Could ‘Santos of Chicago’ Be NBC’s Next Hit Series for the Windy City? Pharrell Williams Among Exec Producers

As we move into 2023, it’s time to consider potential television projects that could be landing in Chicago this year. Could NBC be bringing another series to the Windy City, where ratings kings Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med continue to thrive? NBC has been developing the TV drama The Santos of Chicago, alongside Queen of the South‘s Jorge A. Reyes, Emmy-winning producer of The Office Ben Silverman, and iconic producer, singer, and songwriter Pharrell Williams. Let’s take a look at this series in development and everything we know so far.

At one point last year, sources were telling SCREEN that Santos of Chicago was close to moving forward into production, and was eyeing an October 2022 start date in Chicago. While that window has passed, the show remains in development. As SCREEN awaits further updates, this project has enough high-profile powerhouses behind it to warrant a place on your radar as we look ahead to 2023.

Who Are The Santos of Chicago?

The Santos of Chicago, loosely based on members of the afore-mentioned Reyes’ family, is described as This is Us/Brothers and Sisters meets The West Wing, according to Deadline.

The show follows the lives and loves of six Afro-Latinx siblings, led by the two eldest sisters who, during their insurgent run for Congress, will become the Latina Jack and Bobby Kennedy. This leads their siblings to pursue success in their own fields, leading them on a surprising, tumultuous journey as their ordinary family transforms into an American dynasty.

Pharrell Williams Leads the Executive Producer Ensemble

Executive producing are Williams and Mimi Valdes for I Am Other Productions, Silverman, Howard Owens and Rodney Ferrell for Propagate Content, and Reyes. Shani Saxon serves as co-executive producer, Verky Baldonado as co-producer. Universal Television is the studio.

Known worldwide for his record-breaking success in the music industry, Pharrell Williams has also excelled in the movie business. Williams produced Rick Famuyiwa’s Sundance and Cannes feature Dope, the 2017 biopic Roxanne, Roxanne, about New York teenage hip-hop artist Lolita “Roxanne Shanté” Gooden, and 20th Century Fox’s $236M-grossing Hidden Figures, for which Williams received an Oscar Best Picture nomination.

Williams also was Oscar-nominated in the Best Original Song category for “Happy” from Despicable Me 2 back in 2014…

Reyes most recently worked on the USA Network drama Queen of the South. He also created the praised UPN series Kevin Hill, starring Taye Diggs and Christina Hendricks.

Silverman is the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning executive producer of The Office, Jane The Virgin, Ugly Betty, The Biggest Loser, as well as, through Propagate, the CW’s Charmed reboot, Our Kind of People on Fox, and Untold on Netflix.

As 2023 unfolds, SCREEN will keep you posted as The Santos of Chicago and other potential television pilots and series continue to develop.

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