The best TV shows by Latina and Latino creators on Disney+
The only thing better than TV is...nothing. TV rules! And more TV series created by underrepresented populations is even better.
Thanks to the decades-long success of Disney Channel Latin America, the incredible career of Argentine producer Victoria Alonso (an executive producer for all of your favorite Marvel properties, including the Marvel shows below!), and a recent push for a more diverse slate of series, Disney+ has a great selection of shows all written, directed, or produced by Latino and Latina creators.
And because we love you almost as much as we love TV, we’ve put together a few of our favorites, in no particular order, for your bingeing pleasure! Enjoy!
1. Diary of a Future President
Created by Ilana Peña and executive produced by Gina Rodriguez, Diary of a Future President is a warm and charming series about a 13-year-old Cuban-American girl who dreams of being the president of the United States. Though we are told through flash-forwards that she eventually achieves her goals, here in the present, she needs to learn a few life lessons first. This delightful series has been praised for its diversity, its talented cast, and its inspirational tone.
How to watch: Diary of a Future President is now streaming on Disney+.
2. All the Same… Or Not
Carol is your typical teenager grappling with big changes in her life. At school, she’s busy trying to figure out her friendships, her first relationship, and how to be her best self — she doesn’t have time to also deal with her mom’s impending marriage or making friends with her new stepbrother! All the Same… Or Not (aka, Tudo Igual… Só Que Não) is a fresh Brazilian comedy-drama written by André Rodrigues and Luly Trigo, directed by Juliana Vonlanten, and produced directly for Disney+. It’s a bright, honest, and engaging series that already has a second season in production.
How to watch: All the Same… Or Not is now streaming on Disney+.
3. It Was Always Me
Lupe Díaz Smith returns from Mexico to Colombia after the sudden death of her father, a famous Colombian musician. The journalism student soon suspects that something about his passing is amiss, and she decides to stay put to investigate. It Was Always Me (aka, Siempre Fui Yo) is a gripping Colombian mystery-drama series. Created by Alejandro Stoessel, directed by Juan Felipe Cano, and written and produced by a Colombian team, this puzzle will keep you guessing. And don’t worry — the series has already been renewed for season two!
How to watch: It Was Always Me is now streaming on Disney+.
4. The Book of Boba Fett
Robert Rodriguez, whose film direction you might have seen in the Desperado Trilogy or Spy Kids (!!!), joined The Mandalorian team as an executive producer and director for 2021’s The Book of Boba Fett. This meditative series dives deep into some well-known Star Wars properties that never really got the spotlight. Over the course of the 7-episode series, you’ll get a backstory for beloved bounty hunter Boba Fett, an eye-opening story arc for the Tusken Raiders, and an investigation into the corrupt politics of Tatooine. It’s a fresh and thoughtful take on the Star Wars universe that feels different from its many predecessors. An added bonus? It may or may not provide key information for Season 3 of The Mandalorian!
How to watch: The Book of Boba Fett is now streaming on Disney+.
5. Violetta
A disproportionate amount of Disney series feature characters with prodigious musical gifts, and Violetta, from Disney Channel Latin America, is no exception. This is the show that launched Argentine pop star Tini’s career!
Violetta (Martina Stoessel, aka Tini) is a 17-year-old with a gift for singing, much like her late mother. Her overprotective father has spent years steering Violetta away from musical pursuits, afraid of how success and fame would affect her life. Do you think Violetta will discover her voice throughout the course of the series??? You bet your butt she does — and more. Written by Solange Keoleyan and Sebastián Parrotta, Violetta is an extremely successful and captivating teen series with the brightest and bubbliest pop soundtrack you’ll ever hear.
How to watch: Violetta is now streaming on Disney+.
6. Intertwined
Sixteen-year-old Allegra wants nothing more than to perform musical theater just like her grandmother did, and she can’t understand why her mom seems determined to stop her. Mother and daughter continue to butt heads until Allegra finds an old bracelet that transports her back to 1994, where she meets her mom as a young teenager and learns a little bit more about her family’s past. Intertwined (aka Entrelazados) is a fresh musical take on the tried-and-true Freaky Friday format, created by Jorge Edelstein and produced in Argentina.
How to watch: Intertwined is now streaming on Disney+.
7. O11CE (aka Once)
Written by Javier Castro Albano, Marcos Osorio Vidal, Tom Wortley, and Fernando Riveros, and created by Jorge Edelstein, O11CE is an exciting Argentine sports telenovela. Gabo, a teenager from a small village, has earned a prestigious scholarship to the Sports Academic Institute in Buenos Aires to play soccer. But once he gets there, he finds he has a ways to go before he’s ready to be the star player he dreams of becoming.
How to watch: O11CE is now streaming on Disney+.
8. Ms. Marvel
If Marvel Studios' ongoing Phase Four has been defined by big swings, Ms. Marvel's may be the biggest.
The coming-of-age story follows Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), an American-Pakistani teen who calls Jersey City home. This is Marvel's take on the magical realism of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, with Kamala's inner life expressed visually on the screen as she contends with overprotective parents, high school life, and squaring her traditional Muslim upbringing with her modern teen existence. Also, there are superpowers.
Ms. Marvel stands out among other MCU fare for slowing down and taking the time up front to dive deep with its central characters, and for doing all of that through the perspective of an in-universe superhero fan. Kamala, for all the uniquely individual elements that shape her daily life, is just like the rest of us. — Adam Rosenberg, Senior Entertainment Reporter (*)
How to watch: Ms. Marvel is now streaming on Disney+.
9. Soy Luna
Luna’s world is turned upside down when her parents move from Cancun to Buenos Aires for a job opportunity. Luna feels out of place in Argentina until she finds a home in the local roller-skating and skate-dancing community. Soy Luna is a fun and free-spirited Argentine telenovela from Gabriela Fiore and Jorge Edelstein — a big name in Disney Channel Latin America’s programming.
How to watch: Soy Luna is now streaming on Disney+.
10. Elena of Avalor
Looking for something that will keep your little ones glued to the TV so you can take a dang nap?! Elena of Avalor is the show for you. This sweet and silly animated series follows teen princess Elena as she rebuilds her kingdom after decades of rule from an evil sorceress, all while learning about what it means to be a leader. With a host of Latin writers and Silvia Olivias as story editor behind the scenes, Elena of Avalor has been praised both for its characters (Elena in particular as an excellent role model for kids), and its authentic incorporation of Latin influences into all aspects of the show, including art design and music.
How to watch: Elena of Avalor is now streaming on Disney+.
11. Loki
Loki has always been one of the MCU’s most fun and dynamic side characters, thanks in large part to Tom Hiddleston’s charismatic performance. With Loki, the god of mischief finally gets his time in the spotlight.
After the time heist events of Avengers: Endgame, Loki is recruited to the Time Variance Authority to hunt down a rogue Loki variant. Shenanigans through time and space ensue, helped along by Hiddleston’s great chemistry with co-stars Sophia Di Martino and Owen Wilson. Loki is both a fun ride and a compelling character study. Plus, it begins to usher in the much-hyped multiverse, so it’s sure to be essential to Phase Four of the MCU. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter (*)
How to watch: Loki is now streaming on Disney+.
12. Bía
After a tragic accident years ago left multiple people dead, the Gutiérrez and Urquiza families have hated each other. Which, as we all know, is the perfect environment for two younger members of these feuding clans to fall in love! Enter Bía, a Disney Channel Latin America telenovela that follows the romance between Bía Urquiza, a budding artist, and Manuel Gutiérrez while their families do everything in their power to keep these two crazy kids apart. Created by Jorge Edelstein, Marina Efron, and Carmen López-Areal, Bía is an engrossing, exciting, and sometimes musical teenage love story that will suck you in from the start.
How to watch: Bía is now streaming on Disney+.