Brigada Central

Brigada Central
GenrePolice procedural
Based onBrigada Central
by Juan Madrid
Screenplay by
Directed byPedro Masó
ComposerAntón García Abril
Country of origin
Original languageSpanish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes26
Production
Production companies
Budget2.261 billion ₧
Original release
NetworkLa Primera
Release3 November 1989 (1989-11-03) –
7 December 1992 (1992-12-07)

Brigada Central (transl. Central Brigade) is a Spanish prime-time police procedural television series based on the novel series of the same name by Juan Madrid. The series focuses on the day-to-day work of Manuel Flores (Imanol Arias), a Romani police inspector in an elite squad against organized crime.

Produced by Pedro Masó Producciones for Televisión Española (TVE), it was directed and written by Pedro Masó himself. The fourteen episodes of its first season were broadcast on La Primera of Televisión Española in 1989–1990. It was followed by a second season of twelve episodes titled Brigada Central II: La guerra blanca, co-produced with Beta Film from Germany and R.C.S. Produzione from Italy, that was first broadcast on TVE in 1992.

Premise

The series shows the daily work of the elite police officers selected to join the special group of the Central Brigade, attached to the General Directorate of State Security, for high-level investigations, such as organized crime, international crime, or drug trafficking. Along with the professional work of its members, their psychological and personal aspect is also shown, focusing on the head of the group, Manuel Flores, a Romani police inspector.

In season two, Flores works as a representative of the Spanish police in the CETIS group, an elite group created at European level to fight against drug trafficking.

Production

Brigada Central season one was produced by Pedro Masó Producciones for Televisión Española (TVE) with a budget of 756 million pesetas (€4.54 million). It was directed and written by Pedro Masó himself, who adapted the novels from the police novel series of the same name by Juan Madrid.[1] Its fourteen episodes were first broadcast in prime-time on La Primera of Televisión Española between 3 November 1989 and 2 February 1990.

Brigada Central season two, titled Brigada Central II: La guerra blanca, was produced by Pedro Masó Producciones for TVE, in co-production with Beta Film from Germany and R.C.S. Produzione from Italy, with a budget of 1.505 billion pesetas (€9 million). It was also directed and written by Masó himself, who was supported in the writing by Jacques Labib and Simon Michael. It was filmed between April 1990 and June 1991 in more than twelve different international locations, including: Paris (France); Brussels and Antwerp (Belgium); Stuttgart, Baden-Baden and Frankfurt (Germany); Bogotá and Medellín (Colombia); Caracas (Venezuela); and Martinique.[1] Its twelve episodes were first broadcast in prime-time on La Primera of Televisión Española between 4 October and 7 December 1992.

Cast

Season one

Season two

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1143 November 19892 February 1990
2124 October 19927 December 1992

Season one: Brigada Central

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateSpain viewers
(millions)
11"Flores El Gitano"3 November 1989 (1989-11-03)13.5[2]
22"Sólo para los amigos"10 November 1989 (1989-11-10)N/A
33"Vistas al mar"17 November 1989 (1989-11-17)N/A
44"Último modelo"24 November 1989 (1989-11-24)N/A
55"Pies de plomo"1 December 1989 (1989-12-01)N/A
66"Asuntos de rutina"8 December 1989 (1989-12-08)N/A
77"Noche sin fin"15 December 1989 (1989-12-15)N/A
88"El ángel de la muerte"22 December 1989 (1989-12-22)N/A
99"El cebo"29 December 1989 (1989-12-29)N/A
1010"Antigüedades"5 January 1990 (1990-01-05)N/A
1111"Desde el pasado"12 January 1990 (1990-01-12)9.0[3]
1212"La dama de las camelias"19 January 1990 (1990-01-19)N/A
1313"El hombre del reloj"26 January 1990 (1990-01-26)N/A
1414"Turno de noche"2 February 1990 (1990-02-02)N/A

Season two: Brigada Central II: La guerra blanca

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateSpain viewers
(millions)
151"Érase una vez dos polis"4 October 1992 (1992-10-04)N/A
162"La sospecha"4 October 1992 (1992-10-04)N/A
173"La trampa"5 October 1992 (1992-10-05)N/A
184"El encuentro"12 October 1992 (1992-10-12)N/A
195"Cita en Medellín"19 October 1992 (1992-10-19)N/A
206"La fiesta"26 October 1992 (1992-10-26)N/A
217"La caza del hombre"2 November 1992 (1992-11-02)N/A
228"La huida"9 November 1992 (1992-11-09)N/A
239"Bingo"16 November 1992 (1992-11-16)N/A
2410"El banquero"23 November 1992 (1992-11-23)N/A
2511"Los capos no mueren"30 November 1992 (1992-11-30)N/A
2612"Los herederos"7 December 1992 (1992-12-07)N/A

Accolades

TP de Oro

Main article: TP de Oro
Year Category Recipient Result Ref.
1989 Best Spanish Series Won [4]
Best Actor Imanol Arias Won
1990 Best Spanish Series Won [5]
Best Actor Imanol Arias Won
José Coronado Nominated
Best Actress Assumpta Serna Nominated

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Only season two.

References

  1. ^ a b Sámano, José (22 November 1992). "Pedro Masó amenaza con retirar 'Brigada central' si TVE no le paga 146 millones". El País (in Spanish).
  2. ^ "El primer capítulo de 'Brigada Central' fue visto por 13 millones de personas". El País (in Spanish). 18 November 1989.
  3. ^ "La película 'El golpe' tuvo en enero la mayor audiencia de TVE". El País (in Spanish). 16 February 1990.
  4. ^ "Premios TP de Oro 1989". Teleprograma (in Spanish). No. 1248. 5 March 1990.
  5. ^ "Premios TP de Oro 1990". Teleprograma (in Spanish). No. 1302. 18 March 1991.

Further reading