From ViX to Las Estrellas: Juegos Interrumpidos, Produced by Carlos Moreno, Crosses from Streaming to Broadcast TV

After premiering on ViX in 2024, the series Juegos Interrumpidos (Interrupted Games) made its debut on broadcast television this Saturday, June 21, on Las Estrellas at 9 p.m. The dramatic thriller starring Silvia Navarro, Jorge Salinas, and David Chocarro thus makes the leap from the streaming platform to TelevisaUnivision’s flagship channel, expanding its reach to new audiences. In an interview, producer Carlos Moreno explained how the story originated, the production challenges, and what it means to cross from one screen to another while maintaining the same narrative and technical standards.

The producer received the story directly from its creator, Socorro González: “She pitched it to me herself, and from the moment I first heard it, I knew we had to do it,” he shared. He highlighted the dual thematic focus of the series: the trauma of child trafficking and the unconditional love of an adoptive mother.

“The great display of love from the adoptive mother for her son, who decides to help him, support him, find out what happened, and help him find his family… that’s what moves me the most about the story,” he commented.

A PROJECT BORN FOR VIX, NOW AIRING ON LAS ESTRELLAS

Regarding the development of the story, Moreno explained that the series was originally conceived for ViX: “It’s a project I presented to the platform, and they liked it from the beginning. So, we made it.” Work began with script development, casting, and the complete filming of two seasons at Televisa San Ángel studios.

“Juegos Interrumpidos was recorded entirely at San Ángel with the full internal team, and that also makes me feel very proud,” the producer stated.

PRODUCTION CHANGES ACCORDING TO THE SCREEN

When talking about the differences between producing for a streaming platform and for broadcast TV, the producer emphasized that beyond the medium, the approach was to handle each stage with care: “We only asked for a little more time to take care of things. Of course, it was done differently—with more shots, more protections, and so on.”

About Vanessa Bauche’s character and transformation, he said the actress dedicated between an hour and a half to two hours daily to makeup to fully achieve the character’s look: “The truth is, I was very moved by the character she created. She did it with an internal pain… Vanessa did a wonderful job.”

CULTURAL IDENTITY AND INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE IN THE STORY

One of the major challenges was the representation of a specific Indigenous community: “We had certified language teachers. The Mazatec spoken in the series is very specific to a particular community. Representatives from that area came and helped us,” he shared.

Both actors and technical crew took language classes: “It was a very fortunate project. Ian, the boy, had an acting coach who also learned Mazatec,” Moreno recalled.

Filming the series took roughly the same amount of time as a telenovela, according to Moreno: “It took us almost as long as a novela because we were more careful. We started in August and finished in December,” he detailed. He also highlighted the talent involved both in front of and behind the camera: “We formed a team of very talented people, and you can see the result on screen.”

FUTURE AND COMMITMENT

As for the possibility of a third season, Moreno isn’t ruling it out: “If the audience asks for it, then we’ll have to give it to them.” With experience in both broadcast and streaming, the producer is ready to continue creating content for both formats: “I’m a soldier of this company, and I’m ready for whatever is needed,” he concluded.

Juegos Interrumpidos is an original story by Socorro González, written by Fernando Garcilita and Tania Tinajero. It tells the story of Karen, a young and successful journalist who, unable to conceive, decides to adopt a child. Later, she discovers that her adopted son was kidnapped by a trafficking ring—one her own husband is part of. Heartbroken, she embarks on a journey to return the boy to his biological parents and, along the way, finds true love and faces a powerful encounter with the child’s biological mother.