Coral telenovelas capture Lat Am viewers

Since launching on Venezuelan network RCTV in April, Coral International's telenovelas My Sweet Fat Valentina and Designs Of Love have been dominating the country's primetime slots.

Research by AGB Media confirmed 39% audience shares for both shows, which aired at 21.00 and 22.00 respectively.

My Sweet Fat Valentina (Mi Gorda Bella) (120×60'), the story of an overweight woman who turns to food after her mother's death, scored the same number of viewers as the combined total audience tuning in for telenovelas on two other Venezuelan channels.

Designs of Love (Trapos Intimos) (120×60'), which features a widower who falls in love with his dead wife's evil twin, fared equally well against rival telenovelas with an 8 point rating.

Miami-based distributor Coral will be shopping both shows along with new titles Carmencita, The Cuaima and La Invasora at Discop in Budapest this week.

Meanwhile, Televisa telenovela Real Love (Amor Real) has quickly become a primetime ratings winner in Mexico. Airing on Televisa's Canal 2, the show gained a seven point lead over other shows airing in the 21.00-22.00 slot in its first week of transmission.

Real Love was produced by Carla Estrada and stars telenovela regulars Adela Noriega, Fernando Colunga and Mauricio Islas.