The year 2021 was full of many entertainment options on Univision and Telemundo . Both television networks presented soap operas of different genres to attract the Latin public in the United States.
Some were good and some did not work at all. Some stories caught the audience and other melodramas suffered outright rejection. These were the productions that the two channels presented throughout the year:
La Suerte de Loli
The first premiere Telemundo was “ La Suerte de Loli “, a romantic comedy starring Silvia Navarro and Osvaldo Benavides . The story revolved around Loli (Navarro), a radio executive who was left in charge of the children of her best friend who unfortunately died.
Telemundo has presented several attempts in the comedy genre such as “Betty en NY” and “100 Days to Fall in Love ”. Betty worked like a charm while the last named suffered a cut last year from the pandemic. Loli was one of the best attempts of the Hispanic network in this genre.
Silvia is one of the best actresses in Mexico and she is very good at comedy as the public could see in ” My heart is yours”. The central theme of love and family was something that united the public, especially during these times of pandemic in which we are reflecting on what is truly important in life.
Looking for Frida
When it was announced that a new version of “Where is Elisa?” Would be made, the public rejected it completely. Why was a new version of a telenovela that was so successful on Telemundo made 10 years? “ Looking for Frida ” found that the thrillers always work when they are well told.
With a luxurious star cast that included Alejandra Barros , Eduardo Santamarina , Ximena Herrera , Arap Bethke , among others, this Telemundo production was one of the best of the 2021.
The rating verified that the public was hooked with the story of the lost teenager and the family that suffers the ravages of this ugly case. The production quality of “Looking for Frida” was excellent and the performances of the adult cast raised everyone to the next level.
Do You Remember Me
Turkish soap operas have been very successful among Latin audiences and that is why Televisa bought the rights of several to be able to make their own versions. “ Te Acuerdas de Me ” was a rehash of the Turkish “Queen of the Night”. In this Mexican adaptation it was Gabriel Soto and Fátima Molina who starred in the melodrama.
Although at first it seemed that Carmen Armendariz’s production made no sense, little by little it took a course. The story began with slow chapters but as the days progressed, intrigues took over the soap opera. Situations began to occur that left the public wanting to see more. Since the father and son were fighting over a woman, they made things much more interesting. Most of what happens, happens between the same family nucleus and that made each actor have an important weight within the plot.
The best soap operas are those that surprise you and that They go from less to more and “Te Acuerdas de Me” was one of them.
La Hija del Embajador
One of the most controversial soap operas of the year was “ La Hija del Embajador “. Univision did not forget about the Turkish series and scheduled one starring the queen Neslihan Atagül , who led the cast of “Amor Eterno” with overwhelming success for the channel.
It is not the typical love story and rather it talked about why it is so necessary to work and recognize psychological problems. Both protagonists suffered from disorders from the past that prevented them from being happy. Everything changes when Nare (Atagül) arrives at his ex’s wedding and tells him that he has a daughter. Things break loose when Sancar (Engin Akyürek) relives his youthful love for Nare again. The conflict is that if what she feels is love or she just wants to have power over her.
“The Ambassador’s Daughter” kept the audience from the hours of 10 pm / 9c where he competed with Telemundo’s “Looking for Frida”, which gradually became stronger. In the Turkish series, something happened every day that moved the story, leaving the public trapped to want to see more.
Two seasons of this soap opera were broadcast. Unfortunately the main actress left the project in its last phase due to health problems. Univision cut the soap opera the moment actress Neslihan stopped appearing. Although they promised to air the third season, it is not yet known if it will happen.
Coffee, With Aroma of Woman
One of the soap operas that most disappointed in the 2021 was “ Woman’s Aroma Coffee “. This was the first production of both chains that was truly not what was expected. The adaptation of the classic by Fernando Gaitán had all the elements to succeed but unfortunately it did not happen that way.
William Levy is one of the spoiled actors of the Latin public and his return to Telemundo in the leading role gave a lot to talk about. The soap opera also featured the performance of another spoiled, Carmen Villalobos , as the beloved villain in history. La Gaviota was personified by Laura Londoño , an equally beloved Colombian actress, but not well known in the United States.
Impressive locations and a production High quality, with a classic love story, were not enough to make this melodrama a success. Unfortunately, there was no connection between Telemundo’s audience with this telenovela and the channel’s rating was affected by the rejection that occurred.
Designing your Love
Univision has returned to the Classic melodramas completely after experimenting with other genres. The Hispanic network knows that the success that was on its side was due to love stories that do not try to reinvent the genre. “ Diseñando Tu Amor ” came to meet those expectations of the audience.
Gala Montes had his first opportunity as a protagonist in this production that also featured actors such as Sergio Goyri , María Sorte , Juan Diego Covarrubias , Osvaldo de León and Ana Belena .
Although initially the pink soap opera painted to be iconic, all the charm was lost because it was so long. Among so many chapters, there were moments when nothing happened and the story did not move forward. A telenovela always has to be on the move, resolving and creating conflicts to maintain interest and it did not meet the 100%.
Yes They Let Us
One of the great surprises of the year was “ Si Nos Dejan “, the Univision telenovela starring Mayrín Villanueva , Marcus Ornellas and Alexis Ayala . The melodrama had many criticisms against it because in Mexico a version titled “Mirada de Mujer” was made, with Angélica Aragón , which had a great impact at the time.
Telemundo also made its own version in the 2007 with Victoria Ruffo , which was titled “Victoria”. Some of the critics said that Mayrín was not the ideal candidate since she did not look the same age as Aragón or Ruffo when they made their versions of this story.
However, “Yes They Leave Us ”was a resounding success with great repercussion. The story of a married woman who is cheated on by her husband with a younger woman was a favorite of the Hispanic audience. Mayrín showed that she has the rank as an actress to play any character they give her.
Hercai: Love and Revenge
After seeing how Univision was doing great with the Turkish soap opera “La Hija del Embajador”, Telemundo programmed “ Hercai: Amor y Venganza “. The decision of the Hispanic network to present this Turkish series was the optimal one since it was noted that these types of stories are what the audience wants to see.
The story of a man who gets married with a woman to make her suffer and settle scores on behalf of her family, she connected with the Latino public. The iconic locations, the handsome gallants and the beautiful women were the attraction of this melodrama dubbed into Spanish.
From its first week, “Hercai” showed with the rating it obtained that the story was Captivating as unexpected things happened in each chapter. Miran’s love for Reyyan that he has to hide caused great emotions among viewers. The traps that the respective families put on the protagonists caused tension and in each chapter they left wanting to continue seeing what else happened in the plot.
The Heartless
One of the greatest hits in the 2021 for Univision was “ La Desalmada ”, the soap opera starring Livia Brito and José Ron . The production of José Alberto Castro also included a great cast that included weighty names, such as Eduardo Santamarina , Marjorie de Sousa , Marlene Favela , Kimberly Dos Ramos , Sergio Basáñez , Alberto Estrellas , among many more.
Another story where revenge is the protagonist has left in seen that if they want to be successful in the television, is the genre that has to be exploited. The return to classic melodramas has benefited Univision and made it very clear what people want to see.
What’s Happening to Me Family
Soap operas with comedy are fun, as long as they know how to do it. “What’s Happening to My Family” was a very unfortunate attempt at making a light comedy. TO Although Juan Osorio has experience in this type of productions, such as “Una Familia Con Suerte”, “Mi Corazón es Tuyo” and “My Husband Has a Family”, this time he did not was fully achieved.
Malverde: The Patron Saint
Another of the most unfortunate productions of the year was “ Malverde: El Santo Patron “. Telemundo’s production started on the wrong foot when, just days before recording began, Fernando Colunga left the project. Pedro Fernández was the one who replaced him in the leading role and debuted in the second half of 2021.
Despite having a production riot, with great sets and costumes, the story simply hasn’t captivated. The rating of the series has not been the best. It is a shame because there are few period productions that are made and when they do not work it is a waste of money for the producers. When that happens and another period story is proposed, they give up for fear of the risk that this implies.
Not even with the participation of Rafael Amaya in the series, the audience was able to surpass.
Overcome the Past
There are few original scripts that Televisa makes since most of its productions are adaptations of proven successes. The producer Rosy Ocampo has found success with the “Vencer” saga where each of its versions has four female protagonists who face daily problems.
“ Overcome the Past ” followed previous titles such as “Overcome Heartbreak” and “Overcome Fear.” This new version had the reunion of Angelique Boyer and Sebastián Rulli again as a couple in soap operas.
The story has themes related to social networks and how they can serve for good, as well as can ruin the reputation of innocent people. Although it is not a didactic soap opera, it does make the public reflect on what is published and shared on digital platforms. What happens within the melodrama helps the audience see the impact that something can have by thinking that it is something simple.
Relatives to the Force
Telemundo started the year very well 2021 but ended it with a bad taste in his mouth. “Parientes a la Fuerza” was one of the most unsuccessful attempts in the history of Latin television. The romantic comedy, starring Bárbara de Regil and Guy Ecker , was a total disaster in the programming of the Hispanic channel.
The production was completely recorded in Mexico before going on the air and although it had a light plot to entertain the public, they rejected it completely. The rating collapsed completely and could not maintain the audience average that “Hercai: Amor y Venganza” left it.
Less than a month after it was released, Telemundo removed it from its programming night and sent it at midnight. Instead, “Hercai” returned to its schedule with a second season and quickly regained space with viewerships restored.
The best telenovelas of the 2020
• La Suerte de Loli (Telemundo)
• Looking for Frida (Telemundo) • Te Acuerdas de Mí (Univision)
• The Ambassador’s Daughter (Univision)
• Si Nos Dejan (Univision)
• Hercai, Amor y Venganza (Telemundo)
• La Desalmada (Univision)
• Overcome the Past (Univision)
The worst soap operas of the 2021
• Coffee With A Woman’s Scent (Telemu ing)
• Diseñando Tu Amor (Univision)
Pass to My Family (Univision)
• Malverde: El Santo Patron (Telemundo)
• Relatives a la Fuerza (Telemundo)
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