Television Drama in Mexico

This book analyzes, for the first time, innovative Mexican television drama of the current decade. It provides an account of the processes of production and reception for seven series, offering close textual readings of individual episodes. At this critical time for the medium, the transition between national network television (Televisa) and transnational streaming platforms (Netflix andAmazon Prime), Mexican creators, mainly women, have responded with new and exciting innovations.

The book focuses on three genres. First, it shows how the much despised and loved heritage telenovela, addressed primarily to a female audience, has adapted to changed circumstances by addressing once taboo social issues and how a classic broadcast title is adapted for a new platform. Second, it examines fiction series and true crime titles, which investigate the key and troubled topic of the legal process in Mexico. And third, it addresses the key new genre of the bio-series in its multimedia context, focusing on a celebrated wrestler and movie star.

Author Biography

Professor Paul Julian Smith is Distinguished Professor in the Comparative Literature Program at the Graduate Center in City University of New York. He was previously the Professor of Spanish in the University of Cambridge, UK. He is the author of 25 books and over 100 academic articles. His most recent books are Queer Mexico: Cinema and Television since 2000 (2017); Spanish and Latin American Television Drama: Genre and Format Translation (2018), Multiplatform Media in Mexico: Growth and Change Since 2010 (2019); Mexican Gender, Mexican Genres: Cinema, Television, and Streaming Since 2010 (2021); Reimagining History in Contemporary Spanish Media: Theater, Cinema, Television, Streaming (2021); and Y tu mama también: Film Classic (2022).