| Cane | |
|---|---|
| |
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Cynthia Cidre |
| Directed by | Sanford Bookstaver |
| Starring | Jimmy Smits Héctor Elizondo Nestor Carbonell Rita Moreno Paola Turbay Eddie Matos Michael Trevino Lina Esco Samuel Carman Alona Tal Polly Walker |
| Country of origin |  United States
|
| Language(s) | English with some Spanish |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Cynthia Cidre Jonathan Prince Jimmy Iovine Polly Anthony |
| Location(s) | Miami Beach, Florida |
| Cinematography | Rick Bota |
| Running time | 42 minutes (approximately) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | CBS |
| Original run | September 25, 2007 – present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Cane is an American television drama created by Cynthia Cidre, who also serves as executive producer alongside Jonathan Prince, Jimmy Iovine and Polly Anthony. The pilot was directed by Christian Duguay. The show chronicles the lives and internal power struggles of a powerful and wealthy Cuban-American family running an immensely successful rum and sugar cane business in South Florida.[1] Produced by ABC Studios, CBS Paramount Network Television, El Sendero Productions, Interscope Records and Once A Frog Productions, the series premiered on September 25 2007 airing on Tuesday nights at 10:00/9:00c on CBS, following The Unit.[2][3] The series premiere of the show brought in 11 million viewers, the best in its time slot since 1999's Judging Amy. [1] Due to the Writers' Strike, Cane completed its first season on December 18, 2007. It is unknown whether or not CBS will order anymore episodes after that.
Contents |
Production
Conception
The series began development when Polly Anthony, an Interscope Records executive, and Jonathan Prince pitched the idea of a "Latino Godfather" series to CBS entertainment chief, Nina Tassler. Tassler then suggested Cynthia Cidre, an Emmy Award-nominated screenwriter, pen the script for the pilot. Although initially reluctant since she had already written about her Cuban-American heritage several times in her career, Cidre warmed up to the idea believing that her previous Latin-themed projects were ahead of their time and that she should return to her roots.[4] The project was inititally titled, Los Duques (The Dukes) or Untitled Cynthia Cidre Project, when commissioned in January 2007[5] but was later re-named Cane in May 2007.[6] Christian Duguay agreed to direct the pilot in March 2007.[7] The series was picked up and given a thirteen-episode order on May 14 2007.
Broadcasting history
The series premiered on CBS on September 25 2007 as announced on July 18 2007 by the network.[8] The pilot episode was leaked to Bittorent websites in the same month to the chagrin of studio executives. Cane was unaffected by the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike as all the episodes had been written before the strike started. [2]
International distribution
The series will also air on Global in Canada, Channel 10 in Australia and ITV3 in the United Kingdom.[9][10]. The show will air on Warner Channel in South America and on Universal Channel in Poland.[11]
Cast
The series features 11 regular speaking roles, making it the sixth largest cast in primetime television, behind One Tree Hill, Heroes, Grey's Anatomy, Lost and Desperate Housewives. Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Jimmy Smits portrays Alex Vega in the lead role as the Duques' adopted son and chosen heir to the family's sugar and rum business. Smits is also a co-executive producer of the show. Acclaimed acting veterans, Golden Globe nominee, Emmy and ALMA winner, Héctor Elizondo and Academy Award winner Rita Moreno, have star billing playing Pancho and Amalia Duque, the family patriarch and matriarch. Nestor Carbonell was cast as Frank Duque, the impulsive firstborn son. Other Duque children are portrayed by Paola Turbay and Eddie Matos as Isabel Duque Vega, Alex's wife and mother of three children, and Henry Duque, the youngest son of Pancho and Amalia, respectively. Alex and Isabel's children are played respectively by Michael Trevino, Lina Esco and Samuel Carman as Jaime, Katie and Artie Vega. Golden Globe-nominated actress, Polly Walker, appears as Ellis Samuels, a member of the Duques' rival family, and Alona Tal rounds out the cast portraying Rebecca (King) Vega, Jaime's wife. Interestingly, only one actor of Cuban descent (Carbonell) is a member of the main cast.
Casting
Casting for all of the principal roles on the show took place from February to March 2007. Jimmy Smits was the first actor to be cast in February 2007 while also serving as producer under his production company, El Sendero Productions.[12] In order of casting, Nestor Carbonell, Eddie Matos, Rita Moreno and Michael Trevino were chosen to play their respective parts in February whilst Hector Elizondo, Samuel Carman, Alona Tal, Lina Esco and Paola Turbay joined the cast in early March. Polly Walker was the last to join the cast a few weeks before HBO aired the last episode of Rome.[13][14][15][16][17]
Plot
Starring Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Jimmy Smits, this epic drama chronicles the external rivalries and internal power struggles of a large Cuban-American family running an immensely successful rum and sugar business in South Florida. When the family patriarch, Pancho Duque, is offered a lucrative but questionable deal by his bitter adversaries, the Samuels, he's faced with a difficult choice: Should he cash out of the sugar business and focus solely on rum, which would please his biological son, Frank Duque? Or should he protect the family legacy that he built from the ground up by refusing to sell? This would involve siding with his son-in-law, Alex Vega, who despises the Samuels and foresees multi-billion dollar profits from future ethanol contracts. Alex's and Frank's approaches to business are as different as their approaches to life. While Frank focuses on chasing women, Alex is devoted to his beautiful wife, Isabel Vega. Married to him when she was just 17 years old, Isabel chooses not to involve herself in the family business, focusing instead on raising their three children, who are determined to forge their own paths outside the family. Will family allegiance come first or will their secrets and acrimonious conflicts over love, lust and money lead to their downfall?[1]
Episodes
References
- ^ a b Cane. Retrieved on 2006-06-12.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie. "CBS announces premiere week lineup", 2007-07-18. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
- ^ CBS Announces Its Fall Lineup. TV Guide. Retrieved on 2006-06-12.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie. "Scribe revisits Cuban roots with Smits TV drama", Reuters, 2007-06-11. Retrieved on 2007-06-18.
- ^ "DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: THURSDAY, JANUARY 25", The Futon Critic, 2007-01-25. Retrieved on 2007-06-18.
- ^ "CBS PICKS UP 'BANG,' 'POWER' PLUS FOUR DRAMAS", The Futon Critic, 2007-05-14. Retrieved on 2007-06-18.
- ^ "DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: FRIDAY, MARCH 2", The Futon Critic, 2007-03-02. Retrieved on 2007-06-18.
- ^ "CBS ANNOUNCES 2006-2007 PREMIERE DATES", The Futon Critic, 2007-07-18.
- ^ Szklarski, Cassandra. "'Heroes,' 'House' back on Global in the fall, but network launch marred by protest", The Canadian Press, 2007-06-06. Retrieved on 2007-06-14.
- ^ Grant, Jules. "ITV continues Screenings spree", C21Media, 2007-06-28. Retrieved on 2007-06-29.
- ^ http://www.worldscreen.com/newscurrent.php?filename=warner073107.htm
- ^ "SMITS' EL SENDERO PRODUCTIONS CARVES A PATH WITH THREE NEW PROJECTS", The Futon Critic, 2007-02-13. Retrieved on 2007-06-18.
- ^ "DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28", The Futon Critic, 2007-02-28.
- ^ "DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22", The Futon Critic, 2007-02-22.
- ^ "DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: FRIDAY, MARCH 2", The Futon Critic, 2007-03-02.
- ^ "DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 8", The Futon Critic, 2007-03-08.
- ^ "DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14", The Futon Critic, 2007-03-14.
