telenovela

We owe the genre of the telenovela to South America where it flowed on naturally from the radionovela.  The telenovela remains focused on one storyline. In this it differs from the soap opera which drifts around following the stories of various individuals who show up in the extended framework. It also differs from the miniseries, a story told over three episodes.  The telenovela runs for one to two years and then it is done.

 The genre has been used to tackle social issues so that by the end of the story the public is won over to some desirable social goal. It is also capable of fusion with other cultures. In Australia we are about to have a telenovela called Las Rosas which is based on the experiences of Latin Americans in Western Sydney.