Get ready for a history-making Monday night when 3 AANHPI shows premiere

From left, The Cleaning Lady's Elodie Yung, NCIS: Hawai'i's Vanessa Lachey and Quantum Leap's Raymond Lee.

This Monday, Sept. 19, for the first time in the history of American television, three shows with Asian American leads are premiering on the US networks on the same night.

The Cleaning Lady and NCIS: Hawai'i will begin their second season. Quantum Leap is coming back after a 30-year absence but with an entirely new cast that has Dr. Ben Song as the new central character.

Recording devices will be helpful as the air times conflict with each other.

If you subscribe to the streaming networks, you can also stream the shows: The Cleaning Lady on Hulu, NCIS: Hawai'i on Paramount and Quantum Leap on Peacock.

The Cleaning Lady

The Cleaning Lady, Season 2, premieres Sept. 19. On Fox, 9 p.m.

One of the most original series of last year, Thony de la Rosa, as played by Elodie Yung, who is an undocumented immigrant, came to the US seeking medical treatment for her son. Unsuccessful, she begins to live a double life, keeping secrets from her family, while cleaning crime scenes for Arman and dodging the law, including the smooth-talking FBI Agent Garrett Miller who is in pursuit. Using her cunning and intelligence to forge her own path in the criminal underworld, Thony does what is necessary to save Luca – even if it means sacrificing her own soul and values in the process. Last we saw Thony and her sister-in-law, played by Filipino Aussie Martha Millan, are about to embark on a path that will take them deeper into the underworld. Asian American fingerprints are all over this series developed by Chinese Canadian Miranda Kwok and produced by Filipino Canadian Shay Mitchell and Filipino American Rose Marie Vega.

NCIS Hawaii

NCIS: Hawai'i, Season 2 premieres Sept. 19, 10 p.m. CBS

The NCIS franchise really is trying to reflect Hawai'i's diversity with its casting. It features Filipino American Vanessa Lachey as Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant, along with NCIS agents Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) and Jessica Knight (Katrina Law), track The Raven’s whereabouts to the island of Oahu and learn about his plans to attack RIMPAC (The Rim of the Pacific Exercises), the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, on the exciting conclusion to the special crossover event and the season two-hour premiere. A warning to fans, the NCIS and NCIS Hawai’i season premiere will be a crossover event merging the two teams. The two-hour premiere event starts at 9 p.m. on NCIS and ends on NCIS: Hawai'i at 10 p.m. The story has the teams on the hunt for a dangerous suspect and unveils a complex network and a larger sinister plan that will take the D.C. team to Hawai’i in a race to thwart the next large-scale attack. It also stars Filipino American Yasmine al-Bustami, Alex Terrant, Noah Mills and Jason Atoon. I would love to see Tennant cook a Filipino meal for her family and friends. It's the Filipino way, hindi ba?

Quantum Leap

Quantum Leap, premieres September 19, 10 p.m. on NBC

Fans of the original Quantum Leap adventure series won't recognize the 2023 reboot. It's back and its features an Asian American in the lead role. Quantum leap, which ran for four seasons starring Scott Bakula, went off the air in 1993. The 2023 version stars Raymond Lee as Dr. Ben Song. It's been nearly 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now, a new team, led by physicist Ben Song (Raymond Lee), has been assembled to restart the project in hope of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it. Also on the ensemble cast is Nanrisa Lee playing Jenn Chou, a computer whiz.

FYI: for more programs this Fall featuring AANHPI actors in leading and prominent roles, click here.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

 

TV's Fall season gives AANHPI viewers a chance to see themselves

'The Cleaning Lady' features a not-so-typical Filipino American family.

UPDATED: Sept. 12 to include 'Quantum Leap."

Labor day just passed and we're easing into television's Fall season, and, lo and behold, there's a a lot of AANHPI characters, at least, relatively speaking.

One of laments of many AANHIPI of influence has been that they grew up without seeing themselves on the big screen or on television. That can't be said anymore.

There are lawyers, chefs, first responders, a slew of doctors, reality show stars, high school students and  and even a superhero (or two) and an under-the-radar schemer on the immensely popular House of Dragons.

While there may seem to be a lot of AANHPI faces on television these days, AANHPI continue to be severely underrepresented, according to several recent studies on media diversity. But compared to five years ago, that shouldn't stop us from appreciating the increased presence as a sign of progress, small as it is. 

There's lots of room for improvement and it is why we need to continue to demand more representation in the media, which shapes the ideals and the American image to the world and to ourselves. 

I would love to see an Asian American version of Friends based in L.A. or San Francisco, or an Asian American family dramady without super powers that includes a responsible father figure. Until those shows matrerialize, we have a good foundation in which we are able to see ourselves:

The Cleaning Lady, Season 2, premieres Sept. 19. On Fox, 9 p.m. Mondays:

One of the most original series of last year, Thony de la Rosa, as played by Elodie Yung, who is an undocumented immigrant, came to the US seeking medical treatment for her son. Unsuccessful, she begins to live a double life, keeping secrets from her family, while cleaning crime scenes for Arman and dodging the law, including the smooth-talking FBI Agent Garrett Miller who is in pursuit. Using her cunning and intelligence to forge her own path in the criminal underworld, Thony does what is necessary to save Luca – even if it means sacrificing her own soul and values in the process. Last we saw Thony and her sister-in-law, played by Filipino Aussie Martha Millan, are about to embark on a path that will take them deeper into the underworld. Asian American fingerprints are all over this series developed by Chinese Canadian Miranda Kwok and produced by Filipino Canadian Shay Mitchell and Filipino American Rose Marie Vega.

NCIS: Hawaii, Season 2 premieres Sept. 19, 10 p.m. CBS

The NCIS franchise really is trying to reflect Hawaii's diversity with its casting. It features Filipino American Vanessa Lachey as Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant, along with NCIS agents Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) and Jessica Knight (Katrina Law), track The Raven’s whereabouts to the island of Oahu and learn about his plans to attack RIMPAC (The Rim of the Pacific Exercises), the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, on the exciting conclusion to the special crossover event and the season two-hour premiere. A warning to fans, the NCIS and NCIS Hawai’i season premiere will be a crossover event merging the two teams. The two-hour premiere event puts the teams on the hunt for a dangerous suspect and unveils a complex network and a larger sinister plan that will take the D.C. team to Hawai’i in a race to thwart the next large-scale attack. It also stars Filipino American Yasmine al-Bustami, Alex Terrant, Noah Mills and Jason Atoon. I would love to see Tennant cook a Filipino meal for her family and friends. It's the Filipino way, hindi ba?

The NCIS team in Hawaii reflects that state's diversity.

Quantum Leap, premieres September 19, 9 p.m. on NBC

Fans of the original Quantum Leap adventure series won't recognize the 2023 reboot. It's back and its features an Asian American in the lead role. Quantum leap, which ran for four seasons starring Scott Bakula, went off the air in 1993. The 2023 version stars Raymond Lee as Dr. Ben Song. It's been nearly 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now, a new team, led by physicist Ben Song (Raymond Lee), has been assembled to restart the project in hope of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it. Also on the ensemble cast is Nanrisa Lee playing Jenn Chou, a computer whiz.

The Resident, Season 6, premieres Sept. 20 9 p.m., Fox

We're including this show mainly because it features Maneshe Dayal as Dr. Devon Pravesh, and his apparent love interest, Anuja Joshi as Dr. Leela Devi unraveling the stereotype that Asian men can't be attractive to the opposite sex. Also of interest, Joshi's twin sister, Aneesha Joshi, plays Leela's free-spirited twin, whose role will get bigger as the surrogate mother of another doctor's unborn child.

'The Good Doctor' stars real-life Indian American twins Anuja and Aneesha Joshi.

The Good Doctor, Season 6, premieres Oct. 3, 10 p.m. CBS:

The series' fifth season ended on a number of ups and downs, with the most joyous moment being Dr. Murphy (Freddie Highmore) finally getting married to Lea Dilallo (Paige Spara) on the hospital rooftop with their friends in attendance. However, while re-entering the hospital to refresh supplies for the celebration, Dr. Lim (Christina Chang) finds Nurse Villanueva (Elfina Luk) stabbed and bleeding out. Nurse Villanueva warns Dr. Lim that she was stabbed by her abusive ex-boyfriend, but before Dr. Lim can react, she is stabbed twice, leaving her life in peril with her friends nearby, seemingly oblivious to her condition. Developed by producer Daniel Dae Kim.

Kung Fu, Season 3, premieres Oct. 5 9 p.m., CW

The action series had been a mid-season series but it has become part of CW's fall debuts. We left Kung Fu in a state of transition. Henry (Eddie Liu) decided to learn more about his father after the man died in his arms. It’s a journey that necessitated an end to his relationship with the central character Nicky Shen (Olivia Liang)  despite the two being split by life and circumstances and not a loss of love and care for one another Others in the predominantly Asian American cast include: 

• Tzi Ma as Jin Shen
• Shannon Dang as Althea Shen
• Tony Chung as Dennis Soong
• Kheng Hua Tan as Mei-Li Shen
• Jon Prasida as Ryan Shen
• Vanessa Kai as Pei-Ling Zheng
• Gavin Stenhouse as Evan Hartley
• Vanessa Yao as Mia

Olivia Liang stars in the new 'Kung Fu' action series.

Reginald the Vampire, Season 1  Oct. 5, 10 p.m. on SyFy

The series based on the comic book of the same name stars Jacob Batalon (Spiderman) as the world's first Filipino American vampire. Imagine a world populated by beautiful, fit and vain vampires. Overweight Reginald Andres tumbles headlong into it as an unlikely hero who will have to navigate every kind of obstacle – the girl he loves but can’t be with, a bully manager at work and the vampire chieftain who wants him dead.

Grey's Anatomy, Season 19, Oct. 6, 10 p.m., ABC

The longest-running prime time show will enter Season 19 with a cast that is being bolstered more Asian Americans at Seattle's Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital to reflect a more realistic and diverse medical setting. (See article here.)

Awkwafina is Nora From Queens, Season 3, 10 p.m. EST/ 7 p.m. PST, Oct. 12, Comedy Central

Not much is known about what's in store for our heroine in the series' third season. As the title subtly suggests, Awkwafina plays Nora Lin, an exaggerated version of herself in the comedy. It follows "a 20-something woman, who strives for a larger-than-life existence". Living with her cousin Edmund (Bowen Yang), dad (BD Wong), and grandmother scene stealer (Lori Tan Chinn), Nora must learn to navigate adulthood in New York City. The series appears to be a popular gig for AANHPI actors. Guests on the series have included Jaboukie Young-White, Michelle Buteau, Wai Ching Ho, Stephanie Hsu, Ming-Na Wen, and Awkwafina's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings co-star, Simu Liu. Awkwafins created the series with Teresa Hsiao.

Blockbuster, Season 1, Nov. 3, streaming on Netflix

Everybody's nice guy Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat) is Timmy Yoon, the lead character in this situation comedy about the last Blockbuster store trying to a survive in a world being taken over by streaming networks. (For you youngsters, before Blockbuster rented out videotapes and DVDs of your favorite movies and TV shows.) The 10-episode series doesn't dwell on race relations but just presents Timmy Yoon as your average American small business entrepreneur with a dream. Kind of refreshing, but we'll see if viewers can relate to Park's character.

Young Rock, Season 2, Nov. 4 8 p.m. NBC

Late in the season, the adventures of your favorite WWE icon-turned-blockbuster movie star (a.k.a, Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson) returns to your small screen sooner. The comedy details the life of the very real celebrated movie star and WWE icon, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and the various stages of his life that lead to his (fictional) run for president in 2032. The series is both narrated and executive produced by Johnson himself. The returning cast of Pacific Islanders includes Joseph Lee Anderson (Rocky), Stacy Leilua (Ata), Lia Maivia (Ana), and all three actors who play younger versions of Johnson: Constant, Adrian Groulx, and Uli Latukefu.

In addition to the series mentioned above, a number of pretty good groundbreaking shows with Asian American leads and/or themes have premiered this summer on the streaming channels that are available at your convenience. They include:

• Partner Track, Netflix
• Paper Girls, Prime
• Ms. Marvel, Disney
• Never Have I Ever, Netflix
• See, Apple+
• Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, Netflix
• Bling Empire, Netflix
• House of Ho, HBO Max

In case you're wondering about my reference to dragons in the opening paragraphs: I throw this tidbit in because The House of the Dragon has a huge audience and it is a cultural phenomenon, I need to point out that there are no Asians in the fictional Westeros, except for Mysaria, played by Sonoya Muzuno. She  is the paramour of Prince Daemon Targaryen. Her role will grow as the plot gets more complicated.

It is notable that in the first few episodes, the casting for The House of the Dragon is more diverse than Game of Thrones, which was knocked because it was so blindingly white. It is a fantasy land after all and there is no reason for the lack of POC. The producers apparently didn't take the observation lightly when casting this prequel.

But the mysterious Mysaria had to come from somewhere, where there should be opportunities for more casting of Asian actors. Right? Just hoping.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter. Earlier versions of this post did not include the portion about House of the Dragon or the blurb on Quantum Leap.

Pearl Harbor: Don't miss 'NCIS-Hawaii' episode 9 of the first season

Scene from "NCIS: Hawaii's" ninth episode, "Imposter."

OPINION

NCIS: Hawaii, episode 9, titled "Imposter," is really special. If you don't watch anything else on TV this week, watch this episode. It is chock-full of AAPI history and what the AAPI community is experiencing now with this current  surge of anti-Asian hate.

Seeking an hour of escape, I was caught by surprise by this history lesson offered by NCIS: Hawaii. I'm reminded of the lyrics of a Mary Poppins song, "A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down." Maybe this is the way to "educate" the non-Asian audience about our history and how we feel about being the perpetual foreigner in the room and just to remind people we've been here for a long time and we're here now and we're not going away. Just by casually watching an American TV detective show viewers can get a brief history lesson and for a few minutes of walking in another person's shoes. 

During the hour-long show, the viewer learns about Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7, how the Japanese Americans were incarcerated, the exploits of Japanese American during WWII, how Hawaii imported workers from Asia, the Japanese Exclusion Act of 1907 and how AAPI feel about being questioned about our Americaness. 

My favorite scene was the scene when leading character, special agent in charge Jane Tennant (portrayed by Vanessa Lachey), explains to her 10-year old daughter her own experience of being told to go back where she came from.  I'm still waiting for Tennant or her kids say that they are Filipino Americans or that their racial roots trace back to the Philippines.

That's a lot to pack into a few minutes while telling an inspiring fictional story, of a Japanese American hero.

Kudos to the writers and producers who created this episode for doing their homework and willingness to make a statement by linking it to the current season of anti-Asian hate. To gain the episode's specific perspective and the messages that emanated from the show, it probably helps that Asian Americans are part of the producing (Larry Teng) and writing teams (Yalun Tu).  

The episode easily could have been heavy-handed and turn off a lot of viewers who don't like being lectured to, but they were able to pull it off and entertain at the same time. It was a risk to worth taking.

And I'll admit to getting a little teary-eye watching the final scene of the show. To cap it off, it ends with white letters on black background: "Dedicated to all those who were impacted on December 7, 1941, and to those who served - of all race, ethnicity, creed and citizenship status," thinking of the Japanese Americans who fought and died for America even though their own families were incarcerated; and all the men and women of color (including my own father) who served a nation they loved despite the racist slurs and barriers thrown at them. Oh, my!

After a slow start, the freshman series has gained momentum and CBS ordered a full season. A second season is up in the air.

It stars Vanessa Manillo Lachey, the second Filipina American to lead a U.S. TV series, and features an AAPI supporting cast. (The first Filipina American to star in her own series is Vanessa Hudgens in the short-lived Powerless.) It's refreshing to watch a show filmed in Hawaii with its cast reflecting the diversity of the Aloha State.

NCIS: Hawaii airs on Mondays, on CBS at 10 p.m.. Past episodes available for streaming on Paramount-plus, or click here.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the  blog Views From the Edge.

#RepresentationMatters: NCIS Hawaii: looks like Hawaii

With Filipino American Vanessa Lachey in the lead, the cast of 'NCIS: Hawai'i'
reflects the state's diverse population.

OPINION

Hawaii's popularity appears to have rubbed off on the newest TV show based in the Aloha state. NCIS: Hawai'i debuted Monday with pretty impressive ratings, which bodes well for the only series starring a Filipino American in the lead role.

Filipino American Vanessa Lachey plays the leader of the NCIS team in Hawaii,  Jane Tennant. For the uninitiated, NCIS stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a unit of the Navy that really exists.

To tell you the truth, I've not been a hardcore fan of the NCIS franchise except to note the military law enforcement formula has been successful enough to spawn shows based in Los Angeles and the recently concluded New Orleans. Add Hawaii, with a huge naval presence in the state because of Pearl Harbor.

But this show got my attention for reasons that shoulld be obvious. I wanted to see how a Hollywood-based franchise handles Hawaii's diverse population in this time of hyper racial sensitivities. I'm happy to say, based on the first episode, race is not a central issue on this show. The racial diversity of its cast and colloquialisms are seamlessly woven into the show as they were an everyday experience, Diversity  is the nation's most diverse state, according to the 2020 Census.

There have been too few shows on American TV wherein a Filipino actor was the central protagonist. Although Tennant's racial heritage hasn't been mentioned yet, let's hope at some point that her Filipino heritage will be mentioned.

Like many women in leadership roles, Tennant must maneuver her way through a field of testosterone-driven institutions and individuals. On top of everything else, she's also a person of color commanding a diverse team of individuals and she is juggling her role as a single mother raising a teenage son and young daughter.

I've only watched the first episode and I loved all the bits and pieces to make the viewer know they're in Hawaii with local ties, not some nebulous anywhere big city on the mainland.

Credit veteran executive producer and director Larry Teng, who grew up Chinese but a recent DNA test revealed that he was 51% Korean and Japanese. That's perfect for the multicultural Hawaii where Asians Americans and Pacific Islanders and mixed-race individuals make up the majority of the island state's population.

“Now that I’m back (in Hawaii), I feel like I have a responsibility to make sure that the community here, the people, the crew, that they’re all represented properly, you know?" he tells Daily Hawaii.

“(Hawaii) just did 10 years of a cop show with two white leads here. You’re going into your fourth year of Magnum with a Latino lead. And now we’re coming in, we’ve got two Asian leads. I think it’s important that the crew can work on something that they kind of get behind.”

Director and Executive Producer Larry Teng.

Lachey, who with husband and actor Nick Lachey, is raising three mixed-race kids of her own, loves the multicultural environment her children are being exposed to.

“There are so many Filipinos here,” she said. “I love when they’re like, ‘Vanessa! Oh, my God, you’re like family.'”

Teng made sure NCIS: Hawaii doesn't repeat the mistakes of other Hawaii-based shows where people of color are used like props.  Other cast members include:

• The co-lead is Alex Tarrant, who plays Kai. Tarrant, himself is of Maori, Samoan and Niuean. Kai heritage, a new addition to Jane’s team who boasts the special ability to blend into the island while investigating high-stakes crimes. Kai recently returned home to care for his ailing father and to reconcile with his complicated past.
• Yasmine Al-Bustami protrays Lucy, who is the junior member of Tennant’s NCIS team. Eager to be the first one to find that key piece of evidence, create a workaround in the bureaucracy, or tackle a suspect down a flight of stairs. And yes, she's part Filipino along with Palestinian and Ertrean.
• Lebanese American Jason Antoon is Ernie, NCIS’s Cyber Intelligence Specialist. Ernie is a the genius who has a keen mind for technology, history, literature and all things Hawaiian. 
• Kian Talen, a Filipino American, plays Alex, Jane’s oldest child, a 16-year-old who is strong willed and mature beyond his years.
• Noah Mills will play Jesse, a former big city homicide detective who’s returned to Hawai‘i. An expert interrogator with knack for good old fashioned police work, but Jesse’s also a devoted family man who runs 4-H camping trips for his kid.

Teng's commitment to the depiction of Hawaii and its people doesn't stop there. When taping began in June, he put out a opened the door to any of the locals who wanted to be on the show.

The goal is to have “all kinds of inclusion,” according to Shayne Hartigan of Honolulu-based Alessi Hartigan Casting.

“I’m so excited. We really want to get all, all kinds of inclusion in on this project, so of course, you know, the military, the HPD presence, but also the local community and shop owners and restaurateurs and anybody possible,” Hartigan tells Cheatsheet.

The natural beauty of Hawaii and its people, combined with the proven NCIS formula seems to have worked based on the show's premiere episode last week.

The original NCIS based in Los Angeles, in particular, dominated the ratings Monday night. The show's Season 19 premiere drew 8.5 million total viewers and garnered a 0.7 rating in the demo. While NCIS: Hawai'i didn't have as many viewers that tuned in, it still drew some big numbers for CBS. NCIS: Hawai'i had the third-largest audience of any show for the night (behind NCIS and The Voice). The new spinoff drew 6.6 million viewers and received a 0.5 rating in the demo, which TV Line noted was the highest retention rate of any new Monday show.

“Coming (to Hawaii) is always special. I wouldn’t have done 11 episodes of ‘Five-0’ if it didn’t mean something," Teng tells Daily Hawaii. "And honestly, in the last few years, this is our place, this is where we come, whether I’m visiting the guys working on the shows, or my girlfriend I go to Kauai or Maui or the Big Island.

“This will be a place where I always have a home, as long as I don’t screw this up. I’ll always have a home here and it’s always gonna be a question of, if there’s a fit, you know?”

(NCIS: Hawai'i airs on CBS, Monday, 9 p.m. Eastern.)

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, tips, references and wry observations, follow me on Twitter @dioknoed.