A Gringo’s Guide to Spanish TV

The growing Latin population in the U.S. means more and more Spanish is being spoken on TV. But that doesn’t mean you have to know Spanish to enjoy the sheer ridiculousness of such spicy import channels as Telemundo and Univision. Even if you don’t know a lick of Spanish, you’ll still find the following four shows highly entertaining.

Al Rojo Vivo

I tell you, the Spanish newscasters are way hotter en Espanol than what we get on normal TV. If you’re sick of staring at Katie Couric’s ugly mug, flip over to Al Rojo Vivo, a daily news program on Telemundo. I certainly wouldn’t kick weekday newscaster Maria Celeste out of bed – but weekend host, Candela Ferro, is where it’s really at.

Sabado Gigante

Sabado Gigante (“Giant Saturday”) is the mother of all Spanish TV shows. On the air since 1962, this ridiculous variety show is likely where the stereotypical Spanish TV image sprung from. That means lots of stupid stunts, game shows, cheesy dance numbers and men wearing diapers. Oh, and there’s plenty of skin to keep you occupied too. Here’s a thong contest that is just as hilarious as it is stimulating.

Cuidado Con el Angel

Telenovelas are another excellent form of Spanish TV for us gringos. You don’t have to know the language to understand that the acting is terrible, the plots are hilarious and the women are incredibly gorgeous. Cuidado Con el Angel, airing on Univision, is currently the highest rated telenovela in America. In my opinion, this is largely due to Maite Perroni, the female lead.

12 Corazones

This abhorrent show takes the stereotypical pickup line, “what’s your sign” and turns it into an entire dating show. A group of 12 contestants (both male and female) are identified  by their astrological sign and various stunts and demeaning events take place until a winning couple is chosen and they go on a date. With a good mix of degrading antics and cleavage, the show is a hit no matter what language you speak.