Making its debut at the Malaga Film Festival’s series sidebar, Atresmedia’s latest series, the light-hearted legal drama “Perdiendo el juicio,” follows a respected lawyer whose career is turned upside down after a serious OCD outburst during a trial.
Produced by Atresmedia and Boomerang TV, the series, which re-unites much of the creative talent behind the hit show “Alba,” stars award-winning actress Elena Rivera. Montse García, director of fiction at Atresmedia, and Boomerang TV’s Luis Santamaría return as executive producers along with Susana López Rubio and Javier Holgado, the show’s creators and screenwriters.
It was in fact the success of “Alba” that led to “Perdiendo el juicio,” which translates as both “Losing My Mind” – a potential international title — and “Losing Judgment” in the legal sense.
“Obviously, after the huge success of ‘Alba,’ both in Spain and around the world, we wanted to work with the creators again,” García explained.
“We’ve worked very well with them and we also have other projects that have worked wonderfully, such as ‘Entre Tierras,’ so we started looking for proposals. We thought a legal procedural could be an interesting project if we had a lead character capable of attracting viewers and if the initial premise was strong.
“With ‘Perdiendo el juicio,’ we have a series that hooks you in, that fits perfectly within its genre, with episodic plots but others that are transversal throughout the entire season. The production is excellent, shot entirely on real locations, and the artistic team has done a great job. I think we have a series that could resonate very well with audiences.”
Praising Rivera, who takes on a very different role from that of “Alba,” García said it was “a luxury to have her on board.
“From the very beginning, we were clear that Elena Rivera was the ideal lead. Elena is a very interesting actress who gives this character more layers, as she’s a very versatile actress with a special sensitivity. I also have to say that Elena Rivera always contributes to projects and makes everything much easier. There’s no better actress for this role.”
In making a show that deals with obsessive-compulsive disorder, the creators managed to maintain a balanced approach while facing certain challenges.
“Series — and movies too — come to life when they arrive on set,” Garcíe noted. “That’s where the script merges with the director’s vision and the actor’s ability to interpret. And yes, the tone of ‘Perdiendo el juicio’ was a challenge, due to the complexity between lighthearted scenes and the dramatic weight that accompanies the protagonist and the cases they address in court. But I think there was a good understanding among all the parties, and all the actors hit the nail on the head with their commitment to their characters.”
The series, whose directors include co-creator Jaime Olías, María Togores and Pablo Guerrero, premieres March 23 on Spanish SVOD platform Atresplayer ahead of its primetime launch on Antena 3.
García stressed that the story, themes and cast of “Perdiendo el juicio” make it an ideal show “that can captivate broad audiences” while also reflecting a return to procedural drama.
“For us, it’s also important that it provides variety, both in our catalog and in the industry in general. For some time, procedurals, which have always been a genre closely linked to free-to-air television, had almost disappeared, and we’ve seen how people are hungry for them. We’ve seen how ‘Suits’ has experienced a new era of success, and series like ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ have also triumphed worldwide. Or ‘The Pitt,’ which recently premiered, is captivating many viewers around the world.”
In that vein, “Perdiendo el juicio” also offers a universal appeal that could attract international audiences.
“Just like with ‘Alba,’ it’s easy for anyone on the planet to identify with Amanada Torres, the protagonist of ‘Perdiendo el juicio.’ Because in this society, we all know what stress and anxiety can cause us and how difficult it can be to get a second chance. That’s the basis of the protagonist’s story, and from there, different cases and characters will be very recognizable: suspense, comedy, flirtation. ‘Perdiendo el juicio’ is a very entertaining series that could be a hit in Spain and abroad: it has the ingredients.”
In addition to “Perdiendo el juicio,” which unspools in Malaga on Friday, March 21, Atresmedia is presenting its new musical series “Mariliendre” at the fest. Set to premiere on Atresplayer in April, the show follows a group of gay friends in Madrid who reconnect and reminisce about the past and the musical hits that marked their youth.
