 31st at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, the 2-hour ROCK N’ GOL special will center around four not-ready-for-primetime teams (No Se Puede United, AC Pitch Smackers, Locura United and Deportivo Cansados), featuring athletes and celebrities that will take to the field for a unique 4x4 tournament fusing traditional soccer with some very non-traditional twists. The big game, sponsored by T-Mobile, Subway and Toyota is set to air on June 3rd, and an additional MTV2 broadcast post premier.

Already confirmed celebrity participants for the taping include: crossover urban sensation Pitbull, actress Michelle Rodriguez, actor Jesse Garcia, comedian Carlos Mencia, Spanish artist David Bisbal, actor Walter Perez, singer/songwriter Debi Nova and legendary singer Jenni Rivera. They will be joined by famed soccer stars Marcelo Balboa, Brandi Chastain, Tony Meola and Tab Ramos. Additional participants are to be announced.
“The World Cup is one of the most anticipated games in the world especially among soccer fans in the Latino community, including myself,” proclaims Pitbull. Rock N’ Gol is guaranteed to add some flavor to the World Cup excitement. I’m looking forward to this event, because only MTV Tr3s can put a group of talented artists in cleats to compete with the pros.”

“MTV Tr3s is embracing the World Cup fever with our own irreverent twist on the world’s most popular sport,” says José Tillán, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the network. “Expect to see some top notch action, fun moments and great ‘performances’ with our version of fútbol…MTV Tr3s style. I was trying to be the referee, but did not make the cut.”

LATIN HEAT welcomes breaking news, especially if you have landed a role on the small screen.  Send info to:  submissions@latinheat.com

ANA ORTIZ FROM "UGLY" TO "TRUE BLUE"; CROSS-CULTURAL WEDDINGS ON MTV Tr3S

TeleVISION by Julio Martinez

ORTIZ SURVIVES THE DEMISE OF ‘UGLY’…Despite ABC unceremoniously booting Ugly Betty off the air this Spring, the network is not casting off Ana Ortiz, who is staying on ABC, starring in the network's cop drama pilot, True Blue. The cop show centers on a group of San Francisco homicide detectives reunited to solve the murder of one of their own. Ortiz plays a civilian secretary at the precinct. Poppy Montgomery co-stars. Exec producing are Jon Feldman, Chris Brancato and Bert Salke; Peter Horton is directing the pilot. There are a lot of pilots hatched during the Spring with no guarantee of finding a nesting place in the Fall primetime lineup. Ortiz has proven she has the star quality to make memorable any show she is in. Other pilot casting coups include Oswaldo Castillo being nabbed for NBC's untitled Adam Carolla comedy pilot. The pilot stars the comedian as a divorced contractor rebuilding his life. Castillo, a frequent collaborator of Carolla, will play his roommate and co-worker. Also in the works, Carmen Ejogo has taken a role in CBS drama pilot, Chaos.

THE COLORFUL... POLITICS OF ‘I DO’…With Quiero Mi Boda, MTV Tr3s takes an inside look at cross-cultural weddings and the hustle and bustle surrounding them. Producer Jorge Talon affirms, “Weddings are a special event in the life of a couple, a day where not only two people join in matrimony but also a day when two families unite. Now imagine these two families being from completely different cultural backgrounds, tastes, traditions, religion and sometimes even different languages.” Having premiered in on January 18 (10pm EST), Quiero Mi Boda shows what happens when you intermingle Mexicans with Cubans, Dominicans con Gringos, or even Puerto Ricans with Chinese! The final two Monday episodes air March 15 and 22 (9pm, EST).

INDEPENDENT LENS FOCUSES ON THE ‘LOST SOULS’…The Emmy Award-winning PBS series, Independent Lens, is premiering Lost Souls (“Animas Perdidas”), Tuesday, March 23rd at 10 PM (check local listings). Monika Navarro, a young Latina filmmaker born and raised in Ventura County, set out to make a documentary about her troubled uncle Augie, who was deported to Mexico after serving time for drug dealing, even though he was raised in the States and had served in the military. Navarro relates, "I found myself telling a different story -- about the kind of exile that has nothing to do with the government." Turning the camera on her parents, uncles and cousins, Monika shines a light on her family's dark history of abuse, addiction and abandonment as well as achievement and strength.

Finally, Carlos Gomez (Shark, Sleeper Cell) and Kiele Sanchez have landed co-starring roles on A&E's drama pilot Sugarloaf. More about that in next week’s TeleVISION.

LATIN HEAT welcomes breaking news, especially if you have landed a role on the little screen. Send submissions to submissions@latinheat.com and interview requests to Julio@juliomartinez.net.

Garcia Plays Pregnant; Latino Reality; Crew List

TeleVISION by Julio Martinez

The television pilots are beginning to hatch all over the primetime dial.
TeleVISION has the radar out to identify the highs and the lows of emerging viewer fare. One perennial Latina may have finally found a promising sitcom home.

GARCIA ON THE MOVE…That blond bombshell of a Latina, Joanna Leanna Garcia, emerged as a potential star from the WB series, Reba (2001-2007). But despite displaying considerable on-camera charisma and laudable comedic timing, Garcia’s talents were ill-served on two lamentable short-lived comedy series, Welcome to The Captain (CBS) and Privileged (CW). Her prospects are looking up. Garcia has been tabbed to co-star in an untitled comedy pilot for ABC from Shana Goldberg-Meehan. The plot focuses on two sisters in different stages of their romantic relationships and is produced by Warner Bros. Television. “I play the less secure sis who gets pregnant and ends up marrying her beau,” says Garcia. The comedy is being ear-marked for the upcoming 2010 Fall season. When she is not on the set, Florida-born Garcia, who speaks Spanish fluently, is a volunteer English-as-a Second-language teacher for children in Los Angeles.

LATINOS ON REALITY…Two of the hottest current reality shows on TV, American Idol (FOX) and Project Runway (Lifetime Cable), have been showcasing some impressive Latino talent this winter. The monstrously popular Idol showcase is down to the Top 24 pop vocalists. Included in the countdown is Ashley Rodriguez (22, Chelsea, MA), Andrew Garcia (24, Moreno Valley, CA) and Joe Munoz (20, Huntington Park, CA). Two ladies and two men will be eliminated this week. Hopefully, these vocally adroit Latinos will make the cut….Over on the Runway, fashionistas Jesus Estrada, Maya Luz and Emilio Estrada have all been impressive. Julio Estrada was eliminated from the competition a few weeks ago but that has not stopped the San Diego based designer from pursuing his dreams. He will be showing at LA Fashion Week in a few weeks. Luz and Emilio Estrada are both in the competition and both have impressed the judges each week with their designs. Additionally, Emilio was the winner of the first challenge this season. American Idol airs Tuesdays and Wednesdays (FOX, 8pm E/P). Project Runway can be seen Thursdays (Lifetime, 10pm (E/P).

LATINO CREWS…Much attention is paid when a Latino actor rises to the status of series regular of prominent guest star on primetime TV. But for every burgeoning America Ferrera, there are hundreds of talented, behind-the-scenes chicos and chicas laboring to put that primetime show on the small screen. Upcoming on the FX Channel is the crime series, Justified (premieres Tuesday, March 16, 10pm E/P), starring Timothy Olyphant as rural Kentucky U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens. Helping to put words in Givens’ mouth is staff writer Benjamin Daniel Lobato, whose credits include The Unit (CBS). A screenwriter/playwright, Lobato’s stage work, Soldier in the Eclipse, was a winner of the Fifth Annual Hispanic Playwriting Festival. Working as Technical Advisor on the series is Charlie Almanza, retired after 30 years U.S. Marshal Service, including Chief Deputy in Los Angeles. Serving as Key Grip is Mike Reyes. Justified was developed by Executive Producers Graham Yost, Elmore Leonard, Michael Dinner, Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly. 

LATIN HEAT welcomes breaking news, especially if you have landed a role on the little screen. Send submissions to submissions@latinheat.com and interview requests to Julio@juliomartinez.net.

Freddie Does Drama; Riva Does Crime & Rivera Does Vocals

TeleVISION By Julio Martinez

The second season has begun on broadcast TV and Latino life has begun to stir on the TV network that doesn’t claim to be a TV network. FOX Broadcasting Company has never been known for its “affirmative action” chops when it comes to putting Latinos to work. However, as the winter months move toward spring, there are some positive indications on FOX’s broadcast grid.

FREDDIE DOES DRAMA…Could it be that light romantic comedy perennial leading man Freddie Prinze Jr. is actually being groomed to step into the very dramatic shoes of aging Kiefer Sutherland? As a new series regular addition to FOX’s 24, Prinze portrays Davis Cole, a recently returned Marine who runs CTU Field Ops and has left no doubt that he wants to follow in Jack Bauer's footsteps. Whether that comes to pass, Prinze is kind of pleased to be playing a character who does more than just smile at the pretty girl.

“’Kind of pleased’ doesn’t really describe it,” Prinze affirms. “I don’t get offered this kind of a job, period. For most of my career, if I’m in it, I’m struggling to fall in love for 96 minutes, and I always get the girl.

“I received the sides for this part when I was in New York, and they were casting out of L.A. I went to the casting director’s office, and there were no other actors there. When they brought me in, I said, ‘Look, you’re not waiting for anyone else to get in here, so we’re doing this audition ’til I get it right.’ And she was nice enough to let me get a few cracks at it. I sent her a big box of cookies when I got the part. To get a chance to do this is something, as an actor, that I’ve been hoping for since I was 21 years old. So, you can say I am very, very pleased.”

Executive produced by Sutherland and Howard Gordon, 24 began its 8th season on January 17. Negotiations are underway for Season 9. Who knows what the future might bring for Davis Cole and Prinze.

RIVA DOES CRIME…Scheduled to premiere on May 12, FOX’s police action-comedy series, Code 58 (working title), pairs Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) and Colin Hanks (LMad Men) as two oil-and-water Dallas police detectives who are forced to partner up. Making sure they stay firmly wedged under her thumb is Lieutenant Ana Ruiz, played with no-nonsense dispatch by Diana Maria Riva (Side Order of Life, Castle).

“I hope I get to be funny, too,” says Riva. “My character takes a lot of Alka-Seltzer because clearly, the characters played by Bradley and Colin are going to be a daily pain in her ass. So I think it’s going to be that constant trying to keep things under control, trying to get the job done. But in the process, I get to say some pretty damn funny stuff.”

Riva certainly gets to be funny on the big screen. She is featured in the upcoming romantic comedy, Our Family Wedding (due March 12), starring America Ferrera, Forrest Whitaker and Carlos Mencia.

Code 58 is executive produced by Matt Nix and Mikkel Bondesen. The series will have special previews on two nights, Wednesdays, May 12 and May 19, before making its series premiere on Monday, June 7 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

RIVERA DOES VOCALS…When FOX offered a preview taste of their hyper musical teen series, Glee, in may 2009, Naya Rivera’s character, Santana, was little more than the sneering underling to the school’s haughty head cheerleader portrayed by Diana Agron. “But in the first season episode of Glee that aired in September, the viewers got to see a little bit more of the cheerleaders and learn more about my character,” says Rivera, who is anticipating the show’s second season debut on April 13.

“On one level I can really relate to her,” Rivera affirms.” She is very competitive and so am I. But I don‘t think I could ever be as mean as she can be. But it sure is fun playing her.”

Rivera, who is half Puerto Rican, a quarter German, and a quarter African American, grew up in Valencia, a suburb of Los Angeles, made her television debut as a series regular in 1991 at age four on The Royal Family and has worked regularly since, also appearing in six episodes of the Bernie Mac Show (2005-06).

“The great thing about being in Glee is there is room to grow and evolve on this show. Who knows how Santana will turn out? She may even turn out to be nice. But the main thing that is great for me is I get to sing, dance and act in every episode. That is heaven.”

LATIN HEAT welcomes breaking news, especially if you have landed a role on the little screen. Send submissions to submissions@latinheat.com and interview requests to Julio@juliomartinez.net.

Jon Seda in The Pacific; Wilmer Valderrama & Mireya Mayor in Mystery Gorillas

TeleVISION by Julio Martinez

The mid-season primetime television season is well underway, but it is not too early to spotlight some notable programs and performances coming up in the not-too-distant future. This season is not flavored with an abundance of Latinos, but there are some notable efforts coming up.

SEDA IS DANDY…Though the HBO 10-part mini series, The Pacific, isn’t premiering until mid-March, the television press is already talking about Puerto Rican American Jon Seda’s transcendent portrayal of real-life Italian American World War II hero, John Basilone. Sgt. Basilone’s exploits on Guadalcanal during the early days of the fighting in the Pacific were legendary, earning him the Congressional Medal of Honor, and immortality as the inspiration for the comic book hero, G.I. Joe. Seda infuses himself within the spirit and character of a truly humble average guy who heeds the call to duty as naturally as he breaths.

“I believe everyone in the cast felt a deep responsibility to make sure we got this right,” says Seda. “I think there was a certain point in time for all of us when we realized how important this was. This isn’t just another show, another film. We had the task to be the voices for so many men, the real heroes. And I think this was especially true for me. Basilone was raised in New Jersey, and I was raised in New Jersey. So I wouldn’t be able to show my face at home if we didn’t get this right. I think overall, we did get it right, not just for all the Marines out there who are going to be seeing this, but also for the producers, directors and writers who were involved in making the series. They poured everything into getting this done. And we wanted to make sure we made them proud.”

The Pacific, a Playtone and DreamWorks production, is executive produced by Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Gary Goetzman. The series premieres Sunday, March 14 on HBO.

WILMER IS HANDY…Disney Channel’s Emmy-nominated preschool animated series, Handy Manny, starring the voice of Wilmer Valderrama, is going primetime with it’s 2nd special, Handy Manny Big Race, guest starring NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. and N'Sync's Lance Bass, airing Saturday, March 20 (7:00-7:25 p.m., ET/PT). In the special, Valderrama, Bass (who recurs on the series as surfer-dude Elliot) and the cast of Tools perform the new song "One Step at a Time." A music video for the song will premiere Saturday, March 6 on Disney Channel and online at Disney.com/HandyManny.

A Top 10 TV series with preschoolers age 2-5, the show is set in a multicultural, multi-generational community and follows a curriculum that models problem-solving. It is available in over 140 countries and in 23 languages. The first primetime special, Handy Manny Motorcycle Adventure, delivered the series' largest Total Viewer audience ever (Source: NTI, U.S. ratings, 10/4/09).

The show, which premiered in 2006, features the adventures of Manny Garcia, a bilingual Hispanic handyman, and his anthropomorphic, talking tools. “I am very proud to be associated with this series,” Valderrama affirms. “In addition to imparting life lessons about working together, communication and setting goals, the series also teaches viewers Spanish words and phrases and exposes them to various aspects of Latin Culture.” The series also features Carlos Alazraqui as Felipe. The series' cultural consultant is Marcela Davison Aviles, president and CEO of Mexican Heritage Corporation. Language specialist Dr. Rose Marie Garcia Fontana is the series' language consultant. Rick Gitelson is executive producer and story editor of Handy Manny, which is a production of Nelvana Limited in association with Disney Channel. Handy Manny airs weekdays at 9:00 a.m., ET/PT and weekends at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

MAYOR GOES APE…Later this Spring, National Geographic is launching NatGeo Wild, a new cable network dedicated to bringing audiences extraordinary wildlife programming. A highlight is the premiere of Mystery Gorillas with Mireya Mayor, featuring the former NFL cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins turned fearless and indomitable scientist, cozying up to one of nature’s most powerful primates. Long since putting down her pom poms, Dr. Mayor, a Ph.D. in anthropology, went on to become the first female wildlife correspondent for NGTV’s Ultimate Explorer series, and has spent more than ten years exploring some of the wildest and most remote places on earth, often armed with little more than a backpack, notebooks and hiking boots.

“In the promo footage to the series, it shows me being chased by a gorilla, and that was indeed frightening,” Mayor admits. “In all of the years of experience that I’ve had with gorillas, I’ve been charged by them dozens of times, and never once did I move out of its way or run like that. Generally, I act like a gorilla, and I react to them in a way a gorilla would, which is to get into a submissive posture and just let him know that, yes, I know you are boss. In this case — and this comes from years of experience out in the field — I knew that he wasn’t just doing a bluff charge.”

Looking back on her upbringing, Mayor knows it is ironic that she lives a good deal of her life in the wildest most untamed areas of earth. “I grew up in a big city as the only daughter of Cuban immigrants,” she recalls. “I couldn’t join the Girl Scouts as a little girl because my family thought it was too dangerous.” Since then, our Latina scientist has slept in remote jungles teeming with poisonous snakes, gone diving with great white sharks, has not only been charged by gorillas but chased by elephants as well.

“It is a part of the job I willingly accept,” Mayor affirms. “What Geographic has enabled me to do is go to these places and team up with some of the best scientists out there, with these amazing film crews that are capturing these amazing creatures in their natural habitat, and then share this experience with a worldwide audience that wouldn’t have the chance ordinarily to get face-to-face with a Central African gorilla and see all of these amazing behaviors and discoveries for the first time. I have a great job.”

TeleVISION: The Good, The Bad & the Ugly

TeleVISION:  The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Debut of Weekly TeleVISION Column by Julio Martinez 
 

TeleVision, which has been a recurring feature in Latin Heat during the last six years, is now a regular weekly presence, highlighting the Latino presence on primetime television. The column will offer gadfly critiques for what's not working, as well as enthusiastic hurrahs for what is. The column will also highlight emerging talent and established stars as Latinos continue to forge a solid presence in the medium it so enthusiastically supports. 

THE GOOD: Nickelodeon has been a pioneer in launching Latino themed programming designed for the multi-ethnic television consumer, beginning with the landmark animated series Dora the Explorer (2000), followed by the SiTV-produced sitcom, The Brothers Garcia (2004). At the recent bi-annual gathering of the Television Critics Association, the cable network�s Executive Vice President of Development and Original Programming, Marjorie Cohn, announced mid-season launches for two new music-based series with high Latino involvement. 


"Today, I'm going to talk about two new series, Victorious and Big Time Rush, Cohn proclaimed. "Both series were developed as a result of our partnership with Sony Music." Victorious was created by the prolific Dan Schneider, our hit maker extraordinaire and one of the most successful producers in kid's TV history (iCarly, Zoey 101, Drake and Josh and The Amanda Show, etc.). 


Victorious (premiering March 27) stars 16 year old Victoria Justice who has literally grown up with at Nickelodeon. She first joined as part of the Zoey 101 cast. She was featured in last year's TV movie Spectacular! and has appeared in guest roles on Nick series, most notably the iCarly [the movie] iFight Shelby Marx, a special that drew almost 8 million viewers.


It is also significant that Justice is a Latina playing a Latina, aspiring singer/actress Tori Vega, a teenager who unexpectedly finds herself chosen to attend an elite performing arts school in Los Angeles. "I am half Puerto Rican and half English and Irish and French and a bunch of other stuff," Justice affirmed. "My character, Tori, is bilingual. "I am not as fluid she is but I'm getting there."


Nickelodeon's Cohn was equally enthusiastic about Big Time Rush (premieres January 30). "It comes from another successful producer that we've had a long relationship with, Scott Fellows," said Cohn. "It is a comedy about four hockey-playing best friends from Minnesota, who get discovered by a record producer during a national search."


They are given the opportunity of a lifetime when they move to L.A. to be part of the glamorous pop music scene. The series will feature original songs performed by the four series regulars under the guidance of Sony Music, with music by some of today's most successful songwriters and producers including Desmond Child, Matthew Gerrard, Charlie Midnight, Eman and Kevin Rudolf.


The boys in the band, who were actually chosen during an extensive nationwide search, include Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Logan Henderson and our Latino of record, Carlos Pena. "We've recorded 12 songs so far," said Pena. "It's kind of a rare experience that we get to do everything at once, you know, because sometimes you get to do just the recording side or just the acting side, but we get to do everything, which I know is just incredible."




Pena feels strongly attached to his Latino roots even though he was born in Columbia, Missouri. "Three years ago, I tried out for Making Menudo, which was an MTV project. They were trying to reinvent the band, Menudo. It was very interesting. I got down to the final seven, and I went out and did the whole song and dance thing. I wasn't cast but it really got me pumped up to do this show." 


THE BAD...Despite the Nickelodeon good news, the cable networks did not prove to be a welcoming outlet for Latinos. Of the twenty-one new programs introduced at the TCA, only the SyFi Channel's Caprica and the HBO 10-part mini series, The Pacific, featured a Latino in a series regular role. Esai Morales stars in Caprica (premiering January 29) and Jon Seda portrays real-life Italian-American World War II hero, U.S. Marine Sgt. Jon Basilone in The Pacific (premiering mid-March (TBA). 


THE UGLY...The news is out. The landmark ABC hit comedy, Ugly Betty, is not being renewed after it airs its fourth season closer in April. No formal announcement has been made by ABC execs but the deal is done. The series had dropped in ratings this season but it certainly didn't help that ABC kept moving the telenovela remake, starring America Ferrera, Tony Plana, Ana Ortiz and Mark Indelicato all over the TV grid. It's too bad that Exec Producer Salma Hayek wasn't available for more guest appearances. That certainly would have helped. 




Latin Heat welcomes breaking news, especially if you have landed a role on the little screen. Tele Vision begins its "New Faces" spotlight, beginning next week. Good fortune to us all.


To submit for consideration send to: submissions@latinheat.com