'The Connection', Lara Álvarez's First TVE Contest: "It's the Project of My Life"

What connection do the answers to the questions posed by the presenter have? This is the premise of 'The Connection', the contest that will premiere this summer on La 1 of TVE, where the audience can also play from home. Hosted by the Asturian Lara Álvarez, the new format aims for contestants to find the connection between all the answers given throughout the program. In each episode, five participants compete, who, unbeknownst to them, also have something in common. It is the Spanish adaptation of 'The Connection', by MediaLane, successfully broadcast on NP01, the Dutch public channel.

"It's the project of my life. It's fun culture, which is needed," says the presenter during the contest's presentation, produced by RTVE in collaboration with the production company Satisfaction Iberia. She also notes that 'The Connection' is "a real challenge" for her as she will debut in a new genre, cultural contests, and on a new channel, TVE, after a decade linked to Mediaset. She left the Telecinco reality show 'Survivors', which she hosted from Honduras, of her own accord to "evolve" in her television career.

"It's a new genre. I come from the improvisation of live shows and playing another role. I wanted to explore this more formal side of television," Álvarez states, revealing that she has discovered that in cultural formats "the presenter must be the guiding thread, the one who distributes the game, explains the dynamics, and steps back to let the contest and contestants shine." Regarding 'The Connection', the host highlights "the stories of overcoming, inspiration, and curiosity" of the participants, who have their "confessable vices and are all connected, but they don't know each other."

Throughout each episode, the five contestants play in five rounds: in the first four, they must answer questions about popular culture and curiosities based on videos, photos, montages, or unique statements. However, the final phase is fast-paced, as it is resolved in just three minutes. In it, participants must be able to find the final connection to all the previously posed questions. Thus, each winner will take home 3,000 euros weekly and a pass to the grand finale, where a prize of 40,000 euros will be at stake.

As a novelty, 'The Connection' is built on a set half of which is augmented reality, changing according to the challenges and questions. "It's something we've seen a lot in news and magazines, but it's the first time it's integrated into a game show," says David Gallart, Content Director of Satisfaction Iberia, who highlights that it's a program to play from home. "It's the only contest where everything is connected. It's something that captivates you because it's very playable from home. It's very striking because it hooks you."

For Sergio Calderón, director of TVE, "this contest confirms the good moment of TVE's entertainment." "La 1 is marking the best annual start in the last seven years. And the best prime time data in the last 11 years," boasts the head of the public television, who trusts that 'The Connection' will take over from 'The Floor', one of the season's revelations. "The contest has all the ingredients to work and has innovative elements that captivate," emphasizes Calderón, who is also "very happy" to incorporate a presenter "of Lara Álvarez's stature" into the RTVE family of faces.

Indeed, contests are experiencing a particularly good moment in public broadcasting, contrary to other magazine formats like 'La familia de la tele', the afternoon bet for La 1, which recorded a 5.6% share this Tuesday and barely half a million viewers, placing it as the sixth option in the slot, even behind the great documentaries of La 2.

Thus, 'Cifras y letras' achieved its audience record this week (7.2%), and 'The Floor', presented by Chenoa in Wednesday's prime time, is the audience leader. Additionally, RTVE will strengthen the new season of 'Saber y ganar' with new scenography and another presenter, Rodrigo Vázquez, who will take over from Jordi Hurtado in the weekend edition.