RTVE: from historical epics to modern noir

RTVE is presenting a content catalog at the January markets that spans historical fiction, contemporary social issues, and criminal investigation formats. The Spanish broadcaster’s lineup for MIP London and Content Europe includes ambitious prime-time dramas and several documentary series designed to explore complex global and national themes.

The offering features powerful period dramas, including Ena (6 x 55′), RTVE‘s award-winning series that chronicles the life of a young English woman who becomes Queen of Spain, renouncing her past to face a foreign land, an assassination attempt on her wedding day, and the upheaval of two world wars, a civil war, and the Spanish flu. Also featured is Las Abogadas (6 x 50′), a series based on the true story of four labor lawyers—Lola González, Cristina Almeida, Paca Sauquillo, and Manuela Carmena—from the final stages of Francoism to the 1977 Atocha lawyers’ massacre. A third title, Asuntos Internos (6 x 60′), is a suspense drama set in 1970s Madrid, following Clara, one of Spain’s first female police officers, as she goes undercover to uncover a corruption network linked to heroin trafficking.

The slate also introduces high-stakes thrillers with contemporary resonance. La Frontera (5 x 60′) is a period thriller set in 1987, where a Civil Guard captain, upon discovering an imminent ETA attack in Paris, defies the Spanish government to act alongside a French police officer. The tension escalates as his partner is secretly affiliated with ETA but is forced to help him thwart the attack, leading to a race against time involving betrayals and loyalty dilemmas. The contemporary «Southern Noir,» Weiss & Morales (4 x 85′), is set in the Canary Islands and follows the professional friction between Nina Weiss, a German BKA agent, and Raúl Morales, a Spanish Civil Guard sergeant, as they investigate crimes in a community where German expats and Canary Islanders coexist.

One of the highlights of this season at European markets is RTVE’s commitment to social drama and documentary storytelling. The intimate series Dieciocho (6 x 30′) breaks prejudices surrounding immigration by following the relationship between Cèlia, completing court-ordered community service, and Moha, an unaccompanied migrant minor working for legal status, as they navigate their dreams and discover first love. Sin Gluten (8 x 55′) focuses on Ricardo, a Michelin-starred chef whose struggle with alcohol leads to his firing. He finds redemption as a teacher at his former culinary school, where his students, including at-risk youth, help him reconnect with his passion for cooking.

Also included is Hope Estamos A Tiempo (6 x 60′), which guides viewers through solutions inspired by the global “Project Drawdown” plan to reduce carbon emissions and regenerate the planet, using an emissions simulator to quantify each impact strategy. Historical documentaries include Las Heroínas del Puente de los Cuervos (1 x 56′), focusing on Spanish women exiled during the Civil War who became spies for the French Resistance before being imprisoned in the Ravensbrück concentration camp. Another intriguing documentary thriller, ADN Colón. Su Verdadero Origen (1 x 90′), follows the two-decade DNA investigation seeking to confirm Christopher Columbus’s true origin. Finally, Megamix Brutal (3 x 44′) is a documentary series that uses the history of the Max Music record label and its founders’ rivalry to reflect Spanish society through three decades of dance music. The documentary SAC (7 x 40′) details the methods of the National Police Corps’ Behavioral Analysis Section for solving complex cases through criminal mind analysis. The list is completed by ALTER EGO (3 x 35′), a documentary exploring global advancements in Artificial Intelligence, designing two fictional worlds using cutting-edge AI tools.

Listing

SIN GLUTEN

8 x 55′

Ricardo is a successful chef who refuses to admit his problem with alcohol, especially after receiving a Michelin star and running a successful restaurant. However, a night of heavy drinking leads him to make a serious mistake and he is fired. With no other options, he returns as a teacher to the cooking school where he began his career. There, his students —young people from diverse backgrounds, some at risk of social exclusion— help him rediscover his passion for cooking and reconnect with a more authentic and simpler life.

LA FRONTERA.

5 x 60′

In 1987, a captain of the Guardia Civil discovers an imminent ETA attack in Paris and, seeing that the Spanish government decides not to intervene, he acts on his own with a French policeman. Unbeknownst to him, his partner belongs to ETA, but is forced to help him stop the attack. In a race against time, they face betrayals, mafias and loyalty dilemmas.

LAS HEROÍNAS DEL PUENTE DE LOS CUERVOS.

1 x 56′

Many people were forced into exile during the Spanish Civil War. The war conflict and ideological persecution affected women and men alike, but in this documentary we want to focus on a group of Spanish women who had several factors in common: on the one hand they were freedom and democracy lovers, and on the other hand they all had the misfortune of being imprisoned in the concentration and extermination camp for women in Ravensbrück, Germany. Their journey until they were taken prisoner by the Nazis in the Second World War was overwhelming: after fleeing Spain, many of them landed in France, but with the Nazi invasion they became real spies who collaborated with the French Resistance against the Germans. Many were captured and imprisoned in a concentration camp that was the dismal scene of the most inhuman horrors.

HOPE. ESTAMOS A TIEMPO

6 x 60′

Inspired by Project Drawdown, the global plan designed by scientist Paul Hawken, the series presents a set of measurable and scalable strategies to reduce carbon emissions and regenerate the planet. These solutions, already implemented and with tangible impact, are at the heart of Javier’s journey.
Throughout the six episodes, he uses an emissions simulator to quantify the impact of each strategy and the steps needed to reach the goal on time.

DIECIOCHO 6 x 30′

Intimate Drama – In development

Cèlia and Moha meet in a kitchen. For Cèlia, the job is a punishment—she’s serving court-mandated community service. For Moha, an unaccompanied migrant minor, it’s a reward that brings him closer to legal residency. Though they seem worlds apart, they’ll discover how much they have in common once they move past their prejudices. *Eighteen* is a heartfelt series that challenges stereotypes about immigration and explores the dreams, biases, and loneliness of youth—while capturing the tenderness of first love.

LAS ABOGADAS

6 x 50′

Series based on real events that tells the story of the lawyers Lola González, Cristina Almeida, Paca Sauquillo and Manuela Carmena. Friends and labor lawyers since 1969, during the last stage of Franco’s regime until the massacre of the Atocha lawyers in 1977 during the government of Adolfo Suárez.

ENA

6 x 60′

ENA tells the story of a young Englishwoman who becomes the Queen of Spain, renouncing everything to live in a foreign land where she faces an attempt on her wedding day. Never fully accepted, she perseveres as queen, witnessing two world wars, a civil war, and the deadly Spanish flu.

ASUNTOS INTERNOS

6 x 60′

Drama thriller set in a neighborhood police station in Madrid in the 1970s and starring one of the first policewomen in Spain, Clara, who infiltrates a plot to uncover a network of corruption linked to heroin trafficking in the city. New times, wild times

SAC 7 x 40′

Documentary Series – In production

This documentary series explores the creation of the Behavioral Analysis Section (SAC) within Spain’s National Police and reveals its working methods. The SAC plays a crucial role in solving complex cases—not only by examining evidence, but by analyzing the criminal’s mind and behavior. Their work is defined as precise, practical, and rigorous. Featuring testimonies from SAC agents alongside insights from experts in forensic psychology and criminology, the series offers viewers a clear and comprehensive look at the SAC’s vital role within the National Police.

ALTER EGO 3 x 35′

Alter Ego: The Invisible Intelligence is a documentary series that explores the most significant global advancements in Artificial Intelligence. Through in-depth analysis and educational storytelling, the series examines how AI is shaping our world. Using cutting-edge AI tools, it creates two fictional worlds to illustrate the technology’s potential and challenges, offering a unique perspective on the future of intelligence.

ADN COLÓN. SU VERDADERO ORIGEN.

1 x 90′

Documentary thriller that follows one of the most important and exciting historical investigations of all times: the study of Christopher Columbus’ DNA. Through this research that began more than two decades ago, we will be able to confirm the true origin of the discoverer of America. A documentary that could change the history books.

WEISS & MORALES 4 x 85′

Crime Drama – Procedural / One case per episode – In production*

*Weiss & Morales* follows Nina Weiss, an agent from Germany’s BKA, and Raúl Morales, a sergeant in Spain’s Guardia Civil, forced to work together after a body is found in Gran Canaria. Despite clashing personalities and methods, they must solve crimes in a community where Germans and locals coexist. With one case per episode, this crime series uncovers the hidden landscapes of the Canary Islands, revealing secrets in a distinctive *southern noir* atmosphere.

MEGAMIX BRUTAL 3 x 44′

Megamix Brutal tells the rise and fall of Max Music, the iconic Spanish dance label of the ’80s and ’90s, through the story of its founders, Ricardo Campoy and Miguel Degà. Once friends turned bitter rivals, their partnership ends in betrayal—and an attempted murder. Spanning three decades of dance music in Spain, the series traces the origins of the megamix and the success of compilations like *Max Mix* and *Máquina Total*, along with artists such as Rebeca and David Lyme. A wild tale of success, betrayal, and nonstop partying.

RTVE

RTVE, Corporación Radiotelevisión Española, is the largest audiovisual group in Spain. With its portfolio of channels (TVE, 24H, Star HD and Clan) and contents, RTVE disseminates the best TV contents in Spanish throughout the world.
The production of quality audiovisual content is a hallmark of RTVE, with large fiction series, as Isabel, Ana Tramel, HIT, Néboa, Malaka, The Hunt. Monteperdido, I’m Alive, Promises of Sand, The Department of Time, A Different View, etc, and a wide range catalogue of contents, most of them internationally awarded, covering all genres.