"Vida" Premiere Takes Over Twitter 

Sunday was a historic moment for both the Latinx and LGBTQ community as Tanya Saracho’s drama series had it’s television premiere on Starz. Being one of the only four Latinx women Showrunners among 500+ TV series streaming and broadcast in the US, Saracho’s success is a huge inspiration to Latinx individuals everywhere. Hundreds of tweets were flying out moments leading up to the pilot, with admiration showering over the cast and crew in bringing to life such a powerful show that resonated with a large audience. Beautifully shot and extraordinarily well written, Vida covered a range of struggles many individuals within these communities face on a day to day basis, tackling the complexities of inter-family dynamics and hardships.

NALIP partnered with STARZ this year for a Vida panel at the Sundance Film Festival, where the cast, writers and Showrunner Tanya Saracho were able to share the messages they hope to convey through their show. Having the world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival this year, Vida was met with acclaim from attendees, becoming a SXSW Audience Award recipient. The nation-wide television premiere yesterday lived up to the anticipation and was very well received with critics calling it a must-see show. The series discusses various important topics and issues from gender, sexuality to gentrification. The first episode left audiences wanting more and created a lot of buzz and traffic on social media platforms. Media outlets were quick to highlight the show.

“This is Vida, a show so instantly sure of itself in its very first moments.” - Vulture

"'Vida' doesn't address gentrification through a single story line, episode, or a few lines of dialogue; it's embedded in the premise of the whole series and in the identities of the characters it thoughtfully portrays." - BusinessInsider

In addition, Vida received positive reviews from multiple media outlets as well, highlighting the show in regards to the representation of the queer Latinx identity, intersectional struggles, character performance, and introductory story arc. “Critics have commended the show for its nuanced portrayal of gentrification in the city, specifically in the Boyle Heights neighborhood, and for its representation of queer communities of color.” The hashtag #VidaPremiere was trending with fans commenting on the emotional impact the pilot episode had on them. Many have also expressed online their love for the show already, praising Tanya Saracho for delivering beyond their expectations. The Vida official Twitter account tweeted to those who watched, thanking them as well as sharing that the purpose of the show is to tell stories that needed to be told. Overall, many fans are ecstatic and are looking forward to watching how the first season unfolds.

"Oh, just setting my DVR for @TanyaSaracho ‘s show @VIDA_STARZ which premieres on SUNDAY!! It’s fantastic! Set those dvr’s or watch LIVE! Proud of my sister for this beautiful & complex Latinx rep. Go, Tanya, GO!!" - Gloria Caledron Kellett @everythingloria

"Ok, Imana go ahead and let myself cry right now, cuz... I was in bed recovering from back surgery when I wrote this scene w 1 hand. Y today, you're getting 2 see it like I wrote http://it.So ...Viva La Vida! #VidaSTARZ#VidaPremiere @VIDA_STARZ #bidibidibombom #selena" - Tanya Saracho @TanyaSaracho

With such high engagement on across all social media platforms, specifically Twitter, the fans of Vida are raving about the new Starz show. With quotes like "cried all in just the first episode. Support Latinx brilliance" and "What a beautiful freaking pilot. I can’t wait to see what’s to come in this dynamic series" we can see the immediate passions and praise taking place. Even after the premiere, Showrunner Tanya Saracho was still answering the many twitter posts where fans wanted to reach out to the inspiring content creators behind the show. With this much recognition from the first episode, Vida is paving the way for more inclusion in mainstream shows and entertainment.

Photo Courtesy of STARZ

NALIP is proud to support such an amazing show that does great justice in shedding light on such a powerful community. In addition, we are proud of our NALIP members and supporters such as Showrunner Tanyra Saracho, writer Nancy C. Mejia and Ana Perez, and of course the entire cast and crew. Cementing this milestone in television history, we hope to continue highlighting , promoting, and being a platform for Latinx content creators, through our programs/events inspire inclusion 

Be sure to check out our upcoming NALIP Media Summit, coming up June 21st-24th, and go to NALIP.org to view the rest of our programs and become a member.

If you missed the premiere, you can go and watch it now on the Starz app.