A solar storm triggers a widespread power failure and tremors across parts of the world, with Spain not spared. In the aftermath, residents must navigate the serious consequences at every level. This is the premise behind the podcast series Blackout, conceived by screenwriter Fran Araújo, known for projects such as Rapa, Iron, and Rebellion, who envisioned a format that could capture what just happened and bring together diverse voices to create a collective work before the pandemic even arrived. The result is a five-episode anthology linked by a single event, each guided by a different director—Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Raúl Arévalo, Alberto Rodríguez, Isa Campos, and Isaki Lacuesta—producing a collage of author-driven pieces.
The creative team emphasizes the exceptional caliber and high standards of everyone involved, grounded in rigorous realism. Each director channels the looming catastrophe with their own signature tone. Sorogoyen anchors tension, while Lacuesta blends fiction with documentary elements, and Arévalo frames the project with a grounded, intimate sensibility. The result is a mosaic where genres collide—suspense, drama, social critique, romantic melodrama, and even a Segovian-style Western—yet the episodes feel like parts of a single, cohesive work.
The project is written by Isabel Peña, Alberto Marini, Raúl Arévalo, Isa Campos, Rafael Cobos, and Araújo himself. After crafting fifteen stories, five were selected and distributed among directors, who then shaped them in their own voices. This collaborative format is presented as a first of its kind, and its success is celebrated by the team. Each chapter bears a title that nods to stages of grief, mirroring the crisis created by the power outage. The overarching message: even in dire times, lessons emerge from crisis, and resilience can prevail.
sections
The sequence begins with Denial, which follows how scientists and Civil Protection officials respond as the solar storm approaches. In Emergency, the focus shifts to the struggle to move forward and accept the situation, set within a hospital. Confrontation explores how younger people navigate the disruption, Survival portrays the moment when difficult choices must be made, and Balance contemplates recovery and learning from the ordeal. The writer notes that each segment carries its own mood while contributing to a shared arc.
Despite the gravity of the premise, the series consistently carries a thread of hope. The creators aimed to close on an uplifting note. The pandemic era showed that people often rise to the moment rather than crumble. In the early episodes, ordinary individuals strive to repair what’s been broken, whether in a hospital setting or elsewhere. As the narrative progresses, tension intensifies, yet there are glimmers of renewal: a character begins anew, and small acts of courage persist through the darkest hours.
Actors
The cast features a substantial ensemble, including Luis Callejo and a notable roster of performers such as María Vázquez, Patricia López Arnaiz, Ainhoa Santamaría, Jesús Carroza, Melina Mathews, Tomás del Estal, Javier Tena, Zoe Arnao, Michael Fernández, Naira Lleó, Mourad Ouani, and Sofia El Bouanani, among others. The emphasis is on actors who bring credibility through authenticity rather than star power, reinforcing the grounded tone of the series. The ensemble is complemented by capable supporting roles that expand the narrative without overshadowing the central tension of the blackout.
A distinctive element of the production is its approach to lighting. In a world without electricity, light and shadow carry meaning in every frame. The team carried out extensive lighting tests—evaluating dozens of fixtures—to determine the most effective mood. Music amplifies the atmosphere as well, ranging from electronic textures to atmospheric scores crafted with unconventional methods to evoke the fragility and resilience of the moment. The attention to sensory detail—sound, light, and rhythm—helps to anchor the viewer in a world where every moment matters.