El Rey: Robert Rodriguez's ambitious, flawed attempt to launch 'the people's network'

The upstart channel and its flagship original series both have problems — but they're the first step toward a more diverse TV landscape

Rodriguez
(Image credit: (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images))

In 1992, director Robert Rodriguez clawed his way into the film industry with the $7,000 indie movie El Mariachi, which he partially financed by serving as a human lab rat. It's been 22 years and 14 movies since then, but his latest project — an upstart TV channel called El Rey, which premiered its first original series last night — is his most ambitious yet. Whether it can live up to that ambition is another question.

In a promotional video for El Rey, Rodriguez outlined his grand vision. "I had a quest for diversity in filmmaking and in media. I have now founded the El Rey television network, which is going to be exciting, addictive, visceral entertainment — but with an eye towards keeping that diversity. Having the face of the network more resemble the face of the country. This is the people's network."

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Scott Meslow

Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.