7 Vidas
Encyclopedia
7 Vidas is a Spanish sitcom which aired on Telecinco
from 1999 to 2006. Its title translates as "7 lives" and the symbol of the sitcom is a cat, in reference to the belief that cats have 7 lives (curiously two lives less than cats from English-speaking countries which are popularly considered to have nine lives). The series is to date 2006 the longest running show of all-time in the history of Spanish television.
It was originally inspired by the American blockbuster Friends
.
At its start it wasn't a great audience success, but over time, the show continued and gained more and more popularity season after season, making it the most popular Spanish TV series of all time.
It was in 7 Vidas that the now internationally famous actress Paz Vega
, and other Spanish actors first became household names in Spain
.
The sitcom tells the story of a group of friends in Madrid
. David (Toni Cantó) was in a coma for more than 18 years and suddenly awakes and starts discovering the new world in which he lives. His neighbour, Sole (Amparo Baró
) is an old woman with a penchant for slapping anyone who behaves in a way she dislikes round the back of the neck. Sole soon becomes one of the show's most popular characters. Other characters were Sole's sexually frustrated son, Paco (Javier Cámara
), Carlota (Blanca Portillo
) David's single sister and Laura (Laurita to her friends) (Paz Vega
), their cousin from Seville (with her colourful Sevillian accent), initially Paco's principal love interest and then David's.
Characters came and went, and by the end of the sitcom the only character who had appeared in the first season and lasted until its end was Sole. Other long-standing characters, and the two most popular, in addition to Sole, were Gonzalo (Gonzalo de Castro), a waiter who later became a main character and Carlota's husband (although they were later divorced), and Diana (Anabel Alonso
), a frustrated actress, and a naïve lesbian. She was the first homosexual character in Spanish television who didn't follow stereotypes.
The script of the show was well-known for poking fun at current events, politicians and celebrities and often contained a lot of risqué jokes.
Often scenes of the sitcom were set in Gonzalo's café, the "Kasi Ke No" - just as many Friends scenes were set in the Central Perk café - Sole's house and Carlota's house, and many outside shots were also used.
By the end of its run, the show was totally different from Friends.
7 Vidas was also known for its multiple cameos of famous people, including Shakira
, El Canto del Loco
, politician Santiago Carrillo
, and footballer Samuel Eto'o
. Hugh Grant
was pencilled in to appear in one chapter, but the actor subsequently declined the offer.
By the time the show reached its final episode 7 Vidas had clocked up 204 chapters, with a macro celebration featuring all of the 19 main characters who had appeared over the series' history, including a video from Paz Vega
who was busy filming in the United States and was unable to appear in person. A live interpretation of the main theme was also performed by El Canto del Loco
, a Spanish pop group. That chapter was recorded and transmitted live without interruptions, bar a few minutes for commercials, which were used to change clothes and represent the passing of the time.
ANT1
channel in Greece picked up the rights to 7 Vidas for a Greek
remake of the show, premiering in its fall 2008 lineup and entitled "7 Zωές" (7 Lives).
, still running as of 2010. It featured a later popular "7 vidas" character of the same name, known for her vulgarity and for representing a "typical" working class Spanish woman. The series was set in a new context, with entirely new characters, though some characters from "7 vidas" appeared in some episodes, and others, mentioned in "7 vidas" but never shown were introduced as regulars of the new show. In 2009, when Carmen Machi, the actress who played Aída, left the series, new characters appeared and now the series continues under the same basic premise.
Telecinco
Telecinco is a Spanish commercial television channel operated by Mediaset España. Launched in 1990 as Tele 5, it was the fifth of the national terrestrial television channels. In 1997, Tele 5 was rebranded as Telecinco, dropping the flower logo seen in other Mediaset channel...
from 1999 to 2006. Its title translates as "7 lives" and the symbol of the sitcom is a cat, in reference to the belief that cats have 7 lives (curiously two lives less than cats from English-speaking countries which are popularly considered to have nine lives). The series is to date 2006 the longest running show of all-time in the history of Spanish television.
It was originally inspired by the American blockbuster Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
.
At its start it wasn't a great audience success, but over time, the show continued and gained more and more popularity season after season, making it the most popular Spanish TV series of all time.
It was in 7 Vidas that the now internationally famous actress Paz Vega
Paz Vega
Paz Campos Trigo , better known as Paz Vega, is a Spanish actress.- Early life :Vega was born in Seville, Andalusia, Spain to a homemaker mother and a retired bullfighter father. Vega's younger sister has performed as a flamenco dancer. Vega has described her family as "traditional" and Catholic....
, and other Spanish actors first became household names in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
The sitcom tells the story of a group of friends in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. David (Toni Cantó) was in a coma for more than 18 years and suddenly awakes and starts discovering the new world in which he lives. His neighbour, Sole (Amparo Baró
Amparo Baró
Amparo Baró San Martín is a Spanish actress. She starting working in theatres with Adolfo Marsillach. She has always been a very important theatre actress and her role of Sole in 7 Vidas made her a popular actress out of theatres.Her career spans 50 years and she has worked in Theatre, film and...
) is an old woman with a penchant for slapping anyone who behaves in a way she dislikes round the back of the neck. Sole soon becomes one of the show's most popular characters. Other characters were Sole's sexually frustrated son, Paco (Javier Cámara
Javier Cámara
Javier Cámara is a Spanish actor, most notably in the Pedro Almodóvar films Talk to Her and Bad Education , and the television series 7 Vidas ....
), Carlota (Blanca Portillo
Blanca Portillo
-Career:Portillo started as an actress in several small theater productions before graduating in drama from the Real Escuela Superior de Arte Dramatico....
) David's single sister and Laura (Laurita to her friends) (Paz Vega
Paz Vega
Paz Campos Trigo , better known as Paz Vega, is a Spanish actress.- Early life :Vega was born in Seville, Andalusia, Spain to a homemaker mother and a retired bullfighter father. Vega's younger sister has performed as a flamenco dancer. Vega has described her family as "traditional" and Catholic....
), their cousin from Seville (with her colourful Sevillian accent), initially Paco's principal love interest and then David's.
Characters came and went, and by the end of the sitcom the only character who had appeared in the first season and lasted until its end was Sole. Other long-standing characters, and the two most popular, in addition to Sole, were Gonzalo (Gonzalo de Castro), a waiter who later became a main character and Carlota's husband (although they were later divorced), and Diana (Anabel Alonso
Anabel Alonso
Ana Isabel Alonso Gómez , better known as Anabel Alonso, is a Spanish comedy actress that has appeared in theatre plays, movies and television shows, including the popular sitcom 7 Vidas and the movie Finding Nemo...
), a frustrated actress, and a naïve lesbian. She was the first homosexual character in Spanish television who didn't follow stereotypes.
The script of the show was well-known for poking fun at current events, politicians and celebrities and often contained a lot of risqué jokes.
Often scenes of the sitcom were set in Gonzalo's café, the "Kasi Ke No" - just as many Friends scenes were set in the Central Perk café - Sole's house and Carlota's house, and many outside shots were also used.
By the end of its run, the show was totally different from Friends.
7 Vidas was also known for its multiple cameos of famous people, including Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
, El Canto del Loco
El Canto del Loco
El Canto del Loco is a Spanish pop rock band, although its members recognize that some of their songs are more in the style of power pop....
, politician Santiago Carrillo
Santiago Carrillo
Santiago Carrillo Solares is a Spanish politician who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Spain from 1960 to 1982.- Childhood and early youth :...
, and footballer Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. He is also the current captain of the Cameroon national team.Eto'o trained at Kadji Sports Academy...
. Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's...
was pencilled in to appear in one chapter, but the actor subsequently declined the offer.
By the time the show reached its final episode 7 Vidas had clocked up 204 chapters, with a macro celebration featuring all of the 19 main characters who had appeared over the series' history, including a video from Paz Vega
Paz Vega
Paz Campos Trigo , better known as Paz Vega, is a Spanish actress.- Early life :Vega was born in Seville, Andalusia, Spain to a homemaker mother and a retired bullfighter father. Vega's younger sister has performed as a flamenco dancer. Vega has described her family as "traditional" and Catholic....
who was busy filming in the United States and was unable to appear in person. A live interpretation of the main theme was also performed by El Canto del Loco
El Canto del Loco
El Canto del Loco is a Spanish pop rock band, although its members recognize that some of their songs are more in the style of power pop....
, a Spanish pop group. That chapter was recorded and transmitted live without interruptions, bar a few minutes for commercials, which were used to change clothes and represent the passing of the time.
ANT1
ANT1
Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece and Cyprus. The alternate spelling is play on words in Greek; ena is the Greek number 1, thus ANT1 is pronounced the same as Antenna . It launched on 31 December 1989, the same year as rival Mega Channel, and is owned by...
channel in Greece picked up the rights to 7 Vidas for a Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
remake of the show, premiering in its fall 2008 lineup and entitled "7 Zωές" (7 Lives).
Spin-off Aída
The popularity of "7 vidas" led in 2005 to a spin-off, AídaAída
Aída is a Spanish comedy sitcom set in Madrid, that spun off from another sitcom called 7 Vidas. The show first aired on January 16, 2005 and is produced by Globomedia for the Spanish network Telecinco...
, still running as of 2010. It featured a later popular "7 vidas" character of the same name, known for her vulgarity and for representing a "typical" working class Spanish woman. The series was set in a new context, with entirely new characters, though some characters from "7 vidas" appeared in some episodes, and others, mentioned in "7 vidas" but never shown were introduced as regulars of the new show. In 2009, when Carmen Machi, the actress who played Aída, left the series, new characters appeared and now the series continues under the same basic premise.