Violetta

Violetta enjoys huge success in its native Latin America, prompting Disney to release this English version of the teen soap to a wider audience. It's much what you would expect from such a telenovela -- highly exaggerated, exuberantly acted drama among both the teens and adults. There's plenty of romantic angst, a fair amount of bad behavior (kids undermine each other to stand out in their classes, a woman schemes to force a marriage, Violetta herself defies her father's wishes to follow her dreams, etc.), and contentious family relationships. Through it all, a sensitive teen copes with the memory of her late mother and struggles to find answers to the questions she has about her.

At the same time, the show has some decent content to offer teens who watch, especially when it comes to Violetta's character. She's the epitome of a boundless spirit, undaunted by the confines of the life she's led thus far and determined to embrace the possibilities of her future. In so doing, she has to define her own sense of right and wrong, and she aligns herself with people who share her strong values. Even better, because hers is so positive an example, the negative behavior of some of her less likable peers stands out more obviously for viewers, making it easy to differentiate between right and wrong.