So yeah, Disney's Primos has been trashed to hell and back, I know, I had given my piece on it, but thanks to the algorithm it's back in my mind and it got me thinking, how could this show improve from the intro alone, and what could the series be like in a way that can gradually win back some good faith?
The Intro
Let's make it simple since a lot of people had not only made their suggestions, but even went as far as incorporating them. You may've guessed this already, but the Spanish phrases and stereotypes, whether perceived or legit, have got to go. The devil's advocate in me suggests that these perceived stereotypes were not intended or the creator incorporated them based on her memories, but not everyone would get that, there's always a risk to consider, especially when such implications lie on harsh stereotypes associated with the nationality, race, what have you presented.
But, there could be a fix to this. If it is made clear that Tater, the main character, is learning her language as she went along, the theme song would gradually improve in grammar until toward the end she sings in fluent Spanish.
People have already made suggestions for changing the names from what would be nicknames at best to the oldest stereotypical names in the book, and that also goes for the location's titles. Why pay tribute to a disaster that causes more destruction than good, lest you're saying the worst of society lives there and that's an absolutely terrible mistake to make, and I wouldn't be surprised if the creator chose that because the name sounded cool. So let's go with the popular suggestion people have made, Unidad Heights, as the theme is around a big family united as one.
There is the implication of a stereotype surrounding a big family living under one roof, Casagrandes got away with this, at least I think they did, so the fact that they're cousins seems a little less bad, but I could be way, way wrong.
The Show in Theory
We don't exactly know what they're going for in this show, but I have a couple of ideas on how it can be interesting.
Having been separated from her culture practically her whole life, Tater wants desperately to live as a free agent. Most shows tend to have her be the 1% in a group that's well against what the protagonist wants, so as a bit of subversion, there'll be as many people who want Tater to hone in on her culture as there are people who wants to integrate into other cultures, try new things, and even the former can get in on it just to try and enjoy life.
It's sorta like an antithesis to The Loud House, as Lincoln is typically the odd one out while his siblings are practically a hive. Some siblings will actually seek to work with Tater on whatever she has planned, others may just mess with her, and she doesn't necessarily have to go into things alone and feel like the odd one out, because we've had that enough times already.
I'd say Tater won't be a birth name, rather a nickname, and her actual name is a byproduct of either her father or mother wanting to try out other cultures. Definitely hone in on the nickname aspect because it's far less questionable than what the others got, and those names have got to be changed.
Either her mother or father would be a stickler for their own culture, or open to trying elements of other ones, finding reasons in favor of or against them, and one may help drive Tater to be who she is.
On Tater herself, I envision her to be a dork with high ambitions but not enough skill to pull them off. She likes to write in her journal and daydream, she often tends to make the wrong decisions but when the chips are down she accepts where she went wrong, though sometimes she needs a few extra nudges just to ensure she gets back on the right path.
On the other characters, this'll apply to those I actually remember, which may basically say some need to be cut.
Scooter seems like the sport enthusiast of the family, so as a contrast he is actually academically well off, respectful and just likes to have fun within reason. He's a goof, but that's because he likes to laugh, have fun and see others do the same.
Gordita, or as I think she should be called Gabriella, she looks like she's gonna be the smart one. Ax that because it looks too obvious. I envision Gabriella as a girl who's into chemistry, magic and fantasy, but is also something of a troublemaker who tends to bug her other cousins. She has better self awareness than most nerds like it, and is also fairly confident in herself to actually snap back at people that tease her.
Then there's... fat girl with purple sweater and unibrow. I have a bad feeling on what she'd be like in the show, and I may go for something obvious.. but, she can be the friendliest cousin of them all. Not having to be concerned with popularity or looks, she would see people as they're intended to be and would thus be able to read intentions better than others, to the point of conflict of interest, though sometimes this can work against her as she'd get the wrong idea or just assume people may be bad when they're actually trying to be better.
All I got left on the other cousins is the cheerleaders, and my best idea is that they're a hyper bunch who became cheerleaders to better channel their energy. They're typically the most active.
That's it on characters
Theme
On the surface this looks to be a mix between Casagrandes and Doug, and perhaps they can lean into themes present in previous Disney cartoons like Pepper Ann, Doug, maybe even a bit of Gravity Falls and Phineas and Ferb. Focus on an awkward girl trying to get through life and feeling pressured to stand out while coming to terms with a loss of her grip on her heritage, and learning to accept and incorporate her roots while not letting them define her solely. She would think she should be better than everyone else, but she can be happy just living her best life.
As a little risk, perhaps have the sky be orange early on, and as Tater gets to better grips with her roots, the sky gradually becomes more blue as she comes up in her world.
While her cousins may be an obstacle, they won't be a total nuisance, and they can be their own people who happen to share the same house.
Promote Latin music through song numbers, maybe perhaps incorporate some weird elements to keep people on their toes and not stagnate.
But I believe the biggest thing this show could use is leaning in on over the top fantasy sequences, you can go far with them with the right effort. Tempting fate, but if you want an idea on how the fantasy sequences can go, refer to this video, I'm aware it's a Cosby cartoon, but this had the misfortune of having fantasy sequences that would better demonstrate things, I'm sorry in advance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Md5DizmN9c
Final Thoughts
To sum up ideas on how this show could work.
- Tweak the title, perhaps call it Primos.
- Make it a point that Tater can't speak Spanish properly and the series would show her attempting to work on it, with later episodes showing her progress. For instance, in the intro early on she'd say Oye, when later on, she'd say Oigan.
- Change the names of a majority of the characters.
- Get rid of any aspects that may be deemed stereotypical in the worst way.
- Rename the town it's taking place in.
- Lean in on fantasy sequences.
- Place emphasis on character development and cultural education, though not to an over the top degree.
- Either cut down on the cousins or work on making them their own people, perhaps break stereotypes, do what The Loud House couldn't.
- And possibly more.
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