Sitcom: Running Water Main Characters:

¶ … Sitcom: Running Water

Main characters: Martha and Ivette

Secondary characters: Martha's sons Rene and Eduardo

Ages of the women: Martha 35; Ivette

Ages of the sons: Rene 11; Eduardo

Relationship to other characters: Martha is the mother of Eduardo and Rene; Martha and Ivette live in the same apartment complex

Ethnicity: Cuban-America

Physical description: Martha is tall (5'9) and slim

Physical description: Ivette is of slightly above average height (5'6) and curvy

Clothing/hair style: Martha has long, wavy black long hair and wears fairly plain, neat clothing (pants or jeans and plain t-shirts)

Clothing/hair style: Ivette has curly brown hair and wears short skirts and jean shorts

Best characteristics of Martha: gentle, generous, honest

Best characteristics of Ivette: Sarcastic, funny, sincere

Worst characteristics of Martha: Cannot see the faults of others

Worst characteristics of Ivette: Pessimistic and sarcastic

Attitude of Martha: Positive attitude towards adopting a new culture

Attitude of Ivette: Negative attitude towards the new culture, misses her friends and family back in Cuba

Life goals of Martha: To become a professional health care worker in the U.S. And see her sons to college

Life goals of Ivette: To enjoy herself and get married

Distinguishing elements: The women work very hard to make a life for themselves in America, although they have different attitudes towards their new country

Most important thing to know: Martha was a nurse in Cuba but because her degree does not transfer over to America, she now works as a cleaning lady in a school. She goes to school at night. Ivette never attended college and works in a shampoo-bottling factory

What kind of place is it?

Miami Beach is a very diverse area, but it is dominated by persons of Cuban ancestry. It is divided between persons who are long-term residents of the area, with many long-standing second and third-generation Cubans as well as new immigrants

Where is it located?

As new immigrants, the family is located in a relatively lower-middle class neighborhood. This is a dramatic difference from their experience in Cuba, where there was greater perceived social equality.

How is it affected by the world?

Miami has become increasingly trendy in recent decades and persons of a wide variety of different backgrounds are flocking to the scene there. The delicate balance of ethnicities in the city is becoming upset. Also, the influx of new wealth has made the city more stratified than ever before.

What kind of neighborhood is it in?

A middle class apartment complex mainly dominated by recent immigrants

What is its structure?

The families coming in and out of the complex are relatively transient, making for a fluid social structure.

Miscellaneous details:

Martha and Ivette argue constantly: even when they know nothing about American culture, they both have opinions on the subject (ditto regarding men). Everything about the U.S. takes them by surprise, from ATMs to running water. For example, when they try to buy clothes they try to 'barter' with the salesmen, as if they were doing business in Cuba, where the best and cheapest merchandise is hidden from view.

Setting

Geographic Location: Miami, a city with a large Cuban population

Time period: 2004, the last year in Cuba people won a lottery for the right to come to the U.S.A.

Environment: A high percentage of recent immigrants and Cuban families

Surroundings: beaches

Primary location: Hialeah, Florida

What kind of place is it?

A place with many poor people -- and rich people

Where is it located?

In a Miami apartment complex

How is it affected by the world around it?

Miami is 'Little Havana' -- it has many Cuban refugees from various eras because of Castro's regime.

What kind of neighborhood is it in?

Lower middle class apartment complex

What is its structure?

Constantly bustling, full of many cultures and ethnicities, although Cuban-Americans predominate.

What does it look like?

Clean, functional, but very impersonal-looking apartment blocks.

What does it contain?

Mainly recent Cuban immigrants

What is its aesthetic?

The aesthetic is very functional, since the area is mainly dominated by recent immigrants coming from underdeveloped countries to the United States.

What does it say about the characters who inhabit that space?

The characters are very new to the United States and are unfamiliar with its social expectations.

Target Demographic: Hispanic-Americans

Gender: As with most relationship-driven sitcoms, more female than male.

Geographic Location: Residents of Latin American-dominated neighborhoods in Miami, New York, and Los Angeles

Age Range: 20 something and older

Education: high school to some college

Ethnicity: Latino, with heavily skewed towards Cubans

Conservative/Liberal Status: Cubans tend to be politically conservative

Socio Economic Class: Middle Class

Q1.What is the significance of the sitcom?

Not since Ricky Ricardo has Cuban-Americans had a prominent, starring role in a major sitcom.

Q2.What is the format of the show?

Sitcom

Q3. What is the style of the show?

Single camera

Q4What is the tone of the entire show?

Humorous

Q5.What kind of humor is used in the show?

'Fish out of water.' Humor is not dark and sarcastic but warm and loving.

Q6.What is the show's identifying element/characteristic?

The contrast between the perceptions of recent immigrants and current residents of America

Q7.What types of issues/situations would future episodes raise?

Diversity/immigration issues

Q8. If you were to summarize the entire show in one sentence what would it be?

How does America look in the eyes of a recent Cuban immigrant?

Q10.How it is uniquely American?

It showcases the American experience: the contrast between new and former immigrants, specifically the Cuban-American experience.