Globo Gears Up for NATPE

RIO DE JANEIRO, January 16: Globo TV International’s slate
for buyers at NATPE includes a mix of drama and comedy series, documentaries
and mini-series, as well as telenovela offerings.

In the mini-series genre, Globo is bringing Amazonia, which tells the story of men who dedicated their
lives to the struggle to preserve the environment. It was shot on location in
the heart of the largest tropical rainforest in the world, and combines drama,
romance, adventure and conflict. It was written by Gloria Perez, who also
penned the successful telenovela The Clone, which was sold in more than 70 countries. Nature is also the central
focus of the six-part program Globo Doc, which looks at Brazil’s
lush fauna and flora.

Globo will also be offering four comedies at NATPE this
year: Normal People, a comedic take on
the day-to-day routine of a couple; The Cleaning Lady, which
follows the adventures and mishaps of a house cleaner; Under New
Management
, the story of two women who manage a bar; and Big
Family
, which provides a portrait of a
middle-class family. Big Family is
one of the ten top-rated programs in Brazil, garnering 40 rating points and a
63-percent share.

Telenovelas will also be a highlight for the company’s
slate. Pages of Life deals with
important social issues such as the exclusion experienced by alcoholics and
people with Downs Syndrome. Tropical Paradise, which stars Fábio Assunção, Glória Pires, Tony Ramos
and Camila Pitanga, is an urban story that combines glamour, mystery, humor and
a lot of romance. Little Missy is
a remake of the renowned period-piece telenovela that tells the story of the forbidden
love between the young Little Missy and Rodolfo, set amidst the political
turmoil of pre-abolition times. These offerings are rounded out by Seven
Sins
, which shows that good and evil may be closer than we think. It stars
Reynaldo Gianecchini, Giovanna Antonelli and Priscila Fantin and is written by
the authors of the hit telenovelas Pepper Chocolate and Soul Mate.

Additional offerings from Globo are the drama series Antonia, a
ten-episode story about four girls facing the challenges of life in the ‘hood,’
and Heavy Load, a 24-episode series about life on the road for two
truckers.

“Buyers can expect in these products the same high quality
that our telenovelas are already known for,” said Raphael Correa Netto, Globo’s
director of international sales. “We are taking our production savoir-faire to
the market. We are one of the largest content producers in the world, with
critically-acclaimed programs that have been nominated for numerous awards,
including the prestigious International Emmy.”

He continued: “Our decision to diversify our portfolio
follows the worldwide trend that sees the opening up of new distribution
channels. We identified many opportunities to offer complementary programming
to our clients, and we are still expecting to win over new markets and
partners. We are bringing these new programs without forgetting telenovelas,
which are our flagship productions.”

—By Kristin Brzoznowski