Frequent visitors may remember that I recently spent some time in Mexico City as Asesor de Producción (Production Advisor) to the writers and producers on the second season of El Pantera, Televisa’s big action-drama. (The credits here are a gas — my name has never looked quite this gringoey.)

Televisa is trying to create stuff beyond the telenovela format, and I was hired to dive in and facilitate as best I could. The gig basically involved trying to help create the show’s stories with half as many writers and about a fifth of the time usually allotted in the US, while training everybody in some conventions of American TV drama — without even realizing how many things I’d always been taught were “right” were just cultural narrative assumptions I’d never thought to question.

I’m not sure the seat of my pants ever worked harder in my life.

In addition to the creative challenge, this was a linguistic and cultural experience I’ll treasure forever. Man, I loved that job. And I loved the people. I consider everyone I worked with to be my friends, and I think of them often.

I was on a plane back to El Norte before the new shows began filming, so I haven’t seen any of the actual episodes yet — but I just got an email telling me that the premier was a huge hit.

Hurray!

So my hearty congrats to Rodolfo, Fredy, Enrique, Esther, Melissa, Juan Pablo, y todo el mundo de El Pantera. ¡Estoy muy contento con esta noticia! Voy siempre deseo continuos éxitos para ustedes, y espero que la tercera temporada estará un éxito aún mayor! Muchas gracias para la oportunidad a encontrarse y ayudarse un poco.

Incidentally, if you’re curious, the first season (which was before my arrival) currently airs in the US on Sunday nights on Univison. I’m eager to see the second season.

PS: I’ve also heard that the show’s lead actress is on the cover of this month’s issue of Maxim en Español.  So it’s a teeeeeeny bit possible that the show is succeeding for reasons that have nothing to do with my work whatsoever. Just maybe.