Televisión Española (TVE) will make a rare, sweeping change to its Sunday programming this week, dedicating nearly the entire day on La 1 to the 90th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War. The broadcaster will replace its standard schedule with a marathon of five films about the conflict, making it one of the summer’s most ambitious cinematic events. Staple shows such as Aquí la Tierra will be absent as TVE devotes the day to a defining chapter in Spain’s history.
For weeks, La 1’s afternoon film slot had featured the Superestrellas format, grouping movies by leading actors or actresses. This Sunday, the channel will set that approach aside. Instead, the Spanish Civil War will take center stage, with programming running from midday into the early hours. The marathon opens with El maestro que prometió el mar, a recent Spanish film inspired by the real-life story of teacher Antoni Benaiges and the recovery of historical memory. It continues with La vaquilla, Luis García Berlanga’s acclaimed satire of the war, followed by La mula, an adaptation of Juan Eslava Galán’s novel set in the conflict’s final stages.
The event continues in prime time, when La película de la semana will depart for one night from its usual focus on major American cinema. Viewers will instead see ¿Es el enemigo?, a Spanish production also set during the Civil War and the evening’s featured film. The marathon ends late at night with Gernika, completing a day devoted to the war through several cinematic perspectives.
The programming overhaul means TVE must reorganize its entire Sunday afternoon. The back-to-back films leave no room for Aquí la Tierra, which will not air this weekend. TVE has clarified that the cancellation is a one-off tied directly to the special event, not a permanent schedule change. The channel presents the day as a curated television event that breaks from routine to offer a broad look at the Civil War through recent productions, including drama and satire.
The film marathon is part of a wider RTVE focus on the war’s legacy and its enduring impact on Spanish families. In a separate anniversary project, the broadcaster’s new La 1 programme Cuánta guerra follows public figures as they investigate relatives’ experiences at locations connected with the conflict. RTVE announced its premiere for Friday, 23 October 2026, at 22:00 on La 1 and RTVE Play, with sports journalist Juan Carlos Rivero and actor Iván Massagué among the first participants, alongside journalist Conchi Cejudo. The road-movie format combines reporting with personal testimony, using family histories to explore collective memory.
Such a broad thematic focus is unusual for Spanish generalist television, where regular programming rarely gives way to single-topic marathons. By dedicating the day to El maestro que prometió el mar, La vaquilla, La mula, ¿Es el enemigo? and Gernika, TVE is marking the anniversary with a major cultural and cinematic offering. The approach stands out in a media field where, as seen with the recent documentary on Miguel Ángel Blanco and Spain’s memory of ETA, television plays a basic role in shaping public understanding of the country’s past.
The Spanish Civil War began in July 1936 and remains a defining event in Spain’s collective memory. Its legacy continues to shape politics and culture, as well as education. TVE’s decision to mark the 90th anniversary with a full day of films reflects ongoing efforts to revisit and discuss this period. The selection ranges from historical drama to satire, highlighting the war’s complexity and lasting impact on Spanish society while encouraging reflection on how Spain remembers and represents its history.
