El Intermedio. An innovative approach to current affairs satires.

Abstract

The infoshow is the fastest growing macro-genre globally in recent decades. This is largely due to the deregulation of television markets, which has encouraged content to adapt more and more to the tastes and demands of the audience. In Spain, the rise of the infoshow began in the 2000s, in a context of economic crisis and political disaffection that led to a greater interest of the general public in economic, social and political issues, all of which are very conducive to criticism and spectacularisation. In this context, current affairs satire was consolidated as a prominent genre in Spanish television. This research focuses on El Intermedio, produced by Globomedia for La Sexta. This programme formed part of the first content with which the channel began its official broadcasts in 2006, and it is still present in prime time eighteen years later. It is undoubtedly the longest-running programme and also one of the most successful on its schedule. Although it follows the tradition of previous formats, El Intermedio offers an innovative approach, moving away from the purely humorous sphere to offer an alternative approach to current affairs. This paper analyses the content of its first ten seasons, the profile of its presenters and contributors and its content structure. The results show an innovative approach in the treatment of the news and in the structural balance between informative and entertainment contents.