Telemundo ‘Protagonistas’ a Reality TV Show Centered Around Novelas.

Today March 11, 2002, the history of Spanish-language television in the United States has reached a turning point with Telemundo’s premiere of Protagonistas de Novela, television’s first real-life novela. This show won’t have a script or fictional characters, but rather conflicts, love affairs and real passion among real people. The participants’ dream is to land a role in a future Telemundo soap opera. To achieve that goal, they must live for about two months in a TV studio in which 35 cameras and 75 microphones will record their every word, look and move 24 hours a day. The program will be broadcast at 9:00PM (ET/PT) Monday through Friday in hour-long segments. Also, Lo Más Caliente de Protagonistas de Novela will air at 10:00PM (ET\PT) on Saturdays, to present the week’s special moments and unrevealed secrets.

Protagonistas de Novela has been in development since 2001. Casting calls started last December in six U.S. cities, as well as Puerto Rico and Mexico. Of the 3,000 applicants who turned up for those castings, 100 were initially selected and then narrowed down to 30. Currently, there are 20 finalists from several U.S. and Latin American cities. During the grand premiere of Protagonistas de Novela (9PM ET\PT on Monday, March 11), we will meet these 20 finalists, of which the ultimate 12 will be chosen. Those 12 (6 women and 6 men) will face acting, dancing and singing challenges, as well as physical ones, while they learn the difficult lesson of cohabiting. They will have to overcome emotional conflicts, make friendships, find new loves and give up their privacy in a place where nothing is kept secret.

Every week, the viewing audience will have a chance to decide who stays and who leaves the studio. Two contestants will be nominated for disqualification based on the results of the challenges they will face. The public will choose which of the two must leave the studio through a nationwide vote over the phone and through the Terra.com portal on the internet.

Telemundo has teamed up with Terra.com (www.terra.com), Terra Lycos’ US Hispanic site, to bring Latino television viewers and internet users a unique and exclusive opportunity — an enhanced experience that has never before been available on Spanish-language TV. “For the first time ever, TV viewers will be able choose their next telenovela stars,” said Manuel Martínez-Llorián, Executive Vice President of Programming and Production for Telemundo. “We are absolutely thrilled to give our viewers the opportunity to decide the outcome of this first ever reality show on Spanish-language television in the US.”

Terra.com is the official internet portal of Protagonistas de Novela, providing the audience with the opportunity to see censured footage, discover hidden secrets and follow the lives of the participants throughout the evolution of the show. Each day, Terra.com will offer original behind-the-scenes footage, images and dialogue, as well as the latest gossip on the show; which viewers can enjoy from their computer monitors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. “This is a ground-breaking step in the integration of resources,” said Manuel Bellod, Terra’s CEO. “Terra.com provides an innovative tool to Telemundo’s audience and Terra users, which allows them to participate in activities that had never taken place on reality TV; joining forces was an natural step for Terra and Telemundo as it allows us to leverage each others’ assets and understanding of the U.S. Hispanic market. ”

Protagonistas de Novela will be hosted by telenovela star José Angel Llamas, who will also act as friend and advisor to the young participants. José Angel was a hit in his leading roles in “Nada Personal,” “Cara o Cruz” and “El Amor de mi Vida,” which earned him the “Premio Palmas de Oro 1999 del Círculo Nacional de Periodistas” for best leading actor.