Bermúdez (TV series)


Bermúdez is a 2009 Colombian telenovela produced and broadcast by Caracol TV. It was initially released as Todas odian a Bermúdez.

Plot

The telenovela tells the story of Arturo Bermúdez, a sports journalist who works for Hechos, a Bogotá-based weekly current issues news magazine. Bermúdez, who excels as a journalist, nevertheless is regarded as an annoying person, who tends to make disrespectful remarks and jokes, especially toward women. The former editor-in-chief of the magazine quit because of Bermúdez's behaviour.
Hechos's owner, Gonzalo Lleras, who returns to Colombia in order to run his businesses, appoints Silvia Vargas —at the moment editor-in-chief of an evening newspaper— as the new publisher of the magazine. Both Lleras and Vargas are college classmates of Bermúdez, who jokingly refers to Silvia as cuatrolámparas.
Bermúdez, who thought he would become the new editor-in-chief of the magazine as he was friends with then publisher Aníbal Fernández, is transferred by Silvia from the sports section to the "home and women's issues" section instead, as a punishment for an article by Bermúdez published on the magazine during Aníbal's tenure, criticizing the role of women in the Police, responsible for security at football stadia during matches, which prompted a backlash among readers and advertisers. Silvia makes Bermúdez rectify the article. Therefore, he is decided to not allow Silvia to "humiliate" him, trying to make Silvia feel bad or angry, with little success. Instead, Vargas ends up helping Bermúdez when he needs it.
Unknowingly, Silvia and Arturo have a friendship via internet. On night hours, they chat using the nicks Solitaria and Solitario respectively. Their anonymity allows them to pour out and support honestly each other, unlike real life.
Silvia has a crush on Gonzalo, whom he calls in secret the jefe papito, because of his looks and apparent gentlemanliness. On the other hand, since college Bermúdez has had a crush on Lucía Congote, who works at a television network owned by her family, and Gonzalo's ex-girlfriend. Lucía uses Bermúdez in order to upset Silvia, whom she hates, blaming her for "stealing" Gonzalo's love.

Cast

Apart from the four main characters, there have been some inconsistencies regarding the other characters' last names, between the initial press releases and related promotional material issued by Caracol TV to the media and the actual broadcast of the telenovela. In one episode, outgoing Hechos publisher Aníbal introduces most of the staff to his successor, Silvia. The most notorious case is Luz Adriana..
Only the first 2 episodes were around 1 hour long. From episode 3 onwards, episodes last around half hour. It must be noticed that, since the telenovela is being broadcast in Colombia with half hour or even shorter episodes, the numbering has no relation with the 80 hours produced.
No.Episode titleOriginal air date
1Bermúdez y Silvia, unidos por Gonzalo Lleras2009-02-02
2Arturo Bermúdez empezó a sufrir2009-02-03
3Silvia acabó con los sueños de Arturo2009-02-04
4Arturo, el experto en generar polémica2009-02-05
5El futuro de Bermúdez, en las manos de Silvia2009-02-06
6Bermúdez no tiene salida2009-02-09
7Bermúdez mostró su lado bueno2009-02-10
8Silvia le cubrió la espalda a Bermúdez2009-02-11
9Bermúdez intenta conquistar a Silvia con flores2009-02-12
10Silvia le dio una segunda opportunidad an Arturo2009-02-13
11Bermúdez se quedó en la calle2009-02-16
12El 'jefe papito' visita inesperadamente a Silvia2009-02-17
13Gerardo Bermúdez está en peligro2009-02-18
14Gerardo Bermúdez recuperó la libertad2009-02-19
15Astrid le devolvió el dinero a Bermúdez2009-02-20
16Bermúdez vuelve an atacar2009-02-23
17Silvia invita a cenar a la familia Bermúdez2009-02-25
18'Yiyo' le pide un último favor a Bermúdez2009-02-26
19Bermúdez y Lucía, unidos por el trabajo2009-02-27
20Lucía Congote no soporta a Bermúdez2009-03-02
21Gonzalo y Silvia tienen un acercamiento2009-03-03
22Paola cree que está embarazada2009-03-04
23Paola Rincón descarta su embarazo2009-03-06
24Bermúdez respira por la herida2009-03-09
25Lucía intenta suicidarse, pero ni para eso es buena2009-03-10
26Bermúdez es condecorado como un héroe2009-03-11
27Doña Lola y Bermúdez, dos enemigos en la misma mesa2009-03-12
28¡Buen trabajo, Bermúdez!2009-03-13
29Arturo pide aumento de sueldo2009-03-16
30Bermúdez sale a buscar trabajo2009-03-17
31Lucía acabó con la paz de Bermúdez2009-03-18
32Bermúdez sufre un grave accidente2009-03-19
33—2009-03-20
34La tentación de Silvia se llama Gonzalo Lleras2009-03-26
35A Bermúdez le floreció el talento2009-03-27
36Lucía, la nueva aliada de Bermúdez2009-03-30
37Comienza la operación conquista de Arturo2009-03-31
38Lola, de malas en el amor y de malas en el juego2009-04-01
39Arturo no accepta la derrota profesional2009-04-02
40Lola vive un romance a los 50 años2009-04-03
41Bermúdez, un conquistador innato2009-04-06
42Bermúdez, cada vez más lejos de la verdad2009-04-07
43Silvia y Gonzalo se acercan cada vez más2009-04-08
44Un admirador está por ser descubierto2009-04-13
45Ana Fernanda le arruina la vida a Luz Adriana2009-04-14
46Gonzalo siente celos de Bermúdez2009-04-15
47Lola quiere que capturen a Gerardo Bermúdez2009-04-16
48Luz Adriana se cansa de las burlas de Ana Fernanda2009-04-17
49Todos creen que Bermúdez es gay2009-04-20
50Los dos amigos caen en un chisme de pasillo2009-04-21
51Bermúdez le arruinó el primer trabajo periodístico a Marcela2009-04-22
52Lucía dejó plantado a Bermúdez2009-04-23
53Los Bermúdez no se dan por vencidos2009-04-24
54Bermúdez pretende arruinar a Silvia2009-04-27
55Silvia le pone freno a Bermúdez2009-04-28
56Silvia no comprende el juego de Gonzalo2009-04-29
57Lola y Gerado, camino a la universidad2009-04-30
58Todos se preparan para una noche de sorpresas2009-05-06
59El malévolo plan de Lucía está en marcha2009-05-07
60No contaban con su nobleza2009-05-08
61Los planes de Lucía Congote fracasan2009-05-11
62Más parecidos de lo que creen2009-05-12
63El amor duele... y mucho2009-05-13
64El destino los sigue uniendo2009-05-14
65El que persevera, ¿alcanza?2009-05-15
66Vaya sorpresa que se lleva la jefa2009-05-18
67Gonzalo Lleras vs. 'La Furia' Bermúdez2009-05-19
68Del ring a la estación de policía2009-05-20
69Lo cortés no quita lo valiente2009-05-21
70Echando a perder se aprende2009-05-22
71Don Gerardo se hace sentir2009-05-26
72Este fotógrafo tenía su rollo muy bien guardado2009-05-27
73Los chismes delatan a Paola2009-05-28
74Crea fama y échate a dormir2009-05-29
75Los despechados de la revista2009-06-01
76Dos mujeres peleándose por Arturo2009-06-02
77¡Qué cita tan larga!2009-06-03
78Silvia corre en ayuda de su jefe2009-06-04
79¡Misión cumplida!2009-06-05
80Estos solitarios quieren conocerse2009-06-09
81A Gonzalo le exigen matrimonio e hijos2009-06-10
82Gerardo insiste en conquistar a Lola2009-06-11
83El regalo ideal2009-06-12
84Caras vemos, corazones no sabemos2009-06-16
85Primero está la salud mental2009-06-17
86Una tarde de esparcimiento en la revista2009-06-18
87En la revista lo cortés no quita lo valiente2009-06-19
88Los Bermúdez son todos unos conquistadores2009-06-23
89¿Nunca es tarde? Parece que sí2009-06-24
90El amor todo lo puede2009-06-25
91Robin Arzuaga, hermosa e inteligente2009-06-26
92Encuentran a Gonzalo muy acaramelado con Robin2009-06-30
93Silvia cela a Gonzalo2009-07-01
94Lucía termina su amistad con Diego2009-07-03
95¿Arturo y Silvia compartirán otra noche juntos?2009-07-06
96Una noche en la que la soledad es la protagonista2009-07-07
97Amor cibernético2009-07-08
98Bermúdez saca de sus casillas a Paola2009-07-09
99La vida de Silvia es revisada con lupa2009-07-10
100Cecilia da su concepto sobre Silvia2009-07-13
101Marcela reta an Ana Fernanda en un juego de billar2009-07-14
102Le sale muy mal la broma a Gerardo2009-07-15
104Una visita sorpresiva de Robin2009-07-16
105¿A quién le caerá la flecha de Cupido?2009-07-17
106Rodrigo, entre la espada y la pared2009-07-21
107A Rodrigo no le basta con embriagarse para olvidar las penas de amor2009-07-22
108Gonzalo Lleras está entre la espada y la pared2009-07-23
109Silvia, como siempre, tan servicial2009-07-24
110Los buenos consejos nunca sobran2009-07-27
111Arturo se queda con los crespos hechos2009-07-28
112Gonzalo saca su mejor carta2009-07-29
113Una cita que trae sorpresas2009-07-30
114El destino se encarga de unirlos2009-07-31
115Don Gerardo tiene razones de peso2009-08-03
116Paola le da su merecido an Arturo2009-08-04
117Un nuevo problema de celos en la revista2009-08-05
118Se destapa una olla podrida2009-08-06
119Lucía accepta salir con Arturo2009-08-10
120Fernanda confiesa que tiene problemas con el juego2009-08-11
121Ahora sí se enloqueció Bermúdez2009-08-12
122Elemental, mi querido Bermúdez2009-08-13
123Arturo cumple su sueño2009-08-14
1242009-08-17
125A lo hecho, pecho2009-08-18
126Rodrigo le propone matrimonio a Paola2009-08-19
127Por fin se besan Arturo y Silvia2009-08-20
128¿Serán felices? 2009-08-21

Source:

Reception

Though its first episode was the most watched programme in the Colombian primetime on 2 February 2009, ratings declined because Todas odian a Bermúdez was competing against El último matrimonio feliz, rival network RCN TV strongest telenovela at the time. Caracol TV removed the "todas odian a" from the title and Bermúdez was moved to a time slot later in the night, with shorter episodes. Ratings slowly improved, but RCN TV's own ratings crisis before and after El último matrimonio feliz ended 22 April 2009 and Caracol TV's primetime overall performance helped Bermúdez to stay on the air.
In April 2009, El Tiempo claimed Bermúdez had been cut from 120 to 80 one-hour episodes and that tapings would end by mid-April. On the L.A. Screenings 2009, held late May in Los Angeles, Bermúdez was introduced as an 80 episode serial.
Diego Bertie told a Peruvian newspaper that Bermúdez was cut from 120 to 100 episodes, stating that "competition is very hard ." Ana María Arango told El Tiempo she was "sad" it was cut because the character she was playing did not become a journalist "as the scripts stated". As of 14 May 2009, Bermúdez ratings were higher that any programme broadcast by RCN TV in primetime.

The end

On early August 2009, Caracol TV advertised the last episodes of Bermúdez, though the plot of the telenovela was not foretelling its end, because its main characters were just starting to get closer. On 17 August, Caracol TV broadcast a little advertised 100 minute special. The next day, its final episode was announced for 21 August. Hundreds of viewers protested on the network's website because of the sudden end of its run, which only solved, in a fast-paced way, the situation of the main characters, leaving the stories of the other characters without conclusion. Apparently, Caracol TV needed to make room for reality show and the series Las muñecas de la mafia. In Colombia the 80 hours filmed were not completely broadcast.
One day before the final episode was broadcast, Juliana Tabares, journalist for Doble vía, claimed that recordings of Bermúdez had ended on 30 April and that, despite its short run, it had not been cut not having a different ending to "the one already agreed". A week later, Amparo Pérez, the network's viewer ombudswoman, recognized that "the final episodes were cut and was given a fast end where there were even edition flaws", adding that the opinions from the viewers were sent to the Caracol TV "production departament".

International broadcasting

The telenovela has been broadcast, under the title Todas odian a Bermúdez, on Mexico, Venezuela and Ecuador. Unlike its original run on Caracol TV, the 80 hours produced were broadcast on their entirety in these countries.