Diary of a Future President

Diary of a Future President[3] is an American comedy drama streaming television series created by Ilana Peña which premiered on Disney+ on January 17, 2020.[3] Gina Rodriguez serves as an executive producer through her company I Can & I Will Productions, which produces the series in association with CBS Studios. Robin Shorr serves as the series showrunner alongside additional executive producers Peña and Emily Gipson.

Diary of a Future President
GenreComedy Drama
Created byIlana Peña
Starring
Music byJoey Newman
Opening theme"My Journey: Lo Puedo Lograr" by Emily Estefan[1]
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Production locationLos Angeles[2]
CinematographyAlison Kelly
Editors
  • Kyla Plewes
  • Keenan Hiett
  • Eric Lea
  • Scott Melendez
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time22–28 minutes
Production companies
Distributor
Release
Original networkDisney+
Picture format
Original releaseJanuary 17, 2020 (2020-01-17) –
present (present)

Told through a collection of voice-overs by central character Elena as she reads from her diary, the series centers on the 12-year-old Cuban American girl, who attends middle school as she aspires to be a future president of the United States. The series stars Tess Romero, Charlie Bushnell, Selenis Leyva and Michael Weaver. Rodriguez also appears through flashforwards as the adult version of Elena, as she undertakes her presidential campaign in the future.

In May 2020, the series was renewed for a second season.[4]

Premise

Elena is a 12-year-old Cuban American girl who attends middle school and must make her way through the personal and social pressures of adolescence. Told through Elena's narration as written in her diary, the series follows the daily events of her life and her interactions with friends and family. She lives with her older brother, Bobby; and mother, Gabi, who develops a new relationship with Sam, a lawyer from her firm. Elena has a strong desire to become a president of the United States, which is made visible through flashforwards to her political campaign as an adult.[2][5]

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring
  • Carmina Garay as Sasha, Elena's best friend
  • Sanai Victoria as Melissa, Elena and Sasha's rival who "stole" their best friend, Jessica.
  • Jessica Marie Garcia as Camila, a paralegal and Gabi's close friend, who is scared to come out to her parents that she has a girlfriend.[7][8]
  • Harmeet Pandey as Jessica, Elena's former best friend who is now friends with Melissa.
  • Avantika Vandanapu as Monyca, Bobby's ex-girlfriend.
  • Brandon Severs as Liam, Bobby's teammate and friend for whom Bobby has feelings.
  • Gregg Binkley as Dr. Cooper, the school’s Vice Principal.

Guest
  • Rachel Bloom as Ms. Wexler, an English teacher who catches Elena and Sasha shopping in an intimates store.

Episodes
No.Title [9][10]Directed byWritten byOriginal release date [11][10]
1"Hello World"Gina RodriguezIlana PeñaJanuary 17, 2020 (2020-01-17)
Before her first address as the President, Elena receives her old middle school diary and starts going through it. In the first entry, she feels betrayed by her former best friend Jessica who is now friends with Elena's rival, Melissa. Jessica and Melissa brag about having synchronized period cycles, and make fun of Elena for not being mature enough to have her first period. Later in the bathroom, Elena discovers that Jessica has been lying about having her period. Jessica begs Elena not to tell anyone. Despite everything Jessica did to her, Elena decides not to reveal her secret. Meanwhile, Elena's mother, Gabi is not ready to tell her children that she is dating Sam. When Camila advises her to tell them, Gabi changes the subject by pointing out that Camila hasn't come out yet to her parents. However, Gabi's secret is exposed when Bobby and Elena find her kissing Sam.
2"The New Deal"Angela TortuIlana Peña & Robin ShorrJanuary 24, 2020 (2020-01-24)
Elena confronts her mother for not telling her about dating Sam. She tries to get along with him but when Sam starts doing things Elena would normally do around the house, Elena feels as if she's being replaced. After asking Jessica why she replaced her as a friend, Elena concludes that her family would never replace her. However, when she finds Gabi talking about literature with Sam, she storms off to return the donuts she had bought earlier. When the speaker at the drive-through window calls her Lenny, Elena becomes convinced that she's talking to her late father. She admits that she's scared of change. Gabi arrives and assures Elena that she's irreplaceable. She also helps Elena realize that her reaction to change is a normal part of grief.
3"Disaster Relief"Sam BaileyHailey ChavezJanuary 31, 2020 (2020-01-31)
When Sasha convinces Elena that everyone has their own reason for being, Elena becomes determined to find her thing. She tries different things without luck. When a spot for a hurricane watch captain opens up, she works very hard for it but loses it to Ryan, a popular football player who just wants it for the captain hat. Elena later realizes that her passion is doing the school announcements. Meanwhile, Bobby's popularity surges after becoming a tennis captain. When a girl named Monyca asks him to meet her behind a dumpster, Bobby's friends convince him that she wants to make out. They start practising how to unstrap a bra but when Gabi catches them, she cancels her plans with Sam to give him the sex talk. Gabi explains to Sam that dating her means having to deal with the children because they are her reason for being. There was an error in the script where Elena indicates that the word Hurricane comes from the word for the Mayan god of wind when it actually comes from the Taino Native American word, hurucane, meaning evil spirit of the wind.
4"The National Mall"Erin EhrlichBrig Muñoz-LiebowitzFebruary 7, 2020 (2020-02-07)
Tired of being made fun of by Melissa and Jessica for being little girls, Elena and Sasha set out to prove that they're mature by sneaking into an adult mall to look at bras and underwear. After running into their teacher holding a thong, they feel embarrassed and, in the confusion, Elena accidentally runs out with a bra. The guilt of shoplifting haunts her until she decides to return the bra and make things right. Bobby and Monyca are struggling to find privacy so that they can make out. So, their friends help them out by organizing a kissing game. However, after the kiss, Bobby feels insecure and inexperienced. Meanwhile, Sam questions whether he's ready to handle the responsibility that comes with dating Gabi and being like a father to her children. He gains confidence in himself after helping Elena return the bra. Later in the bathroom, feeling confident and mature, Elena gets her period and calls for her mother.
5"Whistleblower"Angela TortuMichael Jonathan SmithFebruary 14, 2020 (2020-02-14)
Gabi welcomes Elena to womanhood by preparing a meal to celebrate Elena's first period. After learning about Gabi's case to protect Waveline workers, Elena feels inspired to become a strong woman fighting for change like her mother. So, she becomes determined to change the school mascot Swansby after learning that Swansby was a man who used to degrade women. She and Sasha gather the needed signatures but are disappointed to learn that it will take months to be reviewed by the board. Unable to wait that long, Elena decides to pour a bucket of orange juice on the mascot during Bobby's tennis match. Unfortunately, it backfires when the mascot uses Jessica as a human shield. Later, Gabi helps Elena realize that change takes time. Meanwhile, Bobby is glad to finally have his last name spelled right (with ñ instead of n) on the tennis uniform. However, a boy from the rival team makes him feel insecure by making fun of the accent mark on his name.
6"Habeas Corpus"Fernando SariñanaHugh MooreFebruary 21, 2020 (2020-02-21)
Elena is serving a week of detention for chucking orange juice on Jessica during her mascot protest. Jessica makes fun of Elena only to realize that Melissa has ended their friendship after finding out that she's been lying about her period. On her first day, Elena avoids the "Six O'Clockers" - a group of students with bad reputations for getting detention regularly. The next day, she talks to them only to realize that all the bad rumors about them are false. They're just victims of circumstances. She befriends them and sits with them at lunch the next day. Later that day, Elena loses a debate when her credibility is questioned for hanging out with the Six O'Clockers. So, she starts avoiding being seen with them publicly. However, when she gets an early release for good behavior, Elena stands up for the Six O'Clockers and uses the morning announcements to help people see them for who they really are. Meanwhile, while watching a terrible but funny movie with his friends, Bobby gets uncomfortable because it reminds him of his father's death.
7"Foreign Relations"Viet NguyenLaDarian SmithFebruary 28, 2020 (2020-02-28)
Elena wants her long-time crush Joey to ask her to the middle-school dance but he wants to go with an eighth grade girl. So, Elena starts spying on eighth grade girls so that she can act and look like them. As a result, she forgets to be there for Sasha who needed her help preparing for a public poetry reading. Their ex-friend, Jessica steps in to help Sasha. After a humiliating fall and a talk with an eighth grader, Elena decides to be herself and asks Joey out. She later remembers about Sasha but it's too late since Sasha is now spending time with Jessica. Meanwhile, after going for a tennis tournament, Bobby and his friend Liam are stuck in a storage closet. At first, Bobby is frustrated but Liam helps him relax. He starts showing potential feelings towards Liam just before they're rescued. Elsewhere, Gabi thinks she's ready to donate her late husband's things but after seeing an old photo of them together, she realizes that she's not ready to move on.
8"Matters of Diplomacy"Kacie AnningRobin Shorr & Jessica GonzalezMarch 6, 2020 (2020-03-06)
While preparing for the middle school dance, Elena notices that she's developing a mustache. She calls Sasha for help but Sasha is still upset because Elena abandoned her during the poetry reading. Sasha is preparing to go to the dance with Jessica but lies to Elena that she has a dentist appointment. After many failed attempts to clear the mustache and its burns, Elena gives up and decides to embrace it. At the dance, she confronts Sasha for choosing Jessica over her but Sasha calls her out for being selfish. Meanwhile, Bobby wants to go to the dance with Liam instead of his girlfriend, Monyca. So, he organizes for his friends to go as a group. However, when he sees Liam dancing with a girl, he becomes jealous and starts a fight. He is forced to leave the dance and join his sister who had walked out after her fight with Sasha. Elsewhere, Sam is excited to meet Gabi's mother and her extended family but Gabi is still not ready.
9"State of the Union"Melanie MayronHailey Chavez & Jerrica LongMarch 13, 2020 (2020-03-13)
Elena is looking forward to a class trip to Tallahassee where she and Sasha had planned to be roommates. She thinks Sasha will apologize first but Sasha refuses and chooses Jessica as her roommate. Elena intentionally misses the bus to avoid the awkwardness. However, since Gabi is trying to avoid Sam after their disastrous family dinner, she volunteers to take Elena to Tallahassee. On the way, Gabi convinces Elena to apologize to Sasha, and Elena convinces her to talk to Sam. Upon arrival, Elena apologizes and Sasha forgives her. Meanwhile, Bobby is staying with Camila and her girlfriend, Danielle. Since Camila knows Bobby has feelings for Liam, she hopes he will come out to them but he is not ready. Camila herself hasn't come out to her parents yet which helps Bobby understand that coming out is a process. So, he breaks up with Monyca as part of his process of figuring things out. Monyca understands because she had already noticed that Bobby likes Liam more than her.
10"Two Party System"Gina LamarIlana PeñaMarch 20, 2020 (2020-03-20)

Elena, Sasha and Jessica are throwing a party during their Tallahassee trip. When Melissa convinces Jessica to turn it into an invite-only party, Elena and Sasha throw their own inclusive party. Everyone attends their party, leaving Jessica alone. Elena feels bad for Jessica and convinces her to join her party. After the party, Jessica makes up with Elena and Sasha. Back at home, Bobby is struggling to figure out how to tell Liam that he likes him. He texts Liam but after meeting up, he gets scared and changes the subject. Meanwhile, Gabi had asked Sam for a break because she still loves her late husband, but Bobby convinces her that she can love them both because Sam is not replacing Robert. Upon returning home, Elena says that she's been inspired by a senator she met in Tallahassee to fight for inclusivity. She becomes interested in politics and decides to run for student council.

In the future, Elena makes her first presidential speech, addressing diversity and inclusivity.

Production

Development

On January 31, 2019, it was announced that Disney+ had ordered a ten episode first season of a new single-camera comedy, which was originally titled Diary of a Female President.[12] It was reported that the series was created by Ilana Peña, who would also serve as an executive producer alongside Gina Rodriguez and Emily Gipson.[5] Robin Shorr was expected to be involved as the showrunner. The series is produced by Rodriguez's company I Can & I Will in association with CBS Television Studios, who sold the series to Disney.[5][13] CBS chief creative officer David Nevins stated that the series was considered to air on The CW, but that it was more ultimately more suitable for the target audience of Disney+.[5][13] The program was the first scripted series produced by an external studio to be ordered by Disney+.[12] In December 2019, it was revealed that the program's titled had changed to Diary of a Future President.[3][14] On May 29, 2020, Disney+ renewed the series for a second season.[4]

Writing

The series represents a Latino family, with Elena being referred to as Cuban American in character descriptions.[7] Rodriguez stated that she established her production company in an effort to express stories "for and by the underrepresented".[7] The series has been stated to be inspired by Peña's own childhood.[15]

Casting

In July 2019, executive producer Rodriguez was announced to be playing the adult version of Elena, who appears in flashforwards as she undertakes her political campaign.[6][16] Rodriguez was also revealed to be directing the first episode of the series.[6] It was also announced that Tess Romero and Charlie Bushnell would be playing siblings Elena and Bobby respectively, while Selenis Leyva was cast as their mother, Gabi; and Michael Weaver as her love interest, Sam.[16]

Filming

Production on the first season began in July 2019 in Los Angeles.[2][6][16] It was originally expected that the season would film from June to September.[17]

Release

The first episode was released on the streaming service Disney+, in the United States and internationally on January 17, 2020, in 4K HDR.[3] Further episodes will be released weekly on the service, being distributed every Friday.[14]

Marketing

The first poster was released on December 16, 2019, alongside details of the first two episodes.[3][14][15][18][19] The first trailer for the series was released on January 6, 2020, with an additional poster also revealed.[20]

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 100% based on 8 reviews.[21]

Common Sense Media rated the show 3 out of 5 stars, stating : "Parents need to know that Diary of a Future President follows the ups and downs of a Cuban American middle schooler whose experiences help prepare her for an eventual rise to the presidency. The show sets up its reflective look back at 12-year-old Elena's (Tess Romero) everyday life and then settles there for the duration, rather than bouncing back and forth between Elena's adult and tween personas. The show's honesty in dealing with issues like difficult emotions, stress, and troublesome people raises worthy talking points for families. Other topics -- menstruation, for instance, which is discussed frequently and frankly -- may inspire questions, depending on your kids' age and awareness. This feel-good series features a diverse cast, a strong family unit, and a hardworking, self-assured tween who aspires to -- and eventually achieves -- great things".[22]

Accolades

Cast and crew of Diary of a Future President were nominated for three awards at the 2020 Imagen Foundation Awards:[23]

  • Tess Romero for Best Young Actor - Television
  • Joey Newman for Best Music Composition for Film or TV
  • Janet Lopez for Best Music Supervision for Film or TV

The series is currently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Kids & Family Programming.

References
  1. https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/documents/disney_fact_sheet_dofp_final_v_bbea771b.pdf
  2. "Production Begins on Disney+ Original Series Diary of a Female President from Executive Producer Gina Rodriguez and CBS Television Studios". Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International Media Center. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  3. "Gina Rodriguez Series Diary of a Future President on Disney+ Jan. 17". Broadcasting & Cable. Future US. December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  4. Goldberg, Lesley (May 29, 2020). "'Diary of a Future President' Renewed at Disney+ (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  5. Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (January 31, 2019). "Disney+ Orders Diary Of A Female President Series From Ilana Peña, Gina Rodriguez & CBS TV Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  6. "Disney+ Begins Production on Diary of a Female President". BroadwayWorld. July 11, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  7. "Gina Rodriguez to Play Latina President of the United States in Disney Series". HipLatina. July 15, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  8. "Jessica Marie Garcia never thought that working with Gina Rodriguez would be possible". gotechdaily.com. January 17, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  9. "Diary of a Future President – Media Kit". Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International Media Center. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  10. Lawrence, Gregory (January 23, 2020). "Here's What's New on Disney+ in February 2020". collider.com.
  11. "Shows A-Z - diary of a future president on disney plus". The Futon Critic. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  12. Goldberg, Lesley (January 31, 2019). "Diary of a Female President Comedy From Gina Rodriguez Ordered to Series at Disney+". The Hollywood Reporter. Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  13. Baysinger, Tim (September 12, 2019). "Why the CBS-Produced Gina Rodriguez POTUS Series Diary of a Female President Landed at Disney+ Instead of The CW". TheWrap. The Wrap News Inc. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  14. Ridgely, Charlie (December 16, 2019). "Disney+ Reveals Poster and Release Date for Next Original Series". ComicBook.com. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  15. "Disney+ to Premiere Diary of a Future President on January 17". BroadwayWorld. December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  16. Pederson, Erik (July 11, 2019). "Diary Of A Female President: EP Gina Rodriguez To Recur As POTUS In Disney+ Series; Main Cast Set". Deadline. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  17. "Exclusive: Disney+ Series Diary of a Female President Films June to September in Los Angeles; Gina Rodriguez Will Direct". Geeks WorldWide. April 7, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  18. "Episode 101 - "Hello World"". Disney. Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  19. "Episode 102 - "The New Deal"". Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International. Disney. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  20. Swift, Andy (January 6, 2020). "Diary of a Future President Trailer Introduces Gina Rodriguez as POTUS". TVLine. TVLine Media, LLC. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  21. "Diary of a Future President: Season 1 (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  22. "Diary of a Future President - TV Review". www.commonsensemedia.org. January 24, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  23. Foundation, Imagen. "Nominations Announced for the 35th Annual Imagen Awards". Imagen Foundation. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
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