Pasapalabra returns to television in a new stage that begins on Antena 3 this Wednesday with a special edition in prime time (10:45 p.m.). "We think he deserves a return in a big way," said Carmen Ferreiro , director of entertainment programs for Atresmedia, during the presentation of the contest to the media held on Tuesday. After that debut - in which the contestants opt for an unprecedented pot of 500,000 euros - the space will occupy its traditional afternoon slot: from next Monday it will be broadcast at 8:00 p.m., with 100,000 euros at stake in each of its deliveries .
The new Pasapalabra will retain the main hallmarks of its previous stage in Telecinco , the chain in which it was broadcast for 13 years. In fact, most of the team that held the contest at that time remains. "The viewer will find the Pasapalabra spirit from minute one," said Jorge Pérez , executive producer of the contest, who explained that classic tests such as La Silla Azul , Uno de Cuatro , La Pista Musical , Sopa de Letras ... «And of course El rosco , which is the mother of all the tests in this program».
The main novelty in Pasapalabra comes with the presenter. Roberto Leal takes over from Christian Gálvez in a role that Silvia Jato , Jaime Cantizano and Constantino Romero have also played in the 20-year history of this veteran format in Spain . "Spectators are going to see the essence of the old Pasapalabra with a new touch," said the debutant ringmaster in conversation with EL MUNDO.
Leal has already recorded the first installments of the contest whose production has had to adapt to the restrictions required by the health alert for the coronavirus. "I have not lived Pasapalabra with the public, but it is the soul of every program and we are waiting and wanting to see the stands of our set full of people, " he confessed.
The limitations have also imposed contention on the celebrations of the contestants and the famous guests who help them in each delivery. "These are a bit strange circumstances because I would hug everyone and make congas through the corridors, " said the presenter, who stressed that in this time that we are living, "programs like Pasapalabra are necessary because they provide an opportunity to relax, have fun and share family time ». As he stressed, "television entertainment serves to disconnect from bad news." And delving into this message he sentenced: "We do a public service for people."
The moment Pasapalabra is facing is not only a challenge for its driver, but also for his new television house. The return of the contest to Antena 3 -where it lived its first stage between 2000 and 2006- is one of the most famous operations in the television sector in recent times. The producer of the original format, ITV Studios , maintained a legal dispute for years with Telecinco for the rights of the program that was finally resolved in favor of the British company, which opened the door to the change of channel in Spain of one of the most popular contests. followed by television: It averaged just over two million average viewers when it stopped airing in October last year.
The change of chain between competitors adds morbid when analyzing the audience results that Pasapalabra will reap in this new stage. However, Roberto Leal tries to stay out of that inevitable comparison that the sector will analyze with a magnifying glass. "I dedicate myself to pressuring myself, which is to do well in the program and be up to it, but I do not put more pressure than I should , nor do I live obsessed thinking about how this will come out," said the presenter who, However, he acknowledged being aware of the business importance of the project in which he has embarked: "I know my responsibility and I feel committed," he said. He added: "I think Antena 3's commitment to recovering this format is very smart and I am fully confident that it will work."
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