Cristela Alonzo, creator, executive producer and star of ABC’s recently cancelled sitcom “Cristela,” shared how she felt about the series ending on her personal site yesterday. Alonzo wrote about what the show meant to her as well as to the viewers. Here are a few excerpts.

The name of the show wasn’t the only thing personal for Alonzo.

The setting of the show took place in a real time in my life, a really sad time of my life. … I chose this era because while it was the hardest time of my life, it was also a time that I thought a lot of families could connect with, especially now. … I thought, ‘If I could tell MY story about what happened to me, maybe others can connect to it.’

The comedian wanted to depict her family exactly as it was.

I thought it was important to show my family because there had never been one like that on TV before. A lot of the time, Latinos are shown as cholos/cholas that ride around in lowriders. I didn’t grow up that way but I always respected authentic stories that (as you’ll find in movies like Mi Vida Loca) showed that life because that lifestyle is someone’s reality…. I wish I could’ve written a show based on my life that showed my family kicking butt…like we were Latino Huxtables but that wasn’t my truth. And maybe I will create that show one day, who knows.

Alonzo realized that the show touched more people than she ever knew. 

My favorite things to hear were when people would tell me that FINALLY there was someone like them on TV and that they loved that it was a show they could watch with their parents or children. They felt like finally someone was representing them. I loved that…. To see how many of you loved my family is overwhelming. This past weekend, I’ve also gotten messages from people that told me how much my show inspired them to do something with their lives. People told me that they decided to go to college for the first time, others told me they’re going back to school. I have people telling me that their Latino kids are joining the drama club at their school. … If these people made these changes because of ‘Cristela,’ then the show has served its purpose.

Read the full post here.