El ministerio del tiempo
El ministerio del tiempo is a Spanish fantasy television series created by Javier and Pablo Olivares and produced by Onza Partners and Cliffhanger for Televisión Española. It premiered on 24 February 2015 on TVE's main channel La 1. The series follows the exploits of a patrol of the fictional Ministry of Time, which deals with incidents caused by time travel that can make differences in our current time.
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 the 5th 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 secret of the state of Spain: an autonomous government institution that reports directly to the Prime Minister. Its patrols have to 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
- Rodolfo Sancho as Julián Martínez, one of three members of the protagonist patrol. He is a trained SAMUR paramedic from 21st century Madrid. Present as a member of the patrol through season 1 and second half of season 2. His absence during the first half of season 2 was due to his shooting for Mar de plástico. and he left the series at the end of the season after failing to reach an agreement with the show producers. However, in November 2019 it was confirmed he will return for season 4.
- Aura Garrido as Amelia Folch, the leader of the protagonist 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, it was confirmed her return in season 4.
- Nacho Fresneda as Alonso de Entrerríos, one of three members of the protagonist patrol. A highly experienced 16th-century soldier from Seville, he is portrayed as an expert in fields of combat. Recruited just prior to being executed, he lives in the 21st century.
- Cayetana Guillén Cuervo as Irene Larra Girón, 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.
- :es:Juan Gea|Juan Gea as Ernesto Jiménez, Chief Operating Officer inside the Ministry. Recruited from the 15th century, he is fiercely incorruptible and a perfectionist.
- Jaime Blanch as Undersecretary Salvador Martí, Head of the Ministry. His overriding priority is to protect and repair history.
- Francesca Piñón as Angustias Vázquez, personal secretary to Salvador and a widow of a Ministry agent.
- Hugo Silva as Jesús Méndez Pontón, 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 a resemblance with actor Al Pacino, whom he admires.
- Macarena García as Lola Mendieta, the younger self of a former Ministry agent believed to have been KIA. After being recruited to the Ministry, she eventually joins the protagonist patrol. She is the first and only agent to ever be recruited twice. García joins the principal cast in the third season.
Recurring characters
- Lola Mendieta : A former agent of the Ministry who was believed to have died on a mission. She has provided information about clandestine doors of time to a number of people.
- Diego Velázquez : 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 and Carme : 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 Blanca's doppelgänger.
- Susana Torres : The liaison of the Ministry with the Prime Minister. Her visits usually mean bad news for Salvador.
- Lucía : 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 : A serial murderer who worked as Amelia's maid for a short time.
- Marisa : An old love interest of Ernesto's who has returned to work in the Ministry.
- Armando Leiva : 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 : Julián's late wife, whom he visits by way of the doors of time.
- Paul Walcott : 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.
- El Empecinado
Episodes
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Special appearances
Episode 1
- Hovik Keuchkerian as Juan Martín Díez "El Empecinado"
- Josep Linuesa 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.
Episode 3
- David Luque 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 I of Castile
- Juan Gea as Tomás de Torquemada
- Eusebio Poncela as Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros
- Paco Obregón as Rabbi Abraham Levi
- Carlos Álvarez-Nóvoa as Don Manuel López Castillejo
- Ben Temple as Aaron Stein
- Aitor Mazo 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
- Alberto Amarilla as Fray Juan
- Francesc Orella as Alberto Díaz Bueno
Episode 7
- María Cotiello as Nuria Celaya
- Carmen Sánchez as Isabella II of Spain
- 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
- Enrique Alcides as Salvador Dalí
- Jordi Coll as Luis Buñuel
- Antonio Alcalde as Pepín Bello
- Secun de la Rosa as Antonio Lancha
- Iria del Río as Silvia
- Mar del Hoyo as Rosita Díaz Gimeno
- Jordi Hurtado as himself
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
Episode 10
- Andrés Gertrúdix as Francisco Morán
- Santiago Meléndez 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
- Ismael Martínez as Rodolfo Suárez
- Jordi Martínez as Michel Ney
- Nadia de Santiago as Rosa del Amo
- Selica Torcal 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
- Juan Carlos Villanueva 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
- Mari Carmen Sánchez as Josefa
- Miguel Hermoso 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
- Paco Marin as Rogelio Vigil de Quiñones
- Aitor Merino as Antonio Sanchez Menache
- Jordi Vilches as José Lafarga Abad
- Joan Carles Suau as Miguel
- Borja Maestre as Heredia
- Alberto Jiménez as Enrique de las Morenas y Fossi
- 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
- Santiago Meléndez as Luis Méndez
Episode 17
- Fernando Conde 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
- Roberto Drago 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 Mateo Vazquez de Leca
- 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
Awards
Year | Awards | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref |
2018 | 5th Platino Awards | Best Miniseries or TV series | El Ministerio del Tiempo | ||
2018 | 5th Platino Awards | Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV series | Aura Garrido | ||
2018 | 5th Platino Awards | - | - | - | |
2018 | 5th Platino Awards | - | - | - |