Spanish inquisition

Telenovelas are serious business. Except in Eva Longoria’s hilarious behind-the-scenes sitcom Telenovela.

The zany cast of Telenovela bring the laughs to TV. Season 1 Thursdays (from 16 June) Vuzu AMP (*114) 20:00

For a hit telenovela (limited-series Spanish soapie), you need sexy stars, ridiculous drama, romance and baddies returning from the dead. That’s what’s on the way in single-season Telenovela (2015-2016), thanks to executive producer and lead star Eva Longoria (Gaby Solis in drama Desperate Housewives, 2004-2012). “This is a world we haven’t seen on TV. And that’s what I knew I wanted to do when I went back to television,” says Eva, who plays actress Ana Sofia Calderon, the star of fictional telenovela Las Leyes de Pasión. And there are laughs from the word go: Ana Sofia is surrounded by a crazy group who help her hide her biggest secret from the Spanish-speaking audience: she doesn’t know a word of the language!

PERFECTLY CAST

Bringing telenovela Las Leyes to life is no small feat. That’s why Ana Sofia is helped by this gang… Mimi (Diana-Maria Riva – Kitty Conchas in drama The Bridge, 2013-2014) She’s Ana Sofia’s best friend and juggles her job as Las Leyes’s seamstress, Ana Sofia’s confidanté and a mom. Besides making her friend look good onscreen, Mimi also tries to help Ana Sofia with her love life, which gets “interesting” at times. Xavier (Jencarlos Canela – last seen in actual telenovela Pasión Prohibidi aka Forbidden Passion, as Bruno Hurtado in 2013) Xavi is Ana Sofia’s ex-hubby who’s just signed on as her new co-star. The pair were telenovela royalty until their divorce after he cheated on her. Jencarlos helped the show’s directors in an advisory role, thanks to his eight years of experience working on real telenovelas. Gael (Jose Moreno Brooks, who will play Roger in an upcoming episode of Baby Daddy, 2012) Gael is Ana Sofia’s love interest on Las Leyes and the running joke is that his shirts constantly pops open to re- veal his washboard abs. He’s gay but his fans don’t know. NB! See more on p61. Isabela (Alex Meneses – best known for her role as Teresa Morales in Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, 19931998) She’s the former Las Leyes leading lady who’s seen as the queen of old-school telenovela stars. Despite their bickering, Isabela and Ana Sofia actually quite like each other. Rodrigo (Amaury Nolasco – convict Sucre in Prison Break, 2005-2009) He’s the stereotypical telenovela baddie with a stickon moustache. But at home, Rodrigo’s a sweetheart who loves his cat. Roxi (popstar Jadyn Douglas) She’s the sexy new Las Leyes star who’s lined up to replace Ana Sofia. As well-intending as she is, Roxi isn’t the sharpest knife in the kitchen drawer though.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Now you see me: Ana Sofia’s boyfriend/boss James is played by Zachary Levi (Chuck Bartowski in action comedy Chuck, 20072012), while Ricardo Chavira reunites with Eva – he was Gaby’s Ricardo hubby Carlos on DesChavira. perate Housewives. He’s playing Mimi’s convict hubby Martin in episode 9 (on 4 August). It’s war: episode 5 (7 July) sees the Las Leyes crew help makeover a house for a family and face off in a renovation battle with their rival telenovela in an inter-network fight. Growing pains: Mimi’s teen son has a photo of Ana Sofia hidden under his bed! This prompts one of the funniest and most awkward sex talks in a long time in episode 8 (28 July). You’re not the daddy: in episode 10 (11 August), Rodrigo’s depressed about not having kids, until Roxi and Gael make him mistakenly think that he has a young son with an ex. Zachary Levi.