Televisa Unveils New Younger-Skewing Novelas

MEXICO CITY, May 3: At a news conference yesterday, Mexican media giant Grupo Televisa unveiled four new original telenovela series that José Antonio Bastón, corporate VP of television, said are firmly targeted at raising the broadcaster’s ratings in the lucrative 18-to-44 age group.

According to wire reports, the four productions are slated to begin airing this month on Canal 5, which is targeted at kids, teens and young adults. Upon the end of their 13-week runs, the broadcaster will release the shows on DVD. Other merchandise will also be crucial to the shows’ rollouts, Reuters notes, with Televisa set to launch comic books, online behind-the-scenes content, blogs and CDs.

Bastó® ¡lso noted that the shows would be made available to Univision in the U.S. via Televisa’s long-term programming deal with the Hispanic broadcaster, and would be sold to broadcasters worldwide.

The series are: Sexo y Otros Secretos (Sex and Other Secrets), about five female friends; the suspense-filled Miedos (Fears); El Pantera (The Panther), with an old-school superhero skilled in acrobatic Brazilian martial arts; and the comedy Y ahora … que hago? (Now What?). Reports indicate that all four shows will be broadcast between new episodes of key U.S. imports like House, Heroes and Law & Order.