Granted, it's sometimes a love-hate relationship. All too often I'll fall in love with a show -- like Marshall Herskowitz and Ed Zwick's "Relativity," Rob Thomas' "Cupid," Aaron Sorkin's "Sports Night," or Paul Feig's "Freaks & Geeks" -- only to watch it die an untimely network death, leaving me with a painful yearning for what might have been.
But every once in awhile the wheel turns, and the universe delivers justice, such as Herskowitz and Zwick's "Once & Again" and Sorkin's "The West Wing" -- both solid hits this past season. (And hopefully we'll see both Thomas and Feig back up at the plate soon, who could hit one out of the park if they just weren't rained on.)
Overall, though, I'd be hard-pressed to recall a time in recent history when TV has been better (and I don't even watch "The Sopranos"). Shows I watch religiously include David E. Kelley's "The Practice" and "Ally McBeal," Joss Whedon's "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and "Angel," and Dick Wolf's "Law & Order" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." (I also watch "ER" and "NYPD Blue," and of course have to get my regular dose of "Iron Chef," "Lonely Planet," and "The New Batman / Superman Adventures.")
This, in a nutshell, is Robogeek's TV universe. And it is Good.
But it could be Better.
For instance, a couple weeks ago the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) released a study entitled "Still Missing: Latinos in and out of Hollywood." It underlined a pervasive problem that anyone who's paying attention already knows -- that Latinos continue to face racial stereotyping in (and are grossly under-represented by) Hollywood.
From a business perspective, this is just plain stupid, considering that one in nine Americans is Latino, representing approximately $400 billion in purchasing power. (How many Latinos can you think of on prime-time TV, by the way?)
Granted, there have been some noble attempts to serve a minority audience -- such as Steven Bochco's "City of Angels," which CBS renewed despite lackluster ratings. But herein lies the problem: how do you attract a minority/niche audience without alienating/excluding a majority/mainstream audience? If I were a network, producer, or agent, I'd want to have my cake and eat it to -- but how?
Well, I have good news. Not only has someone figured out how you can have your cake and eat it to... they'll serve it to you on a silver platter 8:30 pm this Thursday (6/8) at HBO Workspace at the Melrose Theatre (call 323-993-6099 for reservations).
It's called "MI CASA." And believe me, you want this cake. It's REALLY GOOD -- and already has star-just-waiting-to-happen Linda ("Freaks and Geeks") Cardellini attached as a lead (who first got my attention in AMC's "The Lot").
"Mi Casa" is a cross-cultural, bi-generational one-hour drama whose development I've been quietly following on-and-off for about a year now. It's the creation of three wonderful people named Romie Angelich, Timothy A. Bennett, and Dr. Maria Eugenia Cotera, who all collaborated on the pilot script, entitled "The Sweetness Calms The Burn." It's one of those rare labors-of-love that is not only really good, but also highly marketable.
Anyway, HBO Workspace is presenting a staged reading of it Thursday, directed by MacArthur-winner Luis Alfaro (who heads the Latino Theater Initiative at the Mark Taper Forum).
The reading will feature the aforementioned Linda Cardellini ("Freaks and Geeks," AMC's "The Lot"), as well as Vanessa Marquez ("ER," "Stand and Deliver"), Alicia Wollerton, Doreen Calderon, Alma Rosa Martinez (founding member of El Teatro Campesino), Andrew Carrillo, Robb Curtis Brown, Scott Lowell (who originated the role of Picasso in Steve Martin's "Picasso at the Lapin Agile"), Gilbert Montoya, Paul Gilmartin (TBS' "Dinner and a Movie"), and Kathleen Campbell.
So what is it?
Well, the story, in a two-paragraph nutshell, is this...
Two former college roommates -- a Latina named Lupe and an Anglo named Karen -- have pursued divergent careers, yet remained best friends. Lupe, now married, is an art history professor at the University of Texas; Karen is a nationally recognized Bay Area journalist with a penchant for dangerous assignments and a distrust of long-term commitment. Both women now have adolescent daughters, and when Karen is assigned to cover Kosovo, she decides to send her daughter, Carson, to stay with Lupe and her family for awhile.
The timing couldn't be worse. Both Carson and Lupe's daughter, Carmen, are in the difficult teen years -- and Lupe and her husband have just lost their eldest son to a car-jacking incident. But they accept Carson enthusiastically into their funky world, though Carson and Carmen are somewhat less enthusiastic. The pilot covers the background history of these two families, Carson's initial arrival in Austin, and her adjustment to life with a somewhat off-the-wall family of ex-Chicano activists -- a collision of cultures and generations, as seen through the eyes of Carson.
(Oh, and it's semi-autobiographical -- adding plenty of potential PR punch.)
Imagine "My So-Called Life" transposed into a Tex-Mex "Like Water For Chocolate" -- though that doesn't even begin to communicate its potential. This is a show that brings to mind successful series like "Sisters," "Providence," and "Once & Again," and shares many of their respective strengths. It's a show that would connect to audiences of those series -- while also attracting a strong Latino following. It strikes that balance (and builds that bridge) with heart, humor, and humanity.
There are so many carefully crafted (and highly effective) dynamics at work in the "Mi Casa" pilot that it's hard to know where to begin talking about them. More than anything, though, what impresses me about the pilot script is how efficiently and elegantly it lays the groundwork for literally hundreds of potential stories, acting like a springboard you're just itching to jump on. Doors are lined up just begging to be opened and walked through, with characters and situations that resonate with a vivid naturalism, and just a hint of magic. These are characters audiences will look forward to spending time with every week.
Quite nimbly, the narrative weaves back and forth between these two families and their shared history -- forged in the past by two best friends, and in the present by their daughters. And that's really what it's about: family, friendship and history, and the emotional power of how these things shape our lives. Hence, this show could click with every mother, daughter, sister, and best friend -- who will all have a point of connection with it, as there are so many emotional points of entry.
Part of this comes from the way events and characters are informed by a very effective use of flashbacks, adding a rich texture that never seems forced. The architecture of relationships is extremely efficient, making it very easy for the audience to orient themselves and navigate through the story. And the dialogue clicks, probably due in part to the semi-autobiographical nature of the piece; the teens talk like teens, the adults talk like adults -- and all from their respective backgrounds. By the end of the pilot, you have an understanding of (and attachment to) the main characters, and are left wanting to see who they become.
My only minor quibble (more of a concern, really) is the short three-page teaser, which could give people the wrong impression (and maybe even scare a few people off), as it uses more bilingual dialogue than any other part of the script. (There is some limited Spanish scattered throughout the script, but quite unobtrusively; it's always obviously understandable and/or instantly translated, so it's not a barrier -- and feels natural.) However, the teaser scene is an important piece of the story (and pays off later), but it might work better a little later in the script. Still, in the big scheme of things, this is an extremely minor qualm, and can easily be adjusted. (And if you go to the reading, or get ahold of the script, don't let the teaser throw you; stick with it -- it's worth it.)
Overall, this script is remarkably solid, and offers a glimpse at a series that deserves to be on the air, and presents a high potential for success. All it needs is for the right people to recognize this, and seize the opportunity it presents.
If I were an agent, I'd sign these people quick. If I were a TV production company, I'd partner with them on this project. If I were a network, I'd line up the pilot for a possible mid-season order. And if I were any of these, I'd definitely make sure I went (or sent someone I trusted) to the reading this Thursday.
Sadly, I can't make it myself (believe me, this kills me), but Ain't It Cool will have a spy or two on the scene, who will hopefully be reporting in on it afterwards.
We see a lot of great stuff at Ain't It Cool that never makes it to a TV or movie screen. It'd be a crime if this fell into that category. It's really special -- and could make someone a lot of money, to boot.
