Telenovelas Online

Signs you might be a telenovela addict:

1) Your friends all know not to call you at the time your favorite telenovela comes on. If they do, you won't answer the phone.

2) Your dinner conversation includes mentions of your favorite telenovela characters and what they did that day, right along with discussion of what you or your real-life friends did that day. "Can you believe, Sara went crazy and ran over Chalo today?" you might say to your husband. Or, "It's incredible -- Patricio cheated on Candy with her own sister the night before their wedding!" Your husband nods. He is used to it.

3) You consider it a tragedy that telenovelas aren't available for purchase in their original format and are instead cut to fit in boxed sets. You refer to the editing jobs as "hatchet jobs." But you still own the box sets of all your favorite novelas.

Does this describe you? Are you a true telenovela addict? Or are you merely interested in telenovelas, or maybe want to use them to help you practice your Spanish?

Either way, you probably are interested in finding out all about telenovelas online.

Maybe you missed watching a telenovela when it was running and later decided you want to watch it. Or, maybe your DVR messed up and failed to record an episode of your favorite novela while you were out shopping. Or maybe you are using telenovelas to practice your Spanish, and it's easier to understand what's going on when you can use earbuds and watch online.

In any case, you want to find out where you can watch telenovelas online for free. Unfortunately, any telenovelas that have been placed online are most likely not allowed to be there because the TV company owns the rights to these telenovelas. Sometimes, people do place telenovelas online, but these usually are quickly deleted when copyright infringement is discovered. Lately, YouTube has really been cracking down on telenovelas that have been placed online in violation of copyright.

If you missed an episode or you want to watch a telenovela after the fact, it might be possible to link up with another telenovela fan in an online telenovela forum, who might have recorded the novela you want. Maybe you have a novela she wants, or she's just a really nice person and would send the DVD to you. It is probably okay to trade a DVD of a novela with another fan, but it's not okay to purchase it from them. See if you might be able to set up a friendly trade.

If you are okay with getting an edited version of your favorite novela, then you can buy a boxed set online:

In addition to being able to buy telenovelas online, there are many other online resources dedicated to telenovelas.

Telenovela Blogs

Caray, Caray! -- The blog Caray, Caray! is the best resource ever if you're an English-speaking telenovela fan. The blog provides daily recaps in English of all episodes of the most popular telenovelas currently running, along with lots of jokes, fun and sarcastic remarks all around. One of the best things about this blog is that the recappers always make sure to point out slang phrases that were used in the episodes, so you can learn to speak Spanish like a telenovela character. (And learn phrases like "Me caes como higado encebollado!")

DeTelenovelas.com -- The site DeTelenovelas.com is all in Spanish, and provides all the news, juicy gossip, trailers and info about new telenovelas coming down the pike. If you can't stand to be without every bit of news about the filming of Eva Luna, or to receive breathless announcements (complete with video stills) like "Soy tu Dueña: First kiss between Valentina and José Miguel!" then this site is for you.

Novela Lounge -- The blog Novela Lounge is in Spanish and has the scoop and news about the latest telenovela announcements, on-location filming info for new novelas and interviews and tidbits about telenovela actors.

Telenovelas-Carolina -- This is a fascinating blog in English by a Venezuelan-born communications professor who teaches at the University of Georgia, and for 10 years has focused her research on telenovelas and their role in media, culture and society. This is an excellent read for anyone interested in delving a little deeper into telenovelas.

Other Online Telenovela Resources

Alma Latina -- Alma-Latina.net is a user-created online database of Mexican telenovelas and actors and actresses. It provides plot summaries from each telenovela, as well as a cast list. This is a treasure trove of info if you just want to know more about what Mexican telenovelas are out there.

The Museum of Broadcast Communications -- The Museum of Broadcast Communications has some information on the telenovela genre and history.

One great way to connect with other telenovela addicts and discuss the latest plot twists and turns in your favorite novela (with people who actually care -- unlike, ahem, your husband) is in an online telenovela forum.

Each forum is set up differently, but most forums are divided up by novela, so you can connect with others who are watching that particular novela. Here are some forums that might interest you:

• One of the best and most complete forums is on the site Telenovela-World.com. This site lists forums by the name of the telenovela for most telenovelas currently running in the United States, and fans can all gather to speculate about what's to come, discuss the ridiculousness of a recent plot twist or commiserate over the odiousness of a villain. The forums are great fun, and you can also look up telenovelas by country (includes telenovelas from the Philippines) or broadcast company (Telemundo, Univision, etc.) They also maintain archives of old forums.
• A forum for discussing Argentinean telenovelas can be found at ar-telenovelas.com.

Taking advantage of all the online telenovela sites and resources that are available can make the telenovela-watching experience more enjoyable -- and help with your understanding if your Spanish isn't perfect. So, happy telenovela watching!

Photo credits --

Telenovela billboard photo by J-Cornelius on Flickr Creative Commons