Spanish fiction returns to the 1980s to tell a story marked by police corruption and the crime of the era. El Marqués, 1985 premieres on Friday, October 23, on Mediaset Infinity, and will be available in its entirety on Prime Video one day later, on October 24.
The series arrives as a continuation of the narrative universe started with El Marqués, but this time it moves away from the Los Galindos crime to delve into another real event that left its mark on Spanish true crime history: the disappearance of El Nani, considered the first disappearance of a detainee in police custody during the Democracy.
What is El Marqués, 1985 about?
The plot is set six years after the events narrated in the first installment. Onofre Romera, played by José Pastor, no longer lives in Paradas. He now resides in Madrid and works as a crime journalist for the magazine Impresión, where his colleagues call him "Marqués" because of the report on the farmhouse crimes that he never managed to publish, but which opened the doors of the newsroom to him.
Chelo, his partner, is also part of this new chapter in his life. What started as a temporary job while she looked for a position as a teacher has become a stage that they both live with excitement in the capital.
The season's starting point comes when two sisters, Concepción and Carmen, from a humble background, come to the Impresión newsroom to ask Onofre for help. According to their account, their brother, known as El Nani, a criminal wanted by the police, was arrested and taken to the old General Directorate of Security at Puerta del Sol, where he allegedly died during an interrogation.
Carmen, who was also arrested that day, claims to have heard the officers asking her brother about "the gold," without her knowing what they were referring to. According to her testimony, Nani's cries of pain stopped abruptly. Since then, nothing more has been heard of him.
Based on that account, Onofre begins an investigation that will lead him to delve into the Madrid Police's Special Group and the "quinqui" underworld of the time, facing questions that can only be answered by looking at the past: what really happened to El Nani, if he died at the hands of the police officers who interrogated him, and what connection all of this has to the mysterious gold mentioned during the interrogation.
Cast and creative team
In addition to José Pastor as the lead, the cast of El Marqués, 1985 includes Jorge Usón, Jorge Bosch, Carlos Librado, Pablo Louazel, Chechu Salgado, Luís Bondía, Cinta Ramírez, and Vito Rogado, among other actors.
The series, consisting of six episodes, is created and written by Begoña Álvarez, Ignacio Del Moral, David Planell, and Abel Alfonso, and directed by José Ramón Ayerra. Production is handled by Kaixo Unicorn, the Navarre subsidiary of Unicorn Content.
Why this premiere is interesting
El Marqués, 1985 joins a recent trend of Spanish series that recover real events from the Transition and the early years of the Democracy to build investigative journalism and police plots. The El Nani case, due to its historical impact as the first case of a detainee disappearing under police custody in a democracy, provides the fiction with a documentary background that reinforces its narrative appeal.
The double premiere, first on Mediaset Infinity and then on Prime Video, also responds to a common strategy in the sector to expand the audience of a single production by combining free-access and subscription platforms.
Frequently asked questions
When does El Marqués, 1985 premiere?
The series premieres on Friday, October 23, on Mediaset Infinity. The following day, October 24, it will be available in full on Prime Video.
What real case is the series inspired by?
The plot is based on the disappearance of El Nani, a detainee who allegedly died during a police interrogation at the old General Directorate of Security, in Puerta del Sol, in the 80s.
Who plays the protagonist?
Actor José Pastor brings to life Onofre Romera, the journalist known as "Marqués" who investigates the case.
How many episodes does the season have?
El Marqués, 1985 consists of six episodes.
Who directs and writes the series?
Direction is handled by José Ramón Ayerra, while the script is signed by Begoña Álvarez, Ignacio Del Moral, David Planell, and Abel Alfonso.
Is it a continuation of another series?
Yes, El Marqués, 1985 continues the narrative universe started with the series El Marqués, originally focused on the Los Galindos crime.
