“Televisa’s Bold Move: Banking on Iconic Soap Opera Remakes for Success”

By: MRT Desk

Published on:

Paz Vega Stars in Televisa’s 2019 Remake of Cuna de Lobos

Televisa’s winning formula of two lovers facing insurmountable obstacles, with evil getting its comeuppance in the end, has been a staple for the Mexican television network since its inception in 1958. Though once a pioneering producer of this type of content, Televisa, in recent years, has relied heavily on remakes of its classic telenovelas.

Martha Carrillo, a writer for the network, explains that open television requires ample stories, prompting writers and screenwriters to be “working all the time.” Additionally, while only 30% of original stories are hugely successful, around 80% of remakes attain that level of success. As such, Televisa has revived classics such as La Usurpadora, Cuna de Lobos, Rubí, and Los Ricos También Lloran, amongst others.

Though the remakes have been successful, it is a daunting task to update the female protagonists in these beloved melodramas, as women’s roles have evolved significantly. Carrillo admits that the original telenovelas were about women who only cared about love and cried their way to its fulfillment. In contrast, the lead female characters in the updated versions must be strong, multi-faceted, and beholden to more than just love.

And while Televisa’s remakes have succeeded on traditional television channels, it remains to be seen whether they will receive an equally favorable response on streaming platforms. Carrillo suggests that adaptation success can be hit or miss, regardless of the platform. For example, while Rebelde’s first season did well on Netflix, its reception was not as good as the original. Similarly, the Colombian hit Coffee with the aroma of a woman had a regular reception on Netflix, with viewers not willing to invest in over 80 episodes.

Given audiences’ love for classics with beloved characters and performers, Televisa is likely to stay on the remake train for a while to come.

Leave a Comment