Eva Longoria fans, and really anyone that loves a good comedy, have you checked out the new NBC show, Telenovela (also know as Hot & Bothered)? The series premiered on December 7, 2015 and its fifth episode premieres January 10, 2016 so it is not too late to catch up!
Telenovela is a series about the day-to-day life of a telenovela actress, Ana Sofia Calderon (played by Longoria), who does not speak Spanish despite being the center of attention in the telenovela and among her co-workers. The telenovela is appropriately named, Las Leyes de Pasión (The Laws of Passion), after Longoria’s character’s name, Pasión (which means passion).
For those of you who grew up in a Latino household, then you definitely know what a telenovela is and how dramatic they can be. Picture an opera, minus the phenomenal singing and refinement. I recently watched the pilot and I was hooked! It instantly took me back to the times when all the women in my family would gather around the TV at 8 PM (not one minute later), with our Abuelita Mexican hot chocolate (regardless of the season-hot, cold, it didn’t matter) to begin our telenovela binge.
This show is the perfect blend of funny, nostalgic, and some love stories gone awry. Not to mention the protagonist of a SPANISH speaking show doesn’t speak SPANISH…the perfect environment for some hilarious misunderstandings. Relatable as well for some American Latinos who don’t speak Spanish. Also, Jencarlos Canela plays the male lead and if you haven’t heard of him, look him up and that will surely convince you to tune in on Monday nights at 8:30 PM. The cast is fun and likeable, and the overall show is entertaining and comical. I even watched the pilot with my Caucasian husband, and although he didn’t understand the telenovela culture (he thinks they’re too dramatic, but that’s the point honey…duh!), I caught him stifling some big laughs. So tune in and let us know what you think!