|
PBS Presents "American Family," First Drama Series on Broadcast Television featuring Latino Cast- by Wendy Celaya
PREMIERING JANUARY 23, 2002 AT 8 PM
Series Stars Edward James Olmos, Constance Marie, Rachel Ticotin,
A.J. Lamas, Austin Marques, Kurt Caceres and Raquel Welch.
Special Guest Star Esai Morales and Special Appearances by Sonia Braga
AMERICAN FAMILY, the first drama series ever to air on broadcast television featuring a Latino cast, and the first original primetime American episodic drama on PBS in decades, will premiere on Wednesday, January 23, 2002 at 8 p.m., with the first episode entitled “American Family,” followed by another episode on Thursday, January 24, at 8 p.m. (Check local listings.)
Principal funding for the series is provided by PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
AMERICAN FAMILY was created by Academy Award®-nominated director Gregory Nava (El Norte, Selena), and is produced by his production company, El Norte Productions and KCET/Hollywood in association with The Greenblatt Janollari Studio and Fox Television Studios. Copyright © 2001 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.
“The series is about an AMERICAN FAMILY living in Los Angeles that happens to be Latino,” says Nava. “I wanted to create a show that will make the audience laugh and cry as it chronicles the daily struggles and triumphs of a family. AMERICAN FAMILY is about everyone’s family.”
AMERICAN FAMILY series regulars are: Academy Award® nominee, Edward James Olmos, Constance Marie, Rachel Ticotin, A.J. Lamas, Austin Marques, Kurt Caceres and Raquel Welch. Special Guest Star Esai Morales and Special Appearances by Sonia Braga. The series will also feature Mexican actress Kate Del Castillo in her first American television appearance.
AMERICAN FAMILY reveals the enduring strength of family in America today as it chronicles the lives of the Gonzalez’s, residents of East Los Angeles. Jess Gonzalez (Edward James Olmos), the conservative patriarch, and his daughter Nina Gonzalez (Constance Marie), a feminist attorney, are constantly at odds with each other. Nina has moved back home following a family tragedy. She must make the difficult choice between her dreams of a career in Washington, D.C., or staying home to help raise Pablito, her brother Esteban’s son. Esteban (Esai Morales) struggles to rebuild his life after serving time in prison. Flamboyant Aunt Dora (Raquel Welch) lives next door and adds some spice to everyone’s life. All the while, Cisco Gonzalez (A.J. Lamas), the youngest sibling, secretly videotapes the family’s antics and posts the “family drama” on his Web site.
El Norte Productions and KCET/Hollywood will produce twelve episodes to accompany an existing pilot episode, with an option for a second season. Production began in Hollywood on October 1, 2001. The series is filmed in high definition format.
An extensive Web site at PBS.org/americanfamily will allow visitors to get actively involved in the story through a variety of interactive features. This site will provide engaging content about the Gonzalez family, their East L.A. neighborhood and Chicano culture. In addition, curriculum resources will be available. Unique content created by local public television stations will be promoted on the national AMERICAN FAMILY Web site, enabling viewers to experience local perspectives on the many issues explored in the television program.
In addition to reaching out to the mainstream television viewer, the national outreach campaign for American Family will also target the Latino community by fostering relationships between local public television stations and strategic community partnerships. Launch partners include: The National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), National Council of La Raza (NCLR), MANA, The ASPIRA Association, The National Latino Children’s Institute, National Hispanic Council on Aging, Generations United, Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB), Association of Hispanic Arts (AHA), Asociación de Músicos Latino Americanos, National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures and the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts (NHFA). The centerpiece of the outreach campaign will encourage viewers to share stories, have fun and celebrate families by developing their own family album.
Gregory Nava is creator and executive producer of AMERICAN FAMILY. Robert Greenblatt, David Janollari and Eric L. Gold are also serving as executive producers. Barbara Martinez-Jitner is the supervising producer. KCET executive-in-charge is Mary Mazur, senior vice president of programming and production.
--------------------
Press Release provided by Wendy Celaya, Publicist for Reyes Entertainment.
Would you like to write a featured article?
|
|
|
See more of our latest featured articles:
|
