Cinelatino Acquires HDTV Series

Spanish-language movie channel Cinelatino has acquired distribution rights to acclaimed drama series Los Simuladores as part of an agreement with Sony Pictures Television.
Los Simuladores (The Pretenders), produced by Sony and filmed in high-definition, will premiere in the United States via the 3.6 million subscriber service on Nov. 15, according to Cinelatino president Jim McNamara.

The series, based on the popular Argentine-based series of the same name, centers on the adventures of four operatives, trained and prepared to carry out sting operations. Initially debuting in late 2008 in Mexico on Televisa, the series has also appeared in remake versions in Spain and Chile.
Los Simuladores is the second series to launch on Cinelatino, following the Spring 2009 debut of Columbian-produced tele series Tiempo Final.
"This is the highest-caliber premium series currently available to U.S. audiences in Spanish, and we're excited to offer it exclusively to our viewers," said McNamara. "The superb production values, excellent cast, and compelling story lines make this the must-see series of the season."
Sony Pictures Television, which began production on a second season of Los Simuladores earlier this year, says it's looking forward to debuting the series in the U.S. via Cinelatino.
"Los Simuladores is a terrific television series produced by our team in Latin America and it's a great example of content that we produce for one region that travels around the world," said Brendan Fitzgerald, senior vice president of production for Sony Pictures Television, Latin America,. "It's doing well on Sony Entertainment Television throughout Latin America and we're thrilled that U.S audiences will be able to see in on Cinelatino, a perfect home for this highly-acclaimed series."

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.