The Brazilian telenovela, the most popular form of teledramaturgy in Brazil, has been produced and aired in the country since the 1950s. Sua Vida Me Pertence, written and directed by Walter Forster and shown on the now-defunct TV Tupi São Paulo between December 21, 1951 and February 15, 1952, was the world's first telenovela. According to Keske & Scherer, telenovelas have held the "status of the most profitable product in the Brazilian cultural industry" since the mid-1970s.

Escrava Isaura is a 1976 Brazilian telenovela produced by TV Globo, originally broadcast between October 11, 1976 and February 5, 1977. Based on the 1865 novel of the same name by 19th century abolitionist writer Bernardo Guimarães, it tells the story of the struggles of Isaura, a mixed-race slave, to find happiness during the Brazilian Empire. It starred Lucélia Santos in the title role and Rubens de Falco as slave owner Leôncio Almeida, the main antagonist. It was adapted by Gilberto Braga and directed by Herval Rossano and Milton Gonçalves, running 100 episodes.