{{Infobox television | image = | genre = Comedy drama | creator = Sara Rodi | director = Hugo de Sousa | starring = * Mafalda Marafusta * Duarte Gomes * Pedro Carvalho * Dina Félix da Costa * Catarina Avelar * Ruy de Carvalho * Rita Ribeiro * Sara Barradas * Carlos Oliveira | theme_music_composer = Andreia João | open_theme = "Massa Fresca" | end_theme = "Massa Fresca" | country = Portugal | num_seasons = 1 | num_episodes = 97 | runtime = ± 40 min | company = Plural Entertainment | first_aired = {{Start date|2016|04|25|df=y}} | last_aired = {{End date|2016|09|10|df=y}} }}
'''''Massa Fresca''''' ({{lit|Fresh Pasta}}) is a Portuguese television series of the youth genre broadcast simultaneously on TVI and TVI Ficção between 25 April and 10 September 2016, starring {{Interlanguage link|Mafalda Marafusta|pt}} and {{Interlanguage link|Duarte Gomes (actor)|lt=Duarte Gomes|pt|Duarte Gomes}}. Biggs started broadcasting the series on 12 April 2021. It returned to TVI Ficção on 3 September 2022, replacing {{lang|pt|{{ill|Ana e os Sete|pt}}}} in the weekend series slot, broadcast at 10 pm.
In 2020, ''Massa Fresca'' was also broadcast on the TVI África channel. In 2024, it was part of the TVI Internacional schedule. In the summer of 2025, it began airing in the early morning hours on TVI, with this rerun lasting until 29 October of the same year.
Since 10 September 2016, all episodes have been available on TVI Player. As of 2024, the series is available on the Portuguese Amazon Prime Video platform.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Massa Fresca |url=https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Massa-fresca/0TF8P455QWWBHPF7A66TJVRLDI |website=Amazon Prime Video}}</ref>
== Details == Written by Sara Rodi, it was produced by {{Interlanguage link|Plural Entertainment|pt}}. This was another TVI bet for the late afternoon slot, at 7:00 pm, as were previous projects of the same genre.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-30 |title=BIGGS ESTREIA "MASSA FRESCA" |url=http://dreamia.pt/homepage/noticias/biggs-estreia-%E2%80%9Cmassa-fresca%E2%80%9D |access-date=2023-04-27 |website=arquivo.pt |publisher=Dreamia |archive-date=2021-06-03 |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20210603015316/http://dreamia.pt/homepage/noticias/biggs-estreia-%E2%80%9Cmassa-fresca%E2%80%9D |url-status=dead }}</ref> Initially, the title of the series was ''Quatro Estações'' (English: Four Seasons).<ref>{{Cite web |title="Massa Fresca" é a nova série da TVI |url=http://www.impala.pt/detail.aspx?id=222119&idCat=2064 |access-date=March 24, 2016}}</ref>
{{Interlanguage link|Mafalda Marafusta|pt}} plays the protagonist Maria, with {{Interlanguage link|Duarte Gomes (actor)|lt=Duarte Gomes|pt|Duarte Gomes}}, Pedro Carvalho, {{Interlanguage link|Dina Félix da Costa|pt}}, {{Interlanguage link|Beatriz Barosa|pt}}, Artur Dinis, Beatriz Leonardo, Gonçalo Oliveira, Maria Eduarda Laranjeira, Catarina Avelar, Ruy de Carvalho, {{Interlanguage link|Rita Ribeiro|lt=Rita Ribeiro|pt|Rita Ribeiro (atriz)}}, {{Interlanguage link|Sara Barradas|pt}} and {{Interlanguage link|Carlos Oliveira (actor)|lt=Carlos Oliveira|pt|Carlos Oliveira (ator)}} also in leading roles.
== Synopsis == Maria Miguel (Mafalda Marafusta) is a 21-year-old who lost her mother to cancer three years ago and never knew her father (whom she meets in the final episodes), forcing her to fight daily for her livelihood. Before becoming an orphan, Maria was preparing to finish her 12th grade and study singing in London, but the money she saved ended up being used for her mother's treatments, accumulating a substantial debt. She works at Telepizza and remains an optimistic and cheerful young woman, but life has taught her to live one day at a time, without grand plans. Her life changes drastically when, on her way to deliver pizzas, she tries to avoid running over two children by throwing herself on her motorbike against a speeding car. The accident leaves her with some injuries, and the children's parents, grateful for Maria's heroic act, take her home to help her recover.
This is how Maria, a young woman accustomed to overcoming her difficulties alone, finds herself in the heart of a wealthy family with five children between the ages of 5 and 17, each with their own challenges, passions, and struggles typical of their age, which we will also see reflected in their daily lives at the school they attend. Everything becomes even more complicated when the couple decides to take a honeymoon trip and dies in a car accident. Maria is then left in charge of the couple's five children, a responsibility shared with the children's paternal uncle, Francisco ({{Interlanguage link|Duarte Gomes (actor)|lt=Duarte Gomes|pt|Duarte Gomes}}), who meanwhile falls in love with her, a maternal aunt, Branca ({{Interlanguage link|Dina Félix da Costa|pt}}), interested in the family's money, and the two housemaids, who give her more headaches than solutions to the problems that arise.
Maria is a courageous and determined young woman who, despite all the mistakes she makes and obstacles she faces, doesn't give up trying to keep her family together and help each of the young Elias grow up healthy and happy. Helping Maria take care of the young Elias is Artur (Pedro Carvalho), a very handsome and proper man who is also the children's doctor. He becomes charmed by her and starts visiting the Elias's home more and more frequently. In trying to help the eldest Elias daughter advance her band, Maria also sees her own musical career catapulted.
== Cast == {| class="wikitable sortable" !Actor/Actress !Character |- |{{Interlanguage link|Mafalda Marafusta|pt}} |Maria Miguel |- |{{Interlanguage link|Duarte Gomes (actor)|lt=Duarte Gomes|pt|Duarte Gomes}} |Francisco Elias |- |Pedro Carvalho |Dr. Artur |- |{{Interlanguage link|Beatriz Barosa|pt}} |Catarina Castro Elias |- |Artur Dinis |Salvador Castro Elias |- |Beatriz Leonardo |Leonor Castro Elias |- |Gonçalo Oliveira |Simão Castro Elias |- |Maria Eduarda Laranjeira |Teresa Castro Elias ''(Teresinha)'' |- |Mercês Borges |Constança Castro Semião |- |{{Interlanguage link|Dina Félix da Costa|pt}} |Branca Castro Semião |- |{{Interlanguage link|Carlos Oliveira (actor)|lt=Carlos Oliveira|pt|Carlos Oliveira (ator)}} |Diamantino Vilela |- |{{Interlanguage link|Sara Barradas|pt}} |Margarida Afonso (Guida) |- |{{Interlanguage link|João Bonneville|pt}} |Sérgio Silva |- |{{Interlanguage link|Ana Brito e Cunha|pt}} |Maria Albertina (Tininha) da Conceição Silva |- |{{Interlanguage link|Catarina Avelar|pt}} |Maria Miquelina De Santarém (''Grandma Miquinhas'') |- |Ruy de Carvalho |Luciano Castro (''Grandpa Luciano'') |- |{{Interlanguage link|Rita Ribeiro|lt=Rita Ribeiro|pt|Rita Ribeiro (atriz)}} |Maria José (Zezinha) |- |Inês Gonçalves |Célia Veiga |- |Susana Sá |Antónia Félix |- |{{Interlanguage link|Pedro Moldão|pt}} |Sebastião Félix |- |Daniela Melchior |Carminho Santiago |- |Francisco Fernandez |Pedro Tavares |- |Bruno Páscoa |Carlos Graça Saraiva (Catita) |- |Ruben Valle |João Gouveia |- |Guilherme Filipe |Manuel Pereira |- |Sylvie Dias |Carla Junqueiro |- |Nuno Pardal |Hugo Santos |- |{{Interlanguage link|Isabel Figueira|pt}} |Bárbara Moreira |- |{{Interlanguage link|Sofia Grillo|pt}} |Mariana Belo |- |{{Interlanguage link|Lourenço Henriques|pt}} |Tiago Belo |- |Miguel Ruivo |Gustavo Belo Simões (Guga) |- |{{Interlanguage link|Maria Emília Correia|pt}} |Arlete Graça |- |Pedro Bargado |Armando Saraiva |- |Lavínia Moreira |Alice Graça Saraiva |- |Guilherme Rocha |Fernando Graça Saraiva (Nando) |- |}
=== Special appearances === {| class="wikitable" |- bgcolor="#cccccc" !Actor/Actress !Character |- |Pedro Lima |Vicente Elias |- |Sofia Alves |Inês Castro Elias |- |{{Interlanguage link|Alda Gomes|pt}} |Rafaela |- |André Caramujo |''Gang member'' |- |António Calvário |Himself |- |{{Interlanguage link|António Évora|pt}} |Alberto |- |Augusto Portela |Dr. Perestrelo |- |Camilo Reis |Cantor |- |Carlos Sebastião |Worker at the Vidrelias factory |- |Catarina Requeijo |Lara Piçarra (doctor) |- |Cátia Nunes |Filomena |- |{{Interlanguage link|Conguito|pt}} |Himself |- |Cristina Ferreira |Herself |- |Abraham Mateo |Himself |- |{{Interlanguage link|Elsa Valentim|pt}} |Beatriz (Maria's mother) |- |{{Interlanguage link|Eurico Lopes|pt}} |Duda (Maria's father) |- |Fernando Rodrigues |Businessman from Monaco |- |Francisco Arraiol |Rui |- |Francisco Beatriz |Anchor of the news programme |- |Heitor Lourenço |Lourenço Fenix |- |Hugo Costa Ramos |Drug dealer |- |João Cachola |Jota (Carminho's boyfriend) |- |Jorge Mota |Dr. Cabral |- |Kiko |Himself |- |Liliana Leite |Italian |- |Lourenço Seruya |Paparazzi |- |Luís Lucas |Dr. Edmundo Gaspar (the doctor who treats Inês in Mónaco) |- |Manuel Luís Goucha |Himself |- |Maria Hasse |Marina |- |{{Interlanguage link|Mariema|pt}} |Graciete |- |Martim Barbeiro |Student who gets into a fight with Guga |- |Martim Pedroso |Joaquim |- |Peperan |Herself |- |Rafael Gomes |Raí |- |{{Interlanguage link|Rui Luís Brás|pt}} |Vitorino Simões (Guga's father) |- |Sónia Aragão |Dra. Fátima (Celia's doctor) |- |Tiago Miguel |Himself |- |Fátima Lopes |Herself |}
== Broadcast == On its premiere, 25 April 2016, '''''Massa Fresca''''' registered a 7.4% ''rating'' and a 20.2% ''share'', leading the ratings. During its 99 episodes, the series maintained second place in the ratings. The last episode, on 10 September, scored a 5.2% ''rating'' and an 18.8% ''share''. It had a final average of 5.5% ''rating'' and 17.5% ''share''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-30 |title=BIGGS ESTREIA "MASSA FRESCA" |url=http://dreamia.pt/homepage/noticias/biggs-estreia-%E2%80%9Cmassa-fresca%E2%80%9D |access-date=2023-04-27 |website=arquivo.pt |publisher=Dreamia |archive-date=2021-06-03 |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20210603015316/http://dreamia.pt/homepage/noticias/biggs-estreia-%E2%80%9Cmassa-fresca%E2%80%9D |url-status=dead }}</ref> {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width: 40%" ! colspan="2" style="background:#8F001F; width:14%" |Average ! style="background:#8F001F; width:8%" |Episodes shown ! style="background:#8F001F; width:9%" |Rating ! style="background:#8F001F; width:9%" |Share |- | rowspan="6" style="border-bottom: 2px solid #8F001F" |2016 |April |5 |7.4% |21.5% |- |May |20 |6.5% |18.8% |- |June |21 |5.4% |17.0% |- |July |20 |4.9% |16.2% |- |August |22 |5.1% |16.8% |- | style="border-bottom: 2px solid #8F001F" |September | style="border-bottom: 2px solid #8F001F" |9 | style="border-bottom: 2px solid #8F001F" |5.6% | style="border-bottom: 2px solid #8F001F" |18.9% |- ! colspan="2" |Total !97 !5.8% !18.2% |- |} <small>''Note: Each rating'' point is equivalent to 95,000 viewers. This data includes same-day delayed viewing (''VOSDAL'').</small>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5567404 Massa Fresca] at IMDb * [http://www.tvi.iol.pt/programa/56e9edb80cf20176bcff4e97/massa-fresca «Página oficial na TVI»] * [https://www.facebook.com/massafrescatvi «Página oficial no Facebook»] == See also ==
* List of teen dramas {{Portal bar|Séries de televisão|Portugal|TVI}}
Category:Portuguese-language television shows Category:2016 Portuguese television series debuts Category:2016 Portuguese television series endings Category:2016 in Portuguese television Category:Teen telenovelas