Drama, Suspense, Romance Rule Telemundo Global Studios 2023/4 Slate
Romance, suspense and drama dominate the 2023 slate of Telemundo Global Studios, which presented its 2023 lineup at Content Americas under the banner The Telemundo Edge. Speaking to Variety before hosting Telemundo’s presentation, Karen Barroeta, executive VP of production and development, noted: “We have evolved the genre so much that we now call them contemporary dramas, not telenovelas.” The long-form format runs an average of 80 episodes, stripped Monday to Friday, instead of the 120+ count of the traditional telenovelas. Telemundo’s programming is also buoyed by its action-packed Super Series, the International Emmy-winning franchise “El Señor de los Cielos” (“Lord of the Skies”), which just launched Season 8 on Jan. 17 to stellar ratings. Inspired by real events, the show stars Rafael Amaya as the titular drug lord who undergoes plastic surgery in order to evade capture. “The show is always rooted in reality,” said Barroeta who added that writer/creator Luis Zelkowicz has some 8