History Series / Isabel

* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Alonso de Palencia is a minor but constant character in the first season, but he is nowhere to be seen in Season 2, even though in real life he remained part of the CCMM's circle until 1480 when he lost the favor of Isabel.

** The Granada plotline is streamlined to the bare bones. Isabel de Solís was captured and became Muley-Hacén's wife 20 years before shown in the show, and her eldest child was already an adult by the beginning of the Granada War, which makes Muley-Hacén's in show decision to name him heir ahead of 22 year-old Boabdil because "Granada needs a warrior" far more reasonable (this was never as clear stated either, but Aixa certainly feared it and plotted for her son to take the throne as a result). Granada's decision to not continue paying tribute to Castile was thus not spinned from a reclamation to release De Solís, but an opportunist move while Isabel and Juana were distracted fighting each other. Al-Sarray and Ibn Hud are [[CompositeCharacter Composite Characters]] used to give a face to the Abencerraje (Ibn Sarray) tribe, who were enemies of Mulay-Hacén and his brother.

** The future Pope Alexander VI as a Papal envoy to Castile.
** Columbus debuts as a potential fraudster that no one takes seriously.

* EvilMentor:
** Juan Pacheco to Enrique IV, [[HarmlessVillain but he learns nothing]]. [[XanatosGambit Not that that]] [[TreacherousAdvisor can't be]] [[ManipulativeBastard spinned in]] [[PuppetKing Pacheco's favor]].
** Alfonso Carrillo to Isabel, until it [[OutGambitted kinda explodes]] [[GoneHorriblyRight in his face]].

** The civil war in Granada between members of the royal family vying for the throne, [[WeAreStrugglingTogether at the same time]] they are fighting a war of conquest with the Christians.

** The Granada plotline is streamlined to the bare bones. Isabel de Solís was captured and became Muley-Hacén's wife 20 years before shown in the show. She had two sons rather than one, and the older one was about 20 at the beginning of the Granada War, which makes Muley-Hacén's in show decision to name him heir ahead of 22 year-old Boabdil because "Granada needs a warrior" far more reasonable (this was never as clear stated either, but Aixa certainly feared it and plotted for her son to take the throne as a result). Granada's decision to not continue paying tribute to Castile was thus not spinned from a reclamation to release De Solís, but an opportunist move while Isabel and Juana were distracted fighting each other. Al-Sarray and Ibn Hud are [[CompositeCharacter Composite Characters]] used to give a face to the Abencerraje (Ibn Sarray) tribe, which were enemies of Mulay-Hacén and his brother.

Even before airing, the series acquired fame in its home country for its very TroubledProduction that nearly got it cancelled before its debut. ''Isabel'' was expected (and advertised) to begin airing in the fall of 2011, but TVE pushed the premiere back a whole year after the first season was already completed as part of a LoopholeAbuse to conform with its government-approved budget, since TVE's yearly cost is based on the cost of programs that have ''aired'' during said year. The series budget has not been disclosed but is believed to be high by Spanish TV standards, with former showrunner Javier Olivares merely stating that it is not superior to that of ''AguilaRoja'', also airing at the same time in TVE and reputed to be the most expensive Spanish TV series ''ever''. In the meantime the filming of the second season was put on hold and even the sets were dismantled. Diagonal TV went to the lenghts of organizing a premiere of the first episode on a Madrid theatre in May 28, 2012 to pressure TVE into airing their product. Luckily, when ''Isabel'' finally began airing in the fall of 2012 the series was immediately [[AllIsWellThatEndsWell met with success]], becoming one of TVE's most popular programs (20% share) and was praised by viewers and critics alike for its acting, historical accuracy, [[PimpedOutDress fabulous wardrobe design]] and set design.

* AluminiumChristmasTrees:
** Before release, Olivares joked that people would surely criticize that the show's Isabel [[LatinoIsBrown was too blonde]] [[HistoricalBeautyUpdate and pretty]]. Guess what was the first thing people complained, apparently unaware that her [[http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wpwexIpyV5I/T5RLdQqivGI/AAAAAAAABpE/7OGVLyX7pss/s1600/img060.jpg most famous portrait]] is of when she was pushing 50 and ''dying of cancer''. The chronicles of the time do describe the [[http://arquehistoria.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Isabel_la_Cat%C3%B3lica-21-e1350118284550.jpg young Isabel]] as "nice-looking" and say that she and Fernando were [[LoveAtFirstSight instantly smitten]] when they met.
** [[BigBad Juan Pacheco]]'s villainy in the first season was toned ''down''. Yep, he did try to kidnap Enrique IV and [[JokerImmunity got away scott-free]]. The difference is that he did it [[UpToEleven twice]]. He also kidnapped Enrique's predecessor's once.
** Some of the 1476 rioteers did enter the Alcázar, although the Infanta was [[RuleOfDrama not directly threatened]].

** Fernando flat out [[BrutalHonesty refuses]] to promise Isabel fidelity. The show makes no secret of the fact that male adultery is far better looked at than female.

** Isabel's otherwise sweet handmaiden Catalina has very strong prejudices against Jews.

* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: Isabel is given Last Rites after a very difficult childbirth during the early stage of the Granada War. Of course she ends recovering. Even if one wasn't aware that Spain conquered Granada in 1492, the second season prologue shows it already.

* TheRedStapler: Tourism to some of the places shown in the series has increased after the show came out, most notably Segovia and Arévalo.

* DeliberateValuesDisonance:

** Isabel finds slavery shocking and horrible... if the slave is Christian.

** Juan II of Aragon, otherwise a CoolOldGuy ReasonableAuthorityFigure, is adamant that ''no'' woman will inherit his kingdom, and sees nothing wrong in raiding French territory in peace time.

** AgeLift: As you might have noted by the introduction above, Isabel was ''10'' when she was taken to the Court, but in the series she's still played by then 25 years old Michelle Jenner who looks 14 in the first scene at the very least. 20 years-old Víctor Elías plays the Infante Alfonso, who would be 8 at the beginning of the series, more as a cocky, unfitted teenager than the clueless kid he would have been at the time of the Farce of Avila, and Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba (played by ''36'' [[OlderThanTheyLook years old]] Sergio Peris-Mencehta) joins Alfonso's entourage as a late teenager at the very least, [[HistoricalBadassUpgrade already trained and seasoned in combat]], rather than at 13 as in RealLife. These characters' ages are never mentioned on screen, so VagueAge is also at work. On the other hand, 36 year-old Rodolfo Sancho's Fernando of Aragon very much stands out, being 11 years older than Jenner, even though the fact that the two have the same age is an important plot point.
** HistoricalBeautyUpdate: Isabel and Fernando were considered handsome, but she was still more on the portly side than Jenner (and even more after the pregnancies). Fernando definitely didn't look much like [[http://www.biografiasyvidas.com/biografia/f/fotos/fernando_catolico.jpg Sancho]] - WordOfGod is that Sancho was chosen because he conveyed best Fernando's charisma and volcanic persona, as well as being suited for the ChickMagnet part.

** Before release, Olivares joked that people would surely criticize that the show's Isabel [[LatinoIsBrown was too blonde]] and pretty. Guess what was the first thing people complained, apparently unaware that her [[http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wpwexIpyV5I/T5RLdQqivGI/AAAAAAAABpE/7OGVLyX7pss/s1600/img060.jpg most famous portrait]] is of when she was pushing 50 and ''dying of cancer''. The chronicles of the time do describe the [[http://arquehistoria.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Isabel_la_Cat%C3%B3lica-21-e1350118284550.jpg young Isabel]] as "nice-looking" and say that she and Fernando were [[LoveAtFirstSight instantly smitten]] when they met.
** [[BigBad Juan Pacheco]]'s villainy in the first season was toned ''down''. Yep, he did try to kidnap Enrique IV and [[JokerImmunity got away scott-free]]. The difference is that he did it [[UpToEleven twice]]. He also kidnapped once Enrique's father, Juan II.

** AgeLift: As you might have noted by the introduction above, Isabel was ''10'' when she was taken to the Court, but in the series she's still played by then 25 years old Michelle Jenner who looks 14 in the first scene at the very least. 20 years-old Víctor Elías plays the Infante Alfonso, who would be 8 at the beginning of the series, more as a cocky, unfitted teenager than the clueless kid he would have been at the time of the Farce of Avila, and Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba (played by ''36'' [[OlderThanTheyLook years old]] Sergio Peris-Mencehta) joins Alfonso's entourage as a late teenager at the very least, [[HistoricalBadassUpgrade already trained and seasoned in combat]], rather than at 13 as in RealLife. On the other hand the characters' ages are never mentioned on screen, so VagueAge is also at work.

* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething
* RulingCouple: as per history.
* TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask
* ChristianityIsCatholic: at the time and place, it was.
* HistoricalFiction

* PrinceCharming: Fernando

* AlluminiumChristmasTrees:
** Before release, Olivares joked that people would surely criticize that the show's Isabel [[LatinoIsBrown was too blonde]] [[HistoricalBeautyUpgrade and pretty]]. Guess what was the first thing people complained, apparently unaware that her [[http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wpwexIpyV5I/T5RLdQqivGI/AAAAAAAABpE/7OGVLyX7pss/s1600/img060.jpg most famous portrait]] is of when she was pushing 50 and ''dying of cancer''. The chronicles of the time do describe the [[http://arquehistoria.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Isabel_la_Cat%C3%B3lica-21-e1350118284550.jpg young Isabel]] as "nice-looking" and say that she and Fernando were [[LoveAtFirstSight instantly smitten]] when they met.
** [[BigBad Juan Pacheco]]'s villainy in the first season was toned ''down''. Yep, he did try to kidnap Enrique IV and [[JokerImmunity got away scott-free]]. The difference with RealLife is that it happened [[UpToEleven twice]]. He also kidnapped once Enrique's father, Juan II.

* ArrangedMarriage: all over the place, successful and otherwise.

* DawsonCasting: Alfonso who was 14 when he died, is played by the 22 year old Victor Elias, Isabel is 2 years older than Alfonso and played by 27 year old Michelle Jenner (Isabelle is 10 at the start, 23 at the end of the first series and 41 at the end of the second). Alfonso's page Gonzales is the same age as Alfonso, so when he took the field at the battle of Olmedo he was only 13.

Two seasons have aired and a third is due to due so in the fall of 2014. The first one covers the period between 1461 and 1474, from the end of Isabel's childhood to her coronation in Valladolid; the second, from 1474 to the surrender of Granada and the expulsion of the Jews in 1492, and the third is presumed to end with Isabel's own death in 1504. A fourth season [[ArtifactTitle without Isabel]] that would follow Fernando's life as a widower is being considered.

The series is available in [=DramaFever=] with English subtitles and has been acquired by stations in several countries in Europe and the Americas.

Even before airing, the series acquired fame in its home country for its very TroubledProduction that nearly got it cancelled before its debut. ''Isabel'' was expected (and advertised) to begin airing in the fall of 2011, but TVE pushed the premiere back a whole year after the first season was already completed as part of a LoopholeAbuse to conform with its government-approved budget, since TVE's yearly cost is based on the cost of programs that have ''aired'' during said year. The series budget has not been disclosed but is believed to be high by Spanish TV standards, with former showrunner Javier Olivares merely stating that it is not superior to that of ''AguilaRoja'', also airing at the same time in TVE and reputed to be the most expensive Spanish TV series ''ever''. In the meantime the filming of the second season was put on hold and even the sets were dismantled. Diagonal TV went to the lenghts of organizing a premiere of the first episode on a Madrid theatre in May 28, 2012 to put pressure TVE into airing their product. Luckily, when ''Isabel'' finally began airing in the fall of 2012 the series was immediately [[AllIsWellThatEndsWell met with success]], becoming one of TVE's most popular programs (20% share) and was praised by viewers and critics alike for its acting, historical accuracy, [[PimpedOutDress fabulous wardrobe design]] and set design.

(expansion underway)

This series is fictionalized biography of the future Queen Isabel. With two seasons so far, the first thirteen episodes chronicle the period between 1461 and 1474: from the end of her childhood to her [[HappilyMarried marriage]] with Ferdinand (Fernando) II of Aragon and her arrival to the Crown. The second season will chronicle the period between 1474 and 1492, from her crowning to the conquest of Granada and the beginning of the journey of Christopher Columbus.

The series is known for its [[PimpedOutDress fabulous wardrobe design]] and set design, and its [[ShownTheirWork historical accuracy]].

''Isabel'' is a 2011 Spanish HistoricalFiction series produced for national broadcaster ''Televisión Española''. The series is based upon the reign of Queen Isabella I of Castile ''the Catholic'' (''Isabel I de Castilla, la Católica''), she of Christopher Columbus fame.

The series is known for its [[PimpedOutDress fabulous wardrobe design]] and set design, and its historical accuracy.

* DawsonCasting: Alfonso who was 14 when he died, is played by the 22 year old Victor Elias, Isabel is 2 years older than Alfonso and played by 27 year old Michelle Jenner (Isabelle is 10 at the start, 23 at the end of the first series and 41 at the end of the second)

* AllChristianityIsCatholic: at the time and place, it was.

[[caption-width:301: "The enthralling fight of a woman to become Queen".]]

Isabel is a 2011 Spanish HistoricalFiction series produced for national broadcaster ''Televisión Española''. The series is based upon the reign of Queen Isabella I of Castile ''the Catholic'' (''Isabel I de Castilla, la Católica''), she of Christopher Columbus fame.

[[quoteright:350:http://pics.filmaffinity.com/Isabel_Serie_de_TV-141985918-large.jpg]]