There’s been a lot of talk about Jane the Virgin recently. As part of a new generation of “ethnic” sitcoms (thanks for that one, Deadline,) including Fresh Off The Boat and Black-ish — Jane The Virgin has been representing hard for the Latino experience with the talented and charismatic rising star Gina Rodriguez holding down the title role and racking up prestigious awards along the way. But for the under-18 set there’s been another Latino-oriented phenomenon that has been harvesting critical accolades since it first premiered in 2013. In case you’ve missed the memo, East Los High is one of Hulu’s handful of alternative-minded original series that have been making waves in the post-TV contentsphere, including Morgan Spurlock’s A Day in the Life and Spoilers with Kevin Smith.
Now, the groundbreaking program is finally being recognized for its efforts with three Daytime Emmy nominations including one for Oustanding New Approaches Drama Series and two nods for Outstanding Performer in a New Approaches Drama Series. Following the lives of several Latino teenagers struggling with love, family, college, and school dances in East L.A., East Los High is a campy yet authentic vision of the Latino/American experience that includes positive, educational content for its teen viewers. In addition, the show has also served as a sort of clearinghouse for young Latino talent, with more than a few promising actors starting out on what will doubtless be long and fruitful careers.
To boot, the production has recently announced that for its third season East Los High will be adding a handful of known and loved Latino actors to fill out the requisite adult roles. Cubana-American singer and actress Christina Milian has signed on as Liliana: a music producer who serves as a mentor for Camila (played by Vanessa Vazquez), along with the Oscar-nominated Colombiana Catalina Sandino Moreno (María Full of Grace) as Carmen, the undocumented mother of the strapping young Eddie, and JD Pardo (from NBC’s Revolution) as a mysterious, and dangerously attractive newcomer.
Season 3 of East Los High premieres on Hulu this summer, while the Daytime Emmy Awards air on April 26, 2015.