It's impossible for you to have lived through the 2000s without sitting in front of the television to watch soap operas. During this period, we had some of the most memorable works in the entire history of Brazilian television.
It was in this decade that we saw Doctor Albieri create the clone, we suffered with Serena in search of her soul mate, we were thrilled when Nazaré stole the lady of destiny and we saw Ana Francisca build her chocolate empire with pepper. This is just to name a few moments.
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Come with us to remember the 10 best soap operas of the 2000s. Is your favorite on the list?
Top 10 soap operas of the 2000s
The clone
“O Clone” was a great success on Rede Globo. Launched in 2001, it dealt with bioethics in the issue of human cloning and featured outstanding performances by Murilo Benício and Giovanna Antonelli. The plot was exported to more than 100 countries and, even today, is one of the most remembered of the decade – mainly for the way it portrayed Islam.
Women in Love
Written by Manoel Carlos, “Mulheres Apaixonadas” had several sections dealing with pertinent discussions involving women. We can mention unhealthy jealousy, abuse of the elderly, domestic violence, celibacy, homosexuality and also alcoholism.
The soap opera gained notoriety precisely for shedding light on these issues that needed to be urgently reviewed at the time. The plot of the character Heloísa (Giulia Gam) extended the work of Mulheres Que Amam Demais Anônimas (MADA) and the scene in which Raquel Helena Ranaldi) denounced Marcos (Dan Stulbach) in the police department, led to a 40% increase in the number of denunciations of victims of aggression.
Soulmate
“Alma Gêmea” is one of the great hits of the 6pm track on Rede Globo. The plot revolved around reincarnation. After Luna (Liliana Castro) and Rafael's (Eduardo Moscovis) romance is brutally interrupted by murder of the young woman, her spirit reincarnates as Serena (Priscila Fantin), an indigenous woman who lives well away from there. Following her heart and some dreams, the girl grows up and meets Rafael and, with him, understands that they are soulmates.
Chocolate with pepper
This telenovela was another success in the 18h slot. “Chocolate com Pimenta” follows the story of Ana Francisca (Mariana Ximenes), a shy, awkward and romantic young woman, who she was often ridiculed in the small town where she lived, Ventura, mainly because she was in love with Danilo (Murilo Benicio). They have a brief affair, which causes her to be humiliated at the senior prom. Disgusted, she agrees to marry a rich man and moves to Buenos Aires. After being widowed, she returns to the city, rich and classy, where she opens a factory of chocolates and plot revenge.
America
“América” tells the story of Sol (Deborah Secco) who dreams of living in the U.S, abandoning everything in Brazil, including the romance he has with the farmhand Tião (Murilo Benício). With that, the plot deepens into illegal immigration to the land of Uncle Sam, showing criminal schemes and dangerous schemes that people do to cross the country's border. In the Brazilian core, the plot deals with rodeos – with emphasis on the folk figure of Boi Bandido, the bull that no rider could ride. She also talks a little about homosexuality in this medium, with the character Junior (Bruno Gagliasso), which caused controversy at the time.
Path of the Indies
“Caminho das Índias” was the first Brazilian telenovela to delve into the Indian culture. The plot followed the love triangle between the rich Maya (Juliana Paes), the poor Bahuan (Márcio Garcia) and Raj (Rodrigo Lombardi), the man chosen to marry the girl. The production is well remembered for the scenes filmed in India, for the discussion around schizophrenia and for the expressions that were on people's lips, such as “are baba”. The soap opera even won the International Emmy of the year 2009.
The favorite
“A Favorita” innovated by trying a new approach with the public. The idea was that the audience would not know who the real villain was: Flora (Patrícia Pillar) or Donatella (Claudia Raia). After the revelation that Flora was the antagonist, Patrícia's performance grew on screen and, until today, this is remembered as one of the actress's best works on the scene. In addition, your Interpretation of "Sweet Kiss" became a meme on social media.
snakes and lizards
“Cobras e Lagartos” is, to this day, one of the biggest hits in the 7 pm slot on Rede Globo – a time that is almost always busy for the broadcaster. The plot is permeated by the dualities between rich and poor and how these worlds mix when the millionaire Omar Pasquim (Francisco Cuoco) leaves his fortune to his son, Daniel Miranda (Daniel de Oliveira). However, who takes possession of the bufunfa is Foguinho (Lázaro Ramos) for having the same baptismal name as the heir.
Lady of destination
When “Senhora do Destino” premiered, the public already knew that there was a jewel on the small screen with the cast: Susana Vieira, Renata Sorrah, Carolina Dieckmann, Leandra Leal, Débora Falabella,… Just to mention over. The engaging story of the hardworking woman whose daughter was kidnapped had an audience record, but today it is remembered for its villain, Nazareth Tedesco, which became a meme on social media.
Workout
We close the list of the best soap operas of the 2000s with this great success. Younger people may not realize this, but “Malhação” was one of Globo's flagships, in addition to being a showcase for new actors. The plots spoke to the teen audience and mixed drama with serious discussions for this age group. It was there that some of the biggest names in dramaturgy came out, such as Marjorie Estiano, Cauã Reymond, Caio Castro and Fernanda Vasconcellos. I miss you!