Mainstream television will welcome two new Latina stars in leading roles this fall.

Indie film star Gina Rodriguez ("Filly Brown," "Go for It!") will star in The CW's "Jane the Virgin," a U.S. adaptation of a Venezuelan telenovela, San Antonio Express-News reports. Stand-up comedian Cristela Alonzo, who has written for "Mind of Mencia," will star in her co-creation, ABC's "Cristela."

"If you look at shows now that seem to lack diversity, they actually feel dated because America doesn't look like that anymore," ABC Entertainment Group President Paul Lee told TV critics. "People want to see what they live, and they want to see voices that reflect the America that they know."

Having two Latinas lead in mainstream shows is a rarity. In June, a Columbia University report revealed that in 2013, no Latino man or Latina woman had a lead role in any of the top-10 scripted network TV programs. Latinas were found to represent just 9.5 percent of supporting female TV roles.

The actresses know how much responsibility being a Latina on the small screen entails, which is why Rodriguez previously turned down what she called a "limiting" role on Lifetime's "Devious Maids."

"You know, being a maid is fantastic," the 28-year-old Puerto Rican descendant said. "I have many family members that have fed many of their families on doing that job, but there are other stories that need to be told and I think that the media is a venue to educate and teach our next generation. I wasn't going to let my introduction to the world be one of a story that I think has been told. I wanted it to be a story that was going to liberate young girls and say, 'Wow, there we are, too, and we're the doctors, and we're the teachers, and we're the writers, and we're the lawyers and I can do that too."

Alonzo, who is from San Juan, Texas near the U.S.-Mexico border. aims to avoid stereotypes with her new series.

"The name of the show is my name," the 35-year-old explained. "In stand-up, the name is all you've got. So for me, I have to be sure that everything that I put out in this show is accurate and, most of all, like it kind of matches my stand-up, which is very non-offensive and non-stereotypical."

"Cristela" co-creator Kevin Hench promised to honor the comedian's "truth."

"She guides us and teaches us through every step of it, and she's in the room, and when we pitch ideas that aren't right, she has no problem saying, 'No, a Latino family would never do that,'" Hench said.

This fall, Latino actors will also reportedly have important roles in ABC's "American Crime" and "Forever," which stars Alana de la Garza ("All My Children") in the female lead.

"Jane the Virgin" premieres Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. on The CW. "Cristela" premieres Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. on ABC

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Follow Scharon Harding on Twitter: @ScharHar.

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