My View of Melodramas

    Telenovelas have developed over time into what they are. The first version of what is now the much-adored telenovela were the feuilletons, which were short chapters of stories printed in the newspapers every week. Feuilletons and telenovelas share one characteristic quality: each chapter, or episode, ends with an intense cliffhanger that ensures the audience will come back for more. This was news to me, as I thought the telenovela just became, but did not morph from something else. In my eyes, this makes the development of telenovelas even more interesting, as the structure was derived from an observation that feuilletons and radio book readings were a success, and people could get obsessed with them. I wonder which characters and stories were directly derived from these radio show stories and feuilletons, and if that actually drew more people to watch telenovelas when the first began in the 1950s.  

     I also am intrigued by the different degrees of drama and reality in telenovelas. Personally, I love the outlandish drama, something that makes you go "oh come on, that could never happen!" For that reason, I would enjoy a traditional telenovela. This telenovela is one that is probably centered around an innocent young woman who is naïve, poor, and has fallen for a rich man. A man who is easily sueded by the sexy, manipulative antagonist woman. Though there are more 'realistic' telenovelas out there, I am drawn to the pure fantasy ones. 

    I feel that if I want to get a full idea of what a telenovela means to various countries and cultures, I should watch a famous telenovela from each country. However, this would take absolutely forever! I would like to chance to watch "Juana la Virgin" from Venezuela, just to connect the similarities between the original and the American "Jane the Virgin." I would also like to experience the famous Brazilian satire "Roque Santeiro" and the classic Chilian telenovela "La Familia de al Lado." We will see if I come around to watching these, but they will definitely be on my 'to watch' list!