The critic Cristina Padiglione regards the novela as worthy of a standing ovation, and in the opinion of Alexandra Moraes "the images, at first sight childish, gain relevance with colors and effects of dramatic intent. Good performances and the firm hand of the director give the plot meaning". In 2016, "Old River (Velho Chico)" marked Luiz Fernando Carvalho's return to prime time, directing the novela written by and Bruno Luperi, which again carried the imprint of the new esthetic in TV drama. The novela was divided into two phases, with direction of photography by Alexandre Fructuoso and costumes by Thanara Schönardie. Highlights were the photography and acclaimed performances by the actors Antonio Fagundes, Lucy Alves, Domingos Montagner, Lee Taylor, Marcos Palmeira, Chico Diaz, Renato Góes, Rodrigo Lombardi, Dira Paes, Irandhir Santos, Fabiula Nascimento, Julia Dalavia, Cyria Coentro, Barbara Reis, Julio Machado, Umberto Magnani, Camila Pitanga, Christiane Torloni, Marcelo Serrado, Gabriel Leone, Giulia Buscaccio, Mariene de Castro, Gésio Amadeu, José Dumont, Marcélia Cartaxo and others. The cast was of a uniformity rarely seen in novelas, resulting in countless awards for its actors, including the APCA (Associação Paulista de Críticos de Arte) Award for Best Actress for Selma Egrei and the Critics' Choice Award for Domingos Montagner(posthumous) and the production also won Best Supporting Actress (Selma Egrei), Best Supporting Actor (Irandhir Santos), Best Breakthrough Actress (Lucy Alves) and Best Breakthrough Actor (Lee Taylor), with Veja Rio's Carioca of the Year Award going to Luiz Fernando Carvalho for the renovated aesthetic of prime time television. The team's creative process and cast coaching lasted only three months and took place at TVliê, Luiz Fernando Carvalho's collaborative creative space, which operated at Projac between 2013 and 2017 and was known as Galpão. The first phase, applauded by the critics, marked the return of actor Rodrigo Santoro to the Globo fold and revealed the hitherto undiscovered talent of Carol Castro. Tarcísio Meira, in just two episodes, put in an impressive performance, as did actress Selma Egrei, who took part in both phases of the novela.