7 Must-Watch Telenovelas of All Time
(Photo : flickr.com)

Telenovelas are a hit not only in the Latinidad, but also in other parts of the globe. Who wouldn't get sucked in the heart-stopping, tear-jerking, inspiring, all-in-one storylines that people across generations could relate to?

Telenovelas began on the radio, with 30-minute daytime segments geared toward housewives in Latin America and made the jump to prime-time television by 1950s. While some telenovelas revolve around different themes like murder, incest and adultery, some are Cinderella stories, each featuring a female protagonist from a poor family who met and fell in love with a wealthy man.

For many immigrants who arrived in the United States with nothing, telenovelas allow them to feel connected to the countries and cultures they left behind.

Majority of telenovelas come from Mexico with markets in 125 countries outside of Latin America including the Caribbean, United States, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal, France, and Sweden, as well as eastern Europe, Russia, India, the Philippines, Vietnam, and China. According to Oxford Bibliographies, there has been diminished interest in soap operas in the United States with the tremendous rise in popularity of telenovelas.

If you haven't seen any telenovela yet, no worries because we are going to share to you seven of the best telenovelas of all time:

1. Yo Soy Betty La Fea

This Colombian telenovela ran from 1998-2001. Cosmopolitan calls it the "most successful telenovela of all time" because it has been remade and adopted by many countries, including the United States with their super popular American version, Ugly Betty. The novela is about a homely but brilliant secretary working at a high-pressure fashion company.

2. La Usurpadora

This soap opera, which aired from February to July of 1998, is a tale of twin sisters Paulina and Paola who were separated at birth, and when they manage to reunite as adults, Paola, the evil twin, blackmails Paulina into switching places with her so Paola can leave her husband and take a yearlong vacation with her lover. For some reason, Paulina reluctantly agrees and while living with Paola's husband for a year, she falls in love with him.

3. Marimar

No Mexican must haven't heard of Marimar. This Mexicanovela which was actually a remake of another Mexican novela, La Venganza, is pretty much everything - forbidden love, disapproving parents and grandparents, beautiful beaches, hot guys, and the much-adored Thalia who portrays the role of Marimar. She falls in love with Sergio, the son of a wealthy farmer, much to the disapproval of his parents.

4. La Reina del Sur

Fan of Narcos? You'll surely love La Reina del Sur or "The Queen of the South" which chronicles the journey of Teresa Mendoza into becoming the most powerful drug lord in the country.

5. La Patrona

Another telenovela about girl power, this Mexicanovela features main character Gabriela Súarez, a single mother, and the only female miner in a small town. The protagonist faces many obstacles including sexual harassment and accusations of crimes she didn't commit but still, Gabriela perseveres and manages to get revenge to her perpetrators.

6. El Clon

El Clon is actually a remake of a Brazilian novela. This telenovela revolves around themes like drug trafficking and religion, and was shot in different locations including Morocco, Colombia, and Florida.

7. Dos Mujeres, Un Camino

This one is a classic which ran in 1993. It features Johnny, a truck driver who travels between Mexico and the U.S. while committing an adulterous relationship with Tanya. The protagonist ends up being wrongly blamed for the death of a young kid. Of course, no telenovela is complete without a main character dying, so Tanya dies after taking a knife intended for Johnny's wife, Ana Maria. In the end, Johnny's wife still leaves him.

Prepare your hankies with snacks on the side, because these telenovelas will give you one hell of an emotional ride!