El ministerio del tiempo

El ministerio del tiempo (English title: The Ministry of Time) is a Spanish fantasy television series created by and Pablo Olivares and produced by Onza Partners and Cliffhanger for Televisión Española (TVE). It premiered on 24 February 2015 on TVE's main channel La 1. The series follows the exploits of an investigative team in the fictional Ministry of Time, which deals with incidents caused by time travel that can cause changes to the present day.
On 24 March 2015, it was confirmed that TVE had renewed the series for a second season. The show was renewed for a third season on 22 September 2016. On 29 December 2016 it was announced that RTVE had sold the rights to Netflix to broadcast the third series internationally, outside of Spain, resulting in a bigger production budget.
The series was renewed for a fourth season, which started airing on Televisión Española on 5 May 2020. It was known that HBO has acquired the broadcasting rights for the series, at least on HBO Spain and HBO Portugal.
Plot
The Ministry of Time is the best kept and most closely guarded secret of the Spanish government: an autonomous government institution that reports directly to the Prime Minister and the Spanish Monarch. Its patrols watch the doors of time so that no intruder from other eras can change history for their own benefit.
The series follows the assignments of the Ministry's newest patrol: the one formed by Army of Flanders soldier Alonso de Entrerríos, 19th century student Amelia Folch and 21st century SAMUR paramedic Julián Martínez.
Cast and characters
Main characters
Julián Martínez (Rodolfo Sancho), one of three members of the new patrol. He is a trained SAMUR paramedic from 21st century Madrid, present as a member of the patrol through season 1 and the second half of season 2. His absence during the first half of season 2 was due to shooting for Mar de plástico, and he left the series at the end of that season after failing to reach an agreement with the show's producers. In November 2019, however, it was confirmed he will return for season 4.
Amelia Folch (Aura Garrido), the leader of the patrol. She is a late 19th-century pioneering university student and an only child from an upper-class Barcelona family, still living with her parents. Garrido left the series halfway through the third season citing scheduling conflicts after she, like Sancho, signed on to other projects due to renewal uncertainty. She left on good terms and was open to returning in the future. In November 2019, her return in season 4 was confirmed.
Alonso de Entrerríos (Nacho Fresneda), one of three members of the patrol. A highly experienced 16th-century soldier from Seville, he is portrayed as an expert in fields of combat. He was recruited just prior to being executed, and now lives in the 21st century.
Irene Larra Girón (Cayetana Guillén Cuervo), Head of Logistics inside the Ministry. A lesbian from the repressed 1960s, her character is used to express a less rigid viewpoint within the Ministry.
Ernesto Jiménez, Chief Operating Officer inside the Ministry. Recruited from the 15th century, he is fiercely incorruptible and a perfectionist. In the fourth episode of Season 1 it is disclosed that he is the father of Tomas de Torquemada, the first Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition.
Undersecretary Salvador Martí (Jaime Blanch), Head of the Ministry. His (and the Ministry's) overriding priority is to protect and repair history.
Angustias Vázquez (Francesca Piñón), personal secretary to Salvador and widow of a Ministry agent.
Jesús Méndez Pontón (Hugo Silva), AKA "Pacino", a replacement member for Julián in the second and third seasons. He is a handsome police officer from 1981 Madrid, nicknamed "Pacino" due to his resemblance to actor Al Pacino, whom he admires.
Lola Mendieta (Natalia Millán): A former agent of the Ministry who was believed to have died on a mission. She provided information about clandestine doors of time to a number of people. Her younger self (played by Macarena García) is recruited to the Ministry, eventually joining the patrol. She is the first and only agent to ever be recruited twice.
Recurring characters
Diego Velázquez (Julián Villagrán): One of the most important painters in Spanish history, known for Las Meninas and The Surrender of Breda, who was recruited by the Ministry as a facial composite draftsman.
Enric Folch (Xavier Boada) and Carme (Fanny Gautier): Amelia's parents. While he appears more tolerant about his daughter's concerns, she presses her to marry and settle down.
Blanca: Alonso's wife, who believes him to be dead since she does not know his execution was avoided by the Ministry.
Elena Castillo: Alonso's love interest in the present day and Bianca's doppelgänger.
Susana Torres (Mar Saura): The Prime Minister's liaison with the Ministry. Her visits usually mean bad news for Salvador.
Lucía (Luisa Gavasa): Appears in the 3rd season claiming to be Lola Mendieta's daughter.
Ambrogio Spinola: One of the main generals of the Spanish Army during the 17th century, most notable for the siege of Breda. He works for the Ministry, and admits he made the mistake of reading about his fate in the books.
Enriqueta Martí (María Rodríguez): A serial murderer who worked as Amelia's maid for a short time.
Marisa (Nieve de Medina): An old love interest of Ernesto's who has returned to work in the Ministry.
Armando Leiva (José Antonio Lobato): A former agent who rebelled against the Ministry when Salvador refused to allow him to bring his 10-year-old son, diagnosed with leukemia, to the present so that doctors from the 21st century could tend to him.
Maite (Mar Ulldemolins): Julián's late wife, whom he visits by way of the doors of time.
Paul Walcott (Jimmy Shaw): An American time traveller who worked for mysterious corporation Darrow Ltd.
Bosco de Sobrecasa: A high-ranking member, possibly the leader, of the Society of the Exterminating Angel, which has discovered the existence of the Ministry and plans to use the time doors to fully restore absolute monarchy in Spain across history.
Juan Martín Díez "El Empecinado" (Hovik Keuchkerian): A notable guerrilla combatant who becomes the target of two Napoleonic soldiers who travel to 2015 and find out about his role in the impending Peninsular War.
Episodes
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Special appearances
Season 1
Episode 1
Hovik Keuchkerian as Juan Martín Díez "El Empecinado"
as Thibaud
Iván Villanueva as Benito
Episode 2
Víctor Clavijo as Lope de Vega
Miguel Rellán as Gil Pérez
Miguel Ángel Somé as Alonso de Entrerríos, Jr. (Alonso's son)
Episode 3
as Heinrich Himmler
Pep Miràs as Francisco Franco
Miko Jarry as Adolf Hitler
Frank Feys as Heinrich Müller
Markus Lambauer as Captain Schweinsteiger
Pep Sais as Antoni Maria Marcet i Poal, abbot of Montserrat
Jorge Pobes as Luis Orcajo
Julio Arrojo as Ángel
Episode 4
Michelle Jenner as Isabella of Castile
as Tomás de Torquemada
Eusebio Poncela as Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros
as Rabbi Abraham Levi
Carlos Álvarez-Nóvoa as Don Manuel López Castillejo
Ben Temple as Aaron Stein
as the Inquisition prosecutor
Episode 5
Raúl Pulido as Pablo Picasso
Roberto Álvarez as Julián's father
Vicente Gil as Fernando Jiménez del Oso
Episode 6
Juan Blanco as Lázaro de Tormes
as Fray Juan
Francesc Orella as Alberto Díaz Bueno
Episode 7
María Cotiello as Nuria Celaya (Irene's wife)
Carmen Sánchez as Isabella II
Carmen Gutiérrez as Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies
Celine Peña as Infanta Luisa Fernanda
Manolo Solo as Undersecretary Emilio Redón
Episode 8
Ángel Ruiz as Federico García Lorca
as Salvador Dalí
as Luis Buñuel
Antonio Alcalde as Pepín Bello
Secun de la Rosa as Antonio Lancha
as Silvia (Amelia's granddaughter)
Mar del Hoyo as Rosita Díaz Gimeno
Jordi Hurtado as himself
Season 2
Episode 9
Antonio Velázquez as Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar "El Cid"
Sergio Peris-Mencheta as Rogelio Buendía / Imposter Cid
Savitri Ceballos as Jimena Díaz
Luis G. Gámez as Ramón Menéndez Pidal
Pablo Scola as Charlton Heston
Vincente Colomar as Blas de Lezo
Episode 10
Andrés Gertrúdix as
as Pacino's father
Antonio Reyes as Morán's father
Ximena Vera as Morán's mother
Carmela Lloret and Eva Llorach as two of Morán's victims
Episode 11
Pere Ponce as Miguel de Cervantes
Víctor Clavijo's second appearance as Lope de Vega
Jimmy Shaw as Lord Charles York/Walcott
Markos Marín as John Bennet
Miguel Rellán's second appearance as Gil Pérez
Episode 12
Fernando Cayo as Napoleon Bonaparte
as Rodolfo Suárez
Jordi Martínez as Michel Ney
Nadia de Santiago as Rosa del Amo
as Sor Flora
Aránzazu Zorate as Sor Paula
Sonia Almarcha as Sor Antonia
Episode 13
Elena Furiase as Micaela Amaya
José Luis Torrijo as Doctor Vargas
José Ramón Iglesias as Germán
Tania Vilamarín as María Pita
Joaquín Gómez as Germán's father
Jaime Zatarain as Ramón de la Vega
Pepe Zafra as young Velázquez
Guillermo Vallverdú as Mariano
Javier Laorden as Pepe
as Gregorio Marañón
José Luis Patiño as Francisco Pacheco
Sergi Méndez as young Alonso de Entrerríos
Nicole Valle as young Blanca
Episode 14
Miki Esparbé as Joaquín María Argamasilla
Gary Piquer as Harry Houdini
Rick Zingale as L. Gromek
as Josefa
as J. Edgar Hoover
Juan Carlos Sánchez as Ramón del Valle-Inclán
Juan Antonio Quintana as Santiago Ramón y Cajal
Pedro Miguel Martínez as Joaquín José Javier Argamasilla
Episodes 15/16
Pedro Alonso as Saturnino Martín Cerezo
as
as Antonio Sanchez Menache
as José Lafarga Abad
Joan Carles Suau as Miguel
Borja Maestre as Heredia
Alberto Jiménez as
Juan José Ballesta as Vicente González Toca
Nacho Sánchez as Rafael Ríos
Andrey Finanta as Alejo
Vanessa Castro as Maria
Pastora Vega as Pacino's mother
Mónica Estarreado as Asunción
as Luis Méndez (Pacino's father)
Episode 17
as Philip V of Spain
María Álvarez as Elisabeth Farnese
Algis Arlauskas as Ferguson
Episode 18
Carlos Cuevas as Javier
Mario Tardón as Dr. Madrigal
Arnau García as young Salvador Martí
Alexandra Jiménez as Teresa Méndez / Julia Lozano
Rosa Vivas as Salvador's adoptive mother
Episode 19
as Sebastián Lombardi
Anna Castillo as Sonia Lombardi
Joan Carreras as Christopher Columbus
Episode 20
Nancho Novo as Don Fadrique de Villaespesa
Alba Ribas as Constanza
Chusa Barbero as Claudia
Raúl Cimas as Isaac Vila
Richard Sahagún as Alberto Ortigosa
Garbiñe Insausti as Natalia Vila
Maitane San Nicolás as Rocio
Patrick Criado as Sancho
Félix Arkarazo as Ernest Hemingway
Javier Mula as Saavedra
Pepe Rodríguez as himself
Episode 21
Carlos Hipólito as Philip II of Spain
Carlos Kaniowsky as
Víctor Duplá as Agustín Argüelles
Jon Ariño as De las Cuevas
Carlos Cuevas as Javier
Maitane San Nicolás as Rocio
Marta Nieto as Isabella of Portugal
Jordi Hurtado as himself
Season 3
Episode 22
José Ángel Egido as Alfred Hitchcock
Pierre Kiwitt as Petrov
Óscar de la Fuente as Francisco Morales
Julia Fossi as Alma Reville
as waiter
Episode 23
José Manuel Poga as William Martin
Antonio Dechent as Mr. Naylor
as Mrs. Naylor
Christian Stamm as Sgt. Sommer
Mark Schardan as Ewen Montagu
Mikel Tello as Azcárate
Miko Jarry's second appearance as Adolf Hitler
Episode 24
Tamar Novas as Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
Miryam Gallego as Mencía
as Juana
as Faustino
Adelfa Calvo as Aurelia
Joan Arias as Damián
Jorge San José as Valero
Teresa Almeda as Agustina
Episode 25
Pedro Casablanc as Francisco de Goya
María Adánez as María Josefa Pimentel, Duchess of Osuna
Luis Callejo as Manuel Godoy
Raquel Pérez as María Teresa del Toro
as Pepita Tudó
Itzan Escamilla as young Simón Bolívar
Noemí Ruiz as María "Cayetana" de Silva, 13th Duchess of Alba
Episode 26
Fernando Guillén Cuervo as Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, 1st Duke of Lerma
Scott Cleverdon as Charles Howard
as Anthony Peel
as Felipe III of Spain
Óscar de la Fuente as Francisco Morales
as
Mariano Venancio as Azpilicueta
as Encarna
Paco Hidalgo as Carrasco
Nick Devlin as William Shakespeare
Pere Ponce as Miguel de Cervantes
Episode 27
Lluís Soler as Père Folch (Amelia's uncle)
Chete Lera as Antonio López, 1st Marquess of Comillas
as Alfonso XII of Spain
Gal Soler as Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
Nacho Marraco as Doctor Morales
as Eusebi Güell
Carlos Villarino as young Antonio López, 1st Marquess of Comillas
César Vea as overseer
Mario Makón as Tomasín
Tamara Ndong as Tomasín's mother
Episode 28
Pep Tosar as Luis Buñuel
Carlos Areces as Ambrosio Pitaluga
as Domingo Dominguín
as Alberto Larra
Carolina Vázquez as María Asunción Girón
as José María Muñoz Fontán
Enrique Asenjo as Juan Antonio Bardem
as Francisco Rabal
Michel Herráiz as young Jesús Méndez Pontón
as Olivia
Andrea López as Sandrita
Episode 29
Miguel Ángel Muñoz as Gonzalo Guerrero
as Gerónimo de Aguilar
as Gaspar de Entrerríos (Alonso's grandfather)
as fake Bernal Díaz del Castillo
Marco Tulio as Andrés Román
Jan Fresneda as young Alonso de Entrerríos
Valentín Garcés as young Salvador Martí / Salvador Roa
Episode 30
as Abraham Levi
Francesc Corbera as Ginés Morcillo
Jorge Kent as Master of the Knights Templar
Fernando Díaz as Hugo de Claramonte
José Luis Matienzo as Simón Cascajosa
as Adolfo Suárez
Rodrigo Sáenz de Heredia as young Salvador Martí / Salvador Roa
as Antipope Benedict XIII «Papa Luna»
Michel Herráiz as young Jesús Méndez Pontón
Andrea López as Sandrita
as Felipe III of Spain
Episode 31
Juan Pablo Shuk as Simón Bolívar
Said El Mouden as Habib
as Arteche
Inma Lloret as Manuela Sáenz
Guido Balzaretti as Cosme
as Rafael Urdaneta
Episode 32
as Tomás Bretón
as
Eva Manjón as
Fernando Albizu as Arregui
Pepa Charro as
José Troncoso as
Norma Ruiz as
Jorge Basanta as Benito Pérez Galdós
Manuel Brun as
Pedro García de las Heras as José Echegaray
as Arteche
Episode 33
Pablo Viña as Usher
as Torcuato Fernández-Miranda
Toni Medina as leader of the Ángel Exterminador
Pablo Menasanch as leader of the Comunero
as Adolfo Suárez
Episode 34
as Leopoldo Ureña
Sergio Villanueva as Narciso "Chicho" Ibáñez Serrador
as Juan Ureña
as Jesús Aparicio-Bernal
Arturo Querejeta as Director
as Jaime Blanch
Juan Renedo as Fernando Guillén
Ruth Santamaría as Gemma Cuervo
Season 4
Episode 35
Pep Mirás as Francisco Franco
Koldo Olabarri as Luis García Berlanga
Belén Ponce de León as Carmen Polo
Luichi Macías as Ministry's Agent of 1943
Olga Rodríguez as Wife of the productor of Amor y Patria
Rafael Calatayud as Javier Zurrilla
Carolina García as Ana Quijada
Episode 36
as Felipe IV de España and Fabio McNamara
Carlos Santos as Pedro Almodóvar
Raúl Prieto as Ángel Fuensanta Carrasco
Vito Sanz as Eduardo Robles Prieto
Claudio Portalo as Antonio Banderas
Eduardo Antuña as Porter
Palmira Ferrer as neighbour of Carolina
Episode 37
Jorge Clemente as young Felipe II of Spain
Rachel Lascar as Mary I of England
Jesús Noguero as Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, III duke of Alba
Ramón Esquinas as Count of Egmont
as Padre Bartolomé Carranza
Rosa Blake as Elizabeth I of England
Julius Cotter as Sir Henry Bedingfeld
Robert Crumpton as Lord Arthur
Pere Costa as Amelia's employee 1885
Episode 38
Francesc Orella as Alberto Díaz Bueno
as Pablo Picasso
as Clara Campoamor
Claudio Villarubia as Braulio
Lydia López as Agustina
Stéphanie Magnin as Dora Maar
Annick Weerts as Marie-Thérèse Walter
Astrid Jones as Joséphine Baker
Episode 39
Jan Fresneda as Alonso de Entrerríos (child)
Asier Flores as Julián Martínez (child)
David García as Psychiatrist
Episode 40
Vicente Romero as Emilio Herrera
as María Sofía Beltrán Ruiz
Rodrigo Sáenz de Heredia as young Salvador Martí / Salvador Roa
Beatriz Arjona as young María Sofía Beltrán Ruiz
Thomas Sauerteig as Albert Einstein
Paco Lahoz as Baldovinos
Juan Vinuesa as Gerardo
Fran Calvo as Emilio Herrera (father)
Raúl Escobar as Ignacio María Ayerbe de la Fuente Giménez-Salgado
Quim Ramos as Arturo
Oti Manzano as Irene Aguilera
Episode 41
Juan Codina as
as himself and Fernando VII de España
Camila Viyuela as María Cristina de Borbón-Two Sicilies
as Carlos María Isidro de Borbón
Fernando Sansegundo as Francisco Tadeo Calomarde
Victoria Dal Vera as Doctor
Episode 42
Anna Cortés as Iria Martínez
Fiorella Faltoyano as Dolores "Lola" Mendieta (old)
Marta Milans as Inspectora Carmen Ayala
Awards
The series won the 2015 Ondas Award for Best Spanish Series. In 2017 it won at Premios Feroz the awards for best drama series, best lead actress (Aura Garrido) and best supporting actor for a television series (Hugo Silva, tied with Velvet'''s José Sacristán).
|-
| align = "center" rowspan = "4" | 2016
| rowspan = "4" | 4th
| colspan = "2" | Best Drama Series
|
| rowspan = "4" |
|-
| Best Direction
|
|
|-
| Best Screenplay
|
|
|-
| Best Drama Actor
| Hugo Silva
|
|-
| align = "center" rowspan = "9" | 2017
| rowspan = "8" | 4th Feroz Awards
| colspan = "2" | Best Drama Series
|
| rowspan = "8" |
|-
| Best Lead Actress (TV)
| Aura Garrido
|
|-
| rowspan = "2" | Best Lead Actor (TV)
| Nacho Fresneda
|
|-
| Rodolfo Sancho
|
|-
| rowspan = "3" | Best Supporting Actor (TV)
| Hugo Silva
|
|-
| Julián Villagrán
|
|-
| Jaime Blanch
|
|-
| Best Supporting Actress (TV)
| Cayetana Guillén Cuervo
|
|-
| 5th
| Best Drama Actor
| Nacho Fresneda
|
|
|-
| align = "center" rowspan = "7" | 2018
| rowspan = "5" | 5th Feroz Awards
| colspan = "2" | Best Drama Series
|
| rowspan = "5" |
|-
| Best Lead Actor (TV)
| Hugo Silva
|
|-
| Best Lead Actress (TV)
| Aura Garrido
|
|-
| Best Supporting Actress (TV)
| Cayetana Guillén Cuervo
|
|-
| Best Supporting Actor (TV)
| Jaime Blanch
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 5th Platino Awards
| Best Miniseries or TV series
| El Ministerio del Tiempo
|
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|
|-
| Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV series
| Aura Garrido
|
|-
| align = "center" rowspan = "5" | 2021
| 8th Feroz Awards
| colspan = "2" | Best Drama Series
|
|
|-
| rowspan = "4" | 22nd Iris Awards
| colspan = "2" | Best Fiction || || rowspan = "4" align = "center" |
|-
| Best Actor || Jaime Blanch ||
|-
| Best Screenplay || El ministerio del tiempo's writing team ||
|-
| Best Production || María Roy, Alicia Yubero, Marc Vigil & Javier Olivares ||
|}
International adaptations
A Portuguese language adaptation entitled was produced by Iniziomedia. The format has also been sold to China, with negotiations mentioned for Germany, France, Italy and US. An adaptation of the series was shot in Ukraine, but has not been released.
Timeless lawsuit
On 27 September 2016 Onza Partners presented a lawsuit to the CDCA against Sony Pictures, NBCUniversal, and executive producers Shawn Ryan, Eric Kripke and John Davis for copyright infringement and breach of implied contract, claiming that the U.S. TV series Timeless is a copy of El Ministerio del Tiempo.
The defendants responded to the suit in a November 23, 2016 filing, contending that shows about time travel are an established television genre, and that similarities between the two shows are generic, and largely based on the notion that the main characters will travel in time to effect some kind of change. A request to dismiss Onza's lawsuit by Sony was denied on February 15, 2017, but the two parties ultimately came to an agreement and jointly moved to dismiss.
See also
Quantum Leap Timeless Time travel in fiction
Time travel
Novikov self-consistency principle
Grandfather paradox
Valérian and Laureline Timecop The Corridors of Time The Time Tunnel Doctor Who Timeslip Into the Labyrinth (TV series) Outlander (TV series) Primeval (TV series) Goodnight Sweetheart (TV series)''
References
External links
The Ministry of Time on FilmAffinity
TVE risks with The Ministry of Time with new formats
The Multicolored Diary: The best time-travel TV show you are probably not watching this season
MipTV: RTVE, Onza’s Department of Time Discovers Chinese TV Market | Variety.
En el tiempo | Televisión | EL PAÍS. (In Spanish). 12 April 2015.
E=mc2 según El Ministerio del Tiempo | Televisión | EL PAÍS. (In Spanish). 16 February 2016.
2010s time travel television series
2015 Spanish television series debuts
Spanish time travel television series
Television shows set in Spain
Television series about the history of Spain
La 1 (Spanish TV channel) network series
Television shows involved in plagiarism controversies
Cultural depictions of Heinrich Himmler
Cultural depictions of Salvador Dalí
Cultural depictions of Adolf Hitler
Cultural depictions of Pablo Picasso
Cultural depictions of Federico García Lorca
Cultural depictions of Francisco Franco
Cultural depictions of Napoleon
Cultural depictions of Harry Houdini
Cultural depictions of J. Edgar Hoover
Cultural depictions of Christopher Columbus
Cultural depictions of Ernest Hemingway
Cultural depictions of Isabella I of Castile
Cultural depictions of Tomás de Torquemada
Cultural depictions of Miguel de Cervantes
Cultural depictions of Luis Buñuel
Cultural depictions of El Cid
Inquisition in fiction
2010s Spanish drama television series
2020s Spanish drama television series
Cultural depictions of Isabella II of Spain
Television series by Onza
Television controversies in Spain