Regular viewers of La Promesa will have to wait longer than expected to see the development of Pía's storyline. The character played by María Castro has gained importance in the plot thanks to her promotion as the palace's housekeeper. However, a change in TVE's programming has left the development of one of the most desired episodes by fans hanging in the air.
RTVE has announced that they won't air the episode scheduled for Wednesday, June 11. The public channel has chosen to give priority to the broadcast of the opening match of the UEFA Under-21 European Championship. The match between Slovakia and Spain will completely change the afternoon schedule on La 1.
This adjustment has caused discontent among the show's followers, especially those who closely follow María Castro's storyline. The Galician actress has won the audience's affection for her role as Pía, a woman who has climbed the ranks within the staff. The progress of her character is considered key in the fiction produced by Bambú, which makes this delay even more frustrating.
La Promesa has established itself as the main afternoon content on La 1, within the La familia de la tele programming block. Its audience performance has been steady, boosting the rest of the afternoon time slot's shows. Despite its success, the series isn't immune to strategic decisions by RTVE's management.
TVE makes a decision with La Promesa
The one-time cancellation won't affect the entire week, but only June 11. That Wednesday, after the broadcast of La familia de la tele, Valle Salvaje will be moved up to 5:00 p.m. (17:00). Right after, soccer will begin, from 5:50 p.m. (17:50) to 7:55 p.m. (19:55), leaving out several key pieces of the afternoon television line-up.
In addition to La Promesa, two other broadcasts will be left out due to this change. These are El club de La Promesa, the analysis and additional content show that follows each episode, and El cazador Stars, which also won't be able to air its usual installment. These adjustments reflect the priority the public corporation has wanted to give to the sporting event, even though previous figures haven't been particularly encouraging.
The friendly match that Spain Under-21 played against Ukraine on June 6 didn't achieve good numbers. It only reached a 5.3% audience share and gathered 465,000 viewers, a figure far from what is usual on La 1. Nevertheless, RTVE has decided to bet again on this type of live sports broadcast.
The immediate consequence is that the episode focused on Pía won't air until at least Thursday, June 12. This puts on hold a storyline that had captured the attention of many, thanks to recent narrative twists in which María Castro's character has taken charge of the palace. For the most loyal fans, the wait has felt especially long.
María Castro's fans are upset
Some complaints have been voiced on social media, where the show's followers have asked for explanations about the change. Many were hoping to learn the outcome of the tensions in the house and see how Pía handles her new position. The delay, even if only for a day, has broken the usual rhythm for an audience that follows the series daily with enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, RTVE hasn't issued further explanations beyond the already communicated schedule adjustments. The channel considers that these kinds of moves are necessary to keep a varied offering that includes both fiction and sports events of national interest. However, this decision has highlighted the difficult balance between audiences, programming, and viewer loyalty.
With the resolution of pending storylines still unknown, the media spotlight remains on María Castro. Her performance has been one of the most valued narrative drivers for La Promesa's followers in recent months. Even though her character won't be on screen on June 11, interest in her story has only continued to grow.
As things stand, soccer has won this time on public television. Even though the audience has expressed their disagreement, Pía's star episode will have to wait one more day to reunite with its viewers. What happens from Thursday onward, whether interest is kept or viewership drops, is something only time will tell.