I realised that this year it's been 20 years since MyNetworkTv tried to launch with a schedule of American versions of telenovelas, the popular Latin American format of limited serialized shows that would have complete stories in approx 60-65 episodes each. It launched with little fanfare with a line up of Desire (a version of Colombian telenovela Mara Para Tres) and Fashion House (a version of Cuban telenovela Salir De Noche), the latter having the "star" castings of Bo Derek and Morgan Fairchild. Little to say, they didn't do too well but MyNetworkTV - already having shot several telenovelas, continued on with Wicked Wicked Games (a version of Venezuelan telenovela Aunque me Cuesta la Vida; starring Tatum O'Neal as the "star" casting) and Watch Over Me (version of Argentine telenovela Resistré). With all four telenovelas being rating bombs, they cut the orders of American Heiress (adaptation of Mexican telenovela La Heredera) and Saints & Sinners (version of Mexican telenovela Calle de las Novias), airing them in two hour blocks once a week before quietly pulling them off the schedule.
All shows are now available on Tubi and with two decades (!!) gone since the experiment I thought it was time for a retrospective I guess. Was it before or its time and would've been more successful in the streaming era, or was it always destined to bomb as Americans can't successfully translate what makes telenovelas so alluring to their audience? What was your favourite if you watched them?
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te. ·
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