Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Talented, diverse cast can't save this soapy sitcom.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Telenovela
What's the Story?
In the TELENOVELA world, Ana Sofia (Eva Longoria) is a huge star, the center of a popular and long-running soap opera. But her world is rocked when her real-life ex Xavier (Jencarlos Canela) is added to the cast of her show, only a few short years after their marriage imploded. It's enough to send a high-strung star straight into the arms of her wardrobe woman/best friend Mimi (Diana Maria Riva) and hunky co-star/gay buddy Gael (Jose Moreno Brooks) for comfort. But Xavier has more up his sleeve than disrupting Ana's show, and there's a crowd of her rivals just waiting for a chance to bring the soap star down and climb to the top of the mountain.
Is It Any Good?
A comedy that strains for fizzy yet comes off as frantic, as with so many other network comedies this show wastes great actors -- in particular, the divine Eva Longoria -- on bad writing. It's such a pity, because on paper the show could work. Longoria is effortlessly good, and it's great to see her back on television. Shows with diverse casts are a burgeoning and long-overdue network trend, too. But Telenovela squanders its initial goodwill with blah writing that fails to breathe any life into a clichéd premise we've seen before. Ana and Xavier have absolutely no chemistry, so the love scenes fail to spark. And since you can predict what'll happen next at any given moment -- oh, is that a banana peel? Any chance someone will slip on it? -- the predictable jokes just aren't funny.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how "show within a show" comedies that center on the cast of a TV show are common on television. How many can you name? Why is this an appealing topic for a comedy?
Is the telenovela of Telenovela supposed to look like a good show? How can you tell?
TV Details
- Premiere date : December 7, 2015
- Cast : Eva Longoria , Diana Maria Riva , Jencarlos Canela
- Network : NBC
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Last updated : December 10, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate