Maite, who was brutally raped by Adolfo, wanted to marry Luis Antonio, but instead bears Adolfo’s child while Luis Antonio faces jail for beating Adolfo, his former best friend, senseless.

Years later, Maite’s daughter Valeria meets up with Luis Antonio’s son, Andres, at an elite boarding school, where they’re joined by Valeria’s half-sister, Veronica, who has multiple personality disorder. They’re best friends, they don’t know they’re sisters, and they’re both in love with Andres, who wants to be a bull fighter but is keeping it secret from his disapproving dad.

And that’s merely some of the background for Univision’s “Barrera de Amor” (Barrier of Love), its 9 p.m. show that has been on the rise of late among teenagers. Though the juicy storylines certainly have something to do with that jump, it’s also benefiting from a lack of similarly juicy fare on younger-skewing UPN and the WB this summer.

Last week, the week ended Aug. 13, “Amor” averaged 291,000 teen viewers ages 12-17, its best average weekly audience ever since its April debut.

It placed third or better in its 9 p.m. timeslot three times against English-language broadcast competition, even tying for second place with CBS’s “CSI” on Thursday.

For sure, “Amor” has gotten a lift from its lead-in, top-rated Hispanic show “La Fea Mas Bella” at 8 p.m. Since “Bella” premiered in late spring, pushing “Amor” from 8 to 9 p.m., “Amor’s” ratings have doubled on some nights among teens.

But “Amor’s” ratings bump also speaks to the serious dearth of young-skewing programming this summer, when the WB and UPN have essentially given up before merging into the CW this fall.

In summers past, both networks offered new shows, such as the WB’s soapy “Summerland,” that appealed to teens. With no new programming from either this summer, their reruns are faring terribly among teens, some of whom are young Hispanics who watch both English and Spanish programming.

Between them, UPN and the WB had just four shows average above a 1.0 rating in 12-17s last week. By comparison, “Amor” averaged a 1.2 for five episodes.

This could mean good things for Univision among teens come fall. The Big Four broadcast networks don’t target the younger end of 12-34s, and now just one network, the CW, will instead of two.

Thus though Univision’s 18-49 and 18-34 ratings may fall off after this impressive summer, it could remain strong among teens.

Meanwhile, in broadcast and basic cable ratings for younger viewers for the week ended Aug. 13:

Among teens 12-17: Fox was first at 1.5, trailed by NBC in second with a 1.2, CBS third at 1.1, Univision fourth at 1.0, UPN fifth at 0.9, and ABC sixth with a 0.8, followed by the WB at 0.7, Telemundo at 0.2 and Telefutura at 0.1.
 
Among kids 2-11: Fox and Univision tied for No. 1 with a 1.0, followed by UPN and NBC at 0.8, CBS and ABC at 0.7, the WB at 0.4, Telemundo at 0.2, and Telefutura at 0.1.

On basic cable for the week ended Aug. 13:

Top five shows among 2-11s: 1. “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Nickelodeon, Monday, 1:30 p.m.); 2. “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Nickelodeon, Monday, 1 p.m.); 3. “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Nickelodeon, Thursday, 5 p.m.); 4. “Drake & Josh” (Nickelodeon, Thursday, 5:30 p.m.); 5. “Drake & Josh” (Nickelodeon, Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.)

Top five shows among 6-11s: 1. “Drake & Josh” (Nickelodeon, Monday, 5:30 p.m.); 2. “Drake & Josh” (Nickelodeon, Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.); 3. “Drake & Josh” (Nickelodeon, Thursday, 5 p.m.); 4. “Drake & Josh” (Nickelodeon, Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.); 5. “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Nickelodeon, Thursday, 5 p.m.)

Top five shows among 12-17s: 1. “Nick Cannon’s Wild & Out” (MTV, Thursday, 10 p.m.); 2. “WWE Entertainment” (USA, Monday, 10 p.m.); 3. “Family Guy” (Adult Swim, Monday, 11:30 p.m.); 4. “WWE Entertainment” (USA, Monday, 9 p.m.); 5. “Pimp My Ride” (MTV, Thursday, 10:30 p.m.)

Top five shows among 12-24s: 1. “Nick Cannon’s Wild & Out” (MTV, Thursday, 10 p.m.); 2. “WWE Entertainment” (USA, Monday, 10 p.m.); 3. “Real World/Road Rules: Fresh Meat” (MTV, Monday, 10 p.m.); 4. “Family Guy” (Adult Swim, Monday, 11:30 p.m.); 5. “Flavor of Love 2” (VH1, Sunday, 10 p.m.)

Note: The combined cable and broadcast charts for the week ended Aug. 13 were delayed by MTV Networks. Below are cable charts for younger viewers for that week. The regular charts will return next week.