Morangos com Açúcar

OK, I just wanted to say that I have never seen a soap opera as bad as this one, I've seen the first episode and I got sick, all I wanted to do was to turn off the TV and throw up! Here's the story of the first season, just for you to know how bad are these screenwriters... A girl that finds her boyfriend making out with another girl. She goes to the beach and, although she doesn't know how to swim (I'm taking a guess, because how the hell does anybody drowns when the level of the water is almost by its knee?) she goes into the water and starts to drown (all of this because of her boyfriend... Sweet love...). She is rescued by a surfer who is nude and, by chance, is in the same school as her and, by chance, is in the same class as her!! What are the odds?!BAD BAD BAD!!! And attention, that was just the first episode! After that, obviously, they fall in love, star to date, get mad at each other, the boy apologises to the girl, they date again, and the circle repeats itself like 20 to 30 times, just enough to keep the Portuguese youth glued to their TV sets(I only know all of this because my friends kept telling me the story every single day. After the first episode, I just refused to see any more of that). Meanwhile, something happens and the girl goes to Brazil, and the boy goes after her, and at that point the soap opera just turns a complete chaos, almost apocalyptic. They break up 30.000 times in two episodes (or so it seems), and then they're about to get married, but afterwards it's not quite like that I don't know why. If you want to know the end of this wonderful story, ask someone who is over 5 years-old and lives in Portugal, because I missed the "grand finale" and, honestly, I don't wanna know! End this, please, and I'll rest my case.

I saw the first season of Morangos com Açucar when I was quite young. And I'm not gonna lie, I did end up watching it throughout. You had decent actors and a great soundtrack.

However, I stopped there. If you look at this show now, you will see a bunch on untalented (but attractive) actors and producers working hard to reenact everyday situations of real students, so that they can relate with the show. Is that really entertainment? This is aimed at teenagers, they say, but anyone with half-a-brain will notice all the clichés, all the mistakes and all the amateurs in this "show". So, in the end, people watching this show are the twelve and thirteen-year-olds of Portugal and even younger kids.

I am truly hoping that this trend will end soon so that teens can get back to their real life rather than wasting their time with this junk.

God, let me just say that reading this it's just hilarious... People, if you don't like it just don't bother to watch - that simple...yeah. Remember, it's made for young teenagers, they just want some entertainment, stories that reflect today's problems with some flair, some fantasy, some 'happily ever after'. Just let them be, let the models/actors have fun, develop a new skill and make money. Yeah they're not the best actors in the world, at least it's a chance for someone to have a break into the acting world. Or at least they gain money, always good. The stories? Kinda in a loop, yeah. It's on season VI and it's kind of the same story, but the problems of today are there, just like the problems of last year were there. Jesus... it's a soap opera.. Me? i'm 20 and i still watch it, because it's addictive and really funny for me (yeah, i like to make fun of the silly situations, that's my prerogative).

That is all true. I agree that the series is most of the times too sugary and simple and yes, there is not too much place for real acting. You have to remember, however, that the show is being created for teenagers and not for refined connoisseurs of the ambitious cinema. The concept is to have a catchy pastime that will brighten up people's lives. It shows colourful and fine lives of young people striking with idealization but also does not avoid teaching what is right and wrong to do. Emotions, of course, play the leading role and the spectator is given a feeling of amusement, though empty, still enjoyable. In my opinion the idea of Morangos Com Acucar is a really successful one because it gives a fresh setting to classical soap operas that became trite long ago. The "factory" of actors and musicians also does not have to be reprehensible. After all not everyone gets the first role in a blockbuster and here many beginners are at least given a chance. I am not a teenager but I enjoyed watching the series and I am sure, not only being influenced by the popularity of the show in Portugal, that many people do as well.

There is little talent nowadays on the Portuguese TV industry, I believe, and this show is another proof of it, from the news shows that last 2 hours to soap operas and soap operas in a row to this kind of teenager soap operas you can't really watch public television in Portugal and hope to not drop some IQ points in the process. Once now and then there are some movies and documentaries and that's about it as far as quality goes around here. This show in an attempt to imitate Brazilian teen soap operas that were popular a little before the show started, the acting is terrible, the plot is terrible, or random, it would be watchable if the actors, conscious of how bad the show is, turned it a little more satiric and fun, but alas, no - they genuinely try to make it as terrible as it is. I watched the first season, sporadically, it was launched on Summer vacation and by that time I was stuck with nothing to do but read and watch TV, needless to say I finished some giant books before being forced to poison myself with those strawberries. After I don't know how many seasons it hasn't changed much, they try to approach a new general topic such as abortion or homosexuality or racism now and then but overall the show puts up a very poor attempt. I do believe there is some talent in this industry, it's not employed by SIC or TVI though, that's for sure