Media migration and cultural proximity: television fiction in Spain, spring 2009

This article treats the unusually rich 2009 spring season of television fiction in Spain, placing it in the broader context of migration between the two media of film and TV and the continuing importance of cultural proximity in an era of transnational production. Beginning with a survey of the current TV ecology, it goes on to treat four innovative and popular titles: miniseries 23 F: El da ms difcil del Rey/The King's Most Difficult Day, and series guila Roja/Red Eagle, Pelotas/Balls (all from Televisin Espaola), and Doctor Mateo (Antena 3). It argues that these fictions share three themes: The continuing exploration of Spanish national history, both distant and recent; the fractured family, particularly caused by missing mothers; nostalgia for close community, whether its location is urban or rural.