Disney+'s Diary of a Future President is sweet Disney fare, but don't expect much Gina Rodriguez

The Hollywood Reporter

The drama series telling how a Cuban-American girl named Elena became president of the United States is wholesome, well-intentioned and solidly produced, but it's aimed at a younger audience, says Daniel Fienberg. "Ilana Peña's Diary of a Future President, the first new scripted Disney+ show to premiere since November — and actually the first Disney+ show from an outside studio (CBS TV) — isn't likely to be a Mandalorian-sized, all-ages sensation, but it's full of sweet moments, positive messages and an admirably progressive streak, even if marks a bit of a bait-and-switch as Gina Rodriguez's first post-Jane the Virgin project," he says. Fienberg adds: "Rodriguez, who directs the pilot with requisite empathy and a light touch, doesn't appear again in the five episodes sent for review, nor is Elena's future status mentioned. I'm not sure the show requires Rodriguez's onscreen presence or the overt foreshadowing to work, but it's an odd thing to promise and then move away from." ALSO: How Crazy Ex-Girlfriend helped inspire Diary of a Future President.