Telenovela: Why NBC Should Renew the Showbiz Comedy for Season 2

The 2014-2015 season was the culmination of a directionless period for NBC’s once storied comedy brand, as the network cancelled all but two half-hours they put on the air while letting one (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) run loose on another platform. Once home to a monstrously rated, genre defining Thursday night lineup, and having aired as many as 18 sitcoms in one season, NBC was back at square one and forced to figure out who their comedy audience was and what kind of shows would resonate with the loyal fans of their procedural dramas. Their next steps could put them back in contention in a genre they’d been chasing for seasons, but if they chose the wrong projects or didn’t nurture the right ones, they could find themselves back where they started all over again.

Ordered straight to series in January 2015, Telenovela was the first new comedy that NBC picked up for the 2015-2016 season. Starring Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives) as a telenovela actress forced to work with her ex-husband (JenCarlos Canela) after their messy breakup, the series took a format familiar to NBC viewers (the single cam workplace comedy) and, while also channeling the zaniness of a 30 Rock, incorporated elements specific to an industry that non-Latinos aren’t terribly familiar with. It was a big, broad comedy that played like Latino Soapdish, yet while it received solid reviews, it didn’t become a ratings breakout like lead-in Superstore, it being even more in line with the Parks & Recreations and The Offices of the world. However, despite the tepid ratings the show received during its 11-episode first season, there are other factors going into the renewal decision that could (and should) push the show into a second season.

The most interesting thing that Telenovela has going for it is that telenovelas themselves don’t last long, meaning that this show can continually change shape and function something like a comedic anthology. We already saw this put into motion in the season finale when La Leyes de Pasion (Telenovela‘s show-within-a-show) head writer Isaac (Izzy Diaz) created Los Doctores Vaqueros, a new telenovela that the entire Las Leyes de Pasion cast transitioned into. Not only does this type of format opens the show up for potential big name guest stars given the shorter commitment, not only does it allow the show to be more experimental with its humor and structure, it allows the show to self-correct without self-correction seeming like self-correction; Telenovela could easily tinker with what didn’t connect with audiences in season one without the flop sweat that normally accompanies hiatus retools, given that retools are built into the show’s DNA. And unlike the dramatic anthologies that have pervaded the television industry over the past couple of years, a comedic anthology, with its fairly novel format and lighter content, is casual viewer friendly, so there might be actual ratings benefits to carrying Telenovela into a second season.

Also in Telenovela‘s corner is the fact that it’s owned by NBC and aired in a time where vertical integration is becoming more important. Networks and studios have to find ways to monetize shows outside of Live + Same Day ratings and Telenovela is a shining example of something with international appeal, one of the major ways networks can make up for weaker linear ratings. While the cast itself is comprised of actors whose ancestry ranges from Mexican to Puerto Rican and Dominican, the title itself has instant familiarity in Central and South America given the sheer volume of telenovelas produced each year, meaning that the show could have a shot at breaking through despite its status as a bubble show in the United States. Couple Longoria’s Desperate Housewives recognition with a subject familiar to entire countries of people and there’s less of a barrier to success as there was with the United States launch of the show. Whereas the show’s title could push away American viewers who think the show is an actual telenovela, who think the majority of the show would be in Spanish, or who have no familiarity with telenovelas, there’s already a significant number of people in other countries who know the ins and outs of telenovelas and who would be open to sampling the show. So why would NBC cancel a show that they own and that could have a pretty high international ceiling?

Particularly when it’s a show that they could use as a decent scheduling tool. The show’s mid-60s retention from Superstore might not have been great, though some of that drop could be explained by the robust competition the two unproven comedies had to face (e.g. The Bachelor, The X-Files, the Grammys, the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship, etc.), but what it could end up being is a solid bottom of the hour comedy that allows the network to focus on finding their next comedy tentpole. If NBC doesn’t want to throw two new comedies in one of the hours they plan to use for half-hour shows, they could very easily renew a Telenovela and have it at the :30 slot while giving the new comedy lead-in protection, particularly if they’re confident about the comedy lead-out. Considering the volume of comedies NBC has in development, a second hour of comedy in the fall isn’t out of the question and if they use both of their lead-ins (Superstore, The Carmichael Show), the network could end up leaving new comedies to fend for themselves again. While that gave them Superstore, it’s way too risky a strategy for a network that doesn’t have its comedy legs under it just yet; if NBC is going to expand their comedy presence, they have to do it smartly and throwing, say, four new comedies out on their own just feels wasteful when they have something that could work for them if nurtured.

With Undateable‘s transition to Undateable Live being called unsuccessful by NBC President of Program Planning, Strategy and Research Jeff Bader and Crowded retaining strongly from The Carmichael Show while still losing half of the Little Big Shots audience, Telenovela is NBC’s best option if they want to bring a third comedy from this season into next. It’s a show with an international-friendly premise that’s capable of reinventing itself, something that could offset its underwhelming linear ratings with big name guest stars, wild narrative antics, and built-in appeal to Central and South America. It’s a show that fits in with NBC’s increased focus on variety and entertainment programming and could lean in that direction even more for a second season, be it with an increased focus on the show-within-a-show or what have you. Most importantly, it’s a show that could relieve some of the pressure from NBC’s freshman crop next season, as the right tweaks and the right scheduling situation could make this a solid bottom of the hour comedy that allows every newbie to be in the best slot possible. Although you need top of the hour comedies in order to rebuild your comedy brand, there’s something to be said for having a complementary comedy in your arsenal, a veteran show that has its own audience and as such, can give you steady numbers. For NBC to grow their comedy brand, they’re going to have to pick out comedies like that and nurture them accordingly, making Telenovela a prime candidate for renewal.

Telenovela aired its season finale Monday, February 22nd. You can watch the entire season through Hulu, NBC.com, and the NBC app.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EScO7zw6CzQ