The Brothers García
The Brothers García is an American teen sitcom created by Jeff Valdez, Mike Cevallos, and Gibby Cevallos. It was among the first projects of Sí TV, an effort to produce programming featuring Latino characters that are aimed at a diverse audience.[1] The series was billed as the first English-language sitcom to have an all Latino cast and creative team.[2] It aired on Nickelodeon from July 2000 to August 2004. After the show, Sí TV launched its own cable-television network.
| The Brothers García | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | Teen sitcom |
| Created by | Jeff Valdez Mike & Gibby Cevallos |
| Starring | Carlos Lacámara Ada Maris Jeffrey Licon Bobby Gonzalez Vaneza Pitynski Alvin Alvarez |
| Narrated by | John Leguizamo |
| Theme music composer | Rick Kocor |
| Composers | Diego De Pietri Rick Kocor |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 52 (TV film included) (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Jeff Valdez |
| Producer | Debra Spidell |
| Cinematography | Carlos González |
| Editor | Jeffrey Scott Runyan |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production companies | Si TV Nickelodeon Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | Nickelodeon |
| Picture format | NTSC |
| Original release | July 23, 2000 – August 8, 2004 |
| Related | |
| The Garcias | |
In 2021, co-creator Jeff Valdez announced that he had obtained the rights to make a sequel series. The reboot was ordered by HBO Max and it is controlled entirely by Valdez's company, New Cadence Productions.[3]
Overview
The series follows the life of the Mexican American García family, as narrated by the adult version of one of the family's sons, Larry. Larry recounts his life alongside George, Carlos, and Lorena (his two brothers and fraternal twin sister, respectively), and the way they deal with everyday problems such as school, work, growing up, and all living in one house in San Antonio, Texas.
The series is about boys being boys, with Larry, George and Carlos Garcia putting brotherly love to the test. The Brothers Garcia makes television history as the first English language sitcom with an all Latino cast, directors, and producers. From his funny, now adult perspective, Larry Garcia recalls his quest as an 11-year-old to fit in with his older brothers (13-year-old athletic Carlos and George, a 12-year-old walking encyclopedia) and to express his individuality, despite the attention-getting behavior of his fraternal twin sister Lorena. Ray is a proud father who works as a history professor and his wife Sonia works as a strict hairdresser from an in-house salon who always attempts to make her kids the best they can be. The show is narrated by John Leguizamo as the voice of Adult Larry.
Episodes
Cast
Main
- Carlos Lacámara as Ray García
- Ada Maris as Sonia García
- Jeffrey Licon as Carlos García
- Bobby Gonzalez as George García
- Vaneza Pitynski as Lorena García
- Alvin Alvarez as Larry García
- John Leguizamo as Adult Larry García (voice)
Recurring
- Lupe Ontiveros as Abuelita (4 episodes)
- James Santigo as CJ
- Jerry Messing as Tiny
- Kay Panabaker as Carrie Bauer
- Camille Guaty as Alex (3 episodes)
- Penn Badgley as Eddie Bauer (2 episodes)
- Natalie Amenula as Christina Contreras (2 episodes)
- George Lopez as Mr. Fender (2 episodes)
Broadcast
The show aired in reruns on "Nick on CBS" from March 13, 2004 to September 4, 2004. Reruns on The N started on April 7, 2008, and ended on May 23, 2008.
Sequel
A sequel series to The Brothers García, consisting of ten episodes and titled The Garcias aired on April 14, 2022. The original six main cast members reprised their roles in the sequel.[3]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Young Artist Award | Best Family TV Comedy Series | The Brothers García | Won |
| Best Performance in a TV Series: Young Actor Age Ten or Under |
Alvin Alvarez | Won | ||
| Best Ensemble in a TV Series | Alvin Alvarez Bobby Gonzalez Jeffrey Licon Vaneza Pitynski |
Nominated | ||
| ALMA Awards | Outstanding Director of a Comedy Series | Joe Menendez | Won | |
| Outstanding Actor in a New Television Series | Alvin Alvarez | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actress in a New Television Series | Ada Maris | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Director of a Comedy Series | Mike Cevallos Gibby Cevallos |
Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Director of a Comedy Series | Virgil L. Fabian | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Director of a Comedy Series | Linda Mendoza | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Television Series | The Brothers García | Nominated | ||
| 2002 | Humanitas Prize | Children's Live-Action | Gary Rosenkranz | Nominated |
| Young Artist Awards | Best Ensemble in a TV Series | Alvin Alvarez Bobby Gonzalez Jeffrey Licon Vaneza Pitynski |
Nominated | |
| ALMA Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Series | Maria Canals-Barrera | Won | |
| Excellence in Make-Up in Television and Film | Mark Sanchez | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Children's Television Programming | The Brothers Garcia | Nominated | ||
| 2003 | Imagen Foundation Awards | Best Children's Non-Animated Programming | The Brothers Garcia | Won |
| 2004 | Imagen Foundation Awards | Best Children's Non-Animated Programming | The Brothers Garcia | Won |
References
- "Hispanics finally break the TV barrier," Gary Levin, USA Today Sep 9 2003
- The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present. Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 162. ISBN 0-345-45542-8.
- Littleton, Cynthia (April 30, 2021). "'The Brothers Garcia' Reboot Lands Series Order From HBO Max (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
