What even is telenovela?
A telenovela is a serial drama or a soap opera typically produced in Latin America.  These are TV series that are purposely limited in their run, unlike some American soap operas that run perpetually.
Ohh okay, I've never heard it be called that before.
Yes, it is a combination word.  Tele (short for television) and novela, which is a Spanish word for novel.  They are actually very popular.  
That makes a lot more sense!
In Spain, they are called "culebrones."  Culebrone means long snakes.  LOL.  They are called this because the plots are so convoluted!
That must be it lol, they are pretty bad a lot of the time.
The difference between the telenovelas and soap operas is that the telenovelas simply produce one main story and it is concluded within a years span.  Soap operas, as you may or may not know, just intertwine multiple story lines that continue indefinitely.  
Oh I had no idea that there was a difference. Cool!
the soap opera familiar to the English-speaking world. The significant difference is their series run length; telenovelas tell one self-contained story, typically within the span of a year or less whereas soap operas tend to have intertwined storylines told during indefinite, continuing runs. This makes them shorter than most other television series, but still much longer than a miniseries. This planned run results in a faster-paced, more concise style of melodrama compared to a typical soap opera. Episodes of telenovelas usually last between 30 and
Telenovela
A telenovela is a type of a limited-run television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines "tele" (for "television") and "novela" (meaning "novel"). Similar genres around the world include teleserye (Philippines), téléroman (Canada, specifically Quebec), or simply dramas (Asia and the rest of the Arab World). 
Commonly described using the American colloquialism Spanish soap opera, many telenovelas share some stylistic and thematic similarities to