La Baby Sister is a Colombian telenovela produced by
Caracol TV which aired in the United States on the network
Telemundo in 2001. The series, containing a total of 160 episodes, centers around the romance between two leading protagonists, Daniel Luna (played by
Victor Mallarino) and Fabiana Estrella Rivera (played by
Paola Rey). On Telemundo,
La Baby Sister followed the wildly successful telenovela,
Betty La Fea, which has since been reinvented in the US as ABC's
Ugly Betty.
La Baby Sister was meant to be the successor to
Betty la Fea as a hip and funny romantic comedy, and it was partially successful in this goal. Both novelas feature similar characteristics— both were produced in Colombia, and both feature a mix of romance and humor, modern sound editing and camera work, and a plot that centers around a young female protagonist and her family. Although
La Baby Sister gained some acclaim from both critics and viewers, it never achieved the popularity of
Betty la Fea. Nonetheless, it is often credited with launching the career of Paola Andrea Rey, who has since become one of Colombia's biggest television stars.
