George Lopez is a regular guy, and now he plays one on TV.
Lopez, having seen how Latinos often have been put in subservient roles, did not want that to happen on his show.
"The George Lopez Show" premiering at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday on WEWS-TV, follows the life of Lopez as an assembly-line worker who is promoted to manage a Los Angeles airplane parts factory. His life is complicated by the presence of his stubborn, insensitive mother, played by Belita Moreno.
Sandra Bullock is one of the driving forces behind the show as an executive producer.
"Sandra had an idea for a show that was more teen-driven," Lopez says. "But after seeing my act she decided to make the show with me as the focus."
Other executive producers include Bruce Helford, Robert Borden and Deborah Oppeheimer, all of "The Drew Carey Show" fame.
When he first started doing stand-up, Lopez says his act was "very corporate," and when he got a suggestion to talk more about his family he at first resisted.
But when his act became more personal, it really scored well with audiences. They immediately connected with a son who could never completely please his mother.
On his show, Lopez says he's the one that is usually the butt of the joke. "My best friend, Ernie (played by Valente Rodriguez) is the only one that I can get anything over on."
Lopez adds that barbs on the show may be a little sharper than some family sitcoms. "We're more 'Roseanne' rather than 'Everybody Loves Raymond.' "
Great care was taken in developing the show. "We spent four months fleshing out the characters. We feel like we're being called up to the big leagues," he says.
Lopez feels that some past shows featuring Latinos in the lead may have failed because they featured caricatures rather than characters. "They never dealt with the emotions of the family."
The Latin Grammys and U.S. Census figures showing a burgeoning Latino population also may have helped make this show possible, he adds. "The figures prove that it is not a fluke."
With the often youth-obsessed entertainment industry, Lopez says he's glad to be presenting another side of Latino life.
"I'm just a middle-aged dude, but I have a good heart," he says.
He's also glad to be adding a little more color to the TV landscape. "I remember visiting the set of 'Dawson's Creek.' Boy, did I stick out. I thought they were going to have to arrest me."
Lopez fondly recalls growing up and watching Mike Douglas, Dinah Shore, Tony Orlando & Dawn and Freddie Prinze on TV.
"I loved Freddie Prinze when I was growing up. As a matter of fact, Freddie Prinze's manager is my manager today," Prinze says.
Prinze inspired him to pursue his dream, and Lopez hopes his show does the same.
After the money and all that, I want young kids to feel hope, and that things are possible for them, too."
(c) Sun Newspapers 2002