Cristela

Even before I press play and watch the pilot of this I was pretty sure on what to expect! There will be a Kitchen (check), a witty protagonist (check) that might have the same name with the titular character (double check), a grumpy and unsupportive mother or mother in law (check), kids ready to go to school (check) and prerecorded loud laughs to hurt your ears right from the first second (check).

So it is the standard formula for a situation comedy.

The question now is, is it worth watching or in other words, is it any different than the others? The answer for me is..hmm..No! Not by much...

...You see this is (another) sitcom that tries to exploit racism (for one) and stereotypes as a source for jokes. Well, sorry, we've seen lots of those too. Blacks, Asians, gays...you name it. Here it is about being Mexican trying to succeed on U.S. soil.

Never saw or heard before for Cristela Alonzo. She's OK I guess but not enough to win a big audience, especially if, like me, don't know much about Mexican culture or ...Tony Romo, whom I googled just now for writing this review.

Overall. This is a standard sitcom that could have more appeal to certain people than others. It is Cristela's project, but from what I saw, is far inferior in comparison with another personal project:.. Mindy's!! that it is more fresh and funny and interesting and spare us from the fake laugh track.

OMG we needed a show like this..... Carlos is hot,,, I also love Maria Canals-Barrera, she is a true Mexican with Carlos. when i see Gabriel Iglesias i just laugh he is a great comedian.. good luck on the show... Go Cowboys!!! I'm from Dallas Texas It will be nice if they show Dallas in the show . . . . . . . . . . The clothes on Carlos are hot he looks so good@ I will only be watching the show for him and Maria canals I'm just waiting for George Lopez to appear that would be awesome... I just don't really like that Criselda is still living at home. Mexican parents usually kick kids out at 18 with a career or send them back to Mexico. that is not really true what you are showing.

I loved the pilot. It was smart, funny, honest, and self-deprecating in places. I hope it stays this way in future episodes. As a first generation American, I could relate to many of the sentiments expressed by the characters. They expressed them in humorous ways. I am not a Mexican American, but I feel I will understand them better and feel we can relate to each other. The interplay between family members was very real, and can relay to any family, regardless of ethnicity. That too was done in a very funny way. I am anxiously waiting for Cristela's progress in pursuing her legal career. I am sure it will be hilarious, I can see many potential funny developments.

Cristela (Cristela Alonzo) is a struggling law student desperate to land an unpaid internship for Trent. The other interns are Josh and the boss' daughter Maddie. She's living with her sister Daniela and her family. Her brother-in-law Felix wants to get her out of the house. Her mother is also living in the house dismissing her dreams. Then there is Alberto (Gabriel Iglesias) who works for Felix and has a thing for Cristela.

This is basically a traditional network sitcom. Personally, I like Cristela Alonzo and that's half the battle. The rest is simple family sitcom and a workplace sitcom. There is a splash of Latino flavor but it's a cartoon version. I have no problem with not being original. Not every show has to recreate the wheel.

This is a very smart, funny, warm, well-written and acted show with a terrific cast. I only found it on Hulu after discovering Cristela Alonzo's great stand up special.

The reason I'd never heard of it is because I'd stopped watching network shows a long time ago. Judging from the embarrassing trailer, it looks like ABC had no idea how to market it. All the more reason why the networks are dinosaurs heading for extinction.