From “Ugly Betty” to “Jane the Virgin,” from “Chasing Life” to “Red Band Society,” Spanish-language series and soap operas have increasingly become source material for shows in the United States. But the new NBC workplace comedy “Telenovela” – which marks Eva Longoria’s first series regular role since the end of “Desperate Housewives” – actually takes place behind the scenes at one of those shows. It’s a formulaic, but fizzy sitcom that’s a harmless enough way to spend a half hour.
Longoria, who also produces the show, stars as Ana Sofia Calderon, an actress living in Miami who seems to have it all. She’s the beloved leading lady of “Las Leyes de Pasión,” the most popular telenovela on the fictional Vivavision network, and enjoys being the mother hen to its cast and crew. She works with two of her best friends, costumer Mimi (Diana Maria Riva, “The Bridge”) and gay co-star Gael (Jose Moreno Brooks, “The Nine Lives of Chloe King”). Even the barbs of her rival Isabela (Alex Meneses, “Everybody Loves Raymond”) can’t bring her down.
But in “Pilot,” her world gets shaken up like the soap opera she stars in when the new network president (played in a surprising cameo appearance by a fellow NBC star) hires her ex-husband Xavier (Jencarlos Canela, ““Más sabe el diablo”) as the show’s new male lead. From there, the pilot plays out very much like a Spanish “Soapdish” as the exes clash and Anna acts out. But the familiar proceedings are somewhat freshened by the performances. Longoria still has great comedic chops and I particularly liked the rapid-fire rapport between her and Riva.
The second episode, “Evil Twin,” is a little less busy (and somewhat strangely ignores the Ana/Xavier relationship altogether) and finds Ana Sofia worried that her workplace family is keeping secrets from each other. So she institutes an open book policy, which quickly backfires on her when a hookup between two co-workers is exposed, another of the actors struggles to keep his fear of performing his own stunts to himself, and a family member shows up digging for dirt. Again, nothing we haven’t seen on TV before. But it gives more screen time to Menses, who I think is the breakout here as the temperamental Isabela, as she’s the one dealing with the titular character.
What else can you expect from the first two episodes? A wardrobe malfunction, a drunk script writer, a set-destroying catfight, someone eating their feelings, a cumpleaños, multiple moustaches, and a running gag involving Shakira.
“Telenovela” premieres Monday December 7th with “Pilot” and “Evil Twin” airing back-to-back and then returns after the holidays for the rest of its run. Thinking about checking it out? Let me know in the comments section.
