To commemorate the fifth anniversary of the opening of its impressive production center in Tres Cantos and its nearly ten-year presence in Spain, Netflix invited a group of journalists to tour some of the sets for its upcoming programming. One of the series is Manual para señoritas, or, as we can reveal, its English title: The Lady's Companion.
The new period drama series, which will premiere in 2025, is described as a comedy with an unexpected twist, but retains the same signature period drama style that has served Netflix so well in the past. One of its creators is Gema R. Neira, who has been with Netflix for almost a decade, creating numerous hits for the platform (and other channels). Her first major project for Netflix came in 2017 with the premiere of Las chicas del cable, which ran for five seasons. Other subsequent projects include Alta mar, Jaguar, and, most recently, El caso Asunta.
Creators: Gema R. Neira, María José Rustarazo
Stars: Maria Caballero, Nadia de Santiago, Álvaro Mel
The project was initially announced for production earlier this year, set in 1871 Madrid. The series takes an unusual approach to period dramas. While most focus on royalty, this series is based on characters from the era, whom the creators discovered through reading old books.
Elena Bianda (played by Nadia de Santiago) is the story's protagonist. She is a 27-year-old lady-in-waiting who has successfully trained other ladies to win love. Her skills are put to the test when she arrives in a new home to care for three sisters.
The series' cast includes Álvaro Mel, Isa Montalbán, Iratxe Emparan, Zoe Bonafonte, Tristán Ulloa, Itziar Manero, Paula Usero, Gracias Olayo, and María Barranco.
Taking full advantage of Stage 4, one of the ten sound stages Netflix now has in the Tres Cantos complex, we were able to see how the Mencía family's luxurious two-story home was built. The house is inspired by a Barcelona building with rich artwork and sculptures, authentic period furniture, and a wide open space that reflects 18th-century high society, albeit with a modern aesthetic.
The set took three months to design and several more to build, but it is not a fixed structure. In fact, many walls, all with unique colors and decorations, can be moved to create multiple new rooms for the main house and other houses. Gema explained that the main set can be converted into three different houses, which are necessary throughout the series.
According to the creator, about 60% of the series was filmed in this studio, with the rest on location in Barcelona and Madrid.
Sustainability was mentioned throughout the tour. The crew custom-created many of the pieces seen on set, but some items were also sourced from antique dealers or suppliers, reimagined with new upholstery and designs.
Each room is meticulously decorated, and at the end of the tour, the bedrooms of sisters Carlota and Sara are visited. One of the sisters aspires to be a doctor, so you can see scattered objects related to her medical interests (including a skeleton that reportedly changes clothes several times throughout the series; don't miss it!). The other, more interested in supernatural and esoteric themes, is decorated accordingly.
As with Breathless (Respira), the upcoming Spanish hospital drama we covered yesterday, Netflix has high expectations for the recently completed series, with plans for a second season. Executives present at the tour cited it as one of their biggest bets, and the creator is already planning storylines for the second season.
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