Wednesday, APRIL 3, 2012
Throughout my time in in Brazil, somewhere there is a television blaring away, often showing football or soap operas.
Some of the television is actually quite good, but for every good show, there are a hundred that are bad – especially the soaps, that are full of over-acting, shouting, young vivacious women blatantly wearing very little, and being so very.. well.. Latin.
I can’t help watching the TV without hearing the Fast Show’s wickedly funny take on Latin TV – I’m half expecting to hear cries of “scorchio” on the weather forecast!
To counteract the really bad TV (and there is much to counter act), are the good shows. The one that took my interest was a soap opera. I can’t believe I’m admitting to being caught up in a soap opera, not least of all as I don’t speak the language, but I was fascinated by the story line, and some genuinely good acting. The thing that seems to be unique to Brazilian TV soaps, and evident with “Avenida Brasil” is that the soap is written with a strong story line that lasts for one year – i.e. the soap itself only lasts one year, but is shown almost every day. This must give the writers more freedom to write better than soap writers back in Blighty.
Perhaps we have something to learn rather than mock about after all.