Don’t Change That Channel

I am approaching the 4th anniversary of my retirement, and I have been grappling with something for the past two years. Finally, it was not easy, but I have come to terms with this situation. I have accepted the fact that I am a “Novoleiro.” But, you say, what is a Novoleiro? A Novoleiro is a person that has become enamored with Brazilian novelas. That’s right; I’m hooked on Brazilian novelas (soap operas).

The first sign that I was going through this transformation was when my wife and I went to a buffet and when I went to pay the cashier, she complimented my Portuguese. After that, I couldn’t wait to volunteer that my improved language skills were primarily due to my viewership of novelas. That was the first time I heard the term Novoleiro. The next sign came when I began humming novela theme music. Finally, I knew I had it bad when I found myself going to the gym and identifying other patrons by their resemblance to characters in various novelas. My current fascination with Brazilian novelas is not without justification. Let me share some background information with you.

The American and Brazilian soap operas began as vehicles for hawking soap detergent and toothpaste. Yet, the evolution of the Brazilian novela has differentiated them significantly from their American cousin, the soap opera. Unlike American soap operas, Brazilian novelas play a significant role in Brazilians’ social and cultural lives. By the early 1970s, the Brazilian novela had gone through a process called “Brazilianization.” Brazilianization involved the transition from importing stories and themes from foreign novelas to Brazilian writers crafting and producing shows with themes familiar and relevant to Brazilians.

Prime time is defined as the block of broadcast programming used by television networks to broadcast nightly programming. In Brazil, prime time has been dominated by novelas for decades. Except for the national news program, Jornal Nacional (JN) prime time is “novela time.” Prime time has a 6:00 PM novela, a 7:00 PM novela, and a 9:00 PM novela. Ironically none of these novelas begin at these hours. Brazilian novelas also air Monday through Saturday.

American soap operas gained their notoriety partly based on how long a particular soap opera lasts. In the States, the longest-running soap opera of all time is General Hospital at 59 seasons (years) and is still on the air. The second longest-running soap opera is Guiding Light which has been on the air for 57 seasons (years). In stark contrast, the Brazilian novela’s duration is generally 6 to 8 months, and each last only one season (what in the name of Susan Lucci?).

The audience was initially small and consisted of more privileged Brazilians, but in 1964 that changed when most TVs were no longer imported from the United States and instead manufactured in Brazil. TV Excelsior and TV Tupi were the first TV stations to achieve success with novelas. The first unqualified successful novela was entitled Beto Rockefeller. Beginning in 1969, Globo TV began to dominate novela production and viewership primarily because of their dedicated adoption of novelas with Brazilian themes.

During the reign of the military dictatorship in Brazil, there was suffocating oppression of the arts, and no form of artistic expression suffered more than the theater. The military was very concerned about the theater’s ability to impact public opinion and be a catalyst for dissent. Many of these unemployed playwrights and actors began to gravitate toward novelas. This resulted in novelas having access to the best Brazilian playwrights and actors in the market. The wealth of talent would significantly impact the quality of Brazilian novelas.

One of the recent examples of this is Joao Emmanuel Carneiro, responsible for the highly acclaimed and popular novela Avenida Brasil (Brazil Avenue). Avenida Brasil achieved an average of 42 rating points and a 69% share of the viewing public. Furthermore, that final episode scored an impressive 56 rating points and an 84% share. Previously Carneiro was the screenwriter for the Oscar-nominated film Central Do Brasil (Central Station) before writing novelas. Brazilian novelas, in part due to the theater backgrounds of writers, had storylines that could range from melodrama to comedy to historical to tragedy and variations combining elements of each. As a result, the lifecycle of a Brazilian novela is relatively short and resembles a short story more than a serial.

The storylines are also very topical. Novelas like “O Clone” (2001) (The Clone), which addresses the perils of human cloning, and “America” (2005), which focused on the plight of an unauthorized immigrant confronted with the challenge-filled dilemma of a young Brazilian immigrant, are examples. In addition, “Caminho das Indias” (2009) focused on India’s social and cultural dynamics when a woman from a traditional wealthy Indian family falls in love with a Dalit, an Untouchable.

Novelas like Novo Mundo 2017 centered on the love affair of star-crossed lovers that eventually found each other in Brazil. Still, the backdrop is a historical one that takes place during the fight for Brazilian independence in the 1800s. Another example, in 1996, the telenovela Xica da Silva told the historical story of a formerly enslaved woman that achieved great power and prestige during the 1700s. Ironically, despite the novela being based on a groundbreaking film, “Xica da Silva” – 1976, there have been valid complaints about the dearth of novelas with significant roles for Black, Indigenous, and Asian Brazilians.

The production values are incredibly high in most novelas, especially for those featured during the 9:00 PM production. Production costs for one episode can sometimes cause as much as $125,000. There is often shooting on location, and the producers and writers are very responsive to the desires and reactions of the viewers. Since episodes are not shot far in advance, the storylines of a novela can be changed from its initial arc, and your favorite sweetheart might morph into the novela villain or culprit. One such example was in the novela “A Favorita” (The Favorite) 2008, where producers/writers decided to make the initial victim accused of murder unjustly, the actual murderer due to the audience’s boredom with the predictability of the script, and ratings went through the roof.

After viewing several dozen novelas, two stand out as my favorites. The first one is Avenida Brazil which has a multi-layered storyline that incorporates drama, suspense, and comedy in captivating, entertaining doses. The protagonist is a young woman named Rita who was sent to a child labor camp located in a landfill when she was little by her sinister stepmother. She’s later adopted by an affluent family and returns to seek vengeance upon her stepmother, Carminha, and her lover/criminal partner, Max.

The novela premiered in 2012 and received both commercial and critical acclaim during its run. On the night of the final episode, more than 80 million people watched it, and the streets of Sao Paulo and Rio were deserted. Avenida Brazil was also an international success, exported to over 150 countries and in 19 different languages. People can find it on Telemundo in Spanish. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find it with English subtitles, but I haven’t given up yet.

The second novela that left a lasting impression on me is Pantanal. The novela is named after a wetland region in Brazil that stretches across more than 42 million acres and encompasses the world’s most extensive flooded grasslands. It is also a refuge for iconic wildlife. The original novela aired on Rede Manchete after Globo rejected it in 1990, and it was immensely popular. The storyline revolves around a successful multi-generation family of cattle farmers (like the Cartwrights in the TV show Bonanza).

At the time, a reason for Pantanal’s excess was escapism. It allowed Brazilians to submerge themselves in a less complicated world that allowed them to escape, at the time, current problems of hyperinflation, high crime, and unemployment. Fast forward to 2022, and Globo TV received another chance at producing Pantanal, and it was very successful in its second rendition. Interestingly the original version was written and directed by Bendito Ruy Barbosa; the remake of this classic was written and produced by his grandson Bruno Luperi.

The protagonist, Joventino Leoncio, is a young man raised in Rio de Janeiro, estranged from his father, one of the most successful ranchers in the Pantanal. Much of the novela focuses on their personal, ideological, and generational differences. However, it also highlights the relationship between man and nature and our failure to be good caretakers. This theme is manifested through a character named “Velho do Rio” (old Man of the River). He is a spiritual shape-shifting character that defends the environment. In one scene, he transforms into an Anaconda, which attacks men engaged in poaching.

Even though the new rendition of Pantanal is taking place more than 30 years later, the director Bruno Luperi takes great pains to preserve much of the cultural and rustic characteristics of the original Pantanal now. For example, the Leoncios still employ peaos (cowboys) to herd and care for cattle and other animals. In addition, there is a “Wild, Wild West” ambiance in the novela. The backdrop of the novela is one of the most spectacular and cinematographic settings imaginable and creates some beautiful tapestry as a background. The panoramic views are breathtaking despite the environmental degradation.

Conflict is a critical component of compelling drama, and Pantanal is rife with conflicts. For example, there is a familial conflict between Jove and his father, Jose. In addition, there is a generational and cultural conflict between urban and rural cultures. The novela also addresses the evolution of women’s role and a patriarchal, testosterone-driven society.

Then there are the conflicts between good and evil. Tenorio, the primary villain, is a landowner that has amassed his fortune by stealing the land of rightful owners and will use all means to enrich himself. In most Brazilian novelas, they are not very interested in creating antiheroes. Brazilian novelas draw distinct lines between good and evil, but even the villains are not one-dimensional. They are multi-layered and always candidates for redemption.

Being a nascent Novoleiro means I have developed a devotion to the art form, but in no way do I believe everything the art form produces is good. There have been some real stinkers throughout the years, and in many cases, viewership has decreased due to technology and generational viewing habits, but the Brazilian novelas are still thriving. For example, Pantanal averaged 75 million viewers during its final week. The ratings and viewership surpass MASH’s last episode and rival many Super Bowl audiences.

Entertainment choices today are overwhelming; deciding what to watch is a challenge, but after four years, I have created a placeholder for an entertaining novella. Excuse me; I must run, “novela time” is about to start.

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