Cane (TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = Cane


caption =
show_name_2 =
genre = Drama/Serial
creator = Cynthia Cidre
director = Sanford Bookstaver
creative_director =
developer =
presenter =
starring = Jimmy Smits
Héctor Elizondo
Nestor Carbonell
Rita Moreno
Paola Turbay
Eddie Matos
Michael Trevino
Lina Esco
Samuel Carman
Alona Tal
Polly Walker
voices =
narrated =
theme_music_composer =
opentheme =
endtheme =
composer =
country = USA
language = English with some Spanish
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 13
list_episodes = #Episodes
executive_producer = Cynthia Cidre
Jonathan Prince
Jimmy Iovine
Polly Anthony
producer =
supervising_producer =
asst_producer =
co-producer =
editor =
story_editor =
location = Miami Beach, Florida
cinematography = Rick Bota
camera =
runtime = 42 minutes (approximately)
network = CBS
picture_format =
audio_format =
first_run =
first_aired = September 25, 2007
last_aired = December 18, 2007
preceded_by =
followed_by =
related =
website = http://www.cbs.com/primetime/cane
imdb_id = 0955250
tv_com_id = 68673

"Cane" is an American television drama created by Cynthia Cidre, who also served as executive producer alongside Jonathan Prince, Jimmy Iovine and Polly Anthony. The pilot was directed by Christian Duguay. The show chronicled 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.cite web|title = "Cane"| url = http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch.aspx?id=cane| accessdate = 2006-06-12]

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". [cite news|last = Andreeva|first = Nellie|title = CBS announces premiere week lineup|url = http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ie5f8bddafc23b9d8cd631f69e4234572|date = 2007-07-18|accessdate = 2007-07-19] [cite web|title = CBS Announces Its Fall Lineup|publisher = "TV Guide"|url = http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Look-Hottest-Fall/Cbs-Announces-Fall/800015251|accessdate = 2006-06-12] The series premiere of the show brought in 11 million viewers, the best in its time slot since 1999's "Judging Amy".

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?

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 (Miss Universe First Runner-up 1992) 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.

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. [cite news|title = SMITS' EL SENDERO PRODUCTIONS CARVES A PATH WITH THREE NEW PROJECTS|url = http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20070213elsendero01|publisher = The Futon Critic|date = 2007-02-13|accessdate = 2007-06-18] 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". [cite news|title = DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28|url = http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=7310|date = 2007-02-28|publisher = The Futon Critic] [cite news|title = DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22|url = http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=7305|date = 2007-02-22|publisher = The Futon Critic] [cite news|title = DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: FRIDAY, MARCH 2|url = http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=7313|date = 2007-03-02|publisher = The Futon Critic] [cite news|title = DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 8|url = http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=7318|date = 2007-03-08|publisher = The Futon Critic] [cite news|title = DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14|url = http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=7323|date = 2007-03-14|publisher = The Futon Critic]

Cancellation

Due to the recent 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, "Cane" completed its first season on December 18, 2007. On February 8, 2008 "The Los Angeles Times" reported that the effects of the writer's strike "could spell sudden death for such programs as NBC's "Bionic Woman" and CBS' "Cane", industry executives predicted." [ [http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-work8feb08,1,6830659.story "Hollywood focuses on fast end to long strike." "The Los Angeles Times"] . February 8, 2008] It was also reported by "USA Today" that "Cane" would be "gone for good." [cite web
url=http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20080211/d_strikelist11.art.htm
title=When do our shows come back?
publisher="USA Today"
date=2008-02-11] On February 14, 2008, CBS released a statement declaring that "Cane" is still on "hiatus to accommodate the mid-season launches of "Big Brother", "Jericho" and "Dexter"." [cite web
url=http://www.cbspressexpress.com/div.php/cbs_entertainment/release?id=17940
title=CBS ANNOUNCES RETURN OF ORIGINAL EPISODES OF COMEDY AND DRAMA SERIES
publisher=CBS PressExpress
date=2008-02-14] In an April 2008 interview, CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler called the drama's chances for renewal "a real long shot." [cite web
url=http://tvseriesfinale.com/articles/cbs-exec-drops-hints-about-fate-of-several-tv-series/
title=TV Exec Drops Hints About Fate of Several CBS Series
publisher="TV Series Finale"
date=2008-04-21] On May 14, 2008, CBS officially cancelled the series. [ [ http://tvseriesfinale.com/articles/cbs-announces-their-2008-09-schedule-whos-been-cancelled/ CBS Announces Their 2008-09 Schedule. Who’s Been Cancelled?] ]

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. [cite news|last = Andreeva|first = Nellie|title = Scribe revisits Cuban roots with Smits TV drama|url = http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cane_%282007_TV_series%29&action=submit|publisher = Reuters|date = 2007-06-11|accessdate = 2007-06-18]

The project was inititally titled, "Los Duques" ("The Dukes") or "Untitled Cynthia Cidre Project", when commissioned in January 2007 [cite news|title = DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: THURSDAY, JANUARY 25|url = http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=7276|publisher = The Futon Critic|date = 2007-01-25|accessdate = 2007-06-18] but was later re-named "Cane" in May 2007. [cite news|title = CBS PICKS UP 'BANG,' 'POWER' PLUS FOUR DRAMAS|url = http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=7387|publisher = The Futon Critic|date = 2007-05-14|accessdate = 2007-06-18] Christian Duguay agreed to direct the pilot in March 2007. [cite news|title = DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: FRIDAY, MARCH 2|url = http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=7313|publisher = The Futon Critic|date = 2007-03-02|accessdate = 2007-06-18] 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. [cite news|title = CBS ANNOUNCES 2006-2007 PREMIERE DATES|url = http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20070718cbs03|date = 2007-07-18|publisher = The Futon Critic] The pilot episode was leaked to BitTorrent 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. [ [http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-writersstrike-2007,0,933616.htmlstory WGA Writers' Strike Roundup - Zap2it ] ]

International distribution

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0955250|title=Cane
* [http://alpha.cbs.com/primetime/cane/ Official "Cane" CBS website]
* [http://video.aol.com/video-category/cane/109880 "Cane" Full Episodes - Catch up on the latest]