Trivia / El Cid (2020)

• Fake Nationality: In Season 2, Anglo-Saxon princess Oiubreda is played by Argentinian actress Amparo Alcaraz.
• Follow the Leader:
  • The makers do not hide their fondness for Game of Thrones and Vikings, with Urraca and Oiubreda in particular being compared to Cersei from the former and Lagertha from the latter.
  • Jaime Lorente (Ruy) and Juan Fernández (Rodrigo) were both in the popular abroad Money Heist, and this is likely why the former was cast in the lead role.
  • Count Flaín has more than a passing resemblance to Juan Pacheco from Isabel, whose actor (Ginés García Millán) appears here as Ramiro I of Aragon. José Luis García Pérez, who played Hernán Cortés in Isabel's sequel Carlos, Rey Emperador, plays Fernando I of Leon.
  • The series was announced not long after The Ministry of Time aired the popular episode "Time of Legend", which referenced El Cid and the difference between his legendary and historical selves. In fact, when production was announced it was often accompanied by stills from that very episode.
• Prop Recycling: Eagle-eyed viewers will note that the kite shields used by the Aragonese knights - prominently seen during Season 1's joust - are some of the ones used in the 1961 film El Cid with Charlton Heston, astonishingly. Likewise, some of the equipment used by the Moors (in particular their heart-shaped shields) have been previously used in other Spanish historical fiction dramas.

---