Telemundo Launches Its First-Ever Prime Time Emmy Campaign for Epic Series "La Reina del Sur" ("Queen of the South") and Lead Actress Kate del Castillo

MIAMI, May 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Telemundo, a leading producer of high-quality content for Hispanics in the U.S. and audiences around the world, today announced it is launching its first-ever Emmy campaign for the network's most ambitious and record-breaking prime time original series, "La Reina del Sur" ("Queen of the South") starring renowned cross-over actress Kate del Castillo (Weeds, Under the Same Moon, Julia, Trade).

Telemundo launched the campaign due to the unprecedented success of the series, which broke numerous viewership records, as well as the overwhelming response from the audience to Kate del Castillo's stellar performance.  The Emmy campaign will include uploading episodes of the series at the password-protected website of the Academy of Television Arts & Science, a mailing of "For Your Consideration" episodes to Academy members, and advertising in Hollywood trades.

Based on Arturo Perez Reverte's best selling novel, "La Reina del Sur" is an action-packed high-quality drama series that tells the story of an innocent Mexican girl who inadvertently becomes one of the most powerful drug traffickers in the world. A ratings powerhouse, "La Reina del Sur" airs on Telemundo Monday thru Friday at 10 p.m. and drew more than 8.1 million viewers during its premiere week (Feb. 28-March 4), making it the most successful series premiere week in the network's history. Coming to a "grand finale" on Monday May 30th, "La Reina del Sur" marked another historic milestone when it ranked number one at 10 p.m. beating all English language networks in Adults 18-34 and 18-49.  Reaching English-speaking audiences in addition to Spanish speaking viewers, "La Reina del Sur" helped Telemundo deliver its highest rated monthly performance in network history in April and positioned it as the fastest growing broadcast network in prime time among adults 18-49, regardless of language.

"La Reina del Sur is our most ambitious project and we're delighted with its record-breaking performance.  Its high production value, as well as its extraordinary talent - in front and behind the cameras - speaks to  why Telemundo has become the #1 producer of Spanish-language prime time content in the US in a very short time," said Joshua Mintz, Senior Executive Vice President of Telemundo Entertainment. "Kate del Castillo is an accomplished actress and we could have not found a better talent to embody Teresa Mendoza.  Kate captured and engaged the audience with her broad and deep acting skills and is largely responsible for the success of this epic production."

One of Mexico's most respected and popular actresses with awards for her performances in television, film and theatre, Kate del Castillo broke through in America as a result of her performance in the hit Fox Searchlight/Weinstein movie "Under the Same Moon," which is to date the highest-grossing Spanish-language theatrical release in U.S. history.  Del Castillo guest starred as 'Pilar' in six episodes of the fifth season of the Showtime hit comedy series "Weeds."  Kate's numerous film credits include "Julia" (with Tilda Swinton), which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, and a powerful supporting role in the Roland Emmerich produced "Trade," sharing the screen with Kevin Kline.  She recently completed the indie dark comedy "Without Men" with Eva Longoria and Christian Slater scheduled to open in the summer of 2011. Del Castillo began her acting career as a child, but it wasn't until the enormously successful telenovela "Muchachitas" that she became a full-fledged star in Mexico.  She went on to become the leading ingenue of nine telenovelas, including "Ramona" and "La Mentira" taking them to the top of the Nielsen charts every time.  Her telenovelas have aired multiple times in more than 100 countries worldwide.  She has also served as a spokesperson for both L'Oreal and Ford.

Shot over 90% in exterior across four countries and with an international cast, "La Reina del Sur" tells the story of the legendary character Teresa Mendoza, played by the renowned cross-over actress Kate del Castillo, who is forced to transform herself from a young innocent girl to a woman tough enough to survive in the ugly and dangerous world of drug trafficking. A humble young woman from Sinaloa, Mexico, Teresa's life takes a drastic turn when she falls in love with the wrong man, the handsome El Guero Avila (Rafael Amaya). El Guero was a Chicano pilot from San Antonio, Texas involved in drug trafficking for the powerful drug lord, Epifanio Vargas (Humberto Zurita).The woman who emerges surprises those who even know her legend, that of the Queen of the South. Other cast members include renowned Spanish actors Ivan Sanchez, Cristina Urgel, and Alberto Jimenez. Produced in high definition by Telemundo Studios, La Reina del Sur was shot on location in Morocco, Mexico, Spain and Colombia.

Source:  The Nielsen Company, NPM, Live+SD.  AA Reach projections, 2/28/11-3/4/11, 6 min qualifier.  Reina vs. strict daypart Mon-Fri 10p-11p, 3/8/11.  M-F 7-11pm & M-Su 7-11pm strict daypart, A18-49, 3/29/10-4/25/10 vs. 3/28/11-4/24/11.

SOURCE Telemundo