TV

New TV show from San Antonio writer Shea Serrano and Parks and Rec producer streaming in May

The coming-of-age series Primo will begin streaming Friday, May 19 on Amazon Freevee.

click to enlarge The series is inspired by Serrano’s life growing up on the South Side with a loving mother and five overprotective uncles. - Courtesy Photo / Amazon Freevee
Courtesy Photo / Amazon Freevee
The series is inspired by Serrano’s life growing up on the South Side with a loving mother and five overprotective uncles.
A San Antonio story soon may make a big splash on the small screen.

Primo, the new comedy TV series from San Antonio author Shea Serrano, will premiere Friday, May 19 on streaming service Amazon Freevee.

Executive produced and created by Serrano (Movies: And Other Things, Hip Hop: And Other Things) and executive produced by Emmy-winning producer Michael Schur (Parks and Recreation), the series is inspired by Serrano’s life growing up on the South Side with a loving mother (Christina Vidal) and five overprotective uncles.

Serrano shared the trailer on his social media Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s really, really real,” he wrote alongside a string of crying faces and heart emojis. “The official trailer for Primo is here. All eight episodes will be available on Amazon on May 19. I can’t wait.”

In the show, Ignacio Diaz-Silverio (A Good Person) stars as 16-year-old Rafa Gonzales, who's trying to figure out what to do with his life as he nears the end of high school. College? Military? Work? Things get even more complicated when he meets Mya (Stakiah Lynn Washington), the girl of his dreams, and starts getting advice from his uncles.

click to enlarge Shea Serrano is the author of Movies (And Other Things) and Hip Hop (And Other Things). - Larami Serrano
Larami Serrano
Shea Serrano is the author of Movies (And Other Things) and Hip Hop (And Other Things).

The uncles are played by actors Carlos Santos (Gentefied), Efrain Villa (Better Call Saul), Johnny Rey Diaz (Grey’s Anatomy), Henri Esteve (Grown-ish) and Jonathan Medina (The Purge). In the trailer, Mya asks Rafa how many uncles he has. “Five,” he says. “It feels like 50 most of the time though. Mostly, it feels like being inside a cloud of bees, except the bees are always cussing and punching at each other.”

Earlier this month, Serrano tweeted that he’d watched all eight episodes, which he described as “so fucking good.” He added: “I can’t believe we made a TV show. If you liked Parks & Rec or The Office, you’re gonna love it.”

The trailer posted below includes nods to San Antonio if you pay close attention. Check out the San Antonio Spurs championship poster and pennant and a Manu Ginobili Spurs jersey hanging on Rafa’s bedroom walls. There’s also a trip to an amusement park, which looks a lot like Six Flags.

Since it appears the series is set close to the present day, we’ll hold out hope that there are references to some of the things that Serrano — as a movie- and rap-loving teen — was molded by growing up in the '90s. Vanilla Ice in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, anyone?

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