1 00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: Sie Sie. 2 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 2: From Futuro Media and PRX It's Latino Usa. I'm Maria 3 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 2: nor Rosa. Today we dive into the world of nostalgia 4 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 2: television with the Nickelodeon cult favorite Daina. In the nineteen nineties, 5 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 2: a Puerto Rican lawyer named mariepa Is Brown decided to 6 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 2: make a major career move from law to entertainment. Soon after, 7 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 2: madiepa Is Brown made her mark on children's television with 8 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 2: two multicultural shows. One was Gullah Gulla Island, a show 9 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 2: about an African American family living off the coast of 10 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 2: South Carolin in an indigenous community, which aired in nineteen 11 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 2: ninety four. The other TV show was Diina, a sitcom 12 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 2: about a Latina teenager, which aired in two thousand and one. 13 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 2: Both shows were on Nickelodeon, and both shows now have 14 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 2: their own cult followings. In this episode, we're going to 15 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 2: focus on the legacy of Diana. The show, which premiered 16 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 2: in two thousand and one, is about a fifteen year 17 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 2: old Latina from Queens who attends a performing arts high 18 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:40,839 Speaker 2: school in Manhattan and who constantly daydreams about being a star. 19 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 2: She's portrayed by actor Christina Bidale Hey. 20 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 3: Some of the greatest stars in the world have gone 21 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 3: to the Manhattan School of the Arts and now it's artur. 22 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 2: Diina works towards her goal of becoming a famous singer 23 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 2: and actress, all while juggling quality time with her Puerto 24 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 2: Rican family in her multi generational household. You know, just 25 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 2: your average American sitcom. 26 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 4: Well, I'll never forget you to later. 27 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 3: The past disappears unless you make an effort to hold 28 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:10,960 Speaker 3: onto it. 29 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 2: Well, the show only lasted two seasons, its themes are 30 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 2: seared into the memories of so many who grew up 31 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:22,239 Speaker 2: watching it, and there are those who are still discovering 32 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 2: Diina even today. I sat down with the award winning 33 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 2: creator of Diina, Maria bet Is Brown, to talk about 34 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 2: taking the plunge into the world of children's storytelling and television, 35 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 2: and about the show's surprisingly long legacy. We're happy to 36 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 2: bring back this conversation from twenty nineteen. Here's Maria bet 37 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 2: Is Brown and welcome to Latino USA. In the early 38 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 2: two thousands, you really were one of those Latinas who 39 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 2: were challenging all of us because Afro Latina from New 40 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 2: York City, Puerto Rican lawyer, and you walk away from 41 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:00,239 Speaker 2: it all to create television. 42 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 4: That to write. 43 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 5: I went to law school because I didn't really know 44 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 5: what else to do, and I didn't think that I 45 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 5: could do the arts, even though I was secretly passionate 46 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 5: about writing. And six years into being a tax lawyer 47 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 5: and paying loans, I realized I am not happy, and 48 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 5: I just circled a date in the calendar and I said, 49 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 5: I am going to write. I'm just gonna leave and 50 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 5: try explaining to your Puerto Rican mother, I'm leaving my 51 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 5: good job as an abogada to write television when the 52 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 5: only thing she knew was telenovelas. 53 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 4: So it was quite a transition. 54 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 2: How did you come up with this idea to do 55 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 2: a show called Diana? And this was so the year was. 56 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 5: Well, it was nineteen ninety six when I started thinking 57 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 5: of the idea, but two thousand when it actually got done. 58 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 2: All right, So talk to me about nineteen ninety six. 59 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 5: Well, I have to backtrack a little bit because my 60 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 5: first show was Gala Gala Island, and it was by 61 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 5: design that we made an African American. 62 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: That's played together in the rights on any wherever. 63 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 5: Nickelodeon back then had a very progressive leader who had 64 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 5: her staff look at television and say what's wrong with 65 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 5: this channel? 66 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:17,840 Speaker 4: And no one could tell her, and she said, there's 67 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 4: no black people. And she made it a. 68 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 5: Mission for the executives to find African American content. And 69 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 5: I happened to be there because I was representing writers 70 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 5: for free, and lucky for me, I had been writing 71 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 5: my little closet writing. And I said, as a matter 72 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:33,279 Speaker 5: of fact, I have a show to do about a 73 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:36,919 Speaker 5: family that's Latino that lives in the island of Puerto Rico. 74 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 5: But I know you guys are not ready to talk 75 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 5: about people that are Latinos. So I can make them 76 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 5: African American, and I can set them in the islands 77 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 5: of South Carolina, which is a culture that exists within 78 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 5: another culture, the Gulla culture, and they love the concept. 79 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 4: Something tells me there's not going to be a little 80 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:57,840 Speaker 4: sleep at this sleepover. Then we'd better show them how 81 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 4: it's done. Did you ever do a dance that was 82 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:04,920 Speaker 4: called Freddy? 83 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 5: We surrounded the African American family with Latina families, and 84 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 5: I wanted to test the waters and see how people reacted. 85 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 4: So the first person we cast was Edie's check on. 86 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:16,679 Speaker 1: What's Now So Good? 87 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,280 Speaker 4: It's my feel better soup. What's in it? 88 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 3: A little bit of this and a little bit of that. 89 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:28,159 Speaker 5: Now, for those of you grew up watching Edie's check On, 90 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 5: she was the debt of America, sort of the. 91 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 4: Precursor to Jennifer Lopez and her body if. 92 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:42,280 Speaker 2: She's wild and bold and got a kind of amazing 93 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:43,839 Speaker 2: body that she loves to flaunt. 94 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,839 Speaker 5: Yes, and when I placed her right next to the 95 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:49,720 Speaker 5: family as the family next door, and I named her 96 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 5: after my mother, Juanna, one cup. 97 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 3: Of rainbows, a conten sink, a check kixel, bustle. 98 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 4: I think it's funny. 99 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 5: She came up to me one day walking on the 100 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,599 Speaker 5: street and little kids are saying, miss Juana, Miss Juana. 101 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 4: Instead of eating Chacolan's missing to make my lists of brutes. 102 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 2: So Gollagala goes away. But you don't give up. You 103 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:13,800 Speaker 2: have this creation of this Showina. 104 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:16,720 Speaker 5: I remember that we were finishing Golagala and the network 105 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 5: looked at me and said, do you have something else? 106 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:22,239 Speaker 5: And I said, I'm not ready to tell my Latino story. 107 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:26,839 Speaker 3: I'm a descendant of the Taino Indians, first inhabitants of 108 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:27,599 Speaker 3: Puerto Rico. 109 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 5: I'm ready to show a girl that lives with a 110 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:34,480 Speaker 5: foot into cultures, and that's what Tyana did constantly. 111 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 2: So just tell me who Tayina was, and in your 112 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 2: own words, what was your sense of what this show 113 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:42,839 Speaker 2: is going to be about. 114 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 4: What Tina for me was my alter ego? Do you 115 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 4: know what this could mean right now? 116 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:51,920 Speaker 3: The big Time Hit Records video endorsement. 117 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:53,480 Speaker 4: Contract where I see your milk mustache now? 118 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:58,720 Speaker 5: I it felt that Tyana reflected the dreams that every 119 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:03,839 Speaker 5: young latinas to aspire to be something, and that something 120 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 5: doesn't only have to be an athlete or a movie star. 121 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 5: She had a passion for something and she wasn't going 122 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 5: to stop at anything until she accomplished her goals. 123 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 3: It's okay, it's our Rejection is part of the business. Yeah, 124 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 3: but you have to be seen before you can be rejected. 125 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 3: I mean, they wouldn't even let me audition when they 126 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 3: found out I didn't really have an agent. 127 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 5: She's fifteen, She lives in Queens. She takes the train 128 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 5: every single day into the city to be in the 129 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 5: School of the Arts, and she walks along Broadway and 130 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 5: she dreams that she sees her names in light. 131 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 2: Do you think it's interesting that the executives right around 132 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 2: two thousand and one were really open and receptive to 133 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 2: a show about a Puerto Rican girl from Queens. 134 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 4: Well, you know, there was a lot of statistics. 135 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 5: There was a lot of research coming out saying, look 136 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 5: at the population numbers. Already people were beginning to understand 137 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 5: that Latinos in America was a young population and that 138 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 5: it was growing very fast. And so when you look 139 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 5: at those trends, if you are a business entity, you 140 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 5: have to cater to your audience. If you don't have 141 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 5: product that your audience wants, they're going to go find 142 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 5: it somewhere else. And at the time, Dora the Explorer, 143 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 5: which came after Tina and the brothers Garcia. 144 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 3: George, Lorena, you bever open the door, because that's gonna go. 145 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: Ricky Ricardo on You. 146 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 5: Which was a Mexican family, also started in the network 147 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:34,439 Speaker 5: about the same time. So not only did Nickelodeon support Tyina, 148 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 5: they went after the Latino audience in a big way 149 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 5: by having three very different shows. 150 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 2: When you were talking to executives about this idea and 151 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 2: naming her Tina after her Taino indigenous roots, and you 152 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:51,120 Speaker 2: were basically saying, look, yes, she's Latina. She's Diana, she's 153 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:54,520 Speaker 2: Puerto Rican, but she's one hundred percent of New Yorker 154 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 2: and she's an American girl. 155 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:58,679 Speaker 5: That's right, And that was to me the challenge. How 156 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 5: do you tell stories that show her struggling with her 157 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 5: keeping what she values of her Latino heritage, but defining 158 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,680 Speaker 5: life in the things that she liked about her American culture. 159 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 3: Renee and I have catering jobs tomorrow night, so we 160 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 3: have to learn to serve on skates. 161 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 4: But tomorrow's the Brales Sanchez Annual Domino Tournament. I'm sorry, Bobby, 162 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:23,439 Speaker 4: but this is really important. I'm gonna have to miss it. 163 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:26,680 Speaker 4: And we had many stories like her Quin Sangneto, for example, 164 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:27,719 Speaker 4: My mother. 165 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: Is so excited. 166 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 3: She says, a king signetto is one of the most 167 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 3: important days in a young Latina flast year. 168 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 5: She wanted to celebrate it in honor of her family, 169 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:39,200 Speaker 5: but she didn't want to wear the puffy dress that 170 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 5: her mother wanted her to wear. 171 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 3: There's something I want to say, and I want you 172 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 3: to just listen. Well, I don't look so good in pain. 173 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 4: And so that was a really fun episode. 174 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:59,080 Speaker 5: We want awards for it because she really came up 175 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:01,000 Speaker 5: with a solution for her, and. 176 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:04,040 Speaker 2: Did you have a kntena and was that your kind 177 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 2: of response to King? 178 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 5: Absolutely, my mother couldn't afford two parties two years in 179 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 5: a row. So my sister's one year older, and my 180 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 5: mother had a kingtennetta for her, and then she goes, 181 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:15,840 Speaker 5: you know what, I'm going to just add the fourteen 182 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:19,559 Speaker 5: in the corner of your sister's cake for yourself, and 183 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 5: so because I can't afford a party for you next year, 184 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:25,000 Speaker 5: So no complex. Right, I'm a middle kid and I 185 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 5: never got my celebration. I got to kind of shadow 186 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:31,959 Speaker 5: my sister's party, And till this day, my sister resents 187 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 5: the fact that she never had her own party and 188 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 5: that my name was on her cake. So we still 189 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 5: have that banter that goes on and on during you know, 190 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 5: family holidays. 191 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 3: Hello, isn't this supposed to be my king signetto just 192 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 3: be lucky you're having your own party. I had to 193 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:49,920 Speaker 3: share my party with Rosa and I'll dress we had 194 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 3: to wear it as shifts. 195 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 5: But that's exactly what the story was about in the party, 196 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 5: that the mom and her sister were still bickering because 197 00:10:57,559 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 5: they never got their own parties. And so Tyana saying, 198 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:02,840 Speaker 5: you know what, that's your drama. I want my party, 199 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:04,679 Speaker 5: and in fact, I want to wear what I want 200 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:06,600 Speaker 5: to wear, and that's what I'm gonna do. 201 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:13,000 Speaker 2: Coming up on Latino USA, we talk about the TV 202 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:32,319 Speaker 2: show's iconic theme song Stay with Us, Yes, Hey, We're back. 203 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 2: And when we left off, Maria, that is Brown, was 204 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:38,199 Speaker 2: telling us about how Nickelodeon was hoping to capture the 205 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 2: Latino audience in the early two thousands. Now we're going 206 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:45,200 Speaker 2: to talk about one of my favorite episodes, but first 207 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:48,079 Speaker 2: I had to ask Maria about one of the most 208 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:51,720 Speaker 2: iconic parts of the show, Tina. Can we talk about 209 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 2: that theme song? Though? 210 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:01,080 Speaker 4: The goodness the theme song? 211 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 5: I remember the theme song was so important because as 212 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 5: the creator of the show, I had written a list 213 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 5: of the attributes that I wanted in the song. 214 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:11,440 Speaker 4: I wanted it to be aspirational. 215 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 5: I wanted to have a hook that people wanted to singe. 216 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:27,960 Speaker 5: No one I can't like to sing Monday, and I 217 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 5: wanted it to talk about her dreams. Even though it's 218 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 5: in her fantasy, it's so palpable, it's so real that 219 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 5: she sees her name and likes sing I'm going to 220 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:47,600 Speaker 5: be completely honest, we were against the clock and so 221 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:52,200 Speaker 5: my co writer Kas Hymen and our musical composer. 222 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:53,480 Speaker 4: We went into Orlando. 223 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 5: We had a bottle of tequila, we got really drunk 224 00:12:57,960 --> 00:12:59,880 Speaker 5: and we said, you know what, we better write this 225 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 5: or this show is never going to happen. And at 226 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 5: the end of it, we had that song that you 227 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 5: hear today and the network did not make one single change. 228 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 2: One of the things about Diina is that it just 229 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 2: felt very real. It felt like a lot of things 230 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 2: at high school Latino Latina kids of color might experience. Right, 231 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 2: there's that one episode I think it's called En Espanola Yes, 232 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 2: and it's where Diana basically she flunks her Spanish test. 233 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 3: This is crazy, Nay, I'm Puerto Rican, well, I can 234 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 3: speak Spanish when it comes to reading and writing in Spanish. 235 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 2: Test and she's got to get her grandfather to sign 236 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:39,839 Speaker 2: the flunk test. 237 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:41,720 Speaker 1: Could you just sign this for me? 238 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 2: And then he realizes what happened? 239 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 4: Are your Spanish tests did not mention that? 240 00:13:50,679 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 2: No, and he kind of goes overboard with bol Now 241 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:58,840 Speaker 2: we're gonna speak Spanish all the time, and you're gonna 242 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 2: remember who you are. You're Puerto Rican young woman. 243 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 5: I remember that because we ran around the set saying, oh, 244 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:07,319 Speaker 5: Puerto Rican all the time, Puerto Rican all the time. 245 00:14:07,559 --> 00:14:10,360 Speaker 2: For now in this house, it's South Puerto Rican all 246 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 2: the time. 247 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 5: I'm going to make sure your kids don't forget where 248 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:15,960 Speaker 5: you came from. And what that meant was that her grandfather, 249 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 5: who again represented for me, that first generation that sees 250 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:24,160 Speaker 5: its culture leaving and sort of that can't really accept 251 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 5: that their grandchildren do not speak Spanish. 252 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 4: The way that they did. 253 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,560 Speaker 5: And what the grandfather did was he labeled everything in 254 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 5: the house with the Spanish words. So this is leche 255 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 5: so far and so far I remember. 256 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 2: And then of course one of my favorite scenes, which is, 257 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:45,280 Speaker 2: you know, there's an actual rooster in the house. 258 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:48,000 Speaker 1: You people are crazy. 259 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 3: This is not a chick and this is a rooster, 260 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 3: just like I had when I was a boy. 261 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 4: In Puerto Rico. 262 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 5: A lot of what he was trying to have her 263 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 5: experience without actually physically being there was the good old 264 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 5: the things we grew up with in that nostalgia that 265 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 5: we feel when we leave the island, and what you 266 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 5: can hold on to are things or feelings or conversations 267 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 5: of stories that you can pass on to your next generation, 268 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 5: but it's hard, and so we struggle with how do 269 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:18,160 Speaker 5: you pass that on to your own children. 270 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 2: It was a very successful show. DNA was doing really 271 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 2: well and then it was gone only two seasons. So 272 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:33,720 Speaker 2: I'm sure that a lot of people wonder what happened. 273 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 5: The reality of television is that it is a business. 274 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 5: When they cancel the show, we had already started writing 275 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 5: third season, We had written a movie that they were 276 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 5: going to come back with, a three part movie, and 277 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:51,560 Speaker 5: the network made a decision to cancel the show. 278 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 4: And there were some issues. There were some talent issues, 279 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:56,560 Speaker 4: there were some deals that were signed that were not 280 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 4: part of the plan. 281 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:01,160 Speaker 5: It was a total business say, it had nothing to 282 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 5: do with the talent with the show. The audience were 283 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 5: just as shocked as we were when we were told 284 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 5: right before we start shooting, no, the show's been canceled. 285 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 2: I'm wondering if there are people, you know, you're fan 286 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 2: base who are saying, well, you know, shouldn't there be 287 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 2: a reboot of the modern Diana? 288 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 4: Well, funny that you say that. 289 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 5: As a matter of fact, we are in early conversations 290 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 5: with Nickelodeon about a potential reboot and you know reboots 291 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 5: are popular now that you see things like Fuller House 292 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 5: and One Day. 293 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,960 Speaker 4: At a Time, Day at a Time Murphy Brown Exactly. 294 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 5: First of all, there's a reason why reboots are working, right, 295 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:41,240 Speaker 5: you have the original audience that grew up with those 296 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 5: characters and love them and have a feeling that they 297 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 5: had back then. They also knew that because they liked them, 298 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 5: they'd like to play them for their children. So you're 299 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 5: writing the show on two levels. You're writing for the 300 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 5: nostalgia audience that loves Tyana. Tyina has to be older now. 301 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:58,000 Speaker 5: So in the reboot that we're talking about, without revealing 302 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 5: too much, we are reaching out to the original cast 303 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:04,199 Speaker 5: and we are hopefully bringing back the same characters, but 304 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:07,959 Speaker 5: as adults now with their own families, and what are 305 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 5: they doing when it comes to the art. Are they 306 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 5: still pursuing the arts? Are they working? Are they still 307 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:16,120 Speaker 5: struggling artists? Because it's a reality that you could when 308 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 5: you were fifteen want to be a singer and you're 309 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,040 Speaker 5: doing bit parts but nothing really has popped for you. 310 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 4: But some of them are successful in other businesses. 311 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:27,960 Speaker 5: I mean, if we never do the show again, it 312 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:31,879 Speaker 5: still has a life with how people remember and engage 313 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:36,119 Speaker 5: with the content. The latest thing I saw was people 314 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,639 Speaker 5: going around New York City trying to find the exact 315 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 5: locations where Taina sang the songs, and then they record 316 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 5: themselves singing the song that was sang. 317 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:46,679 Speaker 4: In the show. What do you think about that? I 318 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 4: think that when I see it, I feel wow. 319 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:52,679 Speaker 5: To be able to create a character, give birth to 320 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 5: a character that is timeless, that people have such an 321 00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 5: emotional connection with that character that they want to write 322 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:02,440 Speaker 5: about and an engage with it. 323 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:03,439 Speaker 4: It's really cool. 324 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 5: I could have done that show if they never paid me, 325 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:08,920 Speaker 5: but it was nice that they did. 326 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 2: Madie pett Is Brown, thank you so much for speaking 327 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:17,160 Speaker 2: to us about Diana and her legacy. It's been great. 328 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:25,600 Speaker 4: Thank you so much. Marie pett Is. 329 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:28,439 Speaker 2: Brown is an award winning producer and the creator of 330 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 2: the Nickelodeon shows Diana and Galla Gala Island. This episode 331 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:47,360 Speaker 2: was produced by Janie Yamoca. It was edited by Sophia 332 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:51,800 Speaker 2: Palissa Carr. It was mixed by Stephanie Lebau. The Latino 333 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 2: USA team also includes Julia Cruso, Jessica Ellis, Victoria Estrada, 334 00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:01,360 Speaker 2: Renaldo Leans, Junior Andre Ropes Crusado, Luis Luna Grri, mar Marquez, 335 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:06,240 Speaker 2: Marta Martinez Norsaudi and Nancy Trujillo. Benile Ramirez is our 336 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:08,960 Speaker 2: co executive producer along with myself and I'm your host 337 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:12,160 Speaker 2: Marie no Posa. Join us again on our next episode. 338 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:16,120 Speaker 2: In the meantime, I'll see you on Instagram. A stella proxima. 339 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 6: Jao Latino USA is made possible in part by the 340 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:29,520 Speaker 6: Ford Foundation, working with visionaries on the front lines of 341 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:34,240 Speaker 6: social change worldwide, the John D. And Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, 342 00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:41,679 Speaker 6: and the Heising Simons Foundation, unlocking knowledge, opportunity and possibilities 343 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:44,720 Speaker 6: more at Hsfoundation dot Org. 344 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:49,679 Speaker 4: I was hot, and I was afraid to. 345 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:50,000 Speaker 5: Go like this. 346 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:53,119 Speaker 2: No, no, I know, because well, you know, it's a 347 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 2: Mexican studio, so you know, we just like smash people all. 348 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:57,639 Speaker 4: Over in here together and then make 349 00:19:57,680 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 2: It difficult for you to get in and out here.