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Telenovela is the Spanish and Portuguese word for prime time serial or soap opera.
Spanish language prime time serials, or telenovelas, are produced in all Spanish speaking countries, and the United States. Portuguese language telenovelas made in Brazil are also dubbed into Spanish for the Latin American market. Telenovelas are usually aired during prime time.
Some of the most famous telenovelas have come from Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Spain, and Puerto Rico. In Spain they are also called culebrón ("long snake") because of the convoluted plots and large number of episodes, usually in the hundreds.
However, unlike American soap operas, which can endure for decades with an ever rotating cast of players and characters, most Latin American telenovelas have an average run of four months, and have few cast changes within the course of a serial.
Telenovelas are not only immensely popular in Latin America, Spain, and in Hispanic communities in the United States, but also have a wide following in Russia, Eastern Europe, France, China, the Philippines, and Japan as well.
In Argentina, they are usually produced by Telefe and Pol-ka, in Brazil they are usually produced by Rede Globo, SBT or Bandeirantes, in Venezuela they are usually produced by Venevision or Radio Caracas Television, in Mexico by Televisa and TV Azteca, in Puerto Rico, they were produced by WAPA-TV or Telemundo Puerto Rico. In the United States, Telemundo and Univision, mostly importers of Latin American soap operas, have started producing telenovelas with Latin American casts and, in the case of Telemundo, Mexican producers (Producciones Argos).
Famous telenovelas
Arguably the most popular and influential telenovela ever was Simplemente María, which also gained popularity outside of Spanish-speaking regions.
Some of the most famous telenovelas in history include:
Brazil
- O Clone ("The Clone")
- Escrava Isaura ("Isaura, the Slave")
- Dancin' Days
- Roque Santeiro
- Rainha da Sucata ("Queen of the Scrap Iron")
Mexico
Televisa
- Amor En Silencio ("Silent Love")
- Bodas de Odio ("Hate Weddings")
- Carrusel ("Merry Go Round")
- Corazón Salvaje ("Savage Heart")
- Cuna de Lobos ("Den of Wolfes")
- Dos Mujeres, un Camino ("Two Women, One Path")
- El Derecho de Nacer ("The Right to Be Born")
- El Extraño Retorno de Diana Salazar ("The Strange Return of Diana Salazar")
- El Premio Mayor ("The Grand Prize")
- Gitanas ("Gypsies")
- La Usurpadora ("The Supplanter")
- Los Ricos También Lloran ("The Rich Also Cry")
- Maria la del Barrio ("Maria from the Barrio")
- Rosa Salvaje ("Savage Rose")
- Rubi
- Simplemente María ("Simply Maria")
- Volver A Empezar ("Starting Over")
TV Azteca
- Azul Tequila ("Tequila Blue")
- Como En El Cine ("Like in the Movies")
- El Candidato ("The Candidate")
- La Chacala ("She-Jackal")
- La Hija del Jardinero ("The Gardener's Daughter")
- Mirada de Mujer ("Womans Look")
- Nada Personal ("Nothing Personal")
Argentina
- Amándote ("Loving You")
- Los Roldán ("The Roldans")
- Muñeca brava ("Wild Doll")
- Nino, las cosas simples de la vida ("Nino, the Simple Facts of Life")
- Pinina
Colombia
- Betty La Fea ("Ugly Betty")
- Pedro El Escamoso ("Pedro the Gigolo")
Peru
- Cazando a un Millonario ("Hunting a Millionaire")
Puerto Rico
- Amanda Guzman, Culpable ("Amanda Guzman, Guilty")
- Coralito
- Cristina Bazan
- Poquita Cosa ("Not Good Enough")
- Tanairi
- Vivir Para Ti ("Living for You")
- Yo Se Que Mentia ("I Know He Lied")
The last Puerto Rican produced telenovela was in 1989.
Venezuela
- Amores de Barrio Adentro ("Romance Inside the Neighborhood")
- Amores de Fin de Siglo ("Romance at the End of the Century")
- Cara Sucia ("Dirty Face")
- Cristal
- Doña Bárbara
- La Hija de Juana Crespo ("Juana Crespo's Daugther")
- Kassandra
- Por estas calles ("By Those Streets")
- Raquel
- Rosario
- Señora de Cárdenas ("Mrs. Cardenas")
- Topacio ("Topaz")
- Juana La Virgen ("Juana the Virgin")
Actors and actresses
Some of the famous actors and actresses who have made their mark in these shows include:
Argentina
Brazil
- Antônio Fagundes
- Glória Pires
- Lucélia Santos
- Maitê Proença
- Raul Cortez
- Regina Duarte
- Susana Vieira
- Tarcísio Meira
- Tony Ramos
Colombia
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Mexico
Puerto Rico
Venezuela
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