![]() ![]() The secret behind this phenomenon drives the plot and is only revealed at the end. Their “themed" soaps focus on a particular immigrant group and how they relate to the locals (Gypsies, Muslims, Italians, etc.) Or a particular setting (ex: circus.) One of my favorite Chilean teleseries ( Aquelarre) is about a small town with a strange problem: only females are born here. This is also the forte of Brazilian and Chilean telenovelas (known as teleseries). It should be noted that Televisa has been paying attention and has now branched out from their flat, one-dimensional antagonists in some of their soaps. Here you can find quirky antagonists you can’t hate (their plans always go wrong and they often have colorful sidekicks) like in Gallito Ramirez (with the popular singer Carlos Vives), Caballo Viejo and Me llaman Lolita. Except for Brazil, the other countries couldn’t compete with the expensive production of the Mexican telenovela empire, so they focused instead on telling different stories, displaying charming traditions and idiosyncrasies through eccentric and humorous characters. The writers/directors figured (around the 80s?) that in order to compete with the big Televisa monster, they had to offer an alternative for viewers. In Colombia, Chile and Brazil, this subgenre has proven very successful. ![]() The author of the groundbreaking Yo Soy Betty La Fea ( Ugly Betty ). It only took a few tweaks from the traditional mold (a charismatic protagonist who sings while collecting coffee grains and a hero whose weakness is aguardiente and an impotence problem only resolved in the arms of the heroine.) This telenovela sky-rocketed to novela royalty, together with the Venezuelan Cristal (which is currently in its second Televisa incarnation.)Ĭafé (1994) a classic and beloved Colombian telenovela written by Fernando Gaitán, It should be noted that when done right, this subgenre can be quite enjoyable, like the Colombian hit Café, con aroma de mujer. ![]() This category is the comfort food of many who like easy-to-follow plots and clear-cut good and bad characters. After all, they’re faster and cheaper to make, and they already have an audience. This easy, predictable plot still sells and Televisa would rather mass produce ten Big Macs than one Lobster meal. To be fair, it has been used in other countries, too. This is the bread and butter of the Mexican Televisa, the second largest media conglomerate (after the Brazilian Rede Globo). The traditional Cinderella-story that has given the genre a bad name. Let’s take a look at the different categories: But there are many that have broken away from the mold. Sure, many telenovelas follow this simple recipe. This formula, with hundreds of variations, is used over and over again. The common misconception is that all telenovelas are the same: poor girl falls in love with rich guy, guy must marry wicked/rich antagonist (pregnant with someone else’s child.) After a series of misunderstandings (and poor protagonist’s improved look and economical status) hero and heroine come together. Ramona (2000), based on the 1884 American novel writtenīy Helen Hunt Jackson, explores interracial relationships and incest. Stories with complex and three-dimensional characters, or plot twists that kept me on the edge of my seat (cursing that it was Friday and I had to wait till Monday for the next episode.) Some have touched me deeply or impressed me with their settings and costumes (admittedly, historical soaps are my favorite.) As a writer, I’ve been a weary observer of contrivances, clichés and predictability of some telenovelas, but I’ve also absorbed and learned from those with the flawed heroines, entangled relationships and unexpected developments. Stories that portray the idiosyncrasy, culture, history and charm of a country. But there are others that I still remember fondly, which have inspired and influenced my writing. A lifetime of watching soaps from many different countries, gives me the freedom to say without prejudice that many of them are bad and I probably shouldn’t have wasted my time on them. I admit openly and freely that I once was a telenovela lover. Writers would rather have their wisdom teeth pulled out than admit that at any point in their lives they watched a soap opera. Say the words telenovela* or soap opera among a literary circle and you will get one of two reactions: ![]()
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