The article develops a reflection on the social aspects involved in the production of the TV series Malu Mulher - broadcasted in 1979-1980 by the Globo network -, mapping out elements related to the composition of the script and the character. This TV series is central for the changes in gender construction in Globo's television dramaturgy. The authors have drawn on varied sources in order to outline the main lines of the script:the feminist movement; newspaper news and remarkable facts of the time; personal life of the authors, producers and actors participating in the series. On the other hand, many factors influenced the way the episodes were brought about: the audience and the reaction of the public; the public image of the actress Regina Duarte; the military regime's censorship. Such elements help to explain why some gender constructions became hegemonic conventions while others remained taboo in Brazilian television.
Television; Gender; Feminism; Sexuality; Censorship