The Importance of Latinx Showrunners in Getting Authentic Latino TV Series in English-Language American Television: The Case of Tanya Saracho and Vida (Starz, 2018–2020)

Authors

  • María-José Higueras-Ruiz Facultad de Comunicación y Documentación (Office L) Calle Campus De Cartuja, s/n, 18011 Granada, Departamento de Información y Comunicación, University of Granada, Spain. mhiguer@ugr.es 00034 653 79 44 27 ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6849-3433
  • Jordi Alberich-Pascual Facultad de Comunicación y Documentación (Office N) Calle Campus De Cartuja, s/n, 18011 Granada, Departamento de Información y Comunicación, University of Granada, Spain. jalberich@ugr.es ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6871-4614
  • Enrique Herrera-Viedma Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenierías Informática y de Telecomunicación (Office P) Calle Periodista Daniel Saucedo Aranda, s/n, 18014 Granada, Departamento de Ciencias de la Computación e Inteligencia Artificial, University of Granada, Spain. viedma@decsai.ugr.es ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7922-4984

Keywords:

TV series, Latinx, showrunner, media production, U.S. television

Abstract

The growth of the Latino population in the United States during the 21st century has attracted the attention of television professionals and scholars to this community. This article aims to study the inclusion of Latinx people in American TV series and the correlation between Latinx characters and Latinx showrunners and writers. A literature review on the Latino community in television media has been conducted. After this, a specific case study—Vida TV series—is examined following a qualitative methodology based on two theoretical approaches: media production and television aesthetic. These results show that Tanya Saracho has a creative and personal connection to her TV series as showrunner. In conclusion, the traditional stereotyped and limited representation of Latinx people in U.S. TV series is counteracted by hiring Latinx television professionals in the television production process.

Author Biographies

María-José Higueras-Ruiz, Facultad de Comunicación y Documentación (Office L) Calle Campus De Cartuja, s/n, 18011 Granada, Departamento de Información y Comunicación, University of Granada, Spain. mhiguer@ugr.es 00034 653 79 44 27 ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6849-3433

She is PhD at the Information and Communication Department of the University of Granada, and is a recipient of a grant for Training University Lecturers (FPU) awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports. She is a member of the research group “CommuniCAV” (PAI SEJ-585), and the research project of excellence “Transmedialización y crowdsourcing en las narrativas de ficción y no ficción audiovisuales, periodísticas, dramáticas y literarias” (Ref. CSO2017-85965-P). She has attended and participated in international congresses on communication, and she has had several papers published in significant scientific journals, such as Communication & Society.

Jordi Alberich-Pascual, Facultad de Comunicación y Documentación (Office N) Calle Campus De Cartuja, s/n, 18011 Granada, Departamento de Información y Comunicación, University of Granada, Spain. jalberich@ugr.es ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6871-4614

He is Professor in Audiovisual Communication and Advertising in University of Granada. He has developed his research activity as an expert in aesthetic and communication in new media. He is currently principal investigator of the research group “CommuniCAV” (PAI SEJ-585), and of a research project of excellence (Ref. CSO2017-85965-P). He is author and co-author of several books, such as Previously On. Interdisciplinary studies on TV series in the Third Golden Age of Television (2011).

Enrique Herrera-Viedma, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenierías Informática y de Telecomunicación (Office P) Calle Periodista Daniel Saucedo Aranda, s/n, 18014 Granada, Departamento de Ciencias de la Computación e Inteligencia Artificial, University of Granada, Spain. viedma@decsai.ugr.es ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7922-4984

He is Professor in Computer Science and A.I in University of Granada, and currently the Vice-President for Research and Knowledge Transfer. His research interests include aggregation of information, information retrieval, bibliometric, digital libraries, or social media. He has published more than 250 papers in ISI journals, and coordinated more than 22 research projects. He is Vice-President of Publications of the IEEE SMC Society, and an Associate Editor of international journals.

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Published

2021-10-29

Issue

Vol. 15 (2021)

Section

Articles

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