The Revolution Will be Televised: Inside ‘Bordertown’

By Feliz Contreras
Bordertown centers on the lives of two families living in a small town on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Bordertown centers on the lives of two families living in a small town on the U.S.-Mexico border. Courtesy of Fox Broadcasting Company
Bordertown centers on the lives of two families living in a small town on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Bordertown centers on the lives of two families living in a small town on the U.S.-Mexico border. Courtesy of Fox Broadcasting Company

The Revolution Will be Televised: Inside ‘Bordertown’

By Feliz Contreras
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This week, Alt.Latino takes a deep dive into the animated Fox sitcom Bordertown with two of its writers, Lalo Alcaraz and Gustavo Arellano. Alcaraz is also the author of the Latino-themed syndicated comic strip La Cucaracha, while Arellano writes an advice column called Ask A Mexican for OC Weekly in Orange County, Calif.

Together, they offer some behind-the-scenes insight into the creative process of the show, describe the pitfalls of ethnically based humor and discuss how they got away with joking about the Pope’s skills with his chancla. This is a historic moment for prime-time TV viewing in the U.S., so it’s a pleasure to bring in two guys who are helping to write that history.