The Best Side of Life! (Portuguese: Êta Mundo Melhor!) is a Brazilian telenovela created by Walcyr Carrasco and Mauro Wilson. It is a sequel to the 2016 telenovela The Good Side of Life!. The telenovela aired on TV Globo from 30 June 2025 to 13 March 2026. It stars Sergio Guizé, Jeniffer Nascimento, David Malizia, Larissa Manoela, Heloísa Périssé, Eriberto Leão, Flávia Alessandra and Rainer Cadete.
Contents
Cast
Sergio Guizé as Cândido Policarpo Sampaio dos Santos / Cândido da Silva "Candinho"
Jeniffer Nascimento as Benedita "Dita" dos Santos
David Malizia as Cândido Pereira Sampaio
Larissa Manoela as Estela
Heloísa Périssé as Zulma Dias
Eriberto Leão as Ernesto Dias
Flávia Alessandra as Sandra Sampaio Carneiro
Rainer Cadete as Celso Sampaio Carneiro
Luís Miranda as Professor Asdrúbal
Elizabeth Savalla as Cunegundes Pereira Torres "Boca de Fogo"
Ary Fontoura as Joaquim Pereira Torres "Quinzinho"
Anderson Di Rizzi as José Francisco Leitão "Zé dos Porcos"
Rosane Gofman as Olímpia Castelar
Dhu Moraes as Manuela dos Santos
Miguel Rômulo as Joaquim Pereira Torres Filho "Quincas"
Maria Carol Rebello as Olga Macedo
Flávio Tolezani as Dr. Afonso Araújo
Marcelo Argenta as Lauro Ortiz
Cleiton Morais as Tobias Assis
Gabriel Canella as Vermelho
Fábio de Luca as Detetive Sabiá
Nívea Maria as Margarida
Duio Botta as Raul
Isaac Amendoim as Picolé
Monique Alfradique as Tamires
Grace Gianoukas as Medéia Pereira Torres
Tony Tornado as Lídio
Castorine as Maria Divina
Mari Bridi as Mirtes
Lu Fernandes as Francine
Kênia Bárbara as Haydée
Evelyn Castro as Zenaide
Chico Terrah as Anacleto
Paula Burlamaqui as Sônia
Ygor Marçal as Tico
Vicente Avite
Guest stars
Bianca Bin as Maria Lima
Raissa Xavier
Production
Mauro Wilson was initially scheduled to produce Conta Comigo, a telenovela that would replace Família é Tudo in the second half of 2024. However, in February 2024, Globo decided to suspend production of the telenovela, claiming that the premise of the plot, in which the main antagonist would become a politician after being elected, could have negative repercussions because it coincided with the municipal elections, in order to avoid associations with political figures. Wilson was sent to the "6 PM slot" slot to write a new project to replace Garota do Momento in 2025.
With the positive response to No Rancho Fundo, which was an epilogue to Mar do Sertão, in the "6 PM slot", on 23 April 2024, TV Globo announced the production of a direct sequel to the 2016 telenovela Êta Mundo Bom!. Walcyr Carrasco would continue to be the main author of the plot, resuming his partnership with Amora Mautner. However, the pair would work together until episode 30, while the rest of the telenovela would be written by Mauro Wilson, under the supervision of Carrasco, who would then focus on a "9 PM slot" telenovela, scheduled to premiere in 2026. The telenovela was given the working titles Êta Mundo Bom! 2 and Êta Mundo Bom! – Segunda Temporada, but was eventually titled Êta Mundo Melhor!.
Initially scheduled to premiere on 2 June 2025, Êta Mundo Melhor! was postponed to the 30th due to the extension of Garota do Momento, which by then had become a commercial and critical success, as well as guaranteeing good ratings for the slot. In addition, the drama was having difficulties finalizing its cast after the actors refused to take part due to prior commitments. Salary issues were also pointed out as one of the reasons for the delay in casting and the large increase in refusals from actors from the first part, forcing a change to the original plot. Less than two months before the premiere, the telenovela received 18 more episodes, increasing from 190 to 208, to avoid the final episodes being broadcast during Carnival week, which, according to the broadcaster, could affect the telenovela's ratings.
Filming of the telenovela began on 14 April 2025.