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PBS CELEBRATES HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
ACCLAIMED SERIES "AMERICAN FAMILY"
RETURNS SEPTEMBER
THE BLUE DINER, P.O.V., INDEPENDENT LENS
and more feature Latino
themes
(Alexandria, VA; September 16, 2003) PBS continues to deliver the most
diverse programming of any broadcaster, and for Hispanic Heritage Month,
PBS offers drama, independent film and documentaries that celebrate the
multi-generational richness of the Latino community and reveal the enduring
strength of family in America today.
Beginning September 28, the critically acclaimed drama AMERICAN FAMILY,
directed by Gregory Nava (Selena, El Norte), returns to PBS on Sundays at
7:00 p.m. The saga of the Gonzalez family continues in encore episodes
this fall, leading up to the premiere of an all-new, 13-part television
event in April 2004.
"We've created a show that will make the audience laugh and cry as it
chronicles the daily struggles and triumphs of a family. AMERICAN FAMILY
is about everyone's family," says Nava.
In the first season of AMERICAN FAMILY, Jess Gonzalez (Academy Award
nominee Edward James Olmos), the conservative patriarch, and his daughter
Nina Gonzalez (Constance Marie), a feminist attorney, are constantly at
odds with each other. Nina has moved back home following a family tragedy.
She must make the difficult choice between her dreams of a career in
Washington, DC, or staying home to help raise Pablito, her brother
Esteban's son. Esteban (Esai Morales) struggles to rebuild his life after
serving time in prison. Flamboyant Aunt Dora (Raquel Welch) lives next
door and adds some spice to everyone's life. All the while, Cisco Gonzalez
(A.J. Lamas), the youngest sibling, videotapes the family's antics and
posts the 'family drama' in his online journal. The series also includes
special appearances by Sonia Braga as Berta, Jess' wife, and Mexican
actress Kate Del Castillo as Ofelia, Esteban's girlfriend. Complete
episode descriptions are available on PBS PressRoom®
(www.pbs.org/pressroom).
AMERICAN FAMILY is produced by El Norte Productions and KCET/Hollywood in a
ssociation with The Greenblatt Janollari Studio and Fox Television Studios.
Creator and executive producer: Gregory Nava. Major funding for the
AMERICAN FAMILY television series is provided by Johnson and Johnson, the
American Legacy Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS.
Also for Hispanic Heritage Month, PBS will premiere nationally THE BLUE
DINER on Wednesday, September 17, 2003, 9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings).
THE BLUE DINER epitomizes the lives of many Latinos in the U.S. with a tale
of struggle and disappointment, survival and hope, full of surprise and
humor. It is the story of a Puerto Rican mother and daughter living
together in Boston and the difficulties they encounter when the daughter,
Elena, mysteriously loses her ability to speak Spanish, her first language.
Everyone has a theory about the origin of Elena's misfortune, but no one
knows for certain what has caused the tragic and absurd event. THE BLUE
DINER stars Miriam Colón (All the Pretty Horses, Lonestar) and Lisa Vidal
("ER," "Third Watch," I Like It Like That, "The Division") as the explosive
mother-daughter duo. José Yenque (Traffic, The Price of Glory) and
William Marquez (Zorro, Forces of Nature) are featured as the men who love
them. THE BLUE DINER is a production of Blue Diner Films and is presented
on PBS by WGBH Boston. Funding is provided by Latino Public Broadcasting
and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
The documentary series P.O.V. and INDEPENDENT LENS present diverse new
films and miniseries during Hispanic Heritage month. P.O.V. airs
"Soldados: Chicanos in Vietnam/The Sixth Section" and "The Worst Possible
Illusion: The Curiosity Cabinet of Vik Muniz" and "Foto-Novelas 2"
premieres on INDEPENDENT LENS. A full list of programs is available on PBS
PressRoom® (www.pbs.org/pressroom).
PBS, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, is a private, nonprofit media
enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 349 public television
stations. Serving nearly 90 million people each week, PBS enriches the
lives of all Americans through quality programs and education services on
noncommercial television, the Internet and other media. More information
about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, the leading dot-org Web site on the
Internet.
- PBS -
Press Contacts:
Stephanie Aaronson, Sr. Director, Media Relations and Program Promotion, PBS,
(703) 739-5074
Kim Tavares, Sr. Associate, Media Relations and Program Promotion, PBS,
(703) 739-5011
Images/artwork: Available upon request or on PBS PressRoom¨ (www.pbs.org/pressroom).
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