Spanish production and distribution giant Onza heads to Cannes with the feel-good comedy Gluten Free, which became the most-watched comedy premiere of the past decade on pubcaster RTVE.
The series, created by Araceli Álvarez de Sotomayor (Alfa Male, Muertos SL) with Javier Aguayo and Germán Aparicio, is produced by Onza in association with RTVE and Prime Video.
“Gluten Free” scored outstanding ratings of 17% on RTVE’s flagship network La 1 on October 8, with 1.21 million viewers and 2.9 million contacts, blending humor, emotion and redemption with a character-driven story that hints at the strong potential of the international format.
The show tells the story of Ricardo, a once famous chef who loses his restaurant, reputation, and self-confidence due to alcohol abuse. Forced to return to his widowed mother Marga, an independent woman no one else was happy to see him return to, he reluctantly begins a new chapter.
Ricardo discovers an unexpected recipe for rebirth when he accepts a job teaching young people at risk of social exclusion at the same culinary school where his career began.
Álvarez de Sotomayor described the show as “very much an ensemble comedy with a wide age range and many intertwined conflicts.”
“Everything is done with humor, but the conflicts between the characters are powerful. You grow attached to all the characters.”
“’Gluten Free’ is a heartwarming series that explores key themes of everyday life in a heartwarming comedy format,” said Onza CEO Gonzalo Sagardia.
“This release marks RTVE’s best comedy debut in the last decade. It’s a testament to RTVE’s perfect tone and character design.”
Erika Gómez, Head of Sales at Onza Distribution, added: “Its soothing tone, universal character and emotional depth make it an ideal candidate to adapt to local formats.”
The successful launch of “Gluten Free” also reflects RTVE’s broader strategy to replicate the strong success of daytime fiction in prime time, following hits such as “Valle Salvaje” and “The Vow.”
“This series is bold and fresh, helping us reach new targets and a wider audience,” José Pastor, director of film and fiction at RTVE, said at a presentation at the Vitoria festival in September.
Expanding scope of audiovisual services
Onza, the company behind global successes such as ‘TheDepartment of Time’, ‘Parot’ and ‘Little Coincidences’, presents ‘Gluten Free’ as one of the highlights of Mipcom 2025.
At the same time, Onza will focus on expanding its audiovisual services, spanning content development, production, international sales, legal, finance and tax construction.
Headquartered in Madrid, Los Angeles and Miami, the company aims to leverage Spain’s world-class production infrastructure and talent pool, diverse locations and competitive tax incentives to attract global partners.
“Neuer”, Slovak legal crime series
A further standout among Onza’s Mipcom oeuvre is the procedural crime series “Neuer” from Slovakia’s KFS Production. The eight-episode show, directed by Michal Kollard and based on Václav Neuer’s best-selling novel, premiered on TV JOJ on September 14 and ranked as the most-watched program of the night with a 24% share.
Onza will also present Vulnerables, a three-part documentary series created by Gonzalo Saguardia and directed by Gustavo Ron and Saguardia himself that explores youth mental health.
The series, created by Nicolas Bergareche on Onza, was recently acquired by leading Spanish broadcaster Atremedia.
