A Favorita

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A Favorita
La Favorita
A Favorita.jpg
The logo of A Favorita.
Genre Telenovela
Created by João Emanuel Carneiro
Starring Cláudia Raia
Patrícia Pillar
Murilo Benício
Mariana Ximenes
Deborah Secco
Carmo Dalla Vecchia
Cauã Reymond
Thiago Rodrigues
and big cast
Theme music composer Bajofondo
Opening theme "Pa' Bailar"
Country of origin Brazil
Original language(s) Portuguese
No. of episodes 197
Location(s) Globo Projac
Camera setup Multiple-camera setup
Running time 50-80 mins.
Original channel Rede Globo
Picture format (HDTV) 1080i - 16:9
(SDTV) 480i - 4:3
Original run June 2, 2008 – January 16, 2009
Preceded by Duas Caras
Followed by Caminho das Índias
External links

A Favorita (English: The Favorite) is a telenovela, first broadcast in Brazil at Rede Globo from June 2, 2008 to January 17, 2009.

A Favorita storylines examine two friends, Donatela and Flora, who became rivals. One of them committed a crime and is lying, so there are two versions of the same story.

The series was originally screened as six episodes per week, from Monday to Saturday, with an average running time of one hour. Created by writer João Emanuel Carneiro, A Favorita has remained significant in terms of Globo's success and audience share, and also in Brazilian television drama history, tackling many controversial and taboo issues previously unseen on mainstream television in Brazil.

It made history for being the first telenovela where the public did not know who was the villain and who was telling the truth.


Donatela and Flora, two friends who became rivals. One of them committed a homicide and pretends to be innocent. There are two versions for the same story. Who, after all, is telling the truth? Donatela or Flora?

Donatela and Flora grew up together. Donatela lost her parents in an accident and ended up being adopted by Flora's family. By the time they were children, the two girls were best friends to the point of starting a country band, “Faísca e Espoleta” (Flash and Fusee). The partnership made a reasonable success at the time, but the career was interrupted after they met friends Marcelo and Dodi, to whom they became engaged. Donatela married Marcelo, Gonçalo Fontini's son, heir of a paper and cellulose corporation, while Flora married Dodi, an unscrupulous man who worked for his friend's father.

However, Donatela and Marcelo's happiness didn't last too long. The couple's first son, Matheus, was kidnapped when he was six months old, never to appear again. Since then the couple started to argue very often. In the meantime, Flora and Dodi split up and she had an affair with Marcelo. She gave birth to Lara, daughter to Marcelo, harming even more his relationship with Donatela and mostly the relationship between the two friends.

In the worst period of the crisis between Donatela and Flora, Marcelo was murdered. He was shot three times with a gun that, according to witnesses, was in Flora's possession. She was arrested and sent to jail for eighteen years. Donatela, despite of not forgiving Flora for the treason and for killing the love of her life, raised Lara with the love of a true mother.

Eighteen years later, after being released from prison, Flora starts trying to prove her innocence, blaming Donatela for the crime she has already paid for. Donatela fears that Flora may want to take her beloved daughter Lara away. Lara becomes the target of the dispute between the two women, who were once friends. While Flora tries to get her daughter back, Donatela will do everything she can to stop her.


Actor Character
Cláudia Raia Donatela Fontini, Main heroine
Patrícia Pillar Flora Pereira da Silva, main villain
Murilo Benício Dodi (Eduardo Gentil) accomplice of Flora, villain
Mariana Ximenes Lara Pereira Fontini, Main heroine
Deborah Secco Maria do Céu / Pâmela Queiroz
Carmo Dalla Vecchia Zé Bob (José Roberto Duarte)
Cauã Reymond Halley Gonzaga da Silva / Mateus Fontini
Thiago Rodrigues Cassiano Copola Mendonça
Ângela Vieira Arlete
Christine Fernandes Rita Porto
Chico Diaz Átila Mendonça
Cláudia Ohana Cida Copola (Maria Aparecida Marelo Copola)
Elizângela Cilene (Jucilene Maria Gonzaga)
Genézio de Barros Pedro Pereira da Silva
Iran Malfitano Orlandinho (Orlando Queiroz)
Leonardo Medeiros Elias Filho
Mário Gomes Gurgel (Francisco Gurgel)
Paula Burlamaqui Stela
Suzana Faini Iolanda Marelo Copola
Rosi Campos Tuca (Tereza)
Alexandre Schumacher Norton
Aramis Trindade Clemente
Malvino Salvador Damião
Bel Kutner Amelinha (Amélia Mendonça Gurgel)
Clarice Falcão Mariana Copola Monteiro
Emanuelle Araújo Manu (Manuela Ferreira) girlfriend of Dodi, villain
Fabrício Boliveira Didu (Eduardo Rosa)
Gisele Fróes Lorena Copola Mendonça
Giovanna Ewbank Sharon (Maria do Perpétuo Socorro)
Graziella Schmidtt Tina
Jackson Antunes Leonardo Monteiro (Léo)
Jean Pierre Noher Pepe Molinos
Miguel Rômulo Shiva Lênin Costa
Rui Resende Pereira
Selma Egrei Dulce Porto
Raquel Galvão Melissa
Roberta Gualda Greice Ferreira da Silva
Thiaré Maia Luma
Taís Araújo Alícia Rosa
Alexandre Nero Vanderlei
Luiz Bacelli Darcy Queiroz
Cleide Queiroz Antônia
Walmor Chagas Salvatore
Eduardo Mello Domênico Copola Monteiro
Hanna Romanazzi Camila Porto
Renan Mayer Tiago Mendonça Gurgel
Sofia Terra Carolina Mendonça Gurgel
Special Guest Stars
Nelson Xavier Edivaldo Ferreira da Silva
Helena Ranaldi Dedina
Suely Franco Geralda Queiroz
Juliana Paes Maíra (dropped from the cast to act in Glória Perez's Caminho das Indias)
Invited Actors
Ary Fontoura Silveirinha accomplice of Flora, villain
Mauro Mendonça Gonçalo Fontini
Milton Gonçalves Romildo Rosa
Invited Actresses
Lília Cabral Catarina Copola Monteiro
Giulia Gam Diva Palhares (Rosana Costa/Kato /Miranda)
José Mayer as "Augusto César"
Glória Menezes as "Irene"
Tarcísio Meira as "Copola"


A Favorita has released three official soundtrack albums: one composed mostly of Brazilian songs (Nacional - "national" soundtrack), one mostly of international songs (Internacional), and a third one, with sertanejo music (a kind of Brazilian country music).

  • Nacional soundtrack
  1. "É o Que Me Interessa" - Lenine (Flora's theme)
  2. "Amado" - Vanessa da Mata (Lara and Cassiano's / Lara and Halley's theme)
  3. "Sou Dela" - Nando Reis (Lara's theme)
  4. "Não Vou Me Adaptar" - - Arnaldo Antunes and Nando Reis (Didu's theme)
  5. "Quantas Vidas Você Tem?" - Moska (Rita and Didu's theme)
  6. "Fala" - Ritchie (Augusto César's theme)
  7. "Tudo Passa" - Túlio Dek (Halley's theme)
  8. "Pa'Bailar" - Bajofondo (opening theme)
  9. "Mulher Sem Razão" - Adriana Calcanhotto (Donatela and Zé Bob's theme)
  10. "Morena dos Olhos d'água" - Chico Buarque
  11. "O Tempo Vai Apagar" - Zé Renato (Rita's theme)
  12. "Me Abrace (Abrázame)" - Camila & Wanessa Camargo (Stela's theme)
  • Internacional soundtrack
  1. "Viva La Vida" - Coldplay (general theme)
  2. "Bottle It Up" - Sara Bareilles (Dedina and Damião's theme)
  3. "I'm Yours" - Jason Mraz (Cassiano's theme)
  4. "Carry You Home" - James Blunt (Augusto César's theme)
  5. "Love is Noise" - The Verve
  6. "That's Not My Name" - The Ting Tings (Alícia's theme)
  7. "Blame" - Tiago Iorc (Halley's theme)
  8. "Fidelity" - Regina Spektor (Lara's theme)
  9. "Sweet About Me" - Gabriella Cilmi
  10. "No Substitute Love" - Estelle (location theme)
  11. "Baby When the Light" - David Guetta (Orlandinho's theme / nightclub theme)
  12. "Pumpkin Soup" - Kate Nash (location theme)
  13. "Young Folks" - Peter Bjorn and John

See also[edit]

International broadcasts[edit]

  •  Israel / Viva / December 7, 2009 - July 20, 2010
  •  Montenegro / TV Vijesti / November 28, 2011 - present
  • Kosovo Kosovo / RTV 21 / April 15, 2011 - November 29, 2011
  • Republic of Macedonia Macedonia / Sitel TV / 03.05.2013 - present

External links[edit]

Preceded by
Duas Caras
A Favorita
June 2, 2008—January 17, 2009
Succeeded by
Caminho das Índias