El Cid (TV series)

El Cid is a Spanish historical action drama television series about Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar "El Cid", the 11th-century Castilian knight and warlord. Created by José Velasco and Luiz Arranz for Amazon Prime Video, the series stars Jaime Lorente alongside José Luis García Pérez, Elia Galera, Carlos Bardem, Alicia Sanz and Jaime Olías, among others. The 5-episode first season was released on Prime Video on December 18, 2020, and the 5-episode second season was released on July 15, 2021.

Premise
Ruy is the son of a low-ranking nobleman who died in the service of Ferdinand, Count of Castile (José Luis García Pérez).

Ferdinand, married to Queen Sancha, has become King of León by defeating in battle Sancha's brother, Bermudo. Bermudo's sister, Sancha, was next in line to the throne, and Ferdinand seized the opportunity to become king after Bermudo's death. Sancha plots with a group of Leonese nobles, notably Flaín, Count of León, and Ruy's grandfather Rodrigo, to overthrow her husband and take the throne that rightfully belongs to her. Sancha is torn between her desire to be queen and her love for her husband. She does not want him harmed, but the nobles have other ideas.

The king's three sons, Sancho, Alfonso, and García are not involved in the plot, but each has his own individual ambitions to succeed his father. Sancha is particularly concerned by the activities of her daughter Urraca, Ferdinand's eldest child, who resents being excluded from the line of succession because she is a woman, despite the fact that she older than Sancho, the king's chosen heir. Urraca's ambition and resentment lead her to stir up trouble in the Royal Court in the hopes of finding any possible means of obtaining power and territory for herself.

Ruy is taken by his grandfather to Ferdinand's court where he eventually becomes squire to Sancho. He is attracted to Jimena, who has been brought to court for an arranged marriage with Count Flain's son Orduño. Ruy soon makes an enemy of Orduño due to their rivalry over Jimena.

Ruy becomes aware of the plot against Ferdinand and realizes that his grandfather Rodrigo is involved. He has to find a way to prove his loyalty by preventing the death of the king (whom he despises) and at the same time avoid implicating his grandfather.

Cast

 * Jaime Lorente as Ruy (El Cid)
 * Lucía Guerrero as Jimena
 * José Luis García Pérez as Ferdinand, the Great, Count of Castile, King of León
 * Elia Galera as Queen Sancha
 * Alicia Sanz as Infanta Urraca, Ferdinand's eldest child and daughter
 * Francisco Ortiz (actor) as Sancho, Ferdinand's eldest son
 * Lucía Díez as Infanta Elvira, Ferdinand's younger daughter
 * Jaime Olías as Alfonso, Ferdinand's middle son
 * Nicolás Illoro as García, Ferdinand's youngest son
 * Ginés García Millán as King Ramiro
 * Juan Echanove as Bishop Don Bernardo
 * Juan Fernández as Rodrigo, Ruy's grandfather
 * Carlos Bardem as Count Flaín of León
 * Pablo Álvarez as Orduño, Flaín's son and Ruy's foe
 * Alfons Nieto as Vellido Dolfos
 * Sara Vidorreta as Ermesinda
 * Rodrigo Poisón as Velarde
 * Daniel Albaladejo as Maestro Orotz, sword master
 * Álvaro Rico as Nuño
 * Adrián Salzedo as Alvar, squire
 * Daniel Tatay as Beltrán
 * David Castillo as Lisardo, squire
 * Ignacio Herráez as Trifon, Ferdinand's champion
 * Hamid Krim as Al-Muqtadir
 * Zohar Liba as Abu Bakr, Al-Muqtadir's ambassador
 * Emilio Buale as Sádaba
 * Sarah Perles as Amina, Al-Muqtadir and Farah's daughter, sister of Yusuf, half-sister of Mundir, and Ruy's temporary lover
 * TBA as Yusuf, Al-Muqtadir and Farah's son, brother of Amina, and half-brother of Mundir
 * Adil Koukouh as Mundir, Al-Muqtadir's son by Naadira, half-brother of Amina and Yusuf, and leader of the Syrian vanguard
 * Farah Hamed as Naadira, Mundir's mother, Yusuf and Amina's stepmother, and chief wife of Al-Muqtadir
 * María Pedroviejo as Farah, Yusuf and Amina's mother, Mundir's stepmother, and second wife of Al-Muqtadir
 * Amparo Alcaraz as Oiubreda or Alberta (Season 2), Sancho's wife

Production and release
Filming began in the province of Soria on 1 October 2019. Shooting locations in the province included Almenar de Soria, Almazán, Calatañazor, Duruelo de la Sierra, and the Montes de Ucero in the Cañón del Río Lobos Natural Park. Conversely, shooting locations in the province of Burgos included the medieval bridge in Frías and the Monte Santiago Natural Monument. The Aljafería Palace was used to recreate indoor locations of the Taifa of Zaragoza. Production also moved to province of Teruel (Albarracín) and the Madrid region (including Navalcarnero and Madrid). The five-part first season was released on December 18, 2020, on Prime Video. In January 2021, the confirmation of a second season was reported in media, and a release date for July 15, 2021 was announced in June 2021.

The series' direction crew included Marco A. Castillo, Adolfo Martínez Pérez, Miguel Alcantud, Arantxa Echevarría, Manuel Carballo and Alberto Ruiz Rojo. The score was composed by Gustavo Santaolalla and Alfonso González Aguilar.

Languages
The original languages of El Cid are Spanish and Arabic. The series is also available on Amazon in English, French, Portuguese, German, and other languages.