Pôr do Sol

As I mentioned in previous reviews of Portuguese content I've made, these days we keep getting better and prove that we have no lack of ideas and originality and investing on our culture is what's missing the most!

This particular TV show doesn't require that much of a budget so it's even better because it can be good based exclusively on its premise: nothing less than a satire for Portuguese soap operas (one of the most consumed media in our country, sadly...).

The idea is simple yet no one ever thought of doing it before, usually soap opera's have very little content, they are generic romance stories, filled with boring sub plots that go on and on for years! Yet still to this day it continues to be what a lot of Portuguese audiences still watch on television (mostly the older generations).

"Pôr do Sol" grabs all the clichés and generic writing of the genre and twists it through the satire lenses and as expected it is as ridiculous as it is funny.

There are also a lot of ironies one of the most interesting ones being the fact that most of the cast is actually made by Portuguese actors that do a lot of soap operas themselves (it's not like they have much choice if they want to continue to act in Portugal).

It's a fun show, great idea and concept, original for sure yet I felt it went on for too long (yet another irony), the jokes wore down quite fast and they kept the same formula so at some point it becomes a little repetitive.

Not sure why they are planning season 2, either they have an idea to shift it up or I predict it will become the very thing it mocks!

EDIT (SEASON 2): As suspected not much changes in season 2, we have the same formula as the first season adding some more ridiculous situations and deepening the sub plots while introducing new characters.

In similar fashion to the former season, it starts all right, with some funny scenes and ridiculous jokes that you can't avoid but laughing, specially given the references to Portuguese pop culture.

However again, it starts to wear out fairly fast, it goes from being satirically funny to just boring, 20 episodes each with 30 minutes is a lot for the type of TV show it is. I get it, it is potentially part of the goal to over extend it, same as soap operas do, but I don't think this particular aspect works, feels forced and seems they ran out of ideas.

I am glad they are not making more seasons, as mentioned I found it a great concept specially considering Portugal's media context, I hope we continue to be original in our productions moving forward and that this idea was the first of many.

The script is superb, mocking regular soap operas and all it's clichés - and when I say all, I really mean it.

All the cast members are mainly actors of those "classic" soap operas, which makes scenes even funnier, and manages to showcase they're acting skylls.

Many references could be lost in translation as they're based on social and portuguese entertainment, but if you liked movies like "Airplane" and "The Naked Gun" mashed up with Monty Python type of comedy, you'll get the overall picture.

Shout out to Rui Melo (actor and writer) and Gabriela Barros (hilarious!!!), Henrique Dias Cardoso (idea/Writer) and all cast and crew (even the score is awesome).

Last but not least, let's not forget the featured band, Jesus Quisto, their music reportoire and all vocal members, the riskier job ever (lol)!

Well done!

Unfortunately, usually in portuguese productions the main issue is the "writing", but fortunately, in this case the writing is simply superb! This is a "telenovela" mocking with "telenovelas" with refined non-sense and intelligent comedy. Besides, the acting and the directing are also brilliant! It is a bold kind of show that was missing in portuguese television. I think that both telenovela fans as well as non-fans will laugh a lot with "Pôr do Sol"!

'Por do Sol' is a comedy series that tries to mimic a traditional Portuguese soap opera. It takes all of of the usual soap opera cliches (the family struggles in a rural homestead, the illegitimate children, the convulted love triangles, the overly dramatic dialogs, the evil revenge-seeking siblings, the slaps, lots of slapping...) and doubles down on them to ridiculous levels, adding lots of nonsense in between.

What truly makes it endearing is the amount of running gags based on Portuguese pop culture - this is not a show you can watch just with English subtitles withouth being familiar with Portuguese culture, otherwise you will miss most of the references. The humour density is often pretty high even though each episode can be hit or miss.

While some jokes do get a bit repetitive, and some characters become pretty adimensional overtime, Season 2 does breathe new life on most subplots, adding new angles and surprising twists to some initially bland characters.

The irony of it all is that funny enough, it actually becomes interesting to watch the story unfold, and while you may have started watching it for the silly jokes and the soap opera satire, you will probably stay for the endearing characters and the bizzarre plot.

A must watch for Portuguese television.

A marvelous telenovela created from the absurd and non sense that makes it so amazingly. Storyline, cast and director are superb. I can imagine the bloopers!