The Complexity of a Telenovela

     Growing up, I always witnessed my Cuban extended family captivated into their nightly telenovelas. I would see a few scenes here and there, but never understood the true intricacy of the telenovela. Sure, I was engrossed in just a few minutes into the show as well, but little did I know all there was to this type of entertainment. I thought they were interesting, I even thought I was watching one when I watched "Jane the Virgin". But again, little did I know. 

    Even being half Cuban, where the telenovela was created, who would know there has to be at least 50 episodes for it to qualify as a telenovela? If the show is intended to be a "telenovela", does it not qualify until it has reached this episode count? Sort of like a transition phase I am thinking. I would have never guessed that every single telenovela, the thousands and thousands out there, have the love triangle- but it does make sense. There are just so many different ways to twist, turn, and change the plot with different characters, settings, and more. Additionally, I never thought far enough into the fact that telenovelas could be geared to certain ages- I always assumed they were meant for mature audiences. Looking back, I was a little young to be seeing some of the scenes from the telenovelas that my family was watching. I have to think part of that is the Cuban, or Hispanic, culture. It really is very different compared to what many American parents allow their children to watch, as they tend to be more strict and regulate tv consumption. But growing up in a hispanic household, the family gathered around the telenovela at night. Maybe your eyes were covered at some scene, but it was not the end of the world. 

    Furthermore, the many types of tones that telenovelas can be classified into is extremely thought-provoking. I mean with so many specifications to qualify: episode number, love story, happy ending, love triangle, spectacle of emotions, cliff hanger at the end of every episode (even before commercial breaks), broadcasted 5 days a week, dramatic structure, and "despecho". And with that, the telenovela can be made for kids, adults, humorous, serious, suspenseful, a thriller, narconovelas, and even bionovelas is astonishing. Telenovela writers are so creative, being able to take all these classifications but make such different shows. It blows my mind! Really! Sure some of the basic concepts are seen throughout the different forms, but the fact they can also be so different with the same back bone and skeleton is amazing. 

    Despite my hispanic background, the complexity of telenovelas is unexpected. I was walking to dinner with my friend the other night and was telling her about how interesting this class is and how much more there is to a type of television show than I could ever imagine. And she responded, "There's no way, it is just a type of TV show, it cannot be that intricate". Then I went on and on about the little, may I add, very little, I know about telenovelas and she was mind blown as well. The telenovela truly is so complex, but at the same time, so simple. Yes the main components are the same in every single one, but the varieties that are produced with these specifications is outstanding. 

Sofia