Of late I’ve found myself drawn to the concept of the telenova. The telenova is a form of television show originating in Latin American countries; the form usually revolves around a romantic story line told within a finite number of episodes. The stories tend toward predictable melodrama, but I’m drawn to them because they focus on a limited number of characters, thus lending greater development to the ones on the screen; the limited number of episodes means I don’t have to worry about the show continuing despite losing its steam after a few seasons. While I wouldn’t want all of … Continue reading →

Most Disney Channel original series focus on the lives of their intended audience. Shows on Playhouse Disney often feature young protagonists learning to interact with the world. The plethora of Disney Channel’s tween and teen shows, the channel’s bread and butter, again usually focus on the lives and problems of its protagonists, whose ages usually match that of the channel’s target audience. Refreshing, then, is the Disney’s Channel recent hit series “Good Luck Charlie.” Although the series’ main character is arguably Teddy Duncan, a 15-year-old girl, the show really revolves around the entire family. The premise of the show is … Continue reading →