How a 2006 American Telenovela Became a Global Television Phenomenon
In short: Fashion House, a short-lived American nighttime soap opera, premiered in 2006 with a premise of corporate greed and high-stakes rivalry. While its domestic run lasted only 78 episodes, the series found an unexpected second life, being broadcast across international markets from Cameroon to the Philippines and beyond.
Fashion House debuted on MyNetworkTV on September 5, 2006, and concluded its run on December 5, 2006. Produced by Twentieth Television, the show was an adaptation of the Cuban telenovela Salir de Noche, which translates to Out in the Night. The series was set in Los Angeles but filmed at Stu Segall Productions in San Diego. It starred Bo Derek as the head of a powerful fashion business, with Morgan Fairchild playing her long-time arch-rival.
The show's domestic performance was modest. During its debut week, it averaged a 1.3 household rating. By the second week, viewership dipped to 1.1 million, eventually stabilizing at a 0.6 rating. Despite these domestic figures, the show achieved a wide international footprint. It aired in numerous countries, including Italy, where it premiered on March 12, 2007, and Bulgaria, where it ran from January 1, 2007, to March 27, 2007. Other markets included Hong Kong, where Star World began airing the show on February 6, 2007, and Slovenia, where it premiered on November 6, 2007.
The production history of Fashion House reflects the era's experimentation with the telenovela format in the United States. MyNetworkTV originally considered umbrella titles like Secrets and Secret Obsessions for its 9:00 p.m. timeslot before settling on Fashion House as the first installment. The show's legacy persists through digital platforms, as the entire series became available on TubiTV by 2021. Its influence was even acknowledged within the network's own programming, with a brief reference appearing in the 17th episode of the later series American Heiress.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Fashion House
- Also: Wikidata — fashion house · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — Fashion House · CC0
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