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Telenovela - Mondays at 8:30PM ET/PT on NBC
Series Preview Monday, December 7, 2015 at 10:00PM & 10:30PM ET/PT; Timeslot Premiere on Monday, January 4, 2016 at 8:30PM ET/PT

by Pavan

Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives) stars in this big, fun and flashy half-hour comedy as Ana Sofia, the star of a popular Spanish language soap opera. One problem, she doesn't speak any Spanish. Other problems? Ana must manage a new boss, jealous castmates and high-maintenance best friends — and that's all before her ex-husband is hired as her new on-screen love interest. Just like a real telenovela, this comedy is full of all kinds of drama, including love, hate, life and even death! Despite all the chaos, this telenovela's cast and crew is a family ... or, at least, they try to be.

Cast Details:

Eva Longoria as Ana Sofia Calderon
Jencarlos Canela as Xavi Castillo
Diana Maria Riva as Mimi Moncada
Amaury Nolasco as Rodrigo Suarez
Jose Moreno Brooks as Gael Garnica
Jadyn Douglas as Roxi Rios
Alexendra Meneses as Isabella
Izzy Diaz as Issac Aguero

Eva Longoria (Anna Sofia) is a Golden Globe-nominated, Screen Actors Guild and ALMA Award-winning actress, producer, director, entrepreneur, philanthropist and of course is best known as Gabrielle Solis on Desperate Housewives. Longoria is additionally executive producer of Lifetime's hit one-hour dramedy Devious Maids. The show follows the trials and tribulations of five Latina women who work as maids in Beverly Hills and was just renewed for a fourth season. It was also recently announced that she will be producing two more projects for NBC — the comedy Bonita & Mechelle, co-produced with Will Packer, and an untitled Texas Ranger comedy. Longoria is set to star opposite Oscar nominee Demian Bichir in the feature film Low Riders, which looks at the lives of enthusiasts of the re-emerging low-riding culture in Southern California's Latino communities. Longoria also recently starred in the feature films Refugio, Any Day, alongside Sean Bean and Kate Walsh, and the critically acclaimed feature film Frontera, co-starring Michael Pena and Ed Harris. Longoria also recently guest starred in the Golden Globe Award-winning comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Before she was famous she appeared on LA Dragnet and on The Young and the Restless.

Jencarlos Canela's (Xavi) first TV role was in Telemundo's soap opera Pecados Ajenos. That propelled him to sign an exclusive contract with the network for which he has co-starred in several Spanish-language productions. Univision extended an invitation for Canela to join their esteemed panel of judges for popular reality show Nuestra Belleza Latina. Soon after, Univision joined forces with Televisa Network in Mexico City to create a reality show called Va Por Ti, featuring Canela.

Diana Maria Riva (Mimi) has established herself as a dominant force in television, film and theater. On the big screen, she most recently starred in McFarland, with Kevin Costner and Maria Bello, and Love and Mercy, with Elizabeth Banks and John Cusack. Riva also had a supporting role in the critically acclaimed film Short Term 12. In 2010, she starred opposite America Ferrera in Family Wedding and has also appeared in 17 Again, What Women Want, Employee of the Month, Chasing Papi and The Third Wheel, among others. On the television side, Riva was most recently seen in FX's Saint George, with comedian George Lopez, and simultaneously recurred in FX's The Bridge, starring Diane Kruger. Other prominent series in which Riva has appeared include Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, City of Angels, NYPD Blue, Everybody Loves Raymond, The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Less Than Perfect, The Hughleys, The Drew Carey Show, Strong Medicine, The X-Files, The Pretender, Party of Five, The Ghost Whisperer and In Plain Sight.

Amaury Nolasco (Rodrigo) has guest starred on several popular television shows, including CSI, ER and George Lopez before landing his first major supporting role on the big screen hit 2 Fast 2 Furious as Orange Julius. In 2005, Nolasco solidified his Hollywood acting career with his series regular role as Fernando Sucre on the critically acclaimed series Prison Break. Nolasco recently had a recurring arc on Gang Related. He's had previous roles on the sitcom Work It, Justified, Rizzoli & Isles, Southland and Burn Notice.

Jose Moreno Brooks (Gael) starred in MTV's One Bad Choice as Stephan Perez in the retelling of his true-life story. Other credits include a guest star on Nine Lives of Chloe King, as well as roles on The Game and Big Time Rush.

Jadyn Douglas (Roxi) started pursuing acting in 2011 while living in New York. In 2012 she was cast in the independent film Greetings From Tim Buckley, starring Penn Badgley. Last year she played a murdering con artist on NBC's drama Taxi Brooklyn and was also cast in the Andrew Levitas drama Lullaby, alongside Amy Adams and Garrett Hedlund.

Alexandra Meneses (Isabella) first became embraced by audiences playing Teresa Morales in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Her role as Stefania Fogagnolo — Brad Garrett's luscious Italian girlfriend on Everybody Loves Raymond -- earned her ALMA Award and American Comedy Award nominations. Other TV roles include Joey Tribiani's sister Cookie on Friends, Sofia on The Goldbergs, CSI, CSI: Miami, Prison Break, NCIS, Psych, Austin & Ally and The Cleveland Show. On film, the Chicago native and former model appeared in Selena, Boyle Heights and the New York Film Critics Circle Award-winning Auto Focus.
Izzy Diaz's (Issac) credits include Parenthood, Austin & Ally, Lost, Rules of Engagement, Workaholics and Happy Endings. On the big screen, Diaz appeared in Brian DePalma's Iraqi war drama Redacted.

Pilot Plot:

We received four episodes for review. The review will be based on these four episodes.

"Pilot" (Airs December 7 at 10:00PM ET)

Ana Sofia (Eva Longoria) is taken by surprise when her ex-husband, Xavi (Jencarlos Canela), joins the cast of her popular telenovela. With the help of her best friends and co-workers, Mimi (Diana Maria Riva) and Gael (Jose Moreno Brooks), Ana Sofia sets out to prove that she is still in charge.

"Evil Twin" (Airs December 7 at 10:30PM ET)

Ana Sofia (Eva Longoria) doesn't like her co-workers having secrets and tries to implement an "open book" policy at work. Things get crazy when a surprise workplace romance and a surprise visitor put that policy to the test.

We also watched the episodes "The Kiss" and "The Rivals," both set to air in January, but no official airdates are given yet.

Analysis:

Eva Longoria is back on network TV in a regular series and it's great! This is a show made for her to star in and she delivers on all comedy aspects -- such as comedic timing and physical comedy. She was the comedic genius on Desperate Housewives and was reliable for laughs on every episode of a dramedy like that. Now she has a true comedy and can show off all of her comedy chops. Her character of Ana Sofia Calderon has lots of similarities with Gabrielle Solis (her DH character) and that's a good thing. On this show, Eva plays a telenovela actress who is nothing really like the character Pasión that she plays. It's a great workplace comedy and with lots of silly (but in a good way) laughs. Eva works well with all of the supporting cast on this show. In the pilot plotline, her character is worried that she may have to share top-billing with the new addition to the cast (hilariously her ex-husband), but Eva doesn't have to worry here because she is the show. Back to the supporting actors, after watching four episodes we are pretty invested and know these characters. I feel all of the characters so far are unique and crucial to the show. So far I think Isaac might be the weakest, but I'm sure some good plotlines are to come for him.

I think in future episodes there will be a love triangle between Ana Sofia, her ex-husband & now co-star Xavi and the network boss (recurring guest star Zachary Levi). The episodes with Zachary I found were the best ones ("Pilot" and "The Kiss"). I watched the episodes after the pilot in somewhat out of order and it doesn't seem the storylines are serialized, so you can watch the show at any point, unlike a real telenovela. As of now, we see Ana Sofia with her colleagues, but not family yet. Maybe that will be tackled at some point, such as maybe her DH husband Ricardo Antonio Chavira? We can confirm that he will indeed guest star this season! Anyway, this show is just good old funny with the natural funny Eva Longoria. And it's funny that her character doesn't speak any Spanish either.

Conclusion:

Telenovela has it all, the glitz, the glamour, the hilarious plotlines and...a wind machine! Even a fake TV network, VivaVision. It may be a mix of 30 Rock and the classic sitcom Soap, if that makes sense. The series will be paired with another fan favorite star (America Ferrera) so it's NBC's new comedy duo hour come January. The recipe for a good comedy and show is to always include Eva Longoria. She is that funny in this show. Because if viewers don't tune in, well we will just have to give you the...telenovela...stare-down. It's just plain old fun and a good time. No translator needed for this show.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Monday, December 7, 2015 at 10:00PM & 10:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

Fox.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Telenovela Photo Gallery

Preview:

I Get That a Lot, featuring popular stars pulling funny pranks on everyday people, returns with a new installment in a continuing series of one-hour specials, to be broadcast Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 8:00PM ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. Celebrity participants include actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth working as a waitress at a New York diner; restaurateur, author and television personality Guy Fieri selling cars; singer Rita Ora working at a tanning salon; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers working the front desk at a gym; Australian pop sensation Cody Simpson selling candy; and Jeopardy's Alex Trebek behind the information desk at a public library. This is the first special to air since early Jan. 2013.

I Get That a Lot features celebrities tricking everyday citizens in cases of supposed "mistaken identity." Working ordinary jobs, these celebrities confuse customers who can't decide if it's the actual celebrity or an astonishing look-alike. As these celebrities continue to deny their true identities, various reactions from their customers elicit exasperated and hilarious responses.

SitcomsOnline Book Club Review - Andy & Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show

by Skees

Andy Griffith and Don Knotts came from somewhat similar (but different) backgrounds, both from working-class and low-income families from the south, and both had dreams and aspirations to get to something bigger. Daniel de Visé's biography, Andy & Don, takes readers on a behind-the-scenes tour of how these two actors from the south came to know each other on the stage on Broadway, and proceeded to head their own direction in their careers shortly thereafter... only to find that a big part of their success came in working with each other.

The primary focus of the book, of course, is on the one place that almost every fan of the actors associate them with: The Andy Griffith Show. More than a third of the book is dedicated to this, carefully detailing everything from the moment that the show was born, the insistence of Griffith to cast Knotts in a role in the series. The book continues to follow through with all of the ups and downs of the series, including casting and some behind-the-scenes drama. As most fans know, Knotts left the series after the fifth season, but the book gets readers a bit more in-depth on the exact reasons why, and they're not quite as many believe. It also discusses how the series proceeded without Knotts, and later without Griffith, and it seems that neither of these shakeups were ones that Griffith enjoyed.

Despite all of the success that both of them had throughout their life, the book also exposes how both of them had some rather large dry spells in their careers, and how they spent their personal lives during those spells. Griffith, in particular, struggled following the completion of The Andy Griffith Show. A handful of short-lived series didn't quite give him the satisfaction in life that he was hoping for, and things got much worse for him after a paralyzing illness in 1983. Meanwhile, Knotts had a string of movies that weren't exactly blockbuster hits after leaving The Andy Griffith Show, though he did land the role of Mr. Furley on Three's Company, a role that was nearly as iconic as his role of Barney Fife.

It was that relationship between two men, though, that brought them one last big round of success together, with the series Matlock. The series finally brought Griffith back into the spotlight (and managed to keep him there) after over a decade and a half of struggling to find a role that actually worked for him. The series was a success for him when he was alone, but by the third season, at the insistence of Griffith once again, he was reunited with Knotts, as Knotts began a recurring role on the series that lasted for four seasons (he disappeared around the time that the series shifted from NBC to ABC).

The book concludes with "Death in Mayberry," a nice tribute to the final days of both Knotts and Griffith. There are also some acknowledgements of how the author came to know Don Knotts (they were in-laws) and Griffith (it came much later in life), and finally a synopsis of what the author considers to be the twenty great episodes of The Andy Griffith Show.

As much as I've admired the work of both Andy Griffith and Don Knotts over the years, I've honestly never stopped to look into much of their lives beyond their TV success. This is a particularly well-written book that gives more insight into their personal lives and gives a lot more background into how their frequent appearances together over a span of five separate decades was not just mere coincidence, but had a lot to do with their own personal friendship. Even more importantly, with a few exceptions, both of them seemed to thrive most when they were on screen together.

This book is one that great read for fans of either of these actors, although given how much of their career has been together, it is highly unlikely one would be a fan of one and not the other. This isn't one of those books that just repackages information readily available online and adds more to it as filler, it is a well-written and heavily sourced book with details that may be new or even surprising to some fans.

(4/5 stars)

To purchase this book, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com


NBC will ring in the New Year with the launch of two of its highest profile comedies on Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, but viewers will get an early look at both Superstore and Telenovela with sneak previews for two consecutive Mondays in late November and early December behind live episodes of The Voice. On Monday, Nov. 30, two original episodes of the ensemble workplace comedy Superstore, starring Emmy winner America Ferrera, will air back-to-back from 10-11pm ET following the two-hour telecast of NBC's Emmy Award-winning musical competition The Voice. Back-to-back episodes of the behind-the-scenes comedy Telenovela, featuring Eva Longoria as the star of a hit Spanish soap opera, will air Dec. 7 from 10-11pm following the penultimate Monday telecast of The Voice. Both series will then make their official launches on Monday, Jan. 4 with Superstore" premiering at 8pm and Telenovela at 8:30pm.

In Superstore, America Ferrara (Ugly Betty) and Ben Feldman (A to Z) star in a hilarious workplace comedy (from the producer of The Office) about a unique family of employees at a super-sized megastore. From the bright-eyed newbies and the seen-it-all veterans to the clueless summer hires and in-it-for-life managers, together they hilariously tackle the day-to-day grind of rabid bargain hunters, riot-causing sales and nap-worthy training sessions. The cast includes Mark McKinney, Lauren Ash, Colton Dunn, Nichole Bloom and Nico Santos.

In Telenovela, if you think the steamy sex, sensational scandals and wrenching heartbreak on Latino soap operas are a little extreme, just wait until you see what happens behind the scenes. Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives) stars in this new comedy about Ana Sofia, a sizzling TV superstar and her lively family of cast and crew all competing to steal the spotlight. When the cameras turn off, the drama turns up as Ana battles pesky network execs, drunken script writers, narcissistic co-stars, and an unfortunately familiar new onscreen love interest. The cast includes Jencarlos Canela, Diana Maria Riva, Jose Moreno Brooks, Alex Meneses, Amaury Nolasco, Jadyn Maria and Izzy Diaz.

It's a busy recap day today. NBC was up at the TCA Winter 2015 Press Tour on Friday, followed by Fox on Saturday and FX on Sunday...and we have the full scoop! Let's start with NBC. In her return to a starring role on primetime television, NBC is teaming with SAG Award winner and multi-nominee Eva Longoria on the half-hour comedy series Telenovela. NBC has ordered 13 episodes of the singlecam comedy that will star and be executive produced by Longoria. From Universal Television and Unbelievable Entertainment, Telenovela captures the hilarious behind-the-scenes craziness of a popular Spanish telenovela. Longoria will play the willful but popular diva Ana Maria, star of Latin America's most beloved telenovela who strives to stay on top in a world where the drama on-camera is nothing compared to the drama off-camera. Stay with us for info as it will launch in 2015-16. Next, NBC is bringing both the heartbreaking and uplifting stories during one of America's most tumultuous periods to television in adapting author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Betty DeRamus' acclaimed book Forbidden Fruit: Love Stories From the Underground Railroad as an epic eight-hour miniseries titled Freedom Run. It will focus on three specific epic journeys and love stories, each based on actual people. Iconic musician Stevie Wonder will serve as an executive producer.

Zachary Levi is making his long-awaited return to television in NBC's upcoming event miniseries Heroes Reborn to play a key yet undisclosed role. Jack Coleman, who played Noah Bennet in the original Heroes series, has previously been cast to reprise his role as "HRG" for Heroes Reborn. With the return of Heroes Reborn, NBC will launch a digital series prior to the premiere that will introduce the characters and new storylines. This leveraging of social media is a way for fans to re-engage with what was one for the true pioneers in multiplatform storytelling. Still no premiere date has been given. And finally for NBC, they have signed a development deal with Dolly Parton, one of the most honored female country musicians of all time and an American icon. In conjunction with production partner Sam Haskell of Magnolia Hill Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television, NBC will develop a slate of two-hour TV movies based on the songs, stories, and inspiring life of Dolly Parton. This extraordinarily prolific country music artist and movie star will produce these projects that are meant to appeal to an inclusive family audience.

On to Fox, well that was fast. After just two episodes, Empire is coming back. Fox has renewed hit drama series Empire for a second season. The second episode grew from its already big premiere rating. It is the only new broadcast drama this season to grow from week one to week two. Fox has also ordered a third season of the award-winning comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine. And if two renewals weren't enough, Fox has also renewed hit drama series Gotham for a second season. Get ready to scream. Joe Manganiello (True Blood), Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award nominee Lea Michele (Glee), Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) and Keke Palmer (Masters of Sex) have been cast as series regulars in Scream Queens, a new comedy-horror anthology series from Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan and Dante Di Loreto, the executive producers of Glee and American Horror Story. Additionally, Grammy Award nominee and actress Ariana Grande will guest-star in a recurring role. Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween) and Emma Roberts (American Horror Story: Freak Show) were previously announced in starring roles in the limited series. The first installment in the new anthology series revolves around a college campus which is rocked by a series of murders. Fifteen one-hour episodes have been ordered, which are scheduled to begin production in the spring, and premiere in Fall 2015 on Fox.

Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) and Paramount Television announced that superstar singers, dancers and actresses Julianne Hough (Safe Haven, Rock of Ages, Dancing with the Stars) and Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical, Spring Breakers, Gigi on Broadway) have been cast in leading roles in Grease: Live (working title). With Hough as the angelic Sandy - Rydell High's most talked-about newcomer - and Hudgens as iconic bad girl Rizzo, this first-ever live television production of Grease will re-imagine the hit crossover musical for an entirely new generation. Airing LIVE Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016 from 7:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed on Fox, Grease: Live (wt) will be executive-produced by acclaimed film, television and theater producer Marc Platt. Grease: Live (wt) is based on the original musical Grease by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, and Paramount Pictures' 1978 feature adaptation. It will be a Paramount Television production.

Moving on to cable network FX, they have set the premiere date of Thursday, April 9 for the series premiere of the new comedy series The Comedians starring Billy Crystal and Josh Gad and the fifth season of the Emmy(R) Award winning comedy series Louie starring Louie C.K. The Comedians will air at 10:00 PM ET/PT, followed by Louie at 10:30 PM ET/PT. Also, FX has acquired the television rights to Emmy Award winner Louis C.K.'s next standup comedy special, Louis C.K. Live From the Comedy Store. C.K. will make the special available to fans first on his website, LouisCK.net, in coming weeks after his record-breaking run of shows at Madison Square Garden. C.K. is the first comedian to sell out three shows for the same tour in Madison Square Garden history. Tickets for the fourth Madison Square Garden show on January 27 went on sale Saturday. The hour-long comedy special will subsequently air on FX this spring. C.K. will write and direct the special. And the third piece of FX news also has Louie C.K. involved. FX Networks has ordered the comedy pilot Better Things, created by and starring Pamela Adlon and directed by fellow Louie star Louis C.K. Better Things is the fifth comedy series pilot produced or ordered by FX Networks within the past year, including the comedy series pilots Atlanta, created by and starring Donald Glover, and Pariah, starring Bill Burr for Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton. These projects reinforce FX Networks' position as the leading comedy brand in television. Let's see which of these make it to series. Stay with us.