‘Vida’s’ Tanya Saracho dreams up TV worlds
Former playwright secures 2nd season, hopeful for more
The half-hour series, which revolves around two Mexican American sisters who return to their Eastside neighborhood after their mother’s death, garnered praise from critics in its first season for its sociopolitical commentary and exploration of identity. But its ratings were modest.
The series returned May 25 with new viewing options for fans. All 10 episodes are available to binge instantly on the premium network’s app. Those who prefer the traditional, weekly linear experience can catch episodes on Sundays. Whatever the preference, Saracho hopes viewers show up.
As fans still grieve the Netflix cancellation of “One Day at a Time” and others prepare for the culmination of The CW’s “Jane the Virgin,” the departures highlight the dearth of Hispanic programming on television.
“I don’t have a third season secured,” Saracho says. “I don’t know what will happen to us. The thing is that with Season 2, people have to watch. Because at the end of the day, it’s a business. They’re going to have to be like, ‘OK, this was a good gamble. We gambled on this audience and they showed up.’ … We’re like any show that is dependent on ratings.”
Saracho nurtured her writing as a playwright in Chicago before making the jump to TV in 2012. She had staff jobs on shows like Lifetime’s “Devious Maids,” HBO’s “Looking” and “How to Get Away With Murder” on ABC. But “Vida” marks Saracho’s first series as creator and showrunner.
Inside the office of the West Hollywood home she recently moved into, Saracho talked about how her writing process has changed since working in TV, her efforts to give opportunities to people of color and the pressure to be excellent just to keep a seat at the Hollywood table.
“I didn’t know how to write TV when I got here. The first year was about learning Final Draft (software). I’d never seen an outline before. But I thought maybe I could make some money so I could keep doing my theater stuff. It was like, whatever I do, the end purpose is theater. I didn’t know TV was going to be so time-consuming. My first year as a TV writer, I remember the No. 2 of that first writers room told me: ‘You know your theater stuff is going to be tainted.’ I was like, ‘Never! I am a theater artiste.’ But he was so right. My scenes are different. The way I tell the story is different. TV just absorbed me. I didn’t plan for it. I know there are other writers who have been able to navigate both. I’m done with theater, creatively. I didn’t want to be. But I can’t dream plays anymore. Now I dream stories that keep going. It’s weird.”
“We have been absent from the narrative for so long. And that is not a Hollywood thing. That is an American thing. There are a lot of reasons why we have not had visibility or, dare I say it, value in this country — social reasons, economic reasons, immigration reasons that have contributed to this decade after decade. To have this opportunity is a privilege — it shouldn’t be.
“We should be able to take up space and our shows should be supported. Not just one. A ton of them. I should not be the only one. But also, it is as an artist awesome that I get to tell my story. So it’s twofold. I resent it a little bit because you have to be so grateful that you get to do this show because our people don’t get this opportunity. And that’s what sucks.
“I wish it wasn’t so. But it’s not just Hollywood. A lot of America doesn’t see our worth. Even though these girls (the two main characters of ‘Vida’) are representing Americans. They’re third-generation — second-, third-generation Americans. But they see ‘z’ at the end of our last name, they see the color of our skin. Because we’re suffering from that problem of visibility and agency and access in this country, it feels like a great privilege. I wish we didn’t have to use that word.”
“Right now I’m watching Lena Waithe and Ava DuVernay and Issa Rae and they have a really good thing going. They’re opening so many doors for their community. I want to be able to do that. We don’t have one of us up there. Somebody had to give me, not just permission, but the suggestion. There are not a lot of Latina creators with overalls.
“You need people to encourage you to dream up these worlds. Now I’m dreaming it. And I think I should be dreaming it. Power can be really good, and we have been powerless for so long. For us, being just good is not an option. Look at the shows we’ve got. We have to be excellent. Good is not enough. And that can be exhausting. White men don’t have the burden of being the ambassadors for an entire people and having to represent the diaspora.”
“That needle moves artistically. I’m always inspired by (Mexico’s philosopher, musician and writer) Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and how she had to feel and suffer through her queerness and her talent. But also not positive things inspire me. If I get a third season, I really want to touch on the subject of immigration because I just feel very helpless. And I know others around me feel helpless too. If I have this platform around me, I hope I can at least shed some light.”
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