The new version of the successful telenovela La esclava Isaura, whose predecessor went around the world and has entered almost 100 markets since 1976, is already being broadcasted in 16 countries and it is estimated that it will reach 14 more countries in January 2006.

	Delmar Andrade

razil’s Rede Record is selling the new production of the telenovela La esclava Isaura to a growing number of countries, almost 3 decades after its original broadcasting on Globo. Directed once more by Herval Rossano and with scripts by Tiago Santiago, the story that was a landmark for Brazilian telenovelas in terms of export has returned to screens from all over the world.
According to Delmar Andrade, executive of the International Sales Department, besides it being a program completely guaranteed by its previous fame and success, it should be highlighted that it is not just a remake but a completely different new version. “The current edition of La esclava Isaura is a digitalized product that tells a new story with a new ending and has 11 new characters added to the plot. In fact, it is a product that goes by a name from the past but wears brand new clothes,” he explains.
Telenovela audiences are particularly large in Venezuela and Portugal, where La esclava Isaura has held the first position in its slot since it was launched. For Andrade “we can undoubtedly say that La esclava Isaura is breaking the rating records it had in its first edition. We are currently reaching an average of 47 points of rating in Portugal, which raised our possibilities to negotiate with other eight European countries. Such results have brought us so much joy as they confirm the fact that besides being new, this telenovela is an already acclaimed and profitable product: it doesn’t involve virtually any risk of not working to whoever buys it.”

Raising a bet on the international market

	La esclava isaura

In only 4 months, La esclava Isaura got an immediate response from the audience. The early impact of the program was unexpected to Rede Record. “We were surprised by how quickly we could export the product, especially in a market that tends to withdraw and whose prices are not usually encouraging. But we cannot by any means complain, on the contrary, we must thank our audiences and clients for welcoming us with open arms,” assures Andrade. After participating in MIPCOM market in Cannes, France, for the second time, Andrade admits that the difficulties Rede Record faced when they started selling their programs were not many: “Thanks God, we were quiet lucky because the market recognized our product’s quality and many received La esclava Isaura as if it was an old great friend; they like it a lot.”
The idea of this Brazilian network is to continue preparing a catalog on export programs in order to compete in the international market. In fact, TV Record has just bought a 49,000-square-meter studio that belonged to a major producer and bought another 65,000- square-meter field next to it, so they can improvise there an scenographic city for their productions in Rio de Janeiro. “We’ve invested hard in order to grow. Now we have two shooting sectors in San Pablo consisting of five studios and extending over 12,000 square meters with nearly a 120,000-square-meter built area and a scenographic city in Rio de Janeiro,” says Andrade, leaving it clear that they are using high technology and are prepared to continue with the highest production quality.
Rede Record is currently showing nearly 240 hours of docummentaries, a rerun of a 235-episode telenovela produced in 2000 called Estrella de fuego, the country-style series Esas mujeres (aired to replace La esclava Isaura) and a few months ago it launched a new production called Prueba de amor.