Rodolfo Sanco voices strong frustration about what he sees as harsh mistreatment of the character known as Drought in a high-profile Spanish drama. The series, featuring Elena Rivera and aired on La 1 during the first quarter of 2022, has sparked a broader conversation about scheduling, audience expectations, and the pressure on public broadcasters. Rivera recently released Heirs of the World, the Netflix sequel to The Cathedral of the Seas, and her outing touched on industry dynamics that affect actors, crews, and fans alike. The actor highlighted his concerns in a candid interview, drawing attention to how timing and promotion shape a show’s potential to captivate a national audience.
Rodriguez Sancho expressed significant disappointment with the way the program was timed from the outset. He noted that a two-month postponement, in a landscape where the series was among the most-watched, created ripples across the production pipeline. The delay altered momentum, risking viewers losing connection with a drama that had been crafted with evident care and high production values. The veteran performer framed the issue as not just a scheduling hiccup but a real disruption to the storytelling arc and the audience’s trust in a quality project.
The conversation extended to the broader question of how RTVE approaches its role as a public broadcaster. The actor asked whether the network aspires to be some other model, suggesting that different channels or commissioners may approach programming with distinct priorities. He urged greater confidence in the output, underscoring the importance of a public service ethos that respects the audience while supporting ambitious productions. The point was clear: a high-quality product should be presented with proper faith in its capacity to attract and retain viewers, rather than being parked on late-night slots or treated as a secondary consideration.
Sancho went further to describe a trend, one he believes is affecting fiction across the Spanish television landscape. He spoke with fondness for the channel he admires and for the way certain projects are developed, yet he also warned that missteps can happen even in well-run ecosystems. The reference to a past title, Ministry of Time, served as a reminder that early decisions can have lasting consequences, including questions about renewal and audience durability. The actor called for more transparent discussions about the project’s future and a commitment to sustaining the creative vision from pilot to potential second season.
When the show began its run, early metrics showed a solid start, with a 9.2 percent share above La 1’s average and around 1.277 million viewers. Over the following weeks, however, interest fluctuated, and the audience gradually declined. By the sixth week on air, the program experienced a notable drop, dipping to 6.5 percent. That shift prompted the network to reconsider the scheduling approach, culminating in a late-night airtime when the numbers had already cooled. The final phase saw viewership compress to roughly 299,000 viewers, reflected in a 4.8 percent share. The trajectory raised important questions about how best to balance ambition, timing, and reach within a publicly funded system that must serve a diverse audience across the country.