Gloria Calderon Kellet’s One Day at a Time Season 4 premiered last night (Oct. 12) on CBS. The fan-favorite Latine family show’s first three seasons aired on Netflix, which then canceled the show, and then was shown on PopTV. Now ODAAT is finally making its network premiere.
The critically-acclaimed comedy follows three generations of a Cuban-American family navigating life in Los Angeles. ODAAT stars EGOT winner Rita Moreno as the abuela, Lydia Riera. The comedy also features Justina Machado as Penelope Alvarez, a single mom struggling to raise her teenage children—Alex played by Marcel Ruiz and Elena played by Isabella Gomez.
CBS will re-air six of the season four episodes which previously aired on Pop. The fourth season of the show, which gives screen time to important issues such as mental illness, sexism, and homophobia, kicked off with back-to-back episodes on Monday (Oct. 12). The first episode of Season 4 dubbed “Checking Boxes” guest stars Ray Romano. In the episode, Romano plays a Census taker who shows up at the Alvarez household. His presence sparks a meaningful conversation—the Alvarez family reflects what the future has in store and their relationships.
In the second episode, “Penny Pinching,” we see Penelope breaking out of her comfort zone. For once, the single mom splurges on something new. Meanwhile, her daughter, Elena, struggles to get to an important e-sports match. The remaining four episodes will air on October 19th and 26th.
There’s very little positive representation of Latine families on network television after ABC canceled The Baker and The Beauty in July. ODAAT is now the only Latine show on any network. We have a responsibility as Latine consumers to tune in weekly to the sitcom as it airs on CBS to ensure that heartwarming and hilarious stories of Latine families continue to be broadcast to audiences across the country. It’s a critical part of understanding the Latine experience in the US. We deserve to be able to see ourselves in the characters that grace the small screen.