One year ago, the future of popular reality TV series Larrymania and its star, Larry Hernandez, were in question.

On Sept. 25, 2015, Hernandez — a regional Mexican music star known for narco-corridos, songs that glamorize the Mexican drug lords — was prevented from boarding a Southwest Airlines flight from Ontario, Calif., to Denver by airport police who received a warrant for his arrest.  The warrant, issued in South Carolina, accused Hernandez of kidnapping, assault, and assault and battery causing injury.

That put Larrymania into best-of mode and sent NBC Universo execs into a mini crisis-mode.

Today, Larrymania is two episodes into its fifth season. Viewers have enjoyed catching up on the launch of a new beauty line from Hernandez’s fiancée, Kenia. They’ve also seen Larry enjoy a day off with the guys that takes an unexpected competitive turn.

Thus, all is well — for now — with Larrymania, which returned to the 9 p.m. Eastern time slot on the NBCUniversal pay-TV network on Nov. 27.

The reality show is arguably one of the most-watched programs on NBC Universo and is one of the few holdover programs from the network’s previous incarnation, mun2. That’s why media reports of what Hernandez was accused of were so concerning to network executives.

In late October 2015, it became known that Hernandez was charged with wrapping a man in plastic sheeting; forcing him into his hotel room with “several associates of Hernandez”; and beating him when Hernandez wasn’t paid in full for an August performance in the small agricultural town of Newbury, S.C., where many first-generation Mexican and Central American immigrants have settled.

At first, NBC Universo VP/Communications Peter Dobrow declined to comment on future plans for the series.

By February 2016, it became clear that Hernandez’s legal troubles would not be immediately resolved. With Hernandez out on bail, the network green-lighted a fifth season of Larrymania.

Alluding to his troubles, Hernandez said, “This new season of Larrymania will no doubt be very special because many different things have happened in my life. This is a new chapter of my life I want to share with my fans.”

There has been little discussion of Hernandez’s legal situation since February, when it was believed all charged would be dropped over suspicions the star was framed by another individual.

One thing is clear: The only thing Hernandez needs to worry about at the moment is Larrymania’s performance in the Nielsen ratings.

Larrymania will reign once more on NBC Universo this summer — just three months after what could have been a potentially career-ending situation for star Larry Hernandez.

NBC Universo has renewed the reality series starring regional Mexican music star Hernandez, whom the network calls an “unstoppable artist with no filter,” for a fifth season. The show and the singer’s career were threatened last November, when Hernandez was arrested on an outstanding warrant on kidnapping and assault charges at an airport in Ontario, Calif., and extradited to South Carolina.

Larrymania , the No. 1 Hispanic cable-television program among viewers ages 18-49, was one of the few series to survive last February’s conversion of youth-focused cable network mun2 into general-entertainment service NBC Universo.

Alluding to his troubles, Hernandez said, “This new season of Larrymania will no doubt be very special because many different things have happened in my life. This is a new chapter of my life I want to share with my fans.”

Production on the latest season of Larrymania began Jan. 23, with the filming of a concert at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theatre.

As a musician, Hernandez has become one of Latin music’s top regional Mexican artists, fueled by controversial “narco corridos” featuring lyrics and themes tied to Mexico’s drug-trafficking subculture. His career was put on pause Sept. 25, when Hernandez was prevented from boarding a Southwest Airlines flight from Ontario, Calif. to Denver by airport police.

He was arrested on an outstanding warrant from South Carolina, where he was charged with kidnapping, assault and assault and battery from an alleged August incident in that state.

“Larry remains authentic as ever to his fans,” Larrymania executive prodcucer Gloria Medel Solomons said in a statement. “Their love and support got him through some tough times this past year, and I'm excited that we will be giving fans a much-anticipated season in which they will continue to get an unfiltered look into Larry's life on- and off-stage, with a few surprises along the way.”

Put in a difficult spot, NBC Universo ultimately opted to support Hernandez — and to not put a top-rated series and its sponsors in a quandary. Reruns of the series and special compilation shows aired from Nov. 5 through Dec. 3 as Hernandez prepared his defense.

As of Jan. 29, Hernandez’s case had been pushed back, due in part to evidence from two video’s broadcast on Telemundo’s Al Rojo Vivo news program in late December. In one video, Hernandez and alleged victim Jose Andrade are seen walking into a hotel together on the alleged night of the assault. Footage shows Andrade exiting the hotel alone with no visible bruises.

Andrade had claimed that Hernandez had held him against his will in the hotel, wrapping him in plastic and beating him following a dispute over payment for a concert in Newbury, S.C.

A second video believed to have been shot inside the hotel room, though, includes the voice of a man believed to be Hernandez saying he will beat up Andrade and another concert promoter, Roberto Gomez.

At press time, Hernandez’s legal team was working to shore up additional evidence they believe will clear the star of all charges.

The arrest of Larrymania star Larry Hernandez has put the NBCUniverso series, one of Spanish-language television’s most successful unscripted programs, into best-of mode.

On Sept. 25, the regional Mexican music star was prevented from boarding a Southwest Airlines flight from Ontario, Calif. to Denver by airport police who received a warrant for his arrest. The warrant, issued in South Carolina, accused Hernandez of kidnapping, assault, and assault and battery causing injury.

Hernandez is one of Latin music’s top regional Mexican artists, fueled by his controversial “narco corridos” featuring lyrics and themes tied to Mexico’s drug-trafficking subculture. Larrymania — billed as an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the star’s life — recently started its fifth season on NBCUniverso, with tales of a surprise trip to Hawaii, following a romantic trip to Paris for Hernandez and his now-fiancée, Kenia.

Larrymania is the No. 1 Hispanic cable-TV program among viewers age 18-49 and one of Spanish-language television’s most successful unscripted programs. It wrapped up its third season in August of 2014 with an average audience of 117,000 18-to-49-year-olds tuning in each Sunday at 9 p.m.

In fact, Larrymania’s popularity helped it outlive the network it launched on  — the youth-targeted mun2 — which was rebranded into the general-interest NBC Universo in February of 2015.

By late October, media reports offered further details of what Hernandez is being charged with: Wrapping a man in plastic sheeting; forcing him into his hotel room with “several associates of Hernandez”; and beating him when Hernandez wasn’t paid in full for an August performance in the small agricultural town of Newbury, S.C. Some 9.5% of Newbury’s 10,600 residents are Hispanic.

At first, NBC Universo’s communications team, which had relentlessly promoted every episode of Larrymania with weekly press updates in both English and Spanish, declined comment on Hernandez’s legal situation. When contacted in mid-October by Hispanic Television Update, NBC Universo VP of communications Peter Dobrow said: “NBC Universo continues to air reruns of the series. However at this time we are not commenting on future plans for the series.”

On Nov. 3, NBC Universo affirmed its decision to stick with best-of episodes, noting in a statement that it would air “special programming” each Thursday from 9 to 11 p.m. featuring “many unforgettable moments from the hit reality series’ last four seasons.”

The specials began airing on Nov. 5 and will run through Dec. 3. The programming is in response to “loyal fans that have demonstrated support for their idol,” the network said.

The announcement from NBC Universo came just days after Hernandez broke his silence on YouTube, the media platform that first brought him notoriety. Freed on a $200,000 bond some three weeks after his arrest, Hernandez appeared to be back in his Southern California home.

In the video, Hernandez said: “It’s not, as some in very bad faith have said, because I’m looking to sell an exclusive interview. My interest at no time is one of economic gain for an interest that narrates or reviews what has been a nightmare for me.”

Up next for Hernandez: A Dec. 31 court date to discuss probable cause.

NBC Universo has offered no visibility past Dec. 3 on what it intends to do with Larrymania. But new episodes could be back on the air sooner rather than later, thanks to a new twist in South Carolina.

José Andrade, the alleged victim in the case, was arrested in early November amid accusations of fraud tied to financial loans. While this case is unrelated to that of Hernandez, Andrade’s legal difficulties could greatly hinder the case against Larrymania’s star.

Meanwhile, Hernandez is back in action as a performer: He officially returned to the stage Nov. 13 in Dallas, following a Nov. 5 appearance on Estrella TV’s Premios de La Radio awards show. There, Hernandez was nominated for Best Performer of the Year and as the hottest social-media star of 2015.

On Sept. 7 at 8 p.m., Univision viewers got their first look at the talent squaring off in the network’s new song-rich reality-competition show, Va Por Ti.

Viewers also got their first chance to build their brand awareness and affinity for Coors Light, Glade, MetroPCS, Nissan North America and pharma giant Boehringer Ingelheim.

The five companies have signed on as integrated sponsors for the series. As such, each will be prominently featured throughout in customized programming content, co-created with Univision, as well as through traditional spots.

A co-production of Televisa and Univision, Va Por Ti  features three teams of contestants, each mentored by such Latin recording acts as regional Mexican artist El Dasa, former RBD member Dulce Maria and pop star Jencarlos Canela. Alejandra Guzman (pictured) and Larry Hernandez are featured as celebrity judges, and one internationally renowned Latin recording artist will be a guest judge each week.

“We know that our platforms provide powerful and one-of-a-kind engagement opportunities between brands and Hispanic consumers,” Keith Turner, Univision Communications president of advertising sales and marketing, said. “As more brands embrace the importance of engaging Hispanic consumers, we continue to develop culturally relevant platforms to help our marketing partners connect organically with this important audience.”

Boehringer Ingelheim is sponsoring the “El Duelo” (Last Chance Duel) segment in which two contestants with the lowest votes fight for their chance to stay. The contestants will have an opportunity to perform one song before the judges decide who should be eliminated. The pharmaceutical company will also sponsor the “La Revancha” (Afterlife) challenge, in which eliminated contestants are featured in a digital only, one-on-one competition on Univision’s Va Por Ti website for a chance to get voted back onto the show.

Viewers will vote digitally for their choice based on footage from the contestant’s last performance, and the online winner will be brought back for the TV show’s final phase. In addition to the in-show features, Boehringer Ingelheim will also promote its Hispanic branding campaign, “Cuida Tu Don,” which promotes awareness and diagnosis of Type-2 diabetes through a series of ads featuring Sabado Gigante host Don Francisco.

Coors Light will present “El Lounge de Coors Light” (The Coors Light Lounge), a weekly heart-to-heart segment with one of the contestants of legal drinking age. In the segment, a team captain will help dig deeper for inspiration to make that week’s performance bigger and better.

Glade will sponsor the “Sala de Inspiración Glade” (Glade Inspiration Lounge), an area backstage where contestants re-energize during rehearsal and talk about their experience on camera. The “Sala de Inspiración Glade” will feature exclusive interviews by fans who will ask contestants questions via Twitter or Vine. 

Interviews and other content from the “Sala de Inspiración Glade” will also be featured online. Glade will also have an on-air presence on Univision morning show Despierta América and Sábado Gigante, with recurring featured integrations throughout the course of Va Por Ti’s first run.

Meanwhile, MetroPCS will sponsor the toll-free audience weekly voting number for contestants that are up for elimination, giving fans the power to decide who will stay and who will go. Each week, MetroPCS will also reward a deserving contestant with the opportunity to connect with loved ones through their MetroPCS devices. Furthermore, MetroPCS will sponsor wrap-up segments of the previous night’s show on Despierta América and teaser segments leading up to the Sunday broadcast of entertainment news-and-gossip show El Gordo y La Flaca.

Finally, Nissan North America will sponsor the “Va Por Ti Moments” segment of each week’s show. At any point during the competition, one of the judges could reward a contestant’s performance by classifying it as a “Va Por Ti Moment.” That contestant is then given a chance to sing a duet with the guest judge in a segment later in the show. Nissan will also reunite the top three contestants with their families during the final show prior to revealing the overall winner.

Some 28 contestants are competing to be the next Latin music star in this new reality show. Celebrity judges will evaluate the performance of the singers, and one contestant will win a $50,000 cash prize while embarking on a path that could have them become the world’s newest Latin singing sensation.

According to Univision, the Sept. 7 premiere episode reached 5.8 million total viewers 2-plus who watched all or part of Va Por Ti’s inaugural three-hour broadcast. Nationally, it delivered more adults 18-49 and adults 18-34 than ABC’s special presentation of The ABC’s of Schoolhouse Rock and the finale of Wipeout as well as first-run airings of CBS’s 60 Minutes, Unforgettable and Reckless.