"El Quijote de Miguel de Cervantes" (1991) TV series

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

April 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Miniseries version of the first half of Cervantes' famous novel.

Plot Keywords:

Knight | Don Quixote | Windmill | Literary | Sancho Panza

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Fernando Rey	...	Don Quijote (5 episodes, 1991)
Alfredo Landa	...	Sancho Panza (5 episodes, 1991)
Francisco Merino	...	El cura (3 episodes, 1991)
Manuel Alexandre	...	El barbero (3 episodes, 1991)
Héctor Alterio		(3 episodes, 1991)
Esperanza Roy	...	Maritornes (3 episodes, 1991)
José Luis Pellicena	...	Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra (2 episodes, 1991)
Emma Penella	...	Teresa Panza (2 episodes, 1991)
Fermí Reixach	...	Cardenio (2 episodes, 1991)
Rafael Alonso		(2 episodes, 1991)
Eusebio Lázaro	...	Ginés de Pasamonte (2 episodes, 1991)
Aitana Sánchez-Gijón	...	Dorotea (2 episodes, 1991)
Lina Canalejas		(2 episodes, 1991)
Máximo Valverde		(2 episodes, 1991)
Terele Pávez	...	Ama (2 episodes, 1991)
Alejandra Grepi	...	Luscinda (2 episodes, 1991)
Nuria Gallardo		(2 episodes, 1991)
Carlos Lucas		(2 episodes, 1991)

Series Directed by
Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón		(5 episodes, 1991)

Series Writing credits
Camilo José Cela		(5 episodes, 1991)
Camilo José Cela Conde		(5 episodes, 1991)
Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra		(5 episodes, 1991)
Fernando Corugedo		(5 episodes, 1991)

Series Produced by
Emiliano Piedra	....	executive producer (5 episodes, 1991)

Series Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin		(5 episodes, 1991)

Series Cinematography by
Teodoro Escamilla		(5 episodes, 1991)

Series Film Editing by
José Salcedo		(5 episodes, 1991)

Series Art Direction by
Félix Murcia		(5 episodes, 1991)

Series Set Decoration by
Miguel Chang		(5 episodes, 1991)
Carlos Dorremochea		(5 episodes, 1991)

Series Costume Design by
Andrea D'Odorico		(5 episodes, 1991)
Miguel Narros		(5 episodes, 1991)
Andrea D'Orico		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Paquita Núñez	....	hair stylist (5 episodes, 1991)
José Antonio Sánchez	....	makeup artist (5 episodes, 1991)

Series Production Management
Emiliano Otegui	....	production manager (5 episodes, 1991)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carlos Llorente	....	second assistant director (5 episodes, 1991)
Josetxo San Mateo	....	first assistant director (5 episodes, 1991)
Michael Aguiló	....	second assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Carlos Faruolo	....	sound (5 episodes, 1991)

Series Special Effects by
Reyes Abades	....	special effects (5 episodes, 1991)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Martín Díaz	....	tailor (5 episodes, 1991)
Sonia Grande	....	assistant costume designer (5 episodes, 1991)

Series Editorial Department
Rosa Ortiz	....	assistant editor (5 episodes, 1991)

Series Other crew
Usoa Urbieta	....	script supervisor (5 episodes, 1991)

Production Companies

• Televisión Española (TVE)

Distributors

• Divisa Home Video (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Televisión Española (TVE) (1991) (Spain) (TV)

Also Known As:

Don Quijote de la Mancha (USA)
Don Quixote
El Quijote (Spain) (short title)

Runtime:

310 min (5 parts) | USA:240 min (2 parts)

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Company:

Televisión Española (TVE)

Trivia:

The miniseries covers only the first half of the novel. Director Manuel Gutierrez Aragon filmed the second half eleven years later as a theatrical release, "El Caballero Don Quijote". He used an entirely different cast for the second film.

Movie Connections:

Version of Don Chisciotte (1983) (TV)

Superb transformation of this timeless novel for the screen

Televisión Española, the State TV network, produced several magnificent TV series some years ago, before competition from commercial channels forced the state monopoly down to gutter levels. EL QUIJOTE, directed by Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón, and starring the irreplaceable Fernando Rey (now dead) and Alfredo Landa, as Don Quixote and Sancho Panza respectively, combined to make an unforgettable series in six parts of roughly one hour each.

Whether you are a literature lover or whether you are a discerning viewer of films or TV series, you cannot fail to be charmed by this superb transformation of the great classic by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra for the small screen. Rey, lean and sinewy, lends to the characteriology of the emblematic Don Quixote, an exquisite subtle refinement, enhanced by Landa, the most perfect Sancho Lanza. The rest of the cast is made up by some of the best Spanish actors of the last twenty-thirty years, including José Luis López Vázquez as the innkeeper, a very young Aitana Sánchez-Gijón as Dorotea, Rafael Alonso (El Abuelo - qv), Héctor Alterio, Emma Penella, Terele Pávez (Los Santos Inocentes - qv, also with Alfredo Landa) and Esperanza Roy.

The whole series is beautifully photographed across the empty plains of La Mancha and Extremadura. To understand the Spanish mentality today within a European context, you just have to see this truly wonderful series - however quixotic that may seem to you. Ah, and did you know that Cervantes died on the same date as that other literary genius, William Shakespeare, but not on the same day? I leave you to puzzle that out......!