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Starz is officially moving forward with one of its previously in-development Latin TV projects



Announced this afternoon, the network has put in a series order for “Vida,” with Veronica Osorio (seen above) and Melissa Barrera set to headline the series. Described as a half-hour drama and inspired by a Richard Villegas Jr. short story, “Vida” will follow two Mexican-American sisters from the Eastside of Los Angeles, who couldn’t be more different or distanced from one another. However, circumstances eventually force the sisters to return to their old neighborhood, where they are confronted by the shocking truth of their mother’s identity.

Tanya Saracho (“How to Get Away With Murder,” “Girls”) will serve as showrunner on the series, while Alonso Ruizpalacios (“Gueros,” “Verde”) will direct the pilot episode. Big Beach TV is set to produce the series alongside executive producers Marc Turtletaub, Peter Saraf, and Robin Schwartz.

“Tanya explores identity, culture, gender, and sexuality through the lens of a Latinix family and their community. It’s a deeply personal and relatable series about coming back home and finally growing up,” Starz CEO Chris Albrecht said. “Vida reflects the intersecting worlds of Latin and American descendants of all genders and sexualities and speaks to the heart of Starz’s programming commitment to present compelling stories for traditionally underserved audiences. We are very proud to work with Tanya and help bring her vision to life.”

The series joins a growing lineup of original programming on Starz, including “Power,” “Survivor’s Remorse,” “Outlander,” “American Gods,” and more. Similar to “Vida,” most of those shows have also found success by catering to a demographic who has been underrepresented on television previously.