|
PAGE
TWO
|
IN
THE PIPELINE
|
| New
unscripted programming on Spanish-language networks for the
2004-05 season:
Univision
Apostando al Amor (Betting on Love): Beautiful bachelorette
goes undercover as an ugly duckling to test her suitors,
who are motivated by money to win her over.
Lo
Veremos Todo de Niurka y Bobby (We Will See Everything
About Niurka and Bobby): Follows the high profile, scandalous
marriage of soap opera stars Niurka Marcos and Bobby Larios.
Dia
de Perros (Dog Day): Takes Ashton Kutcher's "Punk'd"
one step further by challenging unwitting celebrities for
a 24-hour period as they go through one crisis after another
- with such scenarios as being cut off in a parking lot
and having to kiss someone with onion breath during an audition.
TeleFutura
En Busca de un Sueno (In Search of a Dream): A feel-good
show in which viewers can nominate loved ones to have their
dreams - such as plastic surgery or family reunions - come
true.
El
Veredicto del Pueblo (The People's Verdict): A courtroom
reality show in which the jury is the star and viewers get
to observe jurors as they make decisions on cases. Naughty
jurors can get voted off and replaced.
Objectivo
Fama (Objective Fame): A musical talent competition
in which 18 contestants live together and vie for a Univision
recording contract.
Telemundo
Nuevas Voces de America (New Voices in America): A musical
talent competition, with plenty of behind-the-sense drama
and flavor, from Miami Sound Machine founder Emilio Estefan.
El
Principe Azul (Prince Charming): Twenty Latinas compete
for the love of a bachelor with a big secret.
La
Hacienda: Sixteen city slickers are placed on a farm
to see who can become the best ranchero.
|
Successes
on Telemundo
Unlike English-language reality shows, which typically offer
one or two original episodes a week, "La Cenicienta"
aired nightly for six weeks, mimicking the pace of telenovelas,
which run their course in a few months. It boasted the highest
ratings in its time slot and 1.2 million viewers for its finale,
a high number for Telemundo, which was bought by General Electric
two years ago and is managed by NBC.
Reality
Spanish-languages programming debuted on Telemundo in 2002 with
"Protagonistas," a Big Brother variation in which aspiring
actors shared a house while competing for a part in a telenovela.
The finale of the first "Protagonistas" was watched
by 1.4 million viewers - a hit for Telemundo. But Univision and
its sister network, TeleFutura, which control more than 75% of
the U.S. Latino viewer-ship, won't be satisfied with anything
short of a breakout hit.
"We
want shows to work at the levels we want. We want blockbuster,
family-sized, super-sized ratings," said Otto Padron, Univision's
vice president of programming and promotions, whose network ranks
fifth behind NBC, Fox, CBS and ABC in prime-time viewing among
those ages 18 to 49. "The few times that it had been tried
in Spanish, it had not succeeded at those levels."
So
the network with the most viewers is about to jump into reality
with two shows that may sound familiar in concept but will have
a palpable Latin flavor. "Apostando al Amor" (Betting
on Love), which blends elements of "The Bachelorette"
and "For Love or Money," involves a swan-like damsel
who pretends to be an ugly duckling as she tests the intentions
of her 30 suitors, with the help of her family. What she does
not know is that the bachelors are also vying for a jackpot of
money if she chooses them. "It
plays out like a traditional novela in that you have two people
looking for love and all the obstacles that they endure,"
Padron said. "There are romance, conflicts, jealousy and
outwitting of each other. 'The Bachelorette' is more of a competition.
This is warmer, has a human element to it."
Celebrity
couple
Univision also will follow in the footsteps of MTV and document
the lives of scandal-ridden celebrity couple Niurka Marcos and
Bobby Larios. The soap opera stars met while filming a telenovela
last year and began their very public love affair when she was
still married to the producer who had made her a star. Marcos,
who has single-handedly made Mexico's "Big Brother VIP 3"
a breakout hit this year, and her new husband, Larios, will let
cameras into every aspect of their lives for six to eight weeks
on "Lo Veremos Todo de Niurka y Bobby" (We Will See
Everything About Niurka and Bobby). Marcos, whom executives call
"a walking novela," apparently intends to try to get
pregnant and launch a record during production.
If "Newlyweds" and "Anna Nicole" are the models
for the Marcos-Larios tell-all, "American Idol" is the
clear inspiration behind TeleFutura's "Objetivo Fama"
(Objective: Fame) and Telemundo's "Nuevas Voces de America"
(New Voices of America). Music mogul and television and film producer
Emilio Estefan created "Nuevas Voces" and will appear
on camera as a mentor (his wife, singer Gloria Estefan, was a
guest judge on last season's "American Idol").
"Spanish
television is experiencing an incredible moment because this generation
that was raised here has an educational and economic power and
cultural strength that has never existed before," Estefan
said. "Reality television has a lot of momentum and has a
lot of potential in this market."
For
the first five weeks, viewers will watch the contestants from
all Latino backgrounds and musical genres work with voice coaches,
stylists and image-makers to hone their talent and skills. The
audience also will be privy to the contestants' back stories and
will learn about their families and friends. The last 10 weeks
will involve the race for a $200,000 recording contract.
"Latinos like to see the sacrifices people make to succeed,"
said Estefan, who will produce the show in Miami. "They like
that feeling of 'If they can do it, I can do it.'"
PAGE 1 2
|
