Ever feel like the daily minutia of your life is getting a bit, well, dull? If the answer is yes, you may want to consider escaping into a telenovela—a genre rooted in Latin America, known for its colorfully elaborate plots—and Netflix is currently streaming some of the best.
The name is a combination of "tele," meaning "television," and "novela," or "novel." Much like American soap operas, the shows proceed with ever-unfolding melodramatic twists. Unlike a soap opera, though, there's an end in sight: Episodes air five or six nights a week, with an average of 120 episodes total. These Spanish-language shows range in genre: La Reina del Sur, for example, is an intense tale set among Mexico's drug cartels and Silvana Sin Lana is a riches-to-rags love story. Originating in Mexico, Colombia, and beyond, for non-native speakers, they may even help you learn Spanish.
For the purposes of this list, we've included a few series that also borrow from the hallmark of a telenovela, but have a slightly different format. Netflix's The House of Flowers is a modernized telenovela, repackaging the plot points while offering gorgeous production value (and it stars telenovela veteran Verónica Castro in the first season). And even more contemporary telenovelas are on the way, like a reboot of the Mexican series Rebelde coming to Netflix in 2022.
The Queen of Flow
If you're into shows that feature original songs, then The Queen of Flow (or La Reina del Flow in Spanish) is for you: This Colombian telenovela will have you humming through its 82 episodes. As a teenager, Yeimy Montoya (Carolina Ramirez) is put away for a crime she didn't commit, dashing her budding reggaeton career. When she gets out 17 years later, she's fixed on revenge—only the person who sold her out is now a global music superstar called Charly Flow (Carlos Torres).
The House of Flowers
The de la Moro family is in trouble. In the opening moments of this Mexican soap opera's pilot, the family discovers that its patriarch has a mistress. The House of Flowers is a modern update on the telenovela genre. While it preserves the cliff-hangers and mile-a-minute plot details, the Netflix-produced series has high production quality (the sets! the costumes!) and weaves in progressive storylines. With only 22 episodes, you'll race through The House of the Flowers. Watch creator Manolo Caro's three-part show, Someone Has to Die, afterward.
Jane the Virgin
It may be in English, but this acclaimed CW show is definitely a telenovela. The series is in conversation with the genre's tropes, from shocking plot twists to storylines designed to pull on your heartstrings. The first surprise comes early: Jane (Gina Rodriguez), who is indeed a virgin, gets pregnant because of a mix-up at her gynecologist's office. The series's deep-voiced narrator is our guide to the ensuing plot developments.
The Mafia Dolls
Shows like Narcos and The Sopranos focus on cartel leaders and mafiosos. But what is it like to be married to one of them? The Mafia Dolls gets the perspective of five women whose lives orbit around organized crime, whether through family relations or romance. The telenovela was a hit when it premiered in Colombia in 2009. Nearly 10 years later, Netflix revived the series for a second season. Strap in for the long haul: Each season has nearly 60 dramatic episodes.
Señora Acero
We'll be honest: The pilot of Señora Acero is shocking. In the telenovela's opening minutes, a wedding turns into a massacre (a la Game of Thrones). In doing so, the scene sets the tone for the rest of the show: Every moment of happiness will be undercut by violence. After seeing her husband, a drug trafficker, die at the altar, Sara (Blanca Soto) gets involved in the business to support her family. The third and fourth seasons change subject and focus on a woman (played by Carolina Miranda) who helps immigrants cross the border into the U.S.
Silvana Sin Lana
Think of Silvana Sin Lana as the telenovela equivalent of Schitt's Creek: A classic riches-to-rags story. Silvana's (Sarah Mintz) life changes in an instant after her husband, facing fraud, flees the country and leaves her penniless. She and her children are forced to adjust to—gasp!—middle class life. Of course, she conveniently moves next to a hunky fishmonger, who teaches her how to move through the world with a different set of values. The 121-episode first season is also the show's only season, so expect to see the entire arc of Silvana's story play out.
La Doña
If seeing women blinged out in tiaras and wielding pistols is your thing, then watch all 120 episodes of La Doña. Altagracia Sandoval (Aracely Arámbula) became the cold, ruthless woman she is today because of terribly traumatic events. She's still seeking revenge against the people who hardened her—and in the show, she'll get her chance. Fans of Netflix's Élite will instantly recognize Danna Paola (a.k.a Lu) in this show. She plays Altagracia's daughter, Mónica.
El Señor de los Cielos
El Señor de los Cielos makes for a perfect follow-up to Narcos: Mexico, as the two series share a main character: Amado Carrillo Fuentes, a Mexican drug lord known for transporting cocaine in a fleet of Boeing 727 jets. Through this scheme, Carillo Fuentes earned the nickname "Lord of the Skies." Rafael Amaya won awards for his portrayal of a fictionalized version of the former leader of the Juarez cartel over the course of seven seasons. Fun fact: This show is set in the same universe as other famous soaps, like La Doña and Señora Acero, so expect cross-over.
Rosario Tijeras
Rosario Tijeras opens with its eponymous main character being shot—then rewinds five years to show how she got there. What ensues is a story of love, violence, and a girl who gets a nickname because of her way with wielding scissors (seriously). Bárbara de Regil plays the show's titular character, Rosario, in this telenovela based on a Colombian novel.
Sin Senos Sí Hay Paraiso
Sin Senos sí hay paraiso is technically a sequel to the 2008 Colombian telenovela, Sin senos no hay paraiso. The premise is something else, really. Based on a true story, the first telenovela is about a young woman who believes she needs breast implants to climb her way up the ladder. In the sequel, her sister decides to take a different route.
La Reina del Sur
After premiering in 2011, La Reina del Sur became one of Telemundo's most popular shows ever. The 60-episode first season tracked Teresa Mendoza's (Kate del Castillo) journey from grieving woman to hardened drug lord. In 2019, when del Castillo returned to the role for season 2, La Reina del Sur had broad reach and a big budget—it was was filmed in Russia, Romania, Spain, Belize, Colombia and United States. With the third season on the way, we're excited to see all the places Teresa goes next. Alicia Braga stars in an English-language remake, also on Netflix.
Club de Cuervos
Club de Cuervos was Netflix's first-ever Spanish language original. Technically, it's a comedy-drama about two siblings who inherit a struggling sports team. And unlike most telenovelas, the seasons are short—only around 13 episodes each. But for the sheer binge-worthiness of its plot lines, Club de Cuervos nods to the telenovela art form.
Bolívar
The story of Simon Bolívar's life unfurls in 60 soap opera-worthy episodes. The Venezuelan general is known for liberating Latin American countries—including Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia—from Spain's rule in the 17th century. While the history is certainly explored, equal attention is placed on his love life. It is a telenovela, after all!
Ingobernable
Kate del Castillo entranced audiences for two seasons of the fast-paced telenovela La Reina del Sur, set among Mexico's drug cartels. Ingobernable, out in 2017, has a different subject matter, but is no less gripping. Del Castillo plays the First Lady of Mexico, who has a crisis of faith when she begins to doubt her husband's ability to lead the country. Fans of Scandal are sure to love this political thriller.
Toy Boy
Like many of the telenovelas on this list, Toy Boy begins with the protagonist leaving prison for a crime he didn't commit. Hugo Beltran (Jesus Mosquera), our brooding main character, was unjustly framed for murder. When he leaves prison, he returns to his former workplace to get back on his feet, literally—Hugo is a stripper. Sure, Toy Boy features a gorgeous Spain setting and a gripping murder mystery storyline, but another appeal, for viewers, is its dreamy cast.
Luis Miguel
One of the best-selling and acclaimed Latin musicians of all time, Luis Miguel is a veritable superstar. This authorized biographical series tells the story of his rise to fame. Diego Boneta, a singer and an actor, plays Miguel, known as El Sol de Mexico (the Sun of Mexico). Whereas the first season was set in his childhood, season 2, which will be released in 2021, focuses more on his adjustment to the spotlight.
Monarca
Think of Monarca as a telenovela in the body of a glossy drama. In the first episode,Ana María (Irene Azuela) returns to Mexico to take charge of a billion-dollar tequila business, only to fight with her two brothers over the company's direction. Betrayal, revenge, corruption ensue in the Salma Hayek-produced drama.
Dark Desire
Dark Desire, or Oscuro Deseo in Spanish, is the textbook definition of an erotic thriller, featuring tangled love triangles, somewhat dastardly romantic leads, and women caught amid deep waves of emotion. The story begins when Alma (Maite Perroni), a law school professor, meets a younger man (Alejandro Speitzer) on vacation and begins an affair. From that moment of destabilization come many, many more, as secrets about her marriage and friendships unfurl.
Jenni Rivera: Mariposa de Barrio
Like Luis Miguel, Mariposa de Barrio is a biographical drama about a Mexican singer. In 2012, Janney “Jenni” Rivera died in a plane crash. Based on her autobiography Unbreakable, this 91-episode telenovela honors her legacy, and earned the approval of her family. Angélica Celaya portrays Rivera from her years dreaming of stardom through her actual achievement of those dreams. Rivera's songs are included in the actual drama, too, so you'll be singing along as you watch.
Élite
It's a miracle the characters in Élite have time to do homework, considering the amount of hijinks that occur at Las Encinas, the private school they attend in Spain. Murder! Love triangles! Faked deaths! Élite has it all. And while the first batch of characters graduated high school in season 3, the show will continue with a new cast in future seasons.
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![ina garten and jeffrey](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/jeffrey-garten-and-ina-garten-attend-the-barefoot-under-the-news-photo-1713807458.jpg?crop=1.00xw:0.668xh;0,0&resize=360:* "2011 "Barefoot Under The Stars" Benefit")