American audiences are so trained to binge their favorite television series in a mad, bender-like dash of non-stop action and entertainment that leaves them bored and unsatisfied when all is said and done and there is “nothing left to watch”.
This Cinco de Mayo, maybe it’s time to dip our toes into an artform perfected by our neighbors across the Rio Grande, the telenovela. Clocking in at over a hundred episodes per season, these classics will keep you on edge night after night, teaching you the value of a good slow build or family secret. Oozing with drama and flair, over the top characters, and storylines you will remember for a lifetime, it’s never too late to become a fan, and trust me when I say subtitles have drawn them from all over the world.
Televisa
Watch On Vix
Part of Thalía’s famous “Marías” trilogy, with an absolute banger of a theme-song, María la del Barrio is the rags-to-riches tale of young street urchin and pepenadora, María Hernández, who is adopted by a rich family after the death of her godmother and caretaker. While patriarch Don Fernando does his best to welcome María into his home, his wife Victoria is distrusting of his motives, and plots with niece Soraya to make her life miserable. Fernando Colunga plays the abusive and alcoholic Luis Fernando, María’s deeply-flawed love interest with a redemption arc that propels the plot forward. The series brought us the absurd and extreme villainry responsible for internet memes such as “maldita lisiada” and [cries in Spanish].
Televisa
Watch On Vix
Nothing says TV villain quite like an eye-patch, and Catalina Creel made hers iconic in this legendary novela, whose title translates to “Cradle of Wolves”, especially because she was faking her injuries the entire time. Manipulative and cold-blooded, she pulls all the strings, arranging her son’s marriage, and running the family business. When her husband discovers her lies, she just poisons him to get him out of her hair. Memorable for its villain-centric formula, and daring for incorporating LGBTQ themes which were taboo at the time into the plot, this is a timeless classic that is always worth a rewatch for pure unadulterated entertainment. Sometimes it’s just so good to be bad.
Televisa
Watch On Vix
Originally the remake of an Argentinean series, Televisa’s Rebelde blew up into a cultural craze that’s difficult to convey to American audiences. If High School Musical, Hannah Montana and Gossip Girl had a baby that was more popular than Backstreet Boys and N*Sync combined, it still wouldn’t create the same level of frenzy.
Following the students of an elite boarding school for a grand total of three seasons and 440 episodes, Rebelde embodied the teenage angst of an entire generation. Six friends form a band, RBD, which doubled as a real-life musical group who produced seven studio albums and topped Mexican and U.S. Latin Pop charts in the 00’s. Earning its place in the telenovela canon, Rebelde was a global cultural ambassador for Mexico in the same way K-Pop is for Korea today.
Televisa
Watch On Vix
Another remake that went on to massive success, Teresa featured Rebelde‘s Angelique Boyer as titular lead, Teresa Chávez, a woman willing to climb the social ladder at all costs, and torn between two gorgeous men vying for her affections. Gloria Trevi’s iconic theme-song, “Esa Hembra Es Mala” (That Female Is Bad) perfectly personified Teresa‘s femme fatale aesthetic, and penchant for betraying those closest to her. Ultimately, she’s driven to choose between genuine love and the wealth and power she’s been ruthlessly accumulating at the expense of everyone around her. The series inspired the hilariously memorable Pequeños Gigantes “Telesa” skits where child-actress Montserrat García recreated scenes from the series.
This Cinco de Mayo, maybe it’s time to dip our toes into an artform perfected by our neighbors across the Rio Grande, the telenovela. Clocking in at over a hundred episodes per season, these classics will keep you on edge night after night, teaching you the value of a good slow build or family secret. Oozing with drama and flair, over the top characters, and storylines you will remember for a lifetime, it’s never too late to become a fan, and trust me when I say subtitles have drawn them from all over the world.
María La Del Barrio (1995)
Televisa
Watch On Vix
Part of Thalía’s famous “Marías” trilogy, with an absolute banger of a theme-song, María la del Barrio is the rags-to-riches tale of young street urchin and pepenadora, María Hernández, who is adopted by a rich family after the death of her godmother and caretaker. While patriarch Don Fernando does his best to welcome María into his home, his wife Victoria is distrusting of his motives, and plots with niece Soraya to make her life miserable. Fernando Colunga plays the abusive and alcoholic Luis Fernando, María’s deeply-flawed love interest with a redemption arc that propels the plot forward. The series brought us the absurd and extreme villainry responsible for internet memes such as “maldita lisiada” and [cries in Spanish].
Cuna De Lobos (1986)
Televisa
Watch On Vix
Nothing says TV villain quite like an eye-patch, and Catalina Creel made hers iconic in this legendary novela, whose title translates to “Cradle of Wolves”, especially because she was faking her injuries the entire time. Manipulative and cold-blooded, she pulls all the strings, arranging her son’s marriage, and running the family business. When her husband discovers her lies, she just poisons him to get him out of her hair. Memorable for its villain-centric formula, and daring for incorporating LGBTQ themes which were taboo at the time into the plot, this is a timeless classic that is always worth a rewatch for pure unadulterated entertainment. Sometimes it’s just so good to be bad.
Rebelde (2004)
Televisa
Watch On Vix
Originally the remake of an Argentinean series, Televisa’s Rebelde blew up into a cultural craze that’s difficult to convey to American audiences. If High School Musical, Hannah Montana and Gossip Girl had a baby that was more popular than Backstreet Boys and N*Sync combined, it still wouldn’t create the same level of frenzy.
Following the students of an elite boarding school for a grand total of three seasons and 440 episodes, Rebelde embodied the teenage angst of an entire generation. Six friends form a band, RBD, which doubled as a real-life musical group who produced seven studio albums and topped Mexican and U.S. Latin Pop charts in the 00’s. Earning its place in the telenovela canon, Rebelde was a global cultural ambassador for Mexico in the same way K-Pop is for Korea today.
Teresa (2010)
Televisa
Watch On Vix
Another remake that went on to massive success, Teresa featured Rebelde‘s Angelique Boyer as titular lead, Teresa Chávez, a woman willing to climb the social ladder at all costs, and torn between two gorgeous men vying for her affections. Gloria Trevi’s iconic theme-song, “Esa Hembra Es Mala” (That Female Is Bad) perfectly personified Teresa‘s femme fatale aesthetic, and penchant for betraying those closest to her. Ultimately, she’s driven to choose between genuine love and the wealth and power she’s been ruthlessly accumulating at the expense of everyone around her. The series inspired the hilariously memorable Pequeños Gigantes “Telesa” skits where child-actress Montserrat García recreated scenes from the series.