As coverage of the World Cup comes to an end, Univision is getting ready to premiere its new daytime telenovela Mi Vida Eres TM-z (“You Are My Life”), the tale of a popular radio personality who gives advice to the lovelorn, but is unable to express his feelings off the air.
Starring Jorge Aravena and Scarlet Ortiz, and produced and shot in Miami by Venezuelan network VenevisiM-sn, Mi Vida Eres TM-z features an international cast. However, most of them are popular Mexican actors, including Roberto Palazuelos, HM-ictor SoberM-sn, SebastiM-an Ligarde, Mauricio Aspe, AndrM-is GarcM-ma Jr. and Paola Toyos.
Could this be a new strategy by the Venezuelan network to appeal to the Mexican TV audience in the United States?
“I think that U.S. Hispanic viewers want to see all of their stars on the small screen,” Aravena says. “For this reason, the company does very well in including actors of all nationalities in this production. In the cast, we have Venezuelans, Argentineans, Peruvians, Cubans and Mexicans.”
Expectations are high for the project, which began filming last month, given that Aravena and Ortiz achieved international success about five years ago in Secreto de Amor (“Secret of Love”).
“I think this telenovela, like Secreto de Amor, has all the elements to appeal to the viewers; it has a good script, cast, production and direction,” Aravena says.
In 2004, Aravena starred in the critically acclaimed but less popular dramatic series Al Filo de la Ley (“At the Edge of the Law”), a co-production of Univision and Plural Entertainment, which was based on real-life legal cases involving U.S. Hispanics.
“I try not to think about the future,” he says. “I live day by day and at this moment, we are in the middle of production, so I try to concentrate on playing my role well, and when we finish, I will think about whether or not the public liked it.”
After 16 years in show business, Aravena credits his growth as a professional to being very critical of his work.
Production deal: Telemundo has signed a long-term development and production agreement with Nostromo AmM-irica, whose vice president, Alan Tacher, is the former host of the reality show La Academia.
“This partnership presents the perfect formula for creating the best in quality game show and reality television programming for our combined audiences,” says Nostromo AmM-irica president Giorgio Aresu.
Aresu and Tacher’s credits include game shows and reality programs in Spain, Mexico and Italy, such as Gente con Chispa, DesafM-mo de Estrellas, Aplauso, Aplauso, Chispa Musical and La Academia.
Magaly Morales writes for Tribune Media Services. She can be reached at 954-717-4154 or .
