Madre Luna is a Spanish-language telenovela produced by the United States–based television network Telemundo and RTI Colombia. This limited-run series, also known as Grains of Love,[1] debuted on July 2, 2007. Veteran telenovela writer Julio Jiménez developed the story as a vehicle for star Amparo Grisales.[2] The show scored a 35 percent share of the Colombian audience during the summer of 2007.[3] During November 2007, it averaged 571,000 core adult (ages 18–49) viewers.[4]

Madre Luna
Developed byJulio Jiménez, Iván Martínez Lozano
StarringAmparo Grisales
Gabriel Porras
Michel Brown
Alex Sirvent
Arap Bethke
Ana Lucía Domínguez
Mónica Dionne
Saby Kamalich
Opening theme"Madre Luna"
Adriana Ferrer
ComposerHéctor Cardona Jr.
Country of originColombia
United States
Original languageSpanish
No. of episodes141
Production
Executive producerHugo León Ferrer
ProducerJorge Sastoque Roa
Production locationsBogotá and Girardot, Colombia
EditorJosé Luis Varón
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time42-45 minutes
Original release
NetworkTelemundo
ReleaseJuly 2, 2007 (2007-07-02) –
January 28, 2008 (2008-01-28)
Related

Luna's final episode aired Monday, January 28, 2008.

Story

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This romantic melodrama features Alejandra Aguirre (Amparo Grisales), a gorgeous, tenacious woman with an amazingly well-preserved body who grows rice in the rural town of Castellón—and hides a deep, shocking secret. She is a 50-year-old woman with great passion, sensuality and splendor. Her self-willed intensity puts her in the middle of a rivalry between Leonardo Cisneros (Gabriel Porras) and his handsome, daring son Ángel (Michel Brown).[5] Both dashing men want to possess this vivacious heroine.

Leonardo is Alejandra's old flame, who gave her two energetic children, Valentin and Demetrio. He reappears in her life after many years of absence and revives the strong feelings which she thought had died long ago. This turns her whole life upside down, forcing her to face her past.[5]

Years before, Leonardo met Alejandra during a business trip and they fell in love. He never told his unsuspecting lover that he had been married to his cruel, calculating wife Flavia (Mónica Dionne), who is the mother of his son Ángel, for three years. Instead, he chose to live a double life of deception.[5]

Not knowing the truth, Alejandra discovered that she was pregnant. When she finally discovered Leonardo's deception, she broke off the relationship. She chose to keep her silence rather than risk hurting his family.[5] While she accepts a plot of land in Castellón from Leonardo, she avoids him for years before serendipity brings them back together.

Alejandra's reappearance sends a jolt of passion through Leonardo's heart. This also raises hatred and envy in vengeful people who want Alejandra and her children destroyed. These dangerous enemies include Doña Trinidad Zapata (Saby Kamalich), Flavia's tyrannical mother, and the villainous Tirso Reinoso (Paulo Quevedo), who oversees the Cisneros property, along with the scheming Commandante Veneno ("Captain Venom") (Mauricio Aspe),[6] who leads a group of thugs called the Sierra Brigade.

Meanwhile, the younger generation faces its own fight for love, companionship and fulfillment. Leonardo's son Angel falls for Alejandra, knowing nothing of her forbidden secrets. Despite the enormous age difference, Angel becomes so obsessed that he tries to take her by force. This provokes Alejandra's strong desire to stand up against anyone who would abuse her or her children.

Leonardo's other sons are also adults with their own conflicts. Valentin now works on the rice farm and Demetrio attends college. These two find themselves competing for the love of Flavia's beautiful young niece, Anabel Saldaña (Ana Lucía Domínguez).[6]

All this leads both families down a path to intrigue, desperation, and betrayal. Generational and status conflicts converge. The struggle over love and family and between rich arrogant upper-class families and poor, decent farmers pushes both Alejandra and Leonardo to their limits.[5]

Title

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The name Madre Luna refers to a family character in the children's stories that Alejandra told her sons when they were growing up. Telemundo's English promotional copy says that the luna (moon) represents the two heroines. Alejandra and Anabel lead the story toward its emotional climaxes just as the phases of the moon direct "ancient feminine mysteries.".[1]

Production

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Madre Luna is the last Telemundo-produced telenovela filmed in NTSC resolution. Variety called the show "exquisitely lensed," featuring "bronzed bodies, revealing dresses, hacienda lust and luxury, and pop scoring".[3] Madre Luna is shot in Colombia and vehicles in the show bear yellow Colombian license plates. Jiménez said the setting is an imaginary locale inspired by Colombia's rice fields [7] Despite the setting, Telemundo made product placement deals to promote Windex, Splenda and other U.S. brands during the show.

In addition, Telemundo is expected to air 130 hours of Madre Luna from Monday to Friday over about six months.[1] As with most of its soap operas, the network broadcasts English subtitles as closed captions on CC3. This show replaced Marina in Telemundo's 8 p.m. ET/PT time slot.

Changes

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When Telemundo announced Madre Luna in May, 2006, the story was different. Grisales was to play a character named Leonor Aguirre. When her husband dies, she returns home to Castellón to face her troubled past and protect her family honor. She falls madly in love with a charming man half her age.[5]

The villain in this story was Isadora, who believes Leonor was once romantically involved with her husband. So she plots to expose Leonor's dark secret and ruin her family's reputation Isadora spreads a hideous rumor around town, provoking irate villagers to attack Leonor's home and kill her eldest son. The novela was to focus on Leonor's quest to rise from the ashes and avenge her son's tragic death.[5]

Actor Javier Gómez was originally cast in a major role in this series, but he went over to another Telemundo soap, Sin Vergüenza, instead.

Cast

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Actor Character
Amparo Grisales Alejandra Aguirre
Gabriel Porras Leonardo Cisneros
Michel Brown Ángel Cisneros Portillo
Mónica Dionne Flavia Portillo Zapata de Cisneros
Arap Bethke Demetrio Aguirre / Demetrio Cisneros Aguirre
Alex Sirvent Valentín Aguirre / Valentín Cisneros Aguirre
Ana Lucía Domínguez Anabel Saldaña Portillo
Saby Kamalich Doña Trinidad "Trini" Zapata Vda. de Portillo
Judy Henríquez Angustias García
Paulo César Quevedo Tirso Reinoso
Mauricio Aspe Román Garrido "Veneno"
Adriana Campos Zulma Moreno
Daniela Tapia Dulce Elena Márquez
José Saldarriaga Fidelio Márquez
Julio del Mar Ignacio Morales
Ana Beatriz Osorio Violeta Cordero
Sebastián Boscán Erasmo Casilimas
Pedro Roda Bebo Cantillo
Alejandra Pinzón Juana López
Mónica Pardo Luzmila Morales
Sandra Guzmán Marcela Pizarro
Gabriel González Rosito Bocanegra
Margarita Durán Berta
Freddy Ordóñez Emilio Morales
Luz Stella Luengas Irene de Márquez
Sigifredo Vega Basilio Márquez
Maria Claudia Torres Séfora
Maria Margarita Amado Verónica
Olga Lucía Rojas Marieta
Dorian Díaz
Mauricio Alvarez
Orlando Lamboglia
Maria Angela Cubillos
Jairo López
Orlando Bonnet
María Cristina Montoya
Daniel Merizalde
Ivette Zamora
Toto Vega
Nure Valbuena
Antonio Puentes
Richard Martínez
Aída Bossa

Broadcasters

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Country Alternate title/Translation TV network(s) Series premiere Series finale Weekly schedule Timeslot
  United States Madre Luna Telemundo July 2, 2007 January 28, 2008 Monday to Friday 20:00
  Mexico Madre Luna Galavisión
Azteca 7 (rerun)
September 3, 2007
September 3, 2012
April 11, 2008
April 12, 2013
Monday to Friday 22:30
22:15
  Spain Madre Luna Antena 3 August 20, 2007 - Monday to Friday 16:30
  Serbia Plamen ljubavi Fox televizija June 18, 2008 December 30, 2008 Monday to Friday 15:45
  Bulgaria Зрънце любов bTV September 9, 2007 April 14, 2008 Monday to Friday 17:00
  Croatia Plamen ljubavi Doma TV August 6, 2012 February 25, 2013 Monday to Friday 15:00/14:00
  Armenia Մայր Լուսին SHANTTV September 16, 2008 January 16, 2009 Monday to Friday 18:10
  Argentina Madre Luna Telecentro TV March 20, 2012 September 21, 2012 Monday to Friday 19:00
  Paraguay Madre Luna Magna TV February 13, 2012 August 12, 2012 Monday to Friday 18:55

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Archived copy". www.tepuy.com. Archived from the original on 12 November 2008. Retrieved 15 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ "Entretenimiento, Música, Cine, Artistas Latinos, Hollywood". laopinion.com. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
  3. ^ a b Hopewell, John (2007-10-07). "Trio standout at Mipcom event - Entertainment News, Mipcom News 2008, Media". Variety. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
  4. ^ [1][dead link]
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "La historia, Madre Luna - Yahoo! Telemundo TV". Yahoo.com. 2008-11-02. Archived from the original on 2008-11-02. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
  6. ^ a b [2][dead link]
  7. ^ "Entretenimiento, Música, Cine, Artistas Latinos, Hollywood". laopinion.com. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
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