New year, new series! We’re excited for all the 2024 Latina shows scheduled for the coming months. As usual, TV networks and streaming services are gearing up with a huge collection of premieres and renewed series. Fortunately, there is an increasing variety of content created by, starring, and directed by Latinos.
So check out my selection of series that embrace Latin voices and identity in witty and courageous ways. This year we’re looking forward to a diversity of genres, from biographical miniseries, to warm comedies, to classic telenovelas. So grab your popcorn and get ready, here are the must-sees of 2024.
Echo
Let’s start by celebrating the Latina representation in Marvel’s highly anticipated series, Echo. Maya Lopez aka Echo (Alaqua Cox) is a Cheyenne-Latin American vigilante, originally conceived by David Mack and Cuban-American Joe Quesada. Maya has been part of the MCU since 1999 and is one of the few deaf characters in comic book history.
Echo is the tenth series in the MCU and is set immediately after the events of Hawkeye (2021). This spin-off explores the relationship between Maya Lopez and her infamous mentor Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin. It is about Maya’s journey of self-discovery as she decides to walk away from her adoptive father’s criminal empire and attempts to chart her own destiny.
Echo’s fast-paced teaser makes it clear that Marvel is looking to win back its audience, especially those who were fans of the Netflix-produced MCU series such as Daredevil, The Punisher, and Jessica Jones. It’s exciting to see Marvel’s vast universe continue to go for more inclusive representation including one of our most-anticipated 2024 Latina shows.
Griselda
Lately, we have seen several biographical series dedicated to mafia bosses and crime lords. Usually, they portray drug trafficking as an exclusively male business, with women showing up only as victims. But this time, Netflix’s spotlight is on the most important woman in the history of the Latin cartels: Ana Griselda Blanco Restrepo, also known as La Viuda Negra, La Madrina, or La Reina de la Coca.
The drama miniseries starring and co-produced by Sofia Vergara tells the story of Griselda Blanco, the Colombian trafficker who laid the foundations of the Medellin Cartel and forged a multi-million dollar empire in the 1970s and 1980s. Legendary for her ruthlessness and with no qualms about liquidating her competitors, Griselda Blanco masterminded the cocaine routes from Colombia to the United States.
The Modern Family actress returns to television in the titular role of Griselda and demonstrates a chameleon-like dexterity in her first dramatic role. Vergara is joined by a predominantly Latino cast, including Colombians Diego Trujillo, Paulina Davila, and Carolina Giraldo (aka Karol G), Argentinean Martin Rodriguez, and Cuban Alberto Guerra.
Griselda promises enough drama, betrayal, intrigue, violence, and sex to keep viewers glued to the screen. Eric Newman and Andres Baiz, creators and directors of Narcos and Narcos: Mexico are also responsible for this new Netflix miniseries.
Not Dead Yet (Season 2)
Not Dead Yet broke the record for the most-watched comedy debut on ABC since the launch of Bless this Mess. Premiering in 2023 and starring Gina Rodriguez, the series captivated more than 10 million viewers and made entertainment history.
Not Dead Yet follows the chaotic life of writer Nell Serrano (Rodriguez), who returns to California after a difficult breakup. Throughout the first installment, we witness Nell’s efforts to regain control of her career, her finances, and her friendships and love life. At an existential crossroads, Nell discovers she’s gifted with the ability to see and chat with deceased people. This delightful supernatural comedy reminds me of shows like The Good Place and Ghosts, both of which take a humorous approach to death and the transition to the afterlife.
It’s great to see the talented Gina Rodriguez in a role as fun, sassy, and well-drawn as this one. While the series does not directly address the Latino experience, it never shies away from identity or culture so we’re still considering it one of our top 2024 Latina shows. In the second season of Not Dead Yet, expect more of Nell Serrano’s ups and downs as an unwitting medium.
Lopez vs Lopez (Season 2)
Guess who’s back? Lopez vs Lopez is practically right around the corner. Created by Latinos George Lopez, Mayan Lopez, and Debby Wolfe, the popular generational comedy promises plenty of laughs in its second season.
Lopez vs Lopez is inspired by the real-life of Mexican and Cuban-American Mayan and her dad (you may have heard of him) George Lopez. When George, a working-class Latino father, has to move in with his grown daughter Mayan, old family wounds surface. Neither George nor Mayan is quite sure how to confront the past. In this semi-autobiographical comedy, daughter and dad have to give their all to make up for lost time and heal their battered bonds.
Although little is known about the second season, we can expect NBC’s Lopez vs Lopez to continue exploring intra-family conflict, generational differences, and Latino heritage in a warm and hilarious way. The new season is expected to consist of 10 episodes.
Yo Soy Betty, La Fea
Attention nostalgics: Yo Soy Betty, La Fea returns 20 years after its farewell, rounding out our list of 2024 Latina shows to watch. Considered by Guinness World Records as the most successful telenovela in history, the Colombian production will finally have a sequel about the beloved and iconic Beatriz Pinzón Solano. Actors Ana María Orozco (Betty) and Jorge Enrique Abello (Armando) will return to their respective leading roles.
Produced by RCN Studios for Prime Video, the new series is set 20 years after the final scene of the original telenovela. In it, Betty remains married to Don Armando Mendoza and tries to mend fences with her teenage daughter. As a wife, mother, and businesswoman, Betty will face family and economic crises that will lead her to question whether she’s found true happiness.
Created by the late Fernando Gaitán, the hit Colombian telenovela aired in more than 170 countries and spawned more than 20 international adaptations: from La Fea Más Bella in Mexico to Yo Soy Bea in Spain to Ugly Betty in the United States.
