Initially targeted for a fall 2006 launch, Twentieth Television has fast-tracked the debut of its new English-language telenovela franchise strip “Desire” into first-run syndication starting in June.

The announcement was made Monday by Bob Cook, president and chief operating officer of Twentieth Television.

“Desire” has been cleared in 65 percent of the U.S., including Fox owned-and-operated television stations, as well as on various Tribune, Cox, Sinclair, Roberts and Weigel-owned stations. New major market stations clearances include KICU-TV in San Francisco, WRBU-TV in St. Louis, WTTV-TV in Indianapolis and WPGH-WCWB-TV in Pittsburgh.

Each “Desire” telenovela will be structured as a 65-episode story arc stripped for 13 weeks. An hour-long encore episode featuring highlights from the previous week’s story line will air every weekend. Twentieth will produce and distribute at least three telenovelas per year.

The “Desire” series are being distributed on a cash-plus-barter basis, with a 10.5/3.5 national split for each hour-long episode. The company is preparing to begin production on “Desire: Table for Three” and “Desire: Fashion House.”

“Table for Three” is being formatted by Twentieth Television from the Colombian telenovela “Mesa Para Tres.” The series follows two brothers on the run from the Mob and who love the same woman. “Desire: Fashion House” is based on the successful Latin American telenovela “Salir de Noche,” a behind-the-scenes melodrama set inside the fashion industry.