Santa works in mysterious ways. Maybe you didn’t get that storm trooper action figure you were praying for, or the Pink Hatchimals Pengualas you underlined three times on your Christmas list – but it looks like NBC is developing a multi-generational Latino sitcom starring Cheech Marin and Paul Rodriguez. So stop those temper tantrums and wipe away those tears, because Santa knows you better than you know yourself; and this year he has given us the greatest gift of all: OG Latino comedy.
Of course, this isn’t the first time Rodriguez is teaming up with Marin, and the two consummate Chicano comedians have been playing fictional family members since Marin’s iconic 1987 comedy Born in East L.A. This time they won’t be playing cousins, but rather a father-son duo complimented by a grandson played Rodriguez’s real-life progeny and pro-skating phenom Paul Rodriguez Jr.
The generational gap might be a tough sell given the paltry nine-year age difference between Marin and Rodriguez Sr., but if the team behind Benjamin Button could turn Brad Pitt into an elderly baby, anything’s possible. Not much in the way of plot has been revealed quite yet, but we do know that it will be shot in single-camera set up (more like The Office vs. multi-camera fare á la The Big Bang Theory) and has been described as an “irreverent” take on modern Latino life.
The untitled series, which has been has been a passion project for Rodriguez, landed at the peacock network after a sizzle reel made the rounds through the major networks. Rodriguez will serve as executive producer along with his son, Marin, and Andrew Tannenbaum, while sibling writing duo Steve and Jim Armogida will write and executive produce.