I am aware that there are already several definitions of the telenovela available, some of which are exceptionally accurate and detailed. However, there are also still many misconceptions about the genre, particularly amongst non-Hispanic audiences and critics. My definition aims to be easily understandable even for those with no first-hand experience of telenovelas. Although I am not comparing telenovelas with other television genres, it should become obvious by reading this definition that telenovelas are not simply Spanish-language soap-operas but a distinct genre with a global reach.
Telenovelas are daily serials which are broadcast 5 or 6 times a week both in prime time and during the day. They have a limited run which varies but, on average, they have 120 episodes (known in Spanish as “capítulos”, which literally means “chapters”). Every telenovela tells a different story (with a clear A-plot, and several storylines), with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Some telenovelas focus on romance, others on comedy, murder mysteries, the supernatural or even eroticism. A single telenovela may contain some or all those ingredients. There are telenovelas aimed at children, teenagers, or mature audiences. Because telenovelas are melodramatic, there is a clear emphasis on feelings and emotions.
As a genre, telenovelas originate in Latin America, specifically in 1950’s and, therefore, pre-Castro’s Cuba. Thence, the genre spread throughout the region where the main producers have been historically based in Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil or Argentina. Nowadays, telenovelas are also produced in other Latin American countries and in the USA where Miami has become one of the main telenovela production centers in the world. The genre is also cultivated in several countries in Europe, Africa and Asia where it has suffered mutations as it did when it spread from Cuba to other Latin American nations. In fact, every country that produces telenovelas has adapted the genre infusing it with national characteristics that remain potent even in the current moment dominated by the transnationalisation of production, distribution and consumption.
Telenovelas continue to grow in popularity throughout the Americas and in several national markets around the world. Despite this, like much of what is commonly referred to as popular culture, they are often maligned and misunderstood by viewers and critics alike. However, because of their long and complex history, and their increasing cultural influence, telenovelas and their popularity escape simplistic definitions and common-place interpretations.
Telenovela Studies 