LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 01: Actor Guillermo Diaz attends the "Scandal" ATAS event at Directors Guild Of America on May 1, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)
Summer’s end is always a downer but it means one great thing: a new season of binge-worthy television! This fall ABC has got things on lock. The Disney-owned network has already taken ownership of Thursday nights with their TGIT lineup. Now they plan to conquer the rest of the week with a fresh batch of Latino-centric shows.
Series like Wicked City and Blood & Oil both feature Latino leading men and existing hits like The Goldbergs, Scandal and Modern Family (hi Sofia Vergara!) continue to tout multicultural casts. We peeped the network’s fall preview panel and got an earful about their September premieres. Here’s what you need to look out for and why you’ll want to keep watching.
Wicked City
October 27th
Gabriel Luna headlines this new show as a tough-as-nails cop learning to adapt to the LAPD during the seedy 1980s. As Luna told us, he’s no stranger to the small screen (he was recently the poster boy for Robert Rodriguez’ El Rey channel). “The last few years have been incredible,” he explained. “Having just done Matador for Robert Rodriguez and El Rey. It’s definitely sad to see that series end, but I’m thrilled to be partnered with ABC. Now I’m one of the new Latino faces on a major network.”
Luna felt very confident about his character, praising the writers for creating a fully fleshed out role. “I play Detective Paco Contreras,” he said. “He’s a very ambitious dude and he’s very well written. He’s intelligent and sharp. It’s a great depiction of a Hispanic male on television.”
Blood & Oil
September 27th
If you’ve been missing a novela-like American Dream story since Dallas went off the air, Adan Canto and this new series will fill your soapy needs. You’ll recognize Adan, a Mexican native who has starred in films like X-Men: Days of Future Past. He’s set to shake things up on as a leading man on this modern-day pioneering tale. His role pits him against Miami Vice vet Don Johnson (he’ll be having a secret affair with Johnson’s love child). He’ll also score some steamy love scenes with model-turned-actress Amber Valletta.
Scandal
September 24th
Kerry Washington’s Olivia Pope isn’t the only reason people tune into Scandal. One returning Latino guaranteed to bring big ratings is Guillermo Diaz. Over the past four seasons, fans have been flocking to the hit political drama thanks in part to Diaz’s character. Huck is a fan favorite, partly because of his secretive past. And, as he told us, the beauty of the role is that it is completely colorblind and doesn’t adhere to Latino stereotypes. “I feel really lucky to be a part of this show,” he said. “[Creator] Shonda Rhimes casts characters blindly. She doesn’t see race, gender or sexual orientation when she writes a role.”
Diaz went on to say how the industry as a whole is evolving when it comes to Latino primetime characters. “When I first started acting, I was playing all the thug roles,” he explained. “Now more doors are opening and we’re being seen in different lights. I feel like 10-20 years ago, I would never have been cast as a killer spy character like Huck.”
The Goldbergs
September 23rd
Dramas, of course, aren’t the only shows with a strong Latino presence. Mexican-American actress Hayley Orrantia is returning for her third season on the period comedy The Goldbergs. The best part she said has been the love her gente have shown for her. “I’ve had so much support from Hispanic fans and the Latin media. Even though I don’t speak Spanish fluently, I am extremely proud of my roots. My great-grandparents were born in Chihuahua, Mexico and that’s something I’ll always claim.”
Hayley went on to say that it’s not just Latinos that ABC is embracing. African-Americans, Asian-Americans and Indian-Americans are front and center too, with shows like Blackish, Fresh Off The Boat and Quantico, respectively. “ABC has really been broadening their horizons with diversity,” Orrantia added. “Blackish, Fresh Off the Boat…These are great shows with multicultural casts. I’m really proud to be on a network that embraces that.”
