Telemundo Breaks August Ratings Record

Telemundo Media achieved the best August ratings in the network's history, delivering 1.3 million total viewers, up 8% over last year and up 10% (664,000 vs. 602,000) among adults 18-49 during Monday through Sunday primetime programming, according to Nielsen. Telemundo was also the fastest growing Spanish-language network year-over-year among Monday-Sunday primetime among total viewers and adults 18-49 with a share of 28%, up 3 points vs. last year in this demo. The network ranked as the fastest growing Spanish language network in the 18-49 demo for the seventh consecutive month.

TELENOVELA WATCH: LA MADAME Premieres On UniMas; Thoughts on SANTA DIABLA & LA TEMPESTAD

Photo Credit: Univision Communications Inc.

LA MADAME
There were two ripped-from-the-headlines series produced in Colombia this year promising the salacious details of the lives of high-end escorts and their relations with the rich and famous, powerful politicians and dangerous criminals: LA PREPAGO and LA MADAME. Perhaps call girls will outpace capos as Colombian exports to US screens this year.

The first to reach the US is LA MADAME which airs at 10 p.m. ET on UniMás. Produced by RTI for Televisa, it is the prostitute project officially inspired by Madame Rochy’s memoir LAS PREPAGO where she described hobnobbing with the most powerful men in Colombia and named several celebrities who allegedly worked for her.

TELENOVELA WATCH: EL SEÑOR DE LOS CIELOS Finale, SANTA DIABLA Premiere, LA SELECCIÓN and CLOROFORMO

Final thoughts on EL SEÑOR DE LOS CIELOS
EL SEÑOR DE LOS CIELOS concluded last night with a deeply unsatisfying, open-ended finale allowing way for a potential sequel and more fun, murderous adventures with Telemundo’s favorite drug lord. A big hit for the network, I confess I did not see much of merit in EL SEÑOR DE LOS CIELOS – finding it utterly mediocre in performance, writing and production in comparison to the similarly themed material coming out of Colombia. A brief excerpt from ESCOBAR: EL PATRÓN DEL MAL of Pablo Escobar’s demise inserted in an early episode of EL SEÑOR DE LOS CIELOS was so much more dynamically filmed and edited than anything in SEÑOR, it gave the game away.

Aaron Diaz & Carlos Ponce Join Voices For The Theme Song Of SANTA DIABLA

On the eve of the premiere of its new original production SANTA DIABLA, Telemundo announced that two of its stars, Aaron Diaz and Carlos Ponce, have joined voices for the first time to sing the theme song for the telenovela, which premieres tomorrow, August 6 at 10 p.m. ET.

Diaz and Ponce, who star in the production alongside Gaby Espino, wrote the lyrics and music for the song – also called "Santa Diabla."

Written by Jose Ignacio Valenzuela "El Chascas," the telenovela tells the story of Santa Martínez (Espino), a woman obsessed with justice and revenge who meets the love of her life and must choose between her feelings for him and the vengeance she has pursued for so long.

Check out more photos below:

Lincoln Palomeque Joins The Cast Of SANTA DIABLA

Actor Lincoln Palomeque (LA REINA DEL SUR, LA DIOSA CORONADA) has signed on to play Willy Delgado in SANTA DIABLA, Telemundo’s new original telenovela premiering Tuesday, August 6 at 10 p.m. ET.

Palomeque will play Willy, a passionate musician who marries his childhood sweetheart, Santa Martínez (Gaby Espino), with whom he has a son, Willy Jr. (Jorge Eduardo). In this character-driven love story, Willy becomes the reason why Santa devotes her life to plotting justice and revenge.

Starring Gaby Espino, Aarón Díaz and Carlos Ponce, SANTA DIABLA tells the story of Santa Martínez (Espino), a woman obsessed with justice and revenge who meets the love of her life and must choose between her feelings for him and the vengeance she has pursued for so long.

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- Thousands of Fans in Los Angeles Celebrate the Upcoming Premiere of Telemundo's Novela SANTA DIABLA (Photos)

Thousands of Fans in Los Angeles Celebrate the Upcoming Premiere of Telemundo's Novela SANTA DIABLA (Photos)

Thousands of fans turned out on Sunday to see telenovela stars Gaby Espino, Aaron Diaz, Carlos Ponce and Ximena Duque at Universal City Walk in Los Angeles before the grand premiere of Telemundo's primetime soap opera SANTA DIABLA on Tuesday, August 6 at 10 p.m. ET.  SANTA DIABLA is a story about a woman whose life takes a dramatic turn, forcing her to choose between love and vengeance.

Check out more photos from the event below:

Gaby Espino & Aaron Diaz To Host 2013 Premios Tu Mundo (Your World Awards)

Telemundo announced this week that telenovela stars Gaby Espino and Aaron Diaz will host the 2013 edition of PREMIOS TU MUNDO (Your World Awards), the three-hour star-studded awards show to be broadcast live on Thursday, August 15 at 8 p.m. ET from the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida.

The special also will feature LA ALFOMBRA DE PREMIOS TU MUNDO, the anticipated arrivals pre-show hosted by Alessandra Villegas, co-host of Telemundo’s UN NUEVO DIA, Jorge Bernal co-host of Telemundo’s LA VOZ KIDS, and popular mun2 talent Guad Vanegas.

Gaby Espino, Aarón Díaz & Carlos Ponce Headline Telemundo's SANTA DIABLA, Premiering This Summer

Aarón Díaz - Photo: Telemundo

Telemundo Studios announced today that telenovela stars Gaby Espino, Aarón Díaz and Carlos Ponce will lead the cast of its new original production SANTA DIABLA, a story about a woman whose life takes a dramatic turn, forcing her to choose between love and vengeance. This original production, premiering this summer, marks the return of Espino and Ponce to the world of telenovelas on Telemundo, as well as Díaz’s debut on the network.

Gaby Espino is without a doubt one of the best-known stars of telenovelas around the world. After her acclaimed participation as the host of Telemundo’s reality show YO ME LLAMO, she now returns to Telemundo’s SANTA DIABLA. The beautiful actress has starred in a number of successful Telemundo original productions, including MAS SABE EL DIABLO, SIN VERGUENZA and OJO POR OJO. She also hosted the first Premios Tu Mundo awards in 2012.

SANTA DIABLA is Aarón Díaz’s first production for Telemundo after signing an exclusive contract with the network. The well-known Mexican actor has gained a fan base around the world for his starring roles in telenovelas and the ABC series PAN AM. Díaz gained attention in 2002 in the popular series CLASE 406, which set a record with its uninterrupted 19-month run. Since then, he has acted in such internationally successful productions as TERESA, BARRERA DE AMOR and LOLA ERASE UNA VEZ.