Barrio Esperanza

Promo Barrio Esperanza ING

BARRIO ESPERANZA

PRIME TIME SERIES – Comedy

8 x 75’

Esperanza messed up. She tried to smuggle four kilos of drugs through an airport and got caught. However, she learned her lesson. In prison, she didn’t waste any time. She earned her teaching degree and passed the civil service exam to teach at a public school.

Now, she’s going to go from dealing in food and hiding skewers under her mattress to teaching elementary school children. She’ll soon discover that what she learned in prison will be more useful to her than the civil service exam study guides. And she’ll also realize that being a teacher is the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to her.

Maybe—just maybe—Esperanza’s life would have been different if, as a child, she’d had a teacher just like her.

CHARACTERS:

ESPERANZA ARTIGAS (Mariona Terés). Is it true that life gives second chances? Esperanza isn’t fooling herself. She knows she’s let a lot of people down. But now things are different. Now she’s ready to pursue her dream. That’s why, when she gets out of jail and shows up at CEIP Barrio Esperanza, she doesn’t care that her students speak ten different languages; she doesn’t care that the other teachers look at her like a criminal; nor can she stop the parents’ association from collecting signatures to have her transferred to another school. What really matters to her is helping all those girls and boys running and playing in the playground.

Those who have dreams, hopes, and fears. Just as she once did. And so that, if the time comes, they have the tools they need to choose a different path than the one she took. She is not a teacher who uses traditional methods. Perhaps her childhood, or her time in prison, or her unique way of understanding the world, turn her classes into physical and sensory experiences. Esperanza’s teaching methods may not appear in pedagogical manuals, but they are her students’ favourites.

Because… what were those teachers like who changed our lives? Those names we still remember thirty years later? The ones who reached out a hand when we were down. Did they do things like everyone else? Or were they special and unique?

That’s what this series is about. About Esperanza(hope). A unique teacher.

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JERÓNIMO ‘JERO’ CABALLERO (Alejo Sauras). The phony, narcissistic principal. Jero left teaching to pursue a career in administration and dreams of climbing the ranks at the Department of Education. He tries to be politically correct and hide his biases, but he always ends up being incredibly offensive. He calls himself the ‘William Wallace of teaching’ and promotes teamwork, though his leadership is questioned by everyone. In fact, all the teachers at this school ask themselves the same question: How did a guy like this end up as principal of an elementary school?

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DON ANTONIO (Mariano Peña). The old-school teacher. On the verge of retirement, Don Antonio represents tradition and resistance to change. He has lived through (and endured) first-hand the eight Organic Education Laws we’ve had over the past 40 years and feels lost in the face of new teaching methods. He is the only one they call “Don” and the only one who wears a suit to school. He defends homework, punishments, and negative reinforcement, though deep down he feels nostalgic for a time when everything seemed simpler.

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CLAUDIA COLLANTES (Ana Jara). The idealistic preschool teacher. Claudia is pure positive energy, passionate about emotional education and cooperative learning. She dreams of transforming the classroom into a stimulating and nurturing environment. She considers herself a “ray of sunshine” and naively believes that Esperanza and she are best friends. Her somewhat naive, but above all idealistic, utopian, and romantic vision of teaching clashes head-on with harsh reality: a lack of resources, a teaching staff that is often unmotivated, and students who aren’t always willing to solve problems by sitting on the “assertiveness mat.”

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RICARDO CUBILLO (Juan Vinuesta). The president of the PTA, a super-dad, super-involved, and super-busy. Ricardo is the hyperactive father who never misses a meeting or a petition drive. He proclaims himself a champion of equality and co-parenting, but in reality, he suffers from an inflated ego and a lack of something to do. His proposals, sometimes absurd, generate conflicts and comical situations. Ricardo has a close relationship with Jero, the principal, because he frequently visits his office to complain about everything he believes isn’t being done right at the school.

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JOSÉ ‘JOSETE’ CARRASCO (Carlos Librado “Nene”) Esperanza’s doting father. Josete runs Casa Ludi, the bar that once belonged to his parents and retains the charm of days gone by. The essence and pre-constitutional fat. He is going through a complicated divorce. He is a good man, nostalgic and emotionally honest, who rekindles his childhood love for Esperanza when she returns to school. His son León is one of Esperanza’s students, which complicates and enriches their relationship.

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NAYELI CESSI (Chloe with an H). The gifted Black girl. There are two things Nayeli hates with all her heart: rules and being gifted. She rejects authority and fears being excluded by her classmates, so she hides her abilities by constantly clashing with both the other children and the teachers. Esperanza recognizes her potential and fights for her inclusion in the Gifted Program, forming an almost maternal bond with her.

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LEÓN CARRASCO (Tian Tosas). The boy who always raises his hand to ask for permission. León is cheerful, outgoing, and very sensitive. His world is turned upside down by his parents’ separation, leading him to seek affection and guidance from his teachers. When he gets excited, he speaks so softly that you have to get within five centimetres to hear him. He’s funny, a bit mischievous, and, above all, very “huggable.”

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MARTINA CUBILLO (Nia Tosas). The snobby girl, daughter of the PTA President. Martina is Ricardo’s only child. She’s a “snobby” girl, but very well put together. That’s because at home she’s been taught that “life is prettier with colours that match.” She’s the daughter of the PTA president, but she doesn’t brag about it. Rather, she mentions it as if it were a noble title that gives her a certain authority at recess. Martina strives to do everything right, to please her father, to follow his advice—no matter how absurd or outdated it may be—and to be a model daughter, even though, deep down, she’s still just a 10-year-old girl who wants to enjoy her childhood as best she can.

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LUCHO (Javier Pereira). Esperanza’s ex-boyfriend. Lucho is the reason Esperanza decided to change her friends, her social circles, and even her whole life. Charming, intelligent, funny, manipulative, and completely devoid of any ethical or moral scruples. The perfect definition of a “high-functioning psychopath.” He represents temptation and the risk of falling back into old mistakes. It took Esperanza two prison terms to realize that this guy was a bad influence. Now, his return will test her resolve, and she’ll have to choose between the past and the new life she’s building.

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CREDITS:

Directed by: Sandra Gallego Christensen, Iñaki Peñafiel

Cast: Mariona Terés, Alejo Sauras, Mariano Peña, Juan Vinuesa, Ana Jara, Laura de la Uz, Guillermo Campra, Carlos Librado, Ángel Héctor, Ruth Núñez, Tian Tosas, Chloe con Hache, Nia Tosas, Arlette Torres, Carmen Balagué, Javier Pereira, Sasha Zúlu, Eva Pérez Saco, Maxi Arango, Marcos Muñoz

Year: 2025

An RTVE production in collaboration with Blobomedia.