Selena: The Series Information

Selena: The Series (Spanish: Selena: la serie) is an American biographical drama streaming television created by Moiss Zamora. It tells the story of Tejano singer Selena's rise to fame and the sacrifices she and her family must make along the way.

The series was released on Netflix on December 4, 2020. The second part of the series is set to premiere on May 14, 2021.

Synopsis

The story of the Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, from her childhood to her rise to fame, along with the difficult and heartbreaking tough choices she and her family make to hold on to love and music.

Cast and characters

Main

• Christian Serratos as Selena
  • Madison Taylor Baez as Young Selena
• Gabriel Chavarria as A.B. Quintanilla
  • Juan Martinez as Young A.B.
• Ricardo Chavira as Abraham Quintanilla
  • Brandol Ruiz as Young Abraham
• Noemi Gonzalez as Suzette Quintanilla
  • Daniela Estrada as Young Suzette
• Seidy Lpez as Marcella Quintanilla
  • Aneasa Yacoub as Young Marcella

Recurring

• Hunter Reese Pea as Ricky Vela
• Luis Bordonada as Johnny Canales
• Paul Rodriguez as Roger Garcia
• Carlos Alfredo Jr. as Joe Ojeda
• Julio Macias as Pete Astudillo
• Gladys Bautista as Vangie
• Jesse Posey as Chris Prez

Guests

• David Barrera as Hector
• Oscar Avila as Manny Guerra
• Casey Tutton as Jilly
• Catia Ojeda as Laura Canales
• Erika Buenfil as Cristina Saralegui
• Mark Atkinson as Denny, Selena's manager
• Rico Aragon as Jos Behar
• Natasha Perez as Yolanda Saldivar
• David Fernandez Jr. as David Kramer
• Joe Lorenzo as Luis Silva
• Johnny Jay Lee (NCIS: Los Angeles) as young man

Episodes

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|ShortSummary    = The opening prologue is in 1994 when Selena performs a concert before thousands of fans in Chicago. The episode then moves to Selena's childhood in Texas, where her musically-inclined father Abraham decides to form a family band after hearing Selena sing. With Abraham's management and his wife Marcella's support, Selena and her siblings, Suzette and AB form Southern Pearl, a cover band that sings golden oldies. The family struggles through an economic recession and small gigs until they have a successful performance at a family friend's wedding, which encourages them to continue. At a carnival, Abraham sees a popular Tejano band and realizes that Tejano music has changed since his time in a band. He decides to revamp the family band and change their focus to Spanish-language music, forming Selena Y Los Dinos.
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|ShortSummary    = In 1986, Selena Y Los Dinos has some success but still struggle financially. While Abraham gets them a new record deal, he encourages AB to take charge of the band, finding new members and getting new music. AB chases down songwriter Luis Silva but is disappointed when he refuses to give them a song. At Abraham's encouragement, AB starts writing new songs in collaboration with their new keyboardist, Rick. They record an LP and their song Dame un Beso is played on the radio, which thrills AB. However, Selena has to drop out of school and, although excited to design the band's costumes, feels that she's missing out on regular teenage experiences.
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|ShortSummary    = The family is excited when Selena Y Los Dinos are nominated at the Tejano Music Awards for Best Song and Female Vocalist of the Year; they lose the former, but Selena wins the latter. At the awards ceremony, Selena meets Laura Canales, who gives her advice to be who she is instead of who people want her to be. Abraham books an appearance at Johnny Canales' show, which would be Selena's first performance in Mexico, and she is determined to improve her speaking Spanish before then. The concert starts poorly when Selena opens with an English song, but improves when they switch to La Bamba. After the concert, Suzette, who has been feeling that her contribution to the band isn't significant, is touched to meet a young Mexican fan who wants to be a female drummer just like her.
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|ShortSummary    = In 1988, Abraham buys a bus so the band can go on tour. After traveling through hot and cold weather in various states, Selena's voice starts to deteriorate. Arriving at Laredo, they find out that a nearby venue is trying to sabotage their gig. In order to help Selena manage her voice, they recruit an opening act, Los Bad Boys. The performance brings a full house and is visited by a CBS record producer, who gives Abraham his card. Abraham learns that their landlord wants to sell their house and, in expectation of closing a record deal, he buys their house and the two neighboring houses for the band. AB has a flirtation with a fan during a gig but afterward is intrigued by her sister, Vangie.
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|ShortSummary    = Negotiations with CBS are still on-going, but at the Tejano Music Awards, Selena is approached by an EMI record producer, Jos Behar. Abraham meets Jos, who offers less money than CBS but will commit to a crossover English album. Abraham decides to sign the band with EMI, though they will be signed as "Selena", i.e. dropping the band's full name. AB and Vangie prepare to have a baby, and AB worries how touring will affect his family because Roger leaves the band due to family stresses. Abraham invites Los Bad Boys' members, Joe and Pete, to join their band, and AB tries to recruit a new guitarist, Chris Perez, who initially turns him down.
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|ShortSummary    = The band start work on their first album with EMI. AB and Rick do the music, with AB pushing himself for fear that the record label will keep Selena but drop the band if the album does poorly. Selena and Suzette design clothes for the album cover, but are forced by EMI's stylists into an "exotic" look that the whole band hates. The band concedes to the label's creative decisions for now, and use their disappointment to record a Spanish cover of Sukiyaki. Encouraged by feedback at a listening party, Selena decides she wants to make her own clothing line. Chris Perez joins the band as their new guitarist, and sparks immediately fly between him and Selena.
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|ShortSummary    = It's 1989, and the band starts a new tour with their refurbished bus. AB is kept under pressure writing new songs for the next album, among them Baila Esta Cumbia. Selena wins Female Vocalist of the Year at the Tejano Music Awards for the third time in the row but remains frustrated that her band doesn't win with her. Selena and Chris spend time together and grow close, worrying Suzette that they'll get in trouble with Abraham. After a show, Selena and Chris share a kiss, but the next day agrees to stay friends because Selena doesn't want to lie to her father or get Chris fired from the band.
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|ShortSummary    = Feeling listless over Chris, Selena has her hair cut very short, the day before her photoshoot for the cover of her second album, Ven Conmigo. In 1991, Selena records her first music video, for Buenos Amigos with lvaro Torres. Ven Conmigo achieves Gold status and Buenos Amigos reaches number 1 on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs, but EMI pushes back Selena's English-language album until she can achieve Platinum with a Spanish-language album. During a private moment, Selena and Chris share another kiss and decide to keep seeing each other in secret. Selena asks Marcella when she knew Abraham was "the one", and she tells her how she took a chance with him. 
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|ShortSummary    = At a performance in Eagle Pass, a fight breaks out in the crowd, and Selena is grabbed by a fan. Marcella asks Abraham to look into security options, and Abraham hires a friend as a bodyguard. With Selena's increasing popularity, Jos advises Abraham to start a fan club to manage her fan mail, merchandise, and activities; Abraham has Suzette contact Yolanda Saldvar, a fan who has volunteered to manage the fan club for free. Pete prepares to leave the band for a solo career, but before he leaves helps AB write Como la Flor. Suzette figures out that Selena and Chris are seeing each other, and is at first angry with them until she gets into a long-distance relationship and realizes how frustrating the situation is for them. Abraham accidentally sees Selena and Chris in a private moment and immediately kicks him off the bus despite Selena's protests.
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Production

Development

On December 11, 2018, Selena: The Series was ordered to series by Netflix. The series is produced by Campanario Entertainment with Selena's father (Abraham) and sister (Suzette), from a screenplay by Moiss Zamora for Netflix. It is based on the life of Selena, and is the version authorized by Selena's family, unlike El secreto de Selena, an unauthorized version by Mara Celeste Arrars, which the family publicly condemned. Part one of the series was released on December 4, 2020. The second part of the series is set to premiere on May 14, 2021.

Casting

The series stars Christian Serratos as the titular character. Deadline later reported that "Other cast members include Noemi Gonzalez (The Young and the Restless) as Suzette Quintanilla, Selena's sister and best friend, who learns to embrace her role as the first female drummer in Tejano music history. Seidy Lpez (Training Day) will play Marcella Quintanilla, Selena's mother; and newcomer Madison Taylor Baez will portray a young Selena." Ricardo Chavira and Gabriel Chavarria were to play the Selena's father and brother respectively. It was later announced the series would include Julio Macias, Jesse Posey, Hunter Reese, Carlos Alfredo, Jr., Juan Martinez, Daniela Estrada and Paul Rodriguez, Jr. co-starring in the series as the Quintanila family and various other important members of Selena's life. Macias plays Pete Astudillo, with Posey as Chris Perez, Pea as Ricky Vela, and Alfredo as Joe Ojeda. Martinez portrays a young A.B. Quintanilla, Selena's brother, with Estrada as a young Suzette Quintanilla, Selena's sister, and Rodriguez as Roger Garcia, a shy guitarist who was part of the group before Chris Perez became its guitarist. Additionally co-starring Johnny Jay Lee (NCIS: Los Angeles) and Fernanda Moya as the young man and woman respectively.

Soundtrack

| extra1 = | length1 = 3:04 | title2 = Dame Un Beso | writer2 = | extra2 = | length2 = 3:53 | title3 = La Bamba | writer3 = | extra3 = | length3 = 3:54 | title4 = Quiero | writer4 = | extra4 = | length4 = 3:13 | title5 = Terco Corazn | writer5 = | extra5 = | length5 = 2:50 | title6 = Yo Fui Aquella | writer6 = | extra6 = | length6 = 3:04 | title7 = My Love | writer7 = | extra7 = | length7 = 3:48 | title8 = Besitos | writer8 = | extra8 = | length8 = 2:23 | title9 = Sukiyaki | writer9 = | extra9 = | length9 = 2:59 | title10 = mame, Quireme | writer10 = | extra10 = | length10 = 2:51 | title11 = I Could Fall In Love | writer11 = | extra11 = | length11 = 4:39 | title12 = Enamorada De Ti | writer12 = | extra12 = | length12 = 4:01 | title13 = Baila Esta Cumbia | writer13 = | extra13 = | length13 = 2:54 | title14 = Buenos Amigos | note14 = featuring lvaro Torres | writer14 = | extra14 = | length14 = 4:44 | title15 = Ven Conmigo | writer15 = | extra15 = | length15 = 2:28 | title16 = La Carcacha | writer16 = | extra16 = | length16 = 4:10 | title17 = No Quiero Saber | writer17 = | extra17 = | length17 = 2:57 | title18 = Yo Te Amo | writer18 = | extra18 = | length18 = 3:41 | title19 = Qu Creas | writer19 = | extra19 = | length19 = 3:35 | title20 = mame | writer20 = | extra20 = | length20 = 3:41 | all_writing = }}

Commercial performance

Selena: The Series Soundtrack debuted at number eight on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 1,000 album-equivalent units during the week ending December 10, 2020.

Reception

Critical response

For the series, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 33% based on 33 critic reviews, with an average rating of 5.28/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Selena: The Series affections are obvious, but by not probing deeper into Selena herself it fails to capture the woman behind the legacy, settling for just-another-retelling of the charismatic star's life instead of something more." Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 48 out of 100 based on 9 critic reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

Audience viewership

On January 15, 2021, Netflix announced that the series was watched by 25 million households for the first 28 days after its debut.