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Ambition, emotion and event programming — those are some of the key factors that Spanish pay-tv and streaming giant Movistar Plus+ is looking for in its originals, including its Eurovision Song Contest drama miniseries La Canción (The Song).

Susana Herreras, manager of original fiction content production at the company, which is part of Telefónica, touted several examples of such content at the Conecta Fiction & Entertainment industry gathering in Cuenca, Spain, on Tuesday.

She showed a teaser for the recent series La Canción, which tells the story of how Spain under General Franco in 1968 upset the U.K. frontrunner Cliff Richard and his “Congratulations” to win the Eurovision Song Contest with Massiel’s “La la la.” Created by Pepe Coira and Fran Araújo, and directed by Alejandro Marín, the series stars Carolina Yuste, Patrick Criado, Àlex Brendemühl, and Marcel Borràs. Movistar Plus+ Internacional is distributing the show outside of Spain.

Herreras also...

¡Atención, Eurofans! © Movistar Plus+

Movistar Plus+ ha compartido el primer tráiler y póster de La canción, su nueva serie original creada por Pepe Coira y Fran Araújo, el tándem de guionistas responsable de Rapa y Hierro, y dirigida por Alejandro Marín (Te estoy amando locamente).

La canción se ambienta en 1968. Esteban Guerra (Patrick Criado), un joven ejecutivo de Rtve, descubre que ha llegado una orden clara desde arriba: España tiene que ganar Eurovisión. Sin experiencia musical, pero ansioso por ascender, Esteban toma las riendas del proyecto y convence al peculiar Artur Kaps (Alex Brendemühl), el hombre detrás de los grandes programas de televisión de la época, para que se una a la aventura. Juntos se embarcan en la «Operación Eurovisión», un plan para encontrar la canción y el intérprete ideales para proyectar en Europa la imagen de un país moderno y abierto, como desea el Gobierno. Tras meses de sortear obstáculos,...

From the 1950s, as foreign tourists poured onto its beaches, Spain lobbied hard to join the European Economic Community, presenting itself as a modern country, despite its rule by an arcane 1930s dictator. By 1968, targeted reform notwithstanding, the only part of Europe Spain had entered was the Eurovision Song Contest, and it hadn’t even won that either.

Based often exactly on historical facts and real-life figures, “La Canción,” a Movistar Plus+, Buendía Estudios three-part miniseries world premieres at this week’s Malaga Film Festival, distributed outside Spain by Movistar Plus+ Internacional.

It begins with ageing dictator Francisco Franco entrusting minister Manuel Fraga with the task of winning the Eurovision Song Contest, which Fraga delegates to Spanish pubcaster Tve.

Incredibly for some, they succeed, Massiel, a flamboyant pro-Fidel Castro Spanish singer who has no time for Franco, delivers a powerful performance of “La la la,” beating Cliff Richard’s...

El camino de Massiel hacia la victoria con ‘La, la, la’. © Movistar Plus+

Movistar Plus+ ha anunciado la fecha de estreno de La canción y ha publicado las primeras imágenes de su nueva serie original creada por Pepe Coira y Fran Araújo, el tándem de guionistas responsable de Rapa y Hierro, y dirigida por Alejandro Marín (Te estoy amando locamente).

La canción se ambienta en 1968. Esteban Guerra (Patrick Criado), un joven ejecutivo de Rtve, descubre que ha llegado una orden clara desde arriba: España tiene que ganar Eurovisión. Sin experiencia musical, pero ansioso por ascender, Esteban toma las riendas del proyecto y convence al peculiar Artur Kaps (Alex Brendemühl), el hombre detrás de los grandes programas de televisión de la época, para que se una a la aventura. Juntos se embarcan en la «Operación Eurovisión», un plan para encontrar la canción y el intérprete ideales para proyectar en Europa la...

Movistar Plus+, the biggest Spanish SVOD/pay TV operator, has revealed four new scripted series for 2025, including a special on Pedro Almodóvar and struggling mother dramatic comedy “Yo siempre a veces” produced by “Veneno” and “La Mesías” creators Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo at their busy Madrid-based shingle Suma Content.

Also in the mix is “Los sin nombre,” from Pau Freixas and Filmax, a series spin-off from the movie, “La Canción,” a new title from “Hierro” co-writers and “Rapa” co-creators Pepe Coira and Fran Araujo, and espionage thriller “El Centro.”

News of new series comes as Movistar Plus+ scored in September both at Venice and San Sebastián, screening Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “The New Years” at Venice’s series selection, alongside Alfonso Cuarón’s Apple TV+ Series “Disclaimer,” Joe Wright’s “M. Son Of The Century” and Thomas Vinterberg’s “Families Like Ours.”

Alauda Ruiz de Azua’s “Querer” was hailed...

Barcelona-based Nanouk Films and Funicular Films and Spanish pubcaster Tve are partnering to produce “This is Not Sweden,” a dark comedy half hour which marks the first Spanish show to be presented at the Göteborg’s Festival’s TV Drama Vision.

Set in the idyllic Vallvidrera, a suburb in the foothills of the Collserola mountains surrounding Barcelona, the eight-part series explores parenting and other family-related issues by focusing on a young couple ­– Mariana and Samuel – who has just moved there and wants to raise their children in contact with nature.

“This is Not Sweden” is created by actor-director Aina Clotet, a Malaga Fest best actress winner for “Someone’s Daughter” and by producer Sergi Cameron. Clotet will direct along with Coll, who won a best new director Goya for “Three Days with the Family.”

“‘This is Not Sweden’s’ international appeal has always been a key objective for Aina, Marta and myself.

Lock-up

Stars: Adolfo Fernández, Marcel Borràs, Carlos Cuevas, Irene Escolar | Written by Pere Saballs i Nadal | Directed by Xavi Giménez

It’s not until 15 minutes into the film that the title shows up, but after a lengthy introduction to the central characters, and the problems between them, you’ve all but forgotten that the title hasn’t appeared.

Lock-Up is indeed the title, see, I even managed to give this review a lengthy introduction before dropping the title. It’s a really good technique and something I might start employing when I write from now on. I digress, the attention this review was holding from the first paragraph has just been self-destructed by diverting your mind away from what was going to be a hard-hitting and intense review, into what has become a self-indulgent load of nonsense.

Where were we? Oh yes, Lock-Up, the first 15 minutes really form the basis...

To celebrate the DVD release of gritty thriller Lock Up (2010) we are giving away a copy to Three lucky winners. Being a teenager isn’t easy, but neither is being a parent and sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. Luis (Adolfo Fernández) has reached braking point with his sixteen-year-old-son Fran (Marcel Borràs). Fran’s behaviour is starting to spiral out of control, he’s drinking, smoking dope and constantly getting into trouble. Something has to be done. In desperation, Luis makes a decision that will change both their lives forever.

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