La regenta (TV series)

La regenta
GenreDrama
Based onLa regenta
by Leopoldo Alas
Screenplay byFernando Méndez-Leite
Directed byFernando Méndez-Leite
Starring
ComposerBingen Mendizábal
Country of originSpain
Original languageSpanish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes3
Production
CinematographyRafael Casenave
EditorNieves Martín
Running time300 min.
Production companyTelevisión Española
Budget500 million
Original release
NetworkLa Primera
Release17 January (1995-01-17) –
19 January 1995 (1995-01-19)

La regenta (transl. The regent's wife) is a 1995 Spanish prime-time television miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Leopoldo Alas. Produced by Televisión Española, it was directed and written by Fernando Méndez-Leite and starred by Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Héctor Alterio, Juan Luis Galiardo and Carmelo Gómez. Its three episodes were broadcast on La Primera of Televisión Española on 17–19 January 1995.

Plot

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The story is set in Vetusta, a fictional provincial capital in northern Spain, where Ana Ozores marries the former prime judge of the city, Víctor Quintanar, a kind but fussy man much older than her. Feeling sentimentally abandoned, she lets herself be courted by the local casanova, Álvaro Mesía. To complete the circle, her confessor and canon in the cathedral of Vetusta, Don Fermín de Pas, also falls in love with her and becomes Mesía's unmentionable rival.

Production

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Originally intended as a seven-episodes series of 90 minutes each, Fernando Méndez-Leite successively modified his initial script to fit in three episodes of 100 minutes each following the conditions imposed by Televisión Española. With a budget of 500 million pesetas, filming took place in Madrid and Oviedo under his direction for 84 days between April and July 1994.[1] María Luisa Ponte, who had already played the role of Petronila Rianzares in the 1975 film version directed by Gonzalo Suárez, reprised her role in the miniseries.[2]

Cast

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Episodes

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The series premiered on 17 January 1995 in prime-time on La Primera of Televisión Española and aired for three consecutive evenings averaging nearly six million viewers.[3]

No.TitleOriginal air dateSpain viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1"17 January 1995 (1995-01-17)N/A
2"Episode 2"18 January 1995 (1995-01-18)N/A
3"Episode 3"19 January 1995 (1995-01-19)N/A

Accolades

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FIPA d'or

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Year Category Recipient Result Ref.
1995 Best Actress Cristina Marcos Won [4]

Fotogramas de Plata

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Year Category Recipient Result Ref.
1995 Best Television Actress Aitana Sánchez-Gijón Won [5]
Best Television Actor Carmelo Gómez Won

Actors and Actresses Union Awards

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Year Category Recipient Result Ref.
1995 Best Television Lead Performance Aitana Sánchez-Gijón Won [6]
Best Television Supporting Performance Cristina Marcos Won

Restoration

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RTVE carried out a digital 4K UHD scanning, remastering and restoration of the series, that was originally recorded on film, and made it available online in RTVE Play and on its Botón Rojo app for 4K Smart TVs in 2020.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Méndez Leite finishes filming 'La regenta' for Televisión Española". El País (in Spanish). 21 July 1994.
  2. ^ Ripollès Iranzo, Joan (5 September 2014). "María Luisa Ponte, devourer of scenarios". Instituto Cervantes (in Spanish).
  3. ^ "A personal project with six million viewers". RTVE (in Spanish). 16 March 2009.
  4. ^ "Le palmarès". Le Monde (in French). 29 January 1995.
  5. ^ "Fotogramas de Plata 1995" (in Spanish). EFE. 11 March 1996.
  6. ^ "Winners of the 5th edition of the Union of Actors and Actresses Awards". Spanish Actors Union (in Spanish).
  7. ^ "RTVE launches the restored 4K versions of 'El Quijote' and 'La regenta' through its 'Botón Rojo'". Vertele (in Spanish). 28 July 2020.
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