The 40 most popular 1990s brazilian TV shows, ranked. Click any show for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.


Young Hearts
1995
country: Brazil
Malhação is a Brazilian television series for the teenage audience. The soap started in 1995, and was set in a fictional Gym Club called Malhação on Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro. Through the years the location varied slightly. Although the name of the soap remains the same, it is now set in the Múltipla Escolha High School.


Mais Você
1999
country: Brazil
No overview available


Caça Talentos
1996
country: Brazil
No overview available


Walking the Clouds
1999
country: Brazil
The adventures of a man with amnesia who struggles to rediscover his past while learning to live in the present.


Zorra Total
1999
country: Brazil
Zorra Total is a Brazilian television comedy broadcast by Globo Network. It was launched on March 25, 1999 and has aired on Saturdays, at 10p.m., ever since May 1999. The show is a sketch comedy show. It is the audience leader on its slot.


Amazônia
1991
country: Brazil
No overview available


Jequitibá
1993
country: Brazil
Jose Inocencio had innocence only as part of his name, but only those who new him well could notice this. But nobody knew him. He was a storyteller, and he was always the main character in the stories he told. He managed not only to create stories about himself, he managed to create a legend. The story of this powerful cacao farmer; Maria Santa, the beloved wife who died; and their four children is the main theme of 'Renascer'.


Cara & Coroa
1995
country: Brazil
Fernanda and Vivi are identical, but from different worlds. A cruel plan swaps their identities and transforms their lives into a game of lies and ambition.


Pantanal
1990
country: Brazil
No overview available


Chiquititas
1997
country: Argentina
Chiquititas is a Brazilian children's musical telenovela co-produced by SBT and Telefe and originally broadcast on SBT from July 28, 1997, to January 19, 2001. Based on the original Argentine telenovela created by Cris Morena, it was adapted for Brazilian television by Ecila Pedroso for the first season and Caio de Andrade for the subsequent seasons. Starring Flávia Monteiro, Fernanda Souza, and a large ensemble cast, the series ran for five seasons and became one of the most successful children's productions in Brazilian television history. The story follows a group of orphaned children living at the Raio de Luz orphanage, where they find love, friendship, and hope under the care of the kind-hearted Carolina "Carol" Correia. As the children face abandonment, family conflicts, first love, and personal challenges, they rely on music, imagination, and friendship to overcome adversity while dreaming of finding a family and a brighter future.


Gypsy Heart
1995
country: Brazil
Dara is a young Gypsy woman torn between her family’s traditions and her desire to choose her own path. Promised in marriage to Igor, her life changes when she meets Júlio Falcão online. Caught between love, the customs of her people and family conflicts, Dara must face choices that could transform her future.


A Viagem
1994
country: Brazil
The soap opera's central theme is life after death, inspired by the philosophy of Allan Kardec, the codifier of Spiritism. The character who drives the plot is Alexandre, a delinquent who kills himself in prison after being convicted of robbery followed by homicide and goes on to torment the lives of all those he considers responsible for his tragic fate.


O Dono do Mundo
1991
country: Brazil
Felipe Barreto, a renowned plastic surgeon, makes a wager and gets involved with his employee's fiancée; from that moment on, the lives of those involved were never the same.


Hilda Hurricane
1998
country: Brazil
After breaking off her engagement on her wedding day and going directly to a prostitution house, a young model becomes the city's most famous harlot, known as "Hilda Hurricane", in the 50's Brazil. She could do fine if it wasn't for Malthus, a young novice said to be a saint, for whom she falls in love. However, the boy is kept under the strict, severe doctrine of Father Nelson, a conservative priest intolerant even to every minor sin. Things start getting harder when Roberto, Malthus' old friend and a communist reporter (the actual author of the story), tries to interview Hilda and disclosure the real reasons behind her radical change of mind. In the meantime, the middle-classes are terrified by the "leftist threat" in Brazilian politics.


Terra Nostra
1999
country: Brazil
This top-seller recounts the saga of Italians who immigrated to Brazil during the XIX century, seeking their fortunes in America. The forbidden love between Giulliana and Matteo flowers in the midst of the sweeping changes ushered in by the arrival of these Europeans in Brazilian towns. This great epic has thrilled viewers in more than eighty countries.


Secrets of Sand
1993
country: Brazil
Twin sisters with contrasting personalities, Ruth and Raquel, rival in the fictional Pontal D'Areia, on the coast of Rio de Janeiro.


Evil Angel
1997
country: Brazil
Ambitious Nice seeks social advancement through Rodrigo Medeiros, but ends up truly falling in love with him. This is the second version of the telenovela, originally aired in 1976.


História de Amor
1995
country: Brazil
Helena is a sweet, honest, sensitive and a warrior woman who faces the premature pregnancy of her daughter Joyce, who in turn is abandoned by her boyfriend, the irresponsible Caio. The biggest problem is the girl's father, Assunção, Helena's ex-husband, who does not accept the situation. Lonely and alone, Helena awakens a passion for the endocrinologist Carlos Alberto, and has her feelings matched. But Carlos is committed to the possessive Paula. The girl's parents, Zuleika and Rômulo, anxiously await their daughter's wedding with Carlos, who will save the family from financial decay. But Carlos is the type of man that women don't really forget. Even married to Paula and in love with Helena, he is still harassed by ex-wife Sheyla, who is not satisfied with having lost him and dreams of a rapprochement.


Pátria Minha
1994
country: Brazil
Four stories intertwine, revolving around moral dilemmas of life in society. A secret unites student Alice and mega-businessman Raul Pelegrini, who are major ideological opponents.


Força de um Desejo
1999
country: Brazil
Set in the 19th century, the novel tells the story of an impossible romance. Inácio, a young man from a traditional family, falls in love with Esther, the owner of the most famous brothel in the Court.


Barriga de Aluguel
1990
country: Brazil
Ana and Zeca have a happy marriage, but they can't have children. To fulfill their dream, the couple hires the young Clara as a surrogate mother, which leads them into a legal dispute.


The King of The Cattle
1996
country: Brazil
In the struggle for land a vicious feud erupts between two men, who commit their families to a war without truce. Over two generations they are moved by love and by hatred in this epic saga of love for the land.


Casseta & Planeta, Urgente!
1992
country: Brazil
Casseta & Planeta is a Brazilian group of comedians who run a TV show named Casseta & Planeta Urgente, broadcast by Rede Globo. The humour featured on the show is mostly satirical, relating to religious or ethical groups, and minorities. The group founded a company called Toviassu Produções Artísticas, whose name is an acronym composed of syllables from the phrase "Todo viado é surdo" – "Every gay is deaf"; which is the ending of a widely known Brazilian practical joke. Each one of the seven members has a specific function within the company. They present their TV show at Rede Globo and publish a website and many books, among other products, for example the "Machobol". Originally a magazine named Casseta Popular and a humour newspaper called O Planeta Diário, the two teams joined forces and were hired by Rede Globo to become writers for the network's comedy shows, starting with TV Pirata in 1988. A few years later, they starred in their own show.


Deus Nos Acuda
1992
country: Brazil
The plot tells the story of Celestina, an angel responsible for Brazil. When threatened by God with being sent to the country she was supposed to help grow, she despairs and seeks out her friend, the angel Gabriel. To help Celestina, Gabriel asks the Almighty to let her stay in heaven for another six months. God, however, imposes a condition: Celestina must make a Brazilian citizen more honest, dignified, and compassionate, without disrespecting the free will that every human being should have. To fulfill her mission, Celestina chooses the swindler Maria Escandalosa, a charismatic, beautiful, and kind-hearted young woman, daughter of the equally swindler Tomás Euclides. Convinced that she will transform the girl's character, Celestina disobeys divine laws and saves her from an explosion, then begins to watch over the young woman's life on Earth.


Four Lives, Four Loves
1994
country: Brazil
A traffic accident causes four women's destinies to intertwine. In the series, the four enter a pact of revenge against the men who hit them and caused them to suffer. Auxiliadora struggled to help her husband Alcebíades prosper, but when he leaves her for a younger woman, is thrown out of the house. The shy Tatiana was engaged to Fortunato, who failed to show up at their wedding. The Babalu hurricane caught mechanic Raí in bed with another woman. Abigail, a preppy psychologist who is struggling in a failing marriage, decides superficially to continue it but revolts against her husband, Gustavo, who humiliates her in public at a congress. Gustavo has custody of Ângela, a girl who longs to know her true father, Bruno. Her mother died in the childbirth, traumatizing him.


The Next Victim
1995
country: Brazil
A young law student starts to work as a detective, decided to uncover the identity behind a series of murders, as well as who is next.


Vamp
1991
country: Brazil
After making a Faustian bargain with a vampire for fame, a regretful young singer must find a sacred, lost artifact that might revert the curse.


Rainha da Sucata
1990
country: Brazil
Maria do Carmo becomes wealthy through her father's business dealings and becomes a successful businesswoman, but she retains the habits of her humble past.


Golden Dream
1993
country: Brazil
Golden Dream is a Brazilian telenovela produced and broadcast by Rede Globo. It ran from September 27, 1993 to May 14, 1994. It was written by Marcílio Moraes and directed by Reynaldo Boury, with co-direction by Roberto Naar. The action takes place in the city of Curitiba. It was also broadcast in Portugal.


Lua Cheia de Amor
1990
country: Brazil
The determined Genuína dreams of the return of Diego, the father of her children Rodrigo and Mercedes, who reject their mother's origins. Diego reappears with a different identity and changes Genu's destiny.


Happiness
1991
country: Brazil
Helena and Álvaro fall in love, but she marries someone else. Years later, they meet again and Helena becomes pregnant, but keeps it a secret because Álvaro is now the one who is engaged.


Xica da Silva
1996
country: Brazil
No overview available


Fera Ferida
1993
country: Brazil
Marked by tragedy, Feliciano Júnior returns to Tubiacanga as Raimundo Flamel, driven by the desire to avenge the death of his parents.


Anything for Love
1997
country: Brazil
Helena is an independendent woman with strong emotions. More than a dedicated mother, she is also a friend to her daughter. Her daughter is experiencing difficulties in her marriage with Marcelo because of his renewed interest in a formoe girlfriend. Marcelo‘s mother deslikes Helena and would like nothing better to see her son‘s marriage destroyed. Helena starts her life over again when she falls in love at first sight with Atilio, whom she marries. Although of poor health, her daughter wants to have a baby, believing that by fulfiling her husband‘s dream, she can save her marriage. As fate would have it, mother and daughter fall pregnant at the same time, each giving birth to a boy.


Summer Affair
1998
country: Brazil
Farmer Selena is a strong-willed young woman who won't rest until she uncovers a secret kept by her mother Camila: the identity of her father.


Pedra Sobre Pedra
1992
country: Brazil
To get revenge on her ex-fiancé Murilo Pontes, Pilar marries his rival, Jerônimo Batista. 25 years later, Pilar and Murilo deal with the passion between their children, Marina and Leonardo.


Bachelor Party
1992
country: Brazil
After an unjust imprisonment, friends return to the town of Remanso, facing betrayals and lost loves, while battling a corrupt lawyer.


Pérola Negra
1998
country: Brazil
Pérola Negra is a Brazilian telenovela produced by SBT and originally broadcast from November 9, 1998, to June 22, 1999. It is an adaptation of the Argentine telenovela Perla Negra (1994), created by Enrique Torres, adapted for Brazilian television by Henrique Zambelli and Clayton Sarzy. The telenovela stars Patrícia de Sabrit and Dalton Vigh. The story follows Pérola Marques, a young woman abandoned as a baby at a boarding school with a necklace of twenty-two black pearls, each intended to pay for one year of her education. After her best friend Eva dies shortly after giving birth, Pérola assumes Eva's identity to care for her son and fulfill her final wish. As she enters the wealthy Pacheco Oliveira family, she becomes entangled in secrets, betrayals, and a passionate romance with Tomás Álvares Toledo while uncovering the truth about her own past.


Mild Poison
1999
country: Brazil
Waldomiro Cerqueira is a powerful businessman who built his empire exploiting mineral deposits and suddenly finds himself under threat of losing it due to family conflicts.


A Indomada
1997
country: Brazil
In Greenville, some families never lose their composure. This is the case with the Mendonça and Albuquerque families, who would never allow a "noble" member of their family to become involved with a sugarcane cutter.
1990s television was the last era of true mass audiences, when a network sitcom or a season finale could be a shared national event.
Brazilian television is built on the telenovela, produced at enormous scale and with a broader social range than the format's reputation suggests.