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 "title": "Acapulco (2021 TV series)",
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 "excerpt": "Acapulco is a bilingual Apple TV+ comedy (2021-2025) created by Austin Winsberg, Eduardo Cisneros, and Jason Shuman, based on How to Be a Latin Lover, starring Eugenio Derbez and Enrique Arrizon as Máximo Gallardo at the 1984 Las Colinas resort; four seasons, 40 episodes.",
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 "markdown": "# Acapulco (2021 TV series)\n\n**Acapulco** is a Spanish- and English-language comedy series that premiered on Apple TV+ on October 8, 2021, starring and executive produced by [Eugenio Derbez](https://www.edgepedia.org/eugenio-derbez). Set in 1984, it follows 20-something Máximo Gallardo (Enrique Arrizon), whose dream comes true when he gets the job of a lifetime as a cabana boy at Las Colinas, only to find the work far more complicated than he imagined. Derbez narrates the series and plays the present-day version of Máximo.<sup>[1](https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/news/2021/09/apples-acapulco-a-new-spanish-and-english-language-series-starring-eugenio-derbez-debuts-trailer-ahead-of-global-premiere-on-october-8/)</sup>\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Premiere | October 8, 2021, exclusively on Apple TV+<sup>[1](https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/news/2021/09/apples-acapulco-a-new-spanish-and-english-language-series-starring-eugenio-derbez-debuts-trailer-ahead-of-global-premiere-on-october-8/)</sup> |\n| Creators | Austin Winsberg, Eduardo Cisneros, and Jason Shuman<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/acapulco)</sup> |\n| Premise | Young Máximo Gallardo (Enrique Arrizon) works as a cabana boy at the Las Colinas resort in 1984; older Máximo (Eugenio Derbez) narrates<sup>[1](https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/news/2021/09/apples-acapulco-a-new-spanish-and-english-language-series-starring-eugenio-derbez-debuts-trailer-ahead-of-global-premiere-on-october-8/)</sup> |\n| Origin | Based on the 2017 film *How to Be a Latin Lover*<sup>[3](https://www.epguides.com/acapulco/)</sup> |\n| Run | Four seasons of 10 episodes each, 40 episodes total, from October 2021 to the series finale on September 17, 2025<sup>[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/52193/acapulco)</sup> |\n| Main cast | Eugenio Derbez, Enrique Arrizon, Fernando Carsa, Damián Alcázar, Camila Perez, Chord Overstreet<sup>[3](https://www.epguides.com/acapulco/)</sup> |\n| Reception | Season 1 holds a 100% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes; the series averages 85% on the audience Popcornmeter<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/acapulco)</sup> |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and structure\n\nThe story runs on two timelines. In 1984, the young Máximo Gallardo takes what he believes is the job of a lifetime as a cabana boy at Las Colinas, a hot-pink painted luxury hotel in the resort city for which the show is named, and must learn to navigate demanding clientele, a mercurial mentor, and a complicated home life without losing his way to shortcuts or temptations.<sup>[1](https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/news/2021/09/apples-acapulco-a-new-spanish-and-english-language-series-starring-eugenio-derbez-debuts-trailer-ahead-of-global-premiere-on-october-8/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://maximumfun.org/transcripts/bullseye-with-jesse-thorn/transcript-bullseye-with-jesse-thorn-eugenio-derbez/)</sup> In the present day, the older Máximo, played by Derbez, narrates the story and, as the seasons progress, returns to Acapulco where he intersects with people from his past.<sup>[6](https://lasemanadelsur.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/La-Semana-Edition-1102-03-09-2022-1.pdf)</sup>\n\nEach season advances the 1980s storyline by a year. Season three is set in a vibrant 1985 alongside the present day, with younger Máximo risking his relationships as he climbs the success ladder while older Máximo confronts past decisions.<sup>[7](https://www.nhmc.org/amp-content/acapulco/)</sup> Season four moves to 1986, when a competitor claims the number one spot in the annual ranking of Acapulco's \"Best Hotels\" and young Máximo does whatever it takes to restore Las Colinas to the top, while the older Máximo works to bring the hotel back to life before its grand reopening.<sup>[8](https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/originals/acapulco/)</sup>\n\n### Seasons and release history\n\nThe first season premiered on October 8, 2021.<sup>[1](https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/news/2021/09/apples-acapulco-a-new-spanish-and-english-language-series-starring-eugenio-derbez-debuts-trailer-ahead-of-global-premiere-on-october-8/)</sup> Apple renewed the bilingual comedy for a second season, with production beginning in spring 2022 in Mexico; season two premiered in October 2022.<sup>[6](https://lasemanadelsur.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/La-Semana-Edition-1102-03-09-2022-1.pdf)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/acapulco)</sup> Season three premiered in May 2024.<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/acapulco)</sup>\n\nThe fourth and final season debuted on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, and the series concluded with its tenth episode, \"Never Gonna Give You Up,\" on September 17, 2025, in which present-day Máximo makes one last effort with Julia while, in 1986, he plans a proposal.<sup>[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/52193/acapulco)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/originals/acapulco/)</sup> Across its run the show released 10 episodes per season, 40 in total, with episodes running roughly 30 minutes.<sup>[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/52193/acapulco)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.epguides.com/acapulco/)</sup>\n\n## Cast\n\nEnrique Arrizon plays the young Máximo Gallardo Ramos, and Eugenio Derbez plays the adult Máximo. The supporting cast includes Fernando Carsa as Guillermo \"Memo\" Reyes, [Damián Alcázar](https://www.edgepedia.org/damian-alcazar) as Don Pablo Bonilla, Camila Perez as Julia Gonzales, and [Chord Overstreet](https://www.edgepedia.org/chord-overstreet) as Chad Davies.<sup>[3](https://www.epguides.com/acapulco/)</sup>\n\nCasting choices were tied to the show's approach to identity. Creator Austin Winsberg said that when actors were not from Mexico, such as Rafael Cebrián (head pool boy Hector), who is from Spain, or Camila Perez (receptionist Julia), who is from Colombia, the scripts addressed that they were not Mexican, because there is a difference between being from Colombia or Spain and being Mexican.<sup>[9](https://www.tvline.com/lists/acapulco-season-2-premiere-preview-apple-tv-plus/)</sup>\n\n## Creation and intent\n\n**A deliberate tone.** Winsberg, who co-created the series with the Mexican-born producer and writer Eduardo Cisneros and Jason Shuman, said telling an authentic story about a Mexican family was hugely important to him. He explained that the show infuses its story with \"joy and light\" because, in a show about predominantly Mexican and Latinx people, it matters not to have a series about criminals and crime, and instead to paint a positive picture of communities and culture.<sup>[9](https://www.tvline.com/lists/acapulco-season-2-premiere-preview-apple-tv-plus/)</sup> Derbez made the same point in a Mexican interview, saying he wanted to show that Mexico is not all narcos, criminals, and prostitution, the image that foreign films and series have insisted on presenting.<sup>[10](https://www.timeoutmexico.mx/ciudad-de-mexico/cine/eugenio-derbez-presenta-acapulco-la-nueva-serie-de-appletv)</sup>\n\nThe series was one of the first original Spanish-language productions Apple TV+ acquired, and its creators spent more than two years developing the pilot and characters. There were extensive discussions about the show being bilingual and how much of it should be in Spanish versus English.<sup>[11](https://www.produ.com/ushispanic/noticias/apple-tv-acapulco-taught-us-the-importance-of-being-more-authentic/)</sup> French coverage at launch described it as Apple TV+'s first coproduction intended for a Latino audience, and as a serial expansion of the 2017 film *[How to Be a Latin Lover](https://www.edgepedia.org/how-to-be-a-latin-lover)*, in which Derbez played Máximo Gallardo, a Mexican businessman of modest origins.<sup>[12](https://www.lemonde.fr/series/article/2021/10/19/this-way-up-acapulco-maid-trois-idees-de-series_6098898_5439376.html)</sup>\n\n## Reception\n\nSeason one holds a 100% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, and the series averages 85% on the site's audience Popcornmeter based on more than 250 ratings.<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/acapulco)</sup> The National Hispanic Media Coalition describes it as a critically acclaimed bilingual comedy.<sup>[7](https://www.nhmc.org/amp-content/acapulco/)</sup> Derbez has framed the show's appeal in family terms: in a world with so much violence and negative news, he said, Acapulco is one of the few series you can watch with your children and grandparents with no sex and no drugs, and nobody is offended.<sup>[13](https://www.elcolombiano.com/entretenimiento/television/entrevista-con-eugenio-derbez-por-acapulco-apple-tv-camila-perez-y-enrique-arrizon-DN24386027)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [Apple's \"Acapulco,\" a new Spanish- and English-language series starring Eugenio Derbez, debuts trailer ahead of global premiere on October 8, Apple TV Press (September 23, 2021)](https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/news/2021/09/apples-acapulco-a-new-spanish-and-english-language-series-starring-eugenio-derbez-debuts-trailer-ahead-of-global-premiere-on-october-8/)\n2. [Acapulco, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/acapulco)\n3. [Acapulco (2021), a Titles & Air Dates Guide, epguides.com](https://www.epguides.com/acapulco/)\n4. [Acapulco, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/52193/acapulco)\n5. [Bullseye with Jesse Thorn: Eugenio Derbez, transcript, Maximum Fun](https://maximumfun.org/transcripts/bullseye-with-jesse-thorn/transcript-bullseye-with-jesse-thorn-eugenio-derbez/)\n6. [La Semana del Sur, Edition 1102 (March 9, 2022)](https://lasemanadelsur.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/La-Semana-Edition-1102-03-09-2022-1.pdf)\n7. [Acapulco, National Hispanic Media Coalition](https://www.nhmc.org/amp-content/acapulco/)\n8. [Acapulco, Apple TV Press](https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/originals/acapulco/)\n9. [Acapulco Season 2 Premiere Preview, TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/lists/acapulco-season-2-premiere-preview-apple-tv-plus/)\n10. [Eugenio Derbez presenta Acapulco, la nueva serie de Apple TV+, Time Out México](https://www.timeoutmexico.mx/ciudad-de-mexico/cine/eugenio-derbez-presenta-acapulco-la-nueva-serie-de-appletv)\n11. [Apple TV+: Acapulco taught us the importance of being more authentic, PRODU](https://www.produ.com/ushispanic/noticias/apple-tv-acapulco-taught-us-the-importance-of-being-more-authentic/)\n12. [« This Way Up », « Acapulco », « Maid » : trois idées de séries, Le Monde (October 19, 2021)](https://www.lemonde.fr/series/article/2021/10/19/this-way-up-acapulco-maid-trois-idees-de-series_6098898_5439376.html)\n13. [\"En Estados Unidos me ha tocado reinventarme\": Eugenio Derbez, El Colombiano](https://www.elcolombiano.com/entretenimiento/television/entrevista-con-eugenio-derbez-por-acapulco-apple-tv-camila-perez-y-enrique-arrizon-DN24386027)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Sitcom and comedy series › American sitcoms and comedy series › 2020s cable and streaming comedies*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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 "speakable": "Acapulco is a bilingual Apple TV+ comedy created by Austin Winsberg, Eduardo Cisneros, and Jason Shuman, based on How to Be a Latin Lover, starring Eugenio Derbez and Enrique Arrizon as Máximo Gallardo at the 1984 Las Colinas resort; four seasons, 40 episodes."
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