While great TV shows keep us in our seats, telenovelas glue us to the screens. With the rise of streaming services like Netflix, these Latin American creations have become more accessible. However, out of them all, Mexican telenovelas seem to dominate the market, and for a good reason. However, how much do you know about these masterpieces of cinema?
Ever wondered where the telenovela shows originated? In 1951, Brazil produced the first Latin soap opera show — Sua vida me pertence. Soon after, Cuba and Mexico came out with their creations. Despite their origin countries, American audiences labeled all of them with the general term of Spanish telenovelas.
In the following decades, the soap opera genre enjoyed widespread popularity. Where American shows became more expensive and “quality” based, the Mexican soap operas went all in on the quantity side. When the streaming services became more popular, the need for content arose. In response, Mexico pumped out telenovelas one after another.
Want to learn more about the Mexican and Spanish soap operas? Well, stick to the end of the post. We will delve more into the creative and technical aspects of the genre and compare them to their American counterparts. When reading, make sure to upvote the shows you liked and comment below telenovela -worth stories if you have any!
How the Televisa Telenovelas Took Over (Not Literally) the World?
One company that comes close to dominating the market is the Mexican Televisa network house. For almost eight full decades, the Televisa telenovelas are some of the most recognizable and viewed media pieces — in and outside Mexico.
Their filmography started with the release of Senda Prohibida (1958) — the first telenovela in Mexico’s history. With 60 episodes, the series was a great success for the network, which at the time was called Telesistema Mexicano. With the short format and weekly release, the network invested in quantity.
The Best Telenovelas to Waste Time On
Instead of watching an overrated show, why not waste time on Latin soap operas? Look below to see the soap operas that should get more attention from the audience. Disagree with the positions? Make sure to upvote the series you liked and comment below if you watched one of them.
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Corazón Salvaje (Wild Heart)
1993-1994 | Episodes: 160
Wealthy sugar cane magnate Francisco Alcázar dies, leaving behind two sons: Andrés, who he had with his wife Sofía, and Juan, who was born as a result of Francisco’s affair before he was married. Unwilling to split her husband’s fortune between the boys, Sofía throws Juan out. Years later, Andrés returns home from Europe and is supposed to get married to Mónica, a girl from a noble family, but accidentally meets her younger sister Aimeé and falls for her. At the same time, Aimeé happens to meet Juan and is mesmerized by him but marries Andrés anyway. To prevent her continuing affair with Juan from becoming public, Mónica decides to marry Juan to protect her sister’s marriage. The happiness of all four young people comes under threat when Andrés finds out about the affair.
Cuna De Lobos (Den Of Wolves)
1986-1987 | Episodes: 170
Catalina Creel is bent on money and power. She even convinces everyone that her stepson José Carlos damaged her eye when he was a kid, just to diminish his position in the house. She is not particularly scrupulous and will get rid of anyone who stands between her and her wealth, including her own husband Carlos Larios when he finds out about her supposedly damaged eye. However, Carlos leaves behind a very specific will: his sons will inherit his money only if they, in turn, have children. Alejandro, Catalina’s biological son, decides to seduce and impregnate a working woman, Leonora, as his own wife can’t have children. When her newborn son is taken away from her, Leonora suffers a breakdown and swears to get her revenge. She finds her way into the household by marrying José Carlos and plans to destroy everything the Larios family stands for. What she didn’t expect was to fall in love with José Carlos.
Gutierritos
1958 | Episodes: 50
Angel Gutiérrez is a kind and quiet man. But because of that, he is not respected by anyone in his life, from his boss and colleagues to his own wife Rosa who humiliates him at every chance. The only person who supports him is his friend Jorge. Jorge also knows about Angel’s passion for writing and encourages him to give it a try. The memoir-style book that Angel writes under a pseudonym, disclosing his deepest dreams and desires, becomes an instant success. Angel receives lots of money and decides to open a library in partnership with Jorge. His family still don’t know anything about the book or the business. Angel eventually divorces Rosa and marries his assistant Elena who helped him with the book. But things suddenly go back to how they used to be before the book when Elena assumes that Jorge was the real author all along and humiliates Angel.
Los Ricos También Lloran (The Rich Also Cry)
1979-1980 | Episodes: 248
When Mariana’s father dies, her only option is to live on the streets, as her stepmother throws her out of her house. But rescue unexpectedly comes in the form of a rich elderly man, Don Alberto, who brings Mariana to live with his family in the hope that her lack of manners and culture will annoy his son Luis Alberto and teach him some life lessons to become more humble. Much to his own surprise, Luis Alberto, who was incredibly irritated by Mariana’s presence, finds himself falling for her. After many obstacles, they finally reunite in a happy marriage, but due to a misunderstanding, Luis Alberto suspects Mariana of infidelity and forces her to give up the baby he believes to be not his own. Mariana never recovers from the shock and spends the next seventeen years looking for her son who knows nothing about his real family.
Una Familia Con Suerte (A Fortunate Family)
2011-2012 | Episodes: 265
When Pancho López talks a rich woman Fernanda Peñaloza out of committing suicide, she takes interest in him and his large family. Pancho is a widower with four kids of different ages. Despite being of modest means, he managed to bring them up well, supported by his sister-in-law. Despite having great business skills, Pancho is not attracted to wealth. But when they are about to lose their house, he is forced to accept Fernanda’s offer and become a president in her company. The entire family also relocates to her mansion. This brings tons of hilarious situations between the families caused by their different cultural upbringings. After many incidents and dramatic and funny misunderstandings, everything settles down for the best. However, Fernanda still has one surprise awaiting her.
La Fea Más Bella (The Prettiest Ugly Girl)
2006-2007 | Episodes: 300
Lety is universally considered unattractive, to say the least. This creates obstacles for her in life, to the point where she even gets rejected for a job. However, her potential employer Fernando appreciates her qualifications and hires her as his assistant. Lety is determined to do everything in her power so that he doesn’t regret his decision. Due to a misunderstanding when she hires her best friend Tomás to help her with the company’s finances, Fernando’s vice president Omar is afraid that Lety will help him overtake the company. He convinces Fernando to seduce Lety to fall in love with him. Reluctant at first, Fernando finds himself falling for Lety for real, but Lety finds out about the arrangement between him and Omar and leaves. It is now up to Fernando to convince her of his true feelings, but Lety is afraid to get hurt again.
Amor Real (Real Love)
2003 | Episodes: 95
Dramatic tension was as high in Mexico in the 19th century as it is today. Matilde, a girl from an aristocratic family, is in love with a common soldier, Adolfo. Even though there is a huge gap between their social statuses, Matilde believes that her father will support her decision. But her mother has different plans. In order to improve the family’s financial position, she arranges for Matilde to marry a young doctor called Manuel, who is the illegitimate son of a wealthy landlord, only recently recognized by his own father. Through various intrigues, Matilde’s mother puts Adolfo in prison to make sure he won’t disrupt the upcoming marriage. Adolfo escapes, but it’s too late. To keep her away from her former beloved, Manuel takes Matilde away to his mansion. Gradually, Matilde begins to fall in love with her husband, and after a while, tells him about her pregnancy. But just around the same time, Manuel discovers that his trusted administrator is in fact Adolfo in disguise. Feeling betrayed, he parts ways with Matilde.
Rubí
2004 | Episodes: 115
Rubí is beautiful and is loved by many. But she is very poor, which is a constant point of despair for her. She is ready to do anything and betray anybody if it helps her leave her poor neighborhood forever. Despite her budding love for doctor Alejandro, she breaks up with him as he comes from a middle-class family. Instead, she decides to seduce Alejandro’s friend Héctor, who also happens to be her best friend Maribel’s fiancé. Héctor leaves Maribel on their wedding day. Still not over Alejandro, Rubí resorts to dating another man while still married to Héctor and makes the lives of everyone around her, including her mother and sister, miserable. Years later, Rubí begins seeing Alejandro again and falls pregnant with his baby, though she lies to Héctor, saying that the baby is his. In an unfortunate series of events, Rubí loses her child, Héctor dies, and Alejandro, seeing all the damage Rubí causes to people around her, decides to leave her forever and marry her friend Maribel. Not ready to give up, Rubí waits eighteen years to get revenge on them with the help of her niece Fernanda, who bears striking resemblance to her.
Abrazame Muy Fuerte (Embrace Me Tightly)
2000-2001 | Episodes: 135
Despite being the only daughter of a wealthy landowner, Cristina is a sweet and kind girl. She falls in love with Diego, one of her father’s workers, and falls pregnant with his child. Initially, her father is ready to kill her, but he forgives her when he learns about the baby. However, he sends her off to a remote location where she has to stay throughout her pregnancy. There, Cristina gives birth to a little girl who is immediately given away to a female worker. In an accident, Cristina loses her eyesight. Fast forward many years, and now Cristina is married to Federico, an ambitious man who despite loving Cristina, is also after her money. Things take an unexpected turn when Federico’s nephew Carlos Manuel arrives at the mansion and falls in love with María del Carmen, Cristina’s daughter who lives on the property without knowing who her real parents are.
La Usurpadora (Deceptions)
1998 | Episodes: 102
Paola and Paulina are identical twins, but they got separated at birth. Paulina grew up to be an honest and kind person, while Paola is greedy and scheming. Fate brings them together, and Paola sees this as an opportunity. She wants Paulina to take her place in her husband’s family so she can have a year-long vacation with her lover. Paulina refuses, but after she’s blackmailed by her sister, she reluctantly agrees to the plan. She also takes this opportunity to right all wrongs her sister has brought upon her husband’s family. She gradually falls in love with Carlos Daniel, who doesn’t suspect she is not his real wife. When Paola decides to come back, Paulina runs away from the house but is forced to return because Carlos Daniel’s son goes missing. At the same time, both sisters find out about their true identity.
What Are the Common Tropes of Mexican and Spanish Telenovelas?
Like all genres, telenovelas also have common tropes. These tropes are familiar throughout all soap opera creations. However, Mexican ones seem to push them to the limit. While we might list a hundred of them, focusing on the few, more obvious ones might be a better approach. However stupid they might be, you can surely encounter these tropes in real life.
- A rich person falls in love with a poor one. Love usually happens naturally. However, in Mexican telenovelas, true love seems to happen only between a rich and poor person. The love between them is based on emotions only, and the wealth part comes as a spice for conflicts.
- The plot unravels in the last few seconds. Screenwriting rule number one — the plot gets revealed throughout the series, with the final twist answering the final question. However, telenovelas close the plot lines at the end of an episode or even the season.
- Injuries are unavoidable. Characters get hurt physically all the time. It’s an inevitable trope that sadly lands a character in a hospital's or heaven's bed. Usually, the characters that get hurt are vital to the plot itself.
Do you know any more tropes? Share them in the comments!
Why Are Mexican Telenovelas so Dramatic?
Drama is the name of the game and a guilty pleasure for most of us. The more dramatic the telenovela, the more chances to keep the audience hooked. Spanish soap operas are known for their dramatic scenes. They can achieve this thanks to beautiful characters and dramatic, Emmy-worthy storylines.
Following the same idea as American soap operas, telenovelas cast young and/or beautiful people. After all, if you want to keep the people interested, it is best to do so with the most beautiful people on Earth. Also, younger actors replace older ones if the series spans multiple seasons.
However, everything is built on the dramatic storylines. The story is everything, and characters are a vital part of it. Most storylines focus on a love triangle, deceit, and jealousy. The drama comes from the situations in which characters appear. A husband falls in love with a poor maid, and the wife becomes jealous and tries to steal back her man. Don’t be surprised if this idea is used in a future production
Heridas De Amor (Wounds Of Love)
Note: this post originally had 52 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
FAQ About Telenovelas
Where to Watch Mexican Telenovelas?
You don’t have to live in a Latin American country to watch some quality television. You can do so on the opposite side of the world. If you don’t have access to channels that show telenovelas, streaming services like Netflix can help out. You can experience the romantic and dramatic storylines from the comfort of your couch. Also, if you are more old school, you can rent them out from Amazon and Google Play.
What is the Most Successful Telenovela?
Greatness is subjective. However, viewership might help us to deduce the telenovela that captured the most attention. According to the Guinness World Records, the classic Yo Soy Betty, La Fea is the most adapted telenovela in history, making it the most successful telenovela in terms of its global reach
How Do Mexican Telenovelas Compare With Soap Operas?
If you want to talk about soap operas, you can’t forget American ones. Because Americans focus more on quality, their shows span multiple years and episodes. Mexican ones, instead, focus on the quantity side. Their soap operas span for a season, or two before attention is instead given to another series instead. Year in and year out, a new show replaces an old one.
I started watching a few on Netflix, but the actors who do the voice overs into English are so damned bad it put me off watching them. Also Netflix is too lazy to use subtitles so that was a no go too
I started watching a few on Netflix, but the actors who do the voice overs into English are so damned bad it put me off watching them. Also Netflix is too lazy to use subtitles so that was a no go too
