Honourable mention
Portocabo executives Alfonso Blanco and Nina Hernandez speak to DQ about how they adapted Israeli drama Kvodo (Your Honor) for Spanish audiences as Honor, filming the series in Seville and why remakes still appeal to viewers.
Since its debut in 2017, Israeli drama Kvodo (Your Honor) has taken the world by storm. While the original series has been sold into numerous territories, the format has been adapted in almost a dozen countries around the globe.
Created by Ron Ninio and Shlomo Mashiach and produced by Yes TV and Koda Communications, the show follows a respected senior judge whose son is involved in a hit-and-run accident, leading to difficult choices, moral dilemmas and terrible consequences as he attempts to keep the crime a secret.
Airing across two seasons, its cast includes Yoram Hattab, Erez Oved, Ilanit Ben -Yaakov, Tom Hagi and Lucy Aharish. Yes Studios distributes the original series and the format.
Most famously, the series was adapted in the US by Showtime, with Bryan Cranston, Hunter Doohan, Lilli Kay, Michael Stuhlberg and Hope Davis leading the cast. It has also been remade in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, South Korea, Turkey, India, Russia, China and Ukraine.
The Spanish version, titled Honor, follows Judge Daniel Romero, whose son Alex accidentally kills a motorist, panics and flees the scene. When the victim turns out to be the son of a dangerous gangster, Romero senior decides to cover up the crime, risking everything for his son.
Produced by Atresmedia TV in collaboration with Portocabo for Atresplayer and Antena 3, it stars Dario Grandinetti, José Luis García Perez and Paco Márquez. The series was screened earlier this year as part of the Berlinale Series Market Selects at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Here, Portocabo executive producer Alfonso Blanco and content director Nina Hernandez discuss remaking the original Israeli series for Spanish audiences.
Please introduce us to the series.
Martin Romero is an honourable judge in Seville, a man of unquestionable moral principles. When his son Alex is involved in an accident, killing the son of Vicente Aguilar, the most dangerous criminal in the city, Romero will have to make one of the hardest decisions of his life: save his son or do what is right.
What was your interest in remaking Kvodo?
Kvodo presents a compelling and thought-provoking premise: a case where moral and professional obligations collide with a parent’s deep-seated instinct to protect their child from danger. The series also explores the painful reality that parents cannot always prevent their children from choosing their own path – even when it leads to suffering. This global premise contains the possibility of many local adaptations, which allows for a deeper connection with the audience.
What are the format points that are integral to the story?
At the heart of this narrative is Judge Romero, an honourable judge caught in a profound moral dilemma, where his professional duty clashes with his human instincts. This tension sets the stage for a gripping drama that unfolds between his professional responsibilities and personal loyalties.
In contrast, Vicente Aguilar, the victim’s father, faces his own struggle – grappling with the devastating loss of a son, where the natural desire for revenge often overshadows the calm that justice needs. When the ethos of his family is far from legal, as a dangerous criminal that controls the drug routes into the city, the drama is served.
With a Shakespearean structure, the story masterfully blends thriller and crime drama in equal measure.
How has the series been adapted for Spanish audiences?
The series was adapted by setting it in Seville, the heart of Andalusia [in the south of the country]. The choice of Seville and Cádiz was clear from the very beginning, as we found in them the same elements that would empower the drama, leading it to the next level.
Seville is a city where family lies at the core of its culture, shaping social life, values and daily routines. Deeply rooted in tradition and community, it is a place defined by strong intergenerational bonds.
Seville is also a city of great contrasts, where luxurious mansions and an exceptionally beautiful historic centre closely coexist with areas like Las Tres Mil Viviendas, a neighbourhood where life is a struggle. It is a city of extreme beauty, both for its history and its natural surroundings, but it is also a place defined by the stark contrast between wealth and marginalisation. That duality was essential for the series.
Beyond its cultural significance, Seville-Cadiz also serves as Andalusia’s logistical hub, a legacy of its colonial past when its port was the gateway for goods arriving from the Americas. Today, it’s become a key entry point for drug cartels, adding another layer of complexity to the story. We couldn’t have hoped for a better setting for this intense, family-centred crime drama.
Did you consider the impact of the US adaptation, and others, when making Honor?
When we began developing Honor for Atresmedia, besides Kvodo, only the US version was available. The enormous impact with Bryan Cranston and the shift of perspective from an ensemble cast to a character-driven narrative was a major source of inspiration for us. We believed this approach would be the best way to present the story to a Spanish audience.
For the setting, we chose Seville – a city that shares similarities with New Orleans [the location of the US series]. Both are located on the shores of major rivers and have deeply stratified societies, making them ideal for this type of story. This allowed us to create the triangular narrative, where the plot is constantly shifting between interconnected yet distinct social groups that function as a system while remaining clearly divided.
In terms of tone, crime drama is a highly popular genre in Spain, aligning well with Portocabo’s previous successes such as Hierro and Rapa.
Did you decide to change the story in any way?
As we analysed both the Israeli and the US versions, we realised we needed to move away from their storylines. The strong premise needed to be kept, offering [the chance for a second season], but in the Spanish version, the dynamics are different. What we wanted to underline, apart from the personal moral struggles and natural reaction to the loss of a beloved, was the rupture of a fragile ecosystem and how it impacts them all.
How was the series developed?
We set up a writers room with a select team of Andalusian and Galician writers – Samuel Pinazo [Malaka], Roberto G Mendez [Auga Seca] and Daniel Martín S. Parayuelo [Isabel], spearheaded by Nina [Weiss & Morales]. It was particularly important to incorporate different voices that could bring the cultural baggage necessary to make it feel authentic.
Who are the lead actors and what can you tell us about their performances?
When designing the character of the judge, we realised we needed someone who could represent enormous humanity and convey emotions even in extreme situations. That’s when we thought of Darío Grandinetti, who we had already worked with on Hierro and who has that unique ability to connect deeply with the audience.
Additionally, we followed our ethos of supporting local talent, something we applied on previous projects like Hierro and Rapa. For this series, it was essential to create an ensemble cast of Andalusian actors, as it was crucial to bring authenticity to the story. We ended up working with more than 40 Andalusian actors, including the renowned José Luis García and María Morales, as well as emerging talent.
This cast ensured that the audience felt emotionally connected to the story and the reality of the setting in which the events unfold.
What challenges did you face in development or production?
When tackling production in Seville, one of our main challenges was assembling a fully local team. We strived to involve as many professionals as possible who had an intimate understanding of the city – not only in terms of the cast but also within the technical and creative teams.
We believe the best way to bring authenticity to a story is to surround it with those who know it firsthand. This not only grounds the narrative, conveying reality, but also creates an energy and a level of commitment that adds significant value to the series.
We managed to form a team composed of 90% local professionals – something that was our goal and considered essential, as we believe in supporting and strengthening local industries wherever we shoot.
How was the series filmed to present the format in a new way?
What makes this version unique was placing the plot in the sun-soaked south of Andalusia. This created a high contrast with the characters’ descent to the underworld, elevating the dramatic value of the story.
What is the appetite among viewers to watch local adaptations when they might already have seen the original or other versions?
Honor has such a strong premise from the outset and offers so much room for exploration and new developments that, despite the widespread popularity of the American version, the Spanish adaptation has garnered a highly significant following.
Setting this legal thriller in Seville and Cádiz grounds the story in a location that exudes authenticity and naturally integrates into its surroundings. Combined with the appeal of offering fiction set outside the usual locations, these have undoubtedly been two key factors in the success of this version.
Why should viewers watch the series?
Honor is a series that anyone can relate to, as it pushes its characters to the limits of justice, morality and how far a person is willing to go to protect their kin. It is a gripping legal drama where the line between right and wrong blurs with every twist in the story.
Like that? Watch this! Suggested by AI, selected by DQ
Perdida (Stolen Away): Antena 3 and Netflix’s emotional thriller is about parents willing to do anything to find out where their daughter is, leading father Antonio to make the risky decision to enter a dangerous Colombian prison.
Rapa: In this Movistar Plus+ series, Maite, a Guardia Civil sergeant, and high-school teacher Tomás become obsessed with solving the murder of local mayor Amparo Seoane, after Tomás is the only witness to the killing.
Hierro: A Movistar Plus+ and Arte crime drama, the story centres on Judge Candela Montes and Díaz, who conduct their own investigations into the same crime – the death of Fran, who is found dead on the day he was due to marry Díaz’s daughter, with Díaz the main suspect.
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tagged in: Alfonso Blanco, Antena 3, Atresmedia TV, Atresplayer, Honor, Kvodo, Nina Hernandez, Portocabo, Yes Studios, Your Honor