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TelevisaUnivision: La CQ returns to Mexican TV with a new season and a special production team
Vanessa Maldonado| 19 de julio de 2024
Producer Pedro Ortiz de Pinedo prepares new productions of sitcoms, comedy, and telenovelas for TelevisaUnivision and new projects for ViX
Pedro Ortiz de Pinedo, inheritor of a comedy content tradition and son of a sitcom pioneer in Mexican television, has witnessed the industry’s transformation. In an interview, he acknowledged the complexity of adjusting to different audience profiles. However, he has created productions that help him understand and redefine content on open TV in a market that, unlike other countries, hasn’t experienced a massive migration to streaming.
“Open TV is a monster, a different beast to tame. I had the opportunity to understand what was happening and where Mexico is today. We are among the few countries where the slowdown in switching off TV to watch streaming hasn’t occurred as it has in places like the U.S. or parts of Europe,” he said. He added that focusing on research and data analysis provided by Televisa has been crucial for generating new content, covering comedy, sitcoms, and youth-oriented shows.
“At first, we tried to create content similar to streaming, and now they are trying to make products like ours, challenging us to be more precise with the type of content we propose,” he added.
INFLUENCED BY COMEDY CLASSICS
Ortiz de Pinedo, continuing the legacy of his father, Jorge Ortiz de Pinedo, in TV comedy, has revitalized the sitcom genre in Mexico with projects like Una Familia de Diez and La CQ, franchises that have captured the attention and liking of families. “They are pillars of Mexican television. There are great TV shows in the sitcom format that today form the basis of what we do, setting the tone and way of consuming comedy in this country,” he said, highlighting the influence of classics like El Chavo del Ocho, Dr. Cándido Pérez, Papá Soltero, Familia de Diez, and Vecinos.
“The secret is to create content that can gather kids and adults in front of the TV,” he explained. This commitment is reflected in his extensive production schedule, with various seasons in development and new projects promising to keep the essence of situation comedy alive.
Among his projects are the new season of ¿Tú Crees?, the eleventh installment of Una Familia de Diez, and the second season of Chócalas Compayito.
THE RETURN OF LA CQ TO MEXICAN TV
The producer is also bringing back one of the classic series he produced for pay TV with Cartoon Network in 2012, La CQ. “It will have a new generation for new audiences, with kids the same age as the originals. This show is the most successful youth-oriented sitcom format in Mexico and arguably in Latin America, besides being the most re-aired show on TV after El Chavo del Ocho.” To achieve the production volume on his plate, he will open a third production team, the first time he will have three teams working in parallel.
This content will have its first season by the end of the year, with four seasons of 80 episodes being recorded together.
THE BET ON TRADITIONAL TELENOVELAS
Besides comedy projects, Ortiz de Pinedo is undertaking the challenge of revitalizing telenovelas with projects like Amor Amargo, the second adaptation of a Portuguese story, promising to capture the essence of traditional melodrama with a cast mixing familiar faces with new talents. Filming will begin at the end of July, after a year and a half of development, with Héctor Forero’s adaptation leading to the development of two new telenovelas.
Regarding technology and visual quality, Ortiz de Pinedo emphasizes the importance of maintaining the telenovela’s aesthetic without imitating the streaming series style: “We honor the genre,” stressing the need to preserve the distinctive elements that make telenovelas unique and popular among the Latin American audience. “I don’t want to stray from the language that makes you want to watch a telenovela, with well-written scripts and good direction. This genre has a cadence, rhythm, and framing different from series.”
HIS COMMITMENT TO OPEN TV
Despite the allure of streaming, Ortiz de Pinedo remains committed to open TV, finding it a more challenging but equally rewarding endeavor. “Making open TV is complicated but necessary because of its fundamental role in offering diverse entertainment for Mexican audiences. The challenge is to maintain the audience volume on open channels.” He mentioned that he is already preparing projects for ViX.
With projects ranging from sitcoms to telenovelas, Pedro Ortiz de Pinedo continues to leave a mark on Mexican TV, blending tradition with innovation in an ever-evolving industry.
