Spanish documentary series (1990-2010): Between information dissemination and awareness

Abstract

This article analyzes the Spanish documentaries broadcasted on generalist television networks (TVE1, TVE2) and private networks (Antena3, Telecinco, Cuatro and La Sexta) from the arrival of private competition to the introduction of DTT (1990-2010), in order to determine if spectacularization, which extended through all television content in those years, distanced the documentary from its essential and original informative function. A content analysis is used to assess the importance of documentary series in programming (time slots, networks, nationalities, genres), as well as a textual analysis of Spanish productions to examine themes and approaches, in addition to the presence of sensational elements and creative proposals. It is shown that the documentary genre had a minor presence in the television offer of the time with the exception of public channels (TVE2). Spanish documentary productions experienced important changes in the way of approaching different themes and in their presentation, without losing its informative essence; it became a bolder, combative, militant genre, oriented -above all- to stir consciences