Primos (TV series) explained

Primos is an American animated television series created by Natasha Kline and produced by Disney Television Animation that premiered on July 25, 2024, on Disney Channel.^{[2] [3]}

Synopsis

The series centers around a large Mexican-American family living in the neighboring Los Angeles town of Hacienda Hills. Told through the diary of eccentric 9-year-old Tater Ramirez-Humphrey, the series centers on her as she discovers the "it factor" that makes her special alongside her cousins, consisting of Cousin Bud, Big Nacho, Lita, Tere, Tabi, Toñita, Scooter, Lot Lot, Gordita, Nachito, ChaCha, and Lucita, who moved in with her for the summer as she prepares for her upcoming tenth birthday and tries to figure out her "final form".^[1]

Voice cast

Main

• Myrna Velasco^[4] as Tater Ramirez-Humphrey, the show's eccentric 9-year-old protagonist with colorful braces and a lateral lisp who is trying to figure out her "final form". She cannot speak Spanish much like the rest of her family but is learning fluent French in light of a French café being established.
• Melissa Villaseñor as Nellie Ramirez-Humphrey, Tater's younger, but taller and more realistic, cynical, condescending, and lazy sister.
• Michelle Ortiz as Bibi Ramirez-Humphrey, Tater's cheerful and optimistic mother who is an expert artist and sculptor.
• Jim Conroy as:
  • Bud Humphrey, Tater's father who is skeptical of Tater's big dreams. He is an expert handyman.
  • Vision Tiger, a talking tiger and Tater's imaginary friend who helps her plan her visions.
• Angélica María as Margarita "Buela" Ramirez, Tater's grandmother and expert cook who is annoyed that some of her family members have not mastered the Spanish language.

Tater's cousins

• Elizabeth Grullón as Julita "Lita" Perez, Tater's eldest cousin and Scooter and Lucita's older sister who is bisexual, dreams of becoming a rock star, and does various odd jobs.
• Jonathan Melo as Scooter Perez, Lita and Lucita's shy brother who is shown to be good at ice-skating, playing wind instruments, and sewing.
• Rick Simon as:
  • Cousin Bud Humphrey, an eco-friendly teenager and Gordita's older brother who is always barefoot. The episode "Summer of Breaking Bud" revealed that Cousin Bud used to have a capitalist side named Cousin Buck.
  • Ignacio "Big Nacho" Ramirez Jr., Nachito's older brother who has a habit of roughhousing and is into weightlifting. He is also dyslexic.
• Cristina Vee Valenzuela as:
  • Tere Ramirez, the middle of the acrobatic T-Sisters who dreams of being famous and has a birthmark on her left eye.
  • Toñita Ramirez, the youngest of the acrobatic T-Sisters.
• Natasha Kline as:
  • Gordita Humphrey, Cousin Bud's younger sister. As the more intelligent of Tater's cousins, she loves performing scientific experiments.
  • ChaCha Ramirez, a wild young girl who is mostly only capable of saying her name.
• Nomi Ruiz as Tabi Ramirez, the oldest of the acrobatic T-Sisters.
• Becca Q. Co as Lot Lot Ramirez, a creepy and macabre young girl who has a dark sense of humor.
• Ryan Anderson Lopez as Ignacio "Nachito" Ramirez Jr., Big Nacho's younger brother who looks up to him. Like his brother, he has been showing symptoms of dyslexia.
• Sarah Tubert as Lucita Perez, Tater's youngest cousin and Lita and Scooter's younger sister who wears cochlear implants and knows American Sign Language.

Recurring

• Cristina Milizia as "Baby" Bud Ramirez-Humphrey, Tater's infant brother.
• Cheech Marin as Pop Ramirez, Tater's grandfather and Margarita's husband with a golden tooth who is often seen either napping in his chair or engaging in romance with Buela.
• Dee Bradley Baker as:
  • Chuchi, a three-legged outdoor dog that Tater befriends.
  • Garage Possum, an opossum that lives in the Ramirez-Humphrey family's garage and gets caught up in the family's shenanigans.
  • Jean-Cluck Van Fried, a buff chicken with a featherless left wing who is owned by Buela and protects the family's chicken flock.
• Jorge Diaz as:
  • Skid "The Skid" Malfeo, the obnoxious and disrespectful neighbor of the Ramirez-Humphrey family who wears a pocketed diaper despite being ten years old and is always barefoot. His family is just as obnoxious as he is (except Gwennifer). He bullies his older sister.
  • La Hamaca, a being behind the hammock that makes Pop weary of it.
• Liza Koshy as Serena, a girl who becomes Tater's best friend upon her family moving to Hacienda Hills due to their mutual fandom of Romancimorphs and Qui, Qui Marie.
• Maya Morales as Gwennifer Malfeo, The Skid's bratty older sister who is a Pigeon Scout and probably the ringleader of her scout troop. Unlike her family, she is less obnoxious and also harbors a secret crush on Cousin Bud.

Another recurring character is Hector, the local street vendor of different foods who never utters a word yet and is said to be fluent in Spanish and French.

Guest

• Joel "The Kid Mero" Martinez^[2] as Diego Perez, Lita, Scooter and Lucita's father, Bibi and Bud's brother-in-law, and Tater's uncle with a paranoid and nervous personality.
• Mark Consuelos^[2] as Ivan Ramirez, a firefighter who is Tere, Tabi and Toñita's father, Bibi's brother, and Tater's uncle.
• Ricardo Chavira^[2] as Ignacio Ramirez Sr., Big Nacho and Nachito's father, Bibi's brother, and Tater's uncle with a dull personality.
• Gabriel Iglesias^[2] as Gustavo Ramirez, a one-armed man who is Lot Lot's father, Bibi's brother, and Tater's uncle.
• Sherry Cola as Ms. Mahoney, the librarian of Hacienda Hills Library who is familiar with sign language.
• Sarah Sherman^[5] as Carmela, Big Nacho's pen pal with braces and classic-length hair who has the same traits as him.
• Eden Riegel as N.K. Scheinhorn, the writer of the Romancimorphs series.
• Silver Paul as Bootleg Vision Tiger, a deformed counterpart of Vision Tiger that Tater encountered on a menu she tried to improvise as her missing diary.
• Joe Hernandez as Blaine Himbo, an office worker who is a mutual friend of Tater and Lita.
• Blu del Barrio as Alex, Lita's co-worker at Quakey's Pizza Place who is also her enbyfriend. They are non-binary and use they/them pronouns.
• Kyle MacLachlan^[5] as Bill
• Jaime Jarrín^[5] as the Día de la Cultura Announcer

Also in the series is Javier Ramirez, ChaCha's father and Bibi's brother who is a biker and has no speaking role yet.

Shorts

A Piece of My Mind

These shorts primarily focus on Disney Channel characters meeting their various creators and learning how the concept of their shows were created.

Chibi Tiny Tales

Shortly after the series premiere, Primos joined the Chibi Tiny Tales series.

Theme Song Takeover

As part of a promotional campaign, Disney Channel began airing the Disney Theme Song Takeover, wherein supporting characters from different shows performed the theme song to the series they were in.

Production

Development

On November 3, 2021, it was reported that Natasha Kline, a long-time storyboarder and character designer,^[6] is developing an animated series titled Primos for Disney Television Animation (DTVA).^[1] The series was inspired by Kline's childhood summers living with her cousins alongside her extended Mexican-American family and she wanted the lead characters to also be of Mexican-American heritage due to the lack of Mexican-American representation on television during her childhood.^[1] Meredith Roberts, a senior vice president at Disney Television Animation said the series bears the "authentic voice" of Kline and "her family's culture and values", saying the series will be aimed at kids and families.^[7] Edward Mejia, a DTVA executive, oversaw the series.^[8] Prior to being greenlit, Primos was in an intense bidding war between Disney and Netflix, with Disney ultimately winning out.^[9]

On June 15, 2022, at the 2022 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, it was announced that the show's first season would have an order of 30 episodes. Philip Cohen was announced as series producer.^{[10] [11]} In March 2023, Kline told Animation Magazine that the series was inspired by an adult short she had created for an Upright Citizen's Brigade stand-up comedy show in 2017, was inspired by Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes, and said she loved working with the show's crew, praising their "intense passion, drive, and talent".^[12]

On July 8, 2024, the series' official trailer was released.^{[13] [14]} The series airs half-hour episodes that are divided into 11-minute stories.^[15]

Release

Primos premiered on Disney Channel on July 25, 2024, and the first nine episodes became available to stream on Disney+ the following day.^{[2] [3] [16]} The series was scheduled to premiere on January 19, 2024, before being postponed to June 6, and later to its eventual premiere date.^[17] By October 28, 2024, all nineteen episodes were available to stream on Disney+.^[18]

Reception

Pre-release

On June 13, 2023, the series' opening sequence was released by Disney Branded Television.^{[19] [20]} It received criticism on social media, largely from Mexicans and other Latin-American communities. Some criticized the show's premise by drawing similarities to that of Nickelodeon's The Loud House and, more specifically, its spin-off series The Casagrandes.^{[21] [22] [23]} Other viewers criticized the opening sequence for presenting various negative stereotypes associated with Latin-American culture, argued the names of the setting and some characters could be considered offensive, and the Spanish grammar used was incorrect.^{[24] [25] [26]} Also criticized was the use of a "Mexican filter", a technique frequently used in American media to invoke a "foreign" atmosphere in Hispanic settings.

Online complaints were further fueled when social media posts were made by Tater's voice actress, Myrna Velasco, which included a comment on Instagram where she said critics of the Spanish used in the show were "grammar nazis"^{[23] [27]} and a story in which she described the Spanish language as being "forced upon Latin American people" by Spanish conquistadors.^{[28] [21]} In her comment, which was later deleted, she also wrote that people can be angry at her for misspelling Spanish words or mispronouncing them, but she was a Native American and Mexican-American woman, and argued they were trying to make a "good show for kids" and said that if people are angry at the latter, then "be mad then."^[29]

In an interview on June 16, 2023, Kline said the series is based on her personal experiences of growing up with a multicultural Mexican-American family in Los Angeles in the 1990s, being bicultural, biracial, and said that the project's relatability attracted well-known individuals like Melissa Villaseñor. She also stated that Tater doesn't speak Spanish, which is why her grammar is incorrect; emphasised the importance of cousins in her life; and stated that the art style showcased the environment in L.A. She additionally hoped the series would make people proud of their roots.^[30]

Later in production, the name of the fictional town was changed from Terremoto Heights to Hacienda Hills, as the original name drew criticism for alluding to the earthquakes common in the region. The name of one of the characters was changed from Cookita to Lucita, as the former is similar to a vulgar term in several dialects of Latin American Spanish. As a result of online criticism, the series premiere was delayed several times, with reports this was done to make edits to already-completed episodes.^[31] Changes were made to emphasize that the show is set in Los Angeles^[3] and not in Latin America.

Prior to the show's release, Tara Bennett of Cartoon Brew described the series as a "perfect summer show for kids and families" and argued that it captures the fun of attempting to "co-exist inside a large extended family" for an entire summer.^[32] Victoria Davis of Animation World Network interviewed Kline, who was glad to get feedback from the series, calling it an "amazing experience" to hear people's thoughts, saying it was "initially painful" but said that later responses honed her empathy, made her realize that the series could mean "so much to so many, in many different ways", and argued it gave her "strength to keep going."^[33]

Post-release and critical reception

The series received mixed reviews from critics. Fernanda Camargo of Common Sense Media rated Primos 3 out of 5 stars, said the show depicts positive messages and role models such sharing and teamwork, and acknowledged the diverse representations among the characters, but noted the presence of stereotypes.^[34]

Tony Betti of Laughing Place gave Primos a grade of 4 out of 5, praised the show for its humor and relatability, especially for those from large, multicultural families, complimented the diversity among the characters and said the series manages to be a distinct and entertaining addition to Disney TV Animation.^[35]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Disney Greenlights Animated Family Comedy 'Primos' From Natasha Kline. Deadline. Cordero. Rosy. November 3, 2021. November 3, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20220101022129/https://deadline.com/2021/11/disney-animated-comedy-series-primos-natasha-kline-1234866563/. January 1, 2022. live.
2. Web site: Milligan. Mercedes. Disney TV Animation's 'Primos' Sets Premiere Date & Voice Cast. Animation Magazine. June 26, 2024. June 27, 2024.
3. Web site: Brown. Tracy. Natasha Kline's 'Primos' is an ode to childhood summers spent with her cousins. Los Angeles Times. June 25, 2024. June 25, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240625151309/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-06-25/natasha-kline-primos-disney. June 25, 2024. live.
4. Web site: Balaga. Marty. Disney Unveils Animated Series at Annecy, Teases 'Magicampers' and 'The Sunnyridge 3' (Exclusive). Variety. June 13, 2023. June 17, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230617183005/https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/magicampers-the-sunnyridge-3-disney-1235642369/. June 17, 2023. live.
5. Primos: Season 1 Fact Sheet. Disney Branded Television. June 23, 2024.
6. News: Kline. Natasha. About. Tumblr. March 1, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230302043633/https://natashakline.tumblr.com/about. March 2, 2023. live.
7. Johnson . Cecila . November 3, 2021 . Disney Branded Television Orders 'Primos,' an Animated Comedy Series About an Extended Multicultural Mexican American Family . . . Disney General Entertainment Content . July 25, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220208181242/https://www.dgepress.com/disneybrandedtelevision/pressrelease/disney-branded-television-orders-primos-an-animated-comedy-series-about-an-extended-multicultural-mexican-american-family/ . February 8, 2022 . live.
8. Web site: Behzadi. Sofia. Disney Television Animation Ups Douglas Bensimon & Edward Mejia To VP Current Series. Deadline. July 22, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220725142849/https://deadline.com/2022/07/disney-television-animation-promoted-douglas-bensimon-edward-mejia-vp-current-series-1235074918/. July 25, 2022. live. Among the titles he's overseen are...the upcoming Kiff and Primos for Disney Channel.
9. Web site: Primos - Natasha Kline. The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast. November 2, 2024. November 10, 2024.
10. Web site: Pederson. Lise. Disney Reveals Animated Series Slate at Annecy Festival (EXCLUSIVE). Variety. June 15, 2022. July 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220712065759/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/disney-annecy-1235294867/. July 12, 2022. live.
11. Web site: Lang. Jamie. New Series 'The Doomies,' 'Dragon Striker' Lead Packed Disney TV Slate. Cartoon Brew. June 16, 2022. March 1, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20221130083308/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/studios/disney-animation-dragon-striker-doomies-annecy-217689.html. November 30, 2022. live.
12. Web site: Rising Stars of Animation 2023. Animation Magazine. March 1, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230308205637/https://www.animationmagazine.net/2023/03/rising-stars-of-animation-2023/. March 8, 2023. live. March 8, 2023.
13. Primos Official Trailer NEW SERIES @disneychannel. Disney Channel. YouTube. July 8, 2024. July 8, 2024.
14. Web site: White. Abbey. Disney's 'Primos' Creator and First Trailer Reveal New Animated Series Celebrating Her Diverse Multicultural Family (Exclusive). The Hollywood Reporter. July 8, 2024. July 8, 2024.
15. Web site: Adams. Timothy. Disney Announces New Animated Series Primos. ComicBook.com. November 3, 2021. July 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20211107125340/https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/disney-new-animated-series-primos/. November 7, 2021. live.
16. Web site: Becker. Amy. Disney's 'Primos' series sheds light on Mexican-American experiences in new animated comedy. ABC7. July 25, 2024. October 31, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240726012611/https://abc7.com/post/disneys-primos-series-sheds-light-mexican-american-experiences/15096191/. July 26, 2024. live.
17. Web site: "Primos" Now Set For July Debut on Disney Channel. June 25, 2024. Tony Betti. Laughing Place. October 31, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240626030703/https://www.laughingplace.com/w/disney-entertainment/primos-set-for-july-debut/. June 26, 2024. live.
18. Web site: Reif. Alex. The Making of Disney's "Primos" – A Celebration of Culture, Comedy, and California Roots. Laughing Place. October 28, 2024. October 31, 2024. https://archive.today/20241031163335/https://www.laughingplace.com/w/disney-entertainment/disney-tv-animation-primos-behind-the-scenes-lightbox-expo/. October 31, 2024. live.
19. Web site: Lang. Jamie. Disney Presents Packed TV Slate With Loads Of New Trailers And Images. Cartoon Brew. June 15, 2023. June 17, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230615135946/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/series/disney-tv-animation-lineup-annecy-229724.html. June 15, 2023. live.
20. Web site: Dar. Taimar. Disney unveils details and theme song for PRIMOS cartoon. ComicsBeat. June 13, 2023. June 17, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230613221520/https://www.comicsbeat.com/disney-animated-primos-theme-song/. June 13, 2023. live.
21. Web site: Rodríguez. Andrés. "Racista" y "llena de estereotipos": 'Primos', la serie animada de Disney que ha molestado al público latinoamericano. "Racist" and "full of stereotypes": 'Primos', the Disney animated series that has upset the Latin American public. El País Mexico. June 16, 2023. June 17, 2023. https://archive.today/20230616211732/https://elpais.com/mexico/2023-06-16/racista-y-llena-de-estereotipos-primos-la-serie-animada-de-disney-que-ha-molestado-al-publico-latinoamericano.html. June 16, 2023. live. es.
22. Web site: Disney hace enojar a mexicanos con su nueva serie 'Primos'; acusan racismo. Disney makes Mexicans angry with its new series 'Primos'; accuse racism. Aristegui Noticas. June 15, 2023. June 17, 2023. https://archive.today/20230617043954/https://aristeguinoticias.com/1506/cultura/disney-hace-enojar-a-mexicanos-con-su-nueva-serie-primos-acusan-racismo/. June 17, 2023. live. es.
23. Web site: Martínez. Valerie. El bochorno que Disney pudo evitar y tiene indignados a los latinoamericanos. The embarrassment that Disney could have avoided and has Latin Americans outraged. Yahoo! vida y estilo. Yahoo!. June 16, 2023. June 17, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230617043855/https://es-us.vida-estilo.yahoo.com/el-bochorno-que-disney-pudo-evitar-y-tiene-indignados-a-los-latinoamericanos-161510158.html. June 17, 2023. live. es.
24. News: . Jun 16, 2023 . "Primos" la nueva serie de Disney que Latinoamérica NO quiere . "Primos", the new Disney series that Latin America does NOT want . es . El Capitalino . June 17, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230617180831/https://elcapitalino.mx/entretenimiento/titulares-entretenimiento/titular-3/primos-la-nueva-serie-de-disney-que-latinoamerica-no-quiere/ . June 17, 2023 . live.
25. Web site: Arrieta . José . June 14, 2023 . ¿Por qué está causando polémica "Primos", la nueva serie de Disney? . June 17, 2023 . Why is "Primos", the new Disney series, causing controversy? . El Heraldo de México . es . https://web.archive.org/web/20230615201230/https://heraldodemexico.com.mx/espectaculos/2023/6/14/por-que-esta-causando-polemica-primos-la-nueva-serie-de-disney-514173.html . June 15, 2023.
26. Web site: Bermudez. Justin. Disney's 'Primos' Gets Un-Warm Welcome To The Family. Latin Times. June 17, 2023. June 17, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230617181824/https://www.latintimes.com/disneys-primos-gets-un-warm-welcome-family-544863. June 17, 2023. live.
27. Web site: Rojas . Por Diego . Estereotipos latinos ¡Al infinito y más allá! . Latin stereotypes To infinity and beyond! . infobae . es-ES . June 27, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20240702040600/https://www.infobae.com/cultura/2023/06/17/estereotipos-latinos-al-infinito-y-mas-alla/. July 2, 2024. live.
28. Web site: Fernández . Óscar . Racismo. Primos; la nueva serie de Disney que estereotipa a la comunidad latina . Racism. Primos; the new Disney series that stereotypes the Latino community . . June 26, 2023 . es . June 16, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230627030210/https://www.laizquierdadiario.com/Primos-la-nueva-serie-de-Disney-que-estereotipa-a-la-comunidad-latina . June 27, 2023 . live.
29. Web site: Martinez. Kiko. Disney's 'Primos' Series Gets Premiere Date After Controversial Introduction. Remezcla. June 27, 2024. October 31, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240824134255/https://remezcla.com/film/disney-primos-series-gets-premiere-date-after-controversial-introduction/. August 24, 2024.
30. Kline . Natasha . Michael Sandoval . Exclusive: Creator of Disney Channel's Primos Natasha Kline . Muse TV . June 16, 2023 . June 18, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230619012403/https://www.musetv.net/exclusive-creator-of-disney-channels-primos-natasha-kline/ . June 19, 2023 . live. The interview is here
31. Web site: Álvarez . Rafa . "Primos": esta es la razón oficial del retraso en su estreno y producción . "Cousins": this is the official reason for the delay in its release and production . TVLaint . es . June 3, 2024 . October 31, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240627224158/https://www.tvlaint.com/2024/06/primos-esta-es-la-razon-oficial-del.html. June 27, 2024. live.
32. Web site: Bennett. Tara. First-Time Showrunner Natasha Kline On Creating Disney's Latest Series 'Primos'. Cartoon Brew. July 26, 2024. October 31, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240727162032/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/interviews/first-time-showrunner-natasha-kline-on-creating-disneys-latest-series-primos-242094.html. July 27, 2024. live. Cartoon Brew recently spoke with Kline to find out how she was able to bring this series to life. New episodes air weekly at 9am Saturdays starting tomorrow..
33. Web site: Davis. Victoria. 'Primos': Capturing Los Angeles in All Its Chaotic and Charismatic Glory. Animation World Network. July 25, 2024. October 31, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240813222427/https://www.awn.com/animationworld/primos-capturing-los-angeles-all-its-chaotic-and-charismatic-glory. August 13, 2024. live.
34. Web site: Camargo . Fernanda . Primos TV Review . July 26, 2024. August 6, 2024 . . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20240806174418/https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/primos. August 6, 2024. live.
35. Web site: Betti . Tony . July 27, 2024 . After A Bit Of Family-Style Chaos "Primos" Is A Fun And Heartfelt Animated Series . August 6, 2024 . LaughingPlace.com . en-US . https://web.archive.org/web/20240806174417/https://www.laughingplace.com/w/disney-entertainment/primos-review/. August 6, 2024. live.