We talked to the actor and presenter about the new series he stars in, which premieres this Sunday on Atresplayer Premium
A prison, humor and a well-known face on television are the pillars of ‘Two years and a day’, the new original series of Atresplayer Premium. This comedy starring Arturo Valls, one of the most recognized faces of the Atresmedia Group, narrates the fall from grace of a famous and beloved actor and presenter who is sentenced to serve a sentence of two years and one day for a crime of religious offenses for an innocent, but unfortunate, joke.
The actor and presenter gives life to Carlos Ferrer, a successful actor, comedian and presenter with a perfect life until 18 fateful seconds change it forever. His appearance at the proclamation of Carzuelo de la Frontera dressed as the Virgen del Cierzo, as a Holy Week parade, unleashed the indignation of the association of coastal lawyers, who denounced him for a crime against religious sentiments. The complaint is admitted for processing and the judge, a devotee of the Virgin of his town and also a costalero, sentences him to prison. Now, Carlos must adapt to his new life in prison where he will have to spend two years and one day. YOTELE talks with Arturo Valls about the premiere of ‘Dos años y un día’, among many other topics.
You are the protagonist and executive producer of ‘Two years and a day’. How would you define this series in your own words?It is the first prison comedy/sitcom. We are going to see a well-liked and very successful presenter and actor, who coincidentally plays me, is deprived of his freedom. Suddenly, a very nice guy finds himself in jail because of an unfortunate joke. Let’s see how he manages his days in jail, sharing his life with the prisoners, taking selfies… He is a very famous person and the first thing they ask him is to take photos to send them to his mothers . Also, it has a very different tone and is a very special comedy.We are not used to seeing comedies whose plots revolve around a prison. In addition, the starting point is a very topical issue such as the limits of humor. Yes. We start from that premise. Then the series is not about that, but the reason why Carlos Ferrero goes to jail is an unfortunate joke. A religious offense. Not to develop the subject much, the conclusion I draw is that no one should go to prison for a joke. It is a radical and disproportionate consequence. I don’t really believe in the limits of humor. You have to know where you are telling the joke, who is telling it, who you are telling it to and when you do it, something very important, because there are jokes that can no longer be made today because they are no longer funny, not because of self-censorship. Things have changed, society has evolved and comedians have to evolve with people and not perpetuate according to what behaviors, topics or cliches. We should ask for forgiveness, continue with life, that there are much more painful and offensive things, and, above all, not result in jail.About Carlos Ferrero, what do you identify with him the most? What I would most identify with is the character’s career, who has done television, contests, fiction… It’s a bit similar. In the love that the public has for him (laughs). Luckily I can enjoy that too.And what less?I could not tell you. Perhaps we will tell later about a certain obsession that Carlos has for prestige. The wig syndrome, what do we say? That he wants to stop doing contests and humor and do something more serious like drama because he is better valued. That concerns me fairly, and if I feel like exploring it, it’s for fun. To change, to see what happens, not because of an obsession for people to accept me. In that sense, I could be further away from Carlos, but we are quite alike.You have a casting of well-known faces like Adriana Torrebejano or Amaia Salamanca, among others. Juanra Bonet will also be part of it and it will be very curious, since you have been brothers in the afternoons of Antena 3 and now you are enemies in fiction. The Juanra Bonet thing is like the American movies of ‘as himself’. Juanra Bonet playing Juanra Bonet. This also has to do with scripts. People are easier to convince if the scripts are cool. Always knowing who is behind the project is an incentive for people to say yes. We are very happy with the cast.Do you see a possible continuity to the series? Do you think it could continue, beyond the six chapters of this season?Hopefully, but that also depends on how people receive it, but I would like it. The series, once the viewer is assiduous, has a margin of enjoyment in that universe. We already know where we are and who is who, and now it’s time to enjoy, launch yourself, make pure and simple comedy with self-contained plots. One more sitcom to use because let’s say that it has needed those more introductory chapters. I wish there was a second season to unleash the writers, the comedy and the enjoyment. I think that there the series would find its tone and the pure fun would begin.Beyond ‘Two years and a day’, I would like to ask you about your next professional projects. This year has been intense, but you still have things to release like the third season of ‘Mask Singer’.It’s been a complete year, and what we have left. I also have ‘True Story’ to premiere, a program presented by Ana Morgade for a platform. The fact of leaving ‘Now I fall’ has allowed me to embark on more fiction projects. I am preparing more very interesting things from the production, both in fiction and in entertainment. We are developing my first entertainment program as a producer. In addition, I shoot a film after the summer with Malena Alterio.How has the recording of the third season of ‘Mask Singer’ gone, which has included the additions of Monica Naranjo Y Ana Obregon to the research team?It was incredible. When the King Emeritus took off his mask at the first gala, that is, it was… (laughs). Oh! It has escaped me! (laughs) Seriously, she’s been a lot of fun. Ana Obregón has given a rollazo to the program that you will see. She has had some piques with Javier Ambrossi, very good. There is more of everything. There are even double masks. It’s crazy. The third season is pure fantasy. You will see.Last year, Samantha Hudson starred in the Atresplayer Premium Christmas special, in which she was your widow and always remembered you. Would you like to do the next special as a response from beyond?Hey, that’s not a bad idea. He bought it for you. I’m going to sell it now to the people at Atresplayer Premium and we’ll make a sequel to Samantha’s special (laughs). It would be cool.