Telenovela

From Freepedia

For the band Telenovela, see Telenovela (band).

Telenovela is a Spanish and Portuguese word for dramatic television series shown daily or televisionary soap opera.

Spanish-language prime time serials, or telenovelas, are produced in all Spanish-speaking countries, Brazil, Germany and the United States. Portuguese-language telenovelas made in Brazil are also dubbed into Spanish for the Latin American market. They are usually aired during prime time.

The first drama serials were first produced in Brazil, Cuba and Mexico with Sua vida me pertence ("Your life belongs to me", Brazil, 1950) showing twice a week, Senderos de amor ("Love paths", Cuba, 1951) and Ángeles de la calle ("Angels from the street", Mexico 1951) which was shown once a week. Mexico produced its first drama serial in the modern Telenovela format of Monday through Friday showing between 1957 and 1958 called Senda prohibida ("Forbidden path") of Fernanda Villeli and Brazil in 1963 with 2-5499 Ocupado ("2-5499 busy"). Venezuela produced its first telenovela in 1954 titled La criada de la granja ("The farmer's servant"). Puerto Rico produced its first telenovela in 1955 titled Ante la ley ("Before the law"). The first Colombian telenovela was El 0597 está ocupado ("Extension 0597 is busy", 1959). Peru produced its first telenovela in 1959 titled Bar Cristal ("Cristal Bar") and Panamá did so with En la esquina del Infierno ("On Hell's corner") in 1964. The first telenovela viewed in diferent countries was Simplemente María ("Simply Mary", Perú, 1969) The first global telenovela was Los ricos también lloran ("The rich cry too", Mexico, 1979) and was exported to Russia, China, United States, etc. A great success was also experienced with the Brazilian production Escrava Isaura ("The Slave Isaura", 1976), because it was watched by 450 million people in China, and actress Lucélia Santos became one of the more famous personalities in that country.

Currently, the most famous telenovelas have come from Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela. In Spain they are also called culebrón ("long snake") because of the convoluted plots and large number of episodes, of which the standard is 180.

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Worldwide appeal

Telenovelas are not only immensely popular in Latin America, Spain, Portugal, and in Hispanic communities in the United States, but also have a wide following in Russia, Eastern Europe, France, Malaysia, Singapore, China, the Philippines, and Japan as well.

In Argentina, they are usually produced by Telefe and Pol-ka; in Brazil, usually by Rede Globo, SBT, TV Record or Bandeirantes; in Chile by TVN and Canal 13; in Venezuela by Venevision or Radio Caracas Television; and 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 telenovelas, have started producing telenovelas with Latin American casts and, in the case of Telemundo, Mexican producers Producciones Argos.

In Mexico telenovelas are produced by the two main networks Televisa, which is the largest producer and exporter of Telenovelas and Spanish-language media, TV Azteca, and by the independent company Producciones Argos; these telenovelas are more traditional and one of the four main types is the stereotypical aimed at the working class, which explains their worldwide popularity—they are easy to understand and appropriate family viewing. The plots are often based on stories about a poor girl who falls in love with a rich man whose family spurns her. Four telenovelas are shown on Mexico's most-watched channel alone. Another type of telenovelas in Mexico are "era telenovela" and based on the early 20th century or before, during the colonial period (Martín Garatuza), the independence (El carruaje), the late 1800s (El vuelo del águila) and the revolution (Bodas de odio). A third type of telenovelas started with (Quinceañera) in the late 1980s, this is the "teen telenovela" which portrays the lives of high-school teenagers and their issues with sex, drugs and other coming-of age topics. The fourth type is the "musical telenovela" which portrays the lives of aspiring musicians such as in Alcanzar una estrella and its sequel Alcancar una estrella II.

Brazil's telenovelas are both more racy and apt to broach controversial subjects—many Brazilians can relate, because of the telenovelas' realistic depiction of the middle class, working class and upper class. Brazilian productions are the most expensively produced in Latin America. A teenage telenovela, Malhação ("Working Out") is the longest-running telenovela in Brazil. Telenovelas usually last 8 months at most in Brazil, but Malhação has been on the air since 1995. Four telenovelas are shown on Globo, Brazil's leading channel.

Venezuelan and Peruvian-Venezuelan productions are watched all over the world and have been dubbed into Russian, Greek, Filipino, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Arabic, among other languages.

Puerto Rico no longer produces telenovelas, although there are negotiations to reopen production there. One of the new productions is going to be called "Dueña y señora" which will be co-produced with Venevision Internacional and a 90% Puerto Rican cast.

Telenovelas are the most-watched shows in Latin America and are the top-rated shows in all Latin-American countries. Each telenovela runs 30, 60 or 90 minutes per episode.

The most-widely marketed telenovelas are Televisa's, from Mexico, followed by Globo's from Brazil. They are more popular worldwide than American, British and Australian soap operas combined.

Telenovela World Summit

The Third World Summit of the Telenovela and Fiction Industry ("3ra. Cumbre Mundial de la Industria de la Telenovela y la Ficción") will be held in Madrid, Spain on October 13th and 14th with the participation, for the first time, of Televisa, the #1 and oldest company in the Telenovela industry.

Other countries attending the conference are Argentina, Bosnia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Portugal Russia, Spain, Syria, Turkey, United States, Venezuela.

Awards

The most important Telenovela award show is hosted by the Televisa TVyNovelas magazine in Mexico. This magazine also has editions in Chile, Puerto Rico, United States.

Comparison with U.S. soap operas

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 eight months to a year. "Mundo de Juguete" is the exception to the rule, with a total of 605 chapters (1974-1977), and a few cast changes within the course of the serial.

Telenovelas also have a different type of story than English-language soaps. A popular plot is that of a poor, beautiful woman that meets a rich and handsome guy. They fall in love and he breaks up with his rich, evil and frivolous girlfriend to be with her, but the girlfriend (usually accompanied by the rich guy's mother or other close relative) stands in their way to happiness. Sometimes the struggle is ethnic (such as in Gitanas and Yesenia with gypsies, or in María Isabel with people of indigenous origin). A popular plot twist is also the discovery of the real father or mother of one of the main characters.

There are also stories in telenovelas that would never be shown on American soap operas, such as people with supernatural powers (El extraño retorno de Diana Salazar) or who have been cloned ("O Clone") as well as women who have raised over poverty and slavery through prostitution ("Xica da Silva").

Telenovelas comprise the great majority of the dramatic productions by South American TV networks whereas in the US other formats like sitcoms or TV dramas are more popular.

Famous telenovelas

Main article: List of telenovelas

Actors and actresses

Main article: List of telenovela actors

External links

Retrieved from "http://en.freepedia.org/Telenovela.html"


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