60 Years of Rede Globo: The Power of Telenovelas

In 2025, Rede Globo celebrates 60 years as the largest media conglomerate in Latin America, delivering the very best of Brazilian telenovelas to its audiences. Meanwhile, in April 2025, the BBC raised its licence fee to £174.50. Against this backdrop, let’s explore what makes these two broadcasters so unique and how they shape the entertainment experience of Latin American and Brazilian immigrants abroad.

The Origins of the Telenovela

The word telenovela comes from Spanish, combining “tele” (from television) and “novela” (novel). Inspired by the old radionovelas — dramatic radio stories lasting about 15 minutes — telenovelas were adaptations of melodramatic plays and newspaper serials, which published stories in chapters and tackled themes directly related to their audience’s reality.

Radio broadcasting reached Latin America in the early 1920s, at a time when illiteracy rates were high and newspaper readership was low. Radio shows — particularly radionovelas — took the continent by storm in the following decade, becoming an accessible form of entertainment and information. Initially aimed at more vulnerable audiences, they soon also captured the attention of housewives.

When television arrived in Latin America during the 1940s and 50s, it had a profound impact on the region’s culture. TV not only influenced social behaviour but also played a crucial role in spreading information, education, and shaping public opinion. It was in the 1950s that Mexico’s Emilio Azcárraga Vidaurreta had the idea of adapting radionovelas for TV, creating the first telenovelas and founding Televisa. They arrived in Brazil in the 1960s, with Ilusões Perdidas marking Globo’s debut in the genre on 23 April 1965.

Decades of Drama

In its early years, Rede Globo joined TV Tupi and TV Excelsior in producing and broadcasting daily soap operas. By the late 1970s, Globo had established itself as the leader in telenovela production and began categorising them by their scheduled timeslots:

• The 6pm telenovela: Romantic stories, which could be period pieces, regional or contemporary, initially aimed at children and teenagers with a socio-educational focus.

  
  

• The 7pm telenovela: Targeted a younger audience with light-hearted, humorous plots.

  
  

• The 8pm telenovela: More realistic in tone, with relatable stories and characters — though some included elements of magical realism. In 2011, this slot was renamed the 9pm telenovela, solidifying its place as prime-time’s most influential programming.

  
  

Elsewhere in Latin America, telenovelas tend to be classified by theme: novela rosa (highly romantic and dramatic), international-themed stories (based on other cultures), thrillers, horror, magical realism, as well as historical or comedic telenovelas. In Brazil, the genre is even more diverse, including working-class melodramas, historical romances, teen dramas, police thrillers, sertanejo (rural-themed) stories, science fiction, horror, drug trade dramas, children's and teen telenovelas, romantic comedies, political dramas, international and epic productions.

Across the decades, Brazilian telenovelas have mirrored specific thematic trends:

• 1970s: During Brazil’s military dictatorship (1964–1985), government censorship via the Public Entertainment Censorship Service (SCDP) heavily influenced telenovelas. Topics deemed subversive — like criticism of the regime, support for democracy or social issues — were banned. Opposing characters were cut, plots altered, and entire scenes or dialogues removed. Any critical or questioning tone was strictly restricted.

  
  

• 1980s: After the dictatorship ended, stories shifted focus to class struggle, personal justice, resilience and the value of work.

  
  

• Later decades: With globalisation, Brazilian telenovelas gained popularity beyond Latin America by tackling universal social issues. In the digital age, new challenges emerged: engaging increasingly distracted audiences, promoting representation, refreshing worn-out storytelling formulas, and managing celebrities’ public image, which often spoils plotlines in advance. The dominance of mobile screens and endless content options have led many viewers to stick solely with English-language productions, neglecting other cultures. However, 2025 marks a reconnection with Generation Z, reflecting their realities and concerns — a shift accelerated by the pandemic, which also saw experimental telenovela content adapted for social media.

  
  

The genre has also branched out within the Latin world, with examples like Chaves (El Chavo del Ocho, Mexico) and Rebelde (Cris Morena, Argentina). Many telenovelas have gone on to achieve global success through international remakes, proving their cross-cultural appeal and impact.

Telenovelas have long been a powerful cultural tool — reinforcing power structures while also sparking dialogue around social change. They help set trends, convey values and traditions, and influence consumer habits and lifestyles. More than mere entertainment, they act as mirrors to society and serve as crucial communication channels in contexts of social inequality, raising important issues and shaping perceptions. They connect generations — today through memes and clips on social media, and in the past by bringing families together in front of the TV — always acting as narrative threads tying people together.

And What About Soap Operas?

The term soap opera originated in the United States in the 1930s, when these productions were aired on the radio and sponsored by soap brands — hence the name. They later transitioned to television, becoming especially popular in the afternoon when domestic audiences (mainly women) would tune in while going about their household routines — which explains their simpler, more repetitive plot structures.

The genre also found a foothold in the UK (notably through the BBC), Australia, and other countries, with local adaptations that introduced structural differences.

A soap opera is a dramatic or comedic fiction series broadcast in regular episodes. It typically features two key characteristics: an ongoing storyline across episodes and no fixed end point for production. Hugely popular in the US, soap operas usually air between 1pm and 6pm. Their hallmarks include intense emotional content, multiple overlapping storylines, and the use of stereotypical characters.

The Importance of Telenovelas for Immigrants

Latin American telenovelas have been hugely successful abroad, especially in the United States with its large Latino audience. Broadcast across numerous platforms, these shows enjoy global reach and are among the most effective ways to maintain a cultural connection, particularly for communities living outside Latin America.

Their popularity highlights the crucial role television plays in preserving and transmitting cultural traditions and language, acting as a powerful tool for cultural affirmation and empowerment. Alongside providing escapist entertainment, telenovelas serve as a vital link to cultural and familial roots, enabling immigrants to stay connected with their countries of origin.

This text is also available on SOMOS blog: https://blog.somoslatinos.co/telenovelas/