Goenkale

Goenkale
Created by Pausoka Entertainment, EITB
Starring Eriz Alberdi
Tessa Andonegi
Joseba Apaolaza
Pepi Aranburu
Naiara Arnedo
Aitor Borobia
Maria Cruickshank
Tanya de Roberto
Isidoro Fernandez
Ane Gabarain
Itziar Ituño
Endika Landa
Usue Martinez
Karmele Larrinaga
Gorka Nagore
Joana Ocaña
Joanes Passicot
Iñaki Perurena
Xabier Perurena
Martxelo Rubio
Maitena Salinas
Alex Tello
Maialen Urbieta
Country of origin Basque Country
No. of episodes 3,305
Production
Running time 1:00 (per episode)
Release
Original network ETB 1
Original release 1994 – 2015

Goenkale (in English Upper Street) was a Basque soap-opera, produced by Pausoka Entertainment and ETB, which is broadcast every Monday and Tuesday on Basque Radio-television's first channel, ETB 1. Set up in an imaginary Basque seaside town, the title of the serial is the name of the main street in that town. First broadcast in 1994, it was one of the most successful programmes of ETB 1. It ended in 2015 after 3.707 episodes.[1]

In the beginning every chapter lasted 30 minutes and they were broadcast from Monday to Friday. Then the Friday episode was removed. Since 2004 two one-hour-long episodes are broadcast every Monday and Tuesday. Then thirty-minute episodes (half a normal episode) are repeated in the afternoon every day.

Arralde

Arralde is the fictional seaside town where Goenkale is set up. The programme is recorded at Euskal Telebista's Miramon studios and other outside locations, mainly Orio and Tolosa. In addition, images of different Basque towns are shown, Mutriku, Lekeitio, Orio, Getaria and Bermeo. Next to Arralde, there is another imaginary town named Amaru, often mentioned by the characters of Goenkale.

The main street of the town is called Goenkale, and the scenes set on this main street are recorded at Euskal Telebista's studios, where there is an outdoor set. During the 16 seasons it has been on air, many different sets and scenarios have been used, including the Boga Boga tavern, Maitiena Hotel, Bar Sobia, a txoko (gastronomic society), a videoclub, a bakery, the police station, and the houses of different characters. Currently, they are recording the sixteenth season.

Goenkale. Origins

Goenkale kicked off in 1994, with a bad relationship between the Lasa brothers. Jose Mari, owner of hostel-restaurant Boga-Boga, and Martin, owner of a shop. After their mother dies, they find out that the will favours one of them, and that fact destroys the relationship between both families. The situation becomes unbearable until the sudden death of Martin, one of the two brothers.

Cameo Appearances and anecdotes

Goenkale has had such a big impact in the Basque society, that some seasons ago, the Butchers' Association asked to eliminate one of the plot referred to a case about adulterated meat. The issue even reached the parliament.

Another season, when a kid was kidnapped, the TV station received hundreds of calls warning that the boy had been seen in Gernika, (real town of the actor), and complaining about the incompetence of the Ertzaintza, (the Basque police), arguing that they were following false statements.

The actress playing the character of Maria Luisa was once rebuked in the street by her wickedness in the series. The actress received a letter from a man in which she was warned that some other characters wer lying to her. The man wrote this address in the envelope: Maria Luisa Galardi. Boga-Boga tavern. Arralde. Gipuzkoa. A smart postman that had the letter added in the envelope the address of the TV station, and that's how the letter got into the hands of the actress.

During its 16 seasons, many celebrities made special appearances in the series. Influential people in the Basque society such as the basque chefs Juan Mari Arzak, Martin Berasategi, Pedro Subijana and Hilario Arbelaitz. ETB stars like Andoni Aizpuru, Klaudio Landa, Yolanda Alzola, Ilaski Serrano, Julio Ibarra and Josu Loroño.

Singers as Mikel Urdangarin or Gari, the writer Pako Aristi, pelota player Mikel Goñi, football player Bittor Alkiza, rower Izortz Zabala, or the bertsolari Sebastian Lizaso also took part in different chapters.

The most popular cameo appearance without any doubt, was the one in 2004 where the presidents of the Real Sociedad and Athletic of Bilbao, football teams (Jose Luis Astiazaran and Fernando Lamikiz) made an intervention. It had a huge media attention, and Goenkale and both presidents appeared in the national papers as well as many Spanish TV news.

Among the last cameo appearances can be mentioned, TV clowns Txirri, Mirri and Txiribiton, climbing world champion Patxi Usobiaga, football player Iñigo Díaz de Cerio, former Miss Spain Natalia Zabala, alpinist Edurne Pasaban, bertsolari Andoni Egaña, best seller writer Karmele Jaio and the cast of the successful TV series Go!azen.

Well known actors in Goenkale

During its 20 seasons, lots of actors starred in Goenkale. Some of them are very well known not only in the Basque Country but also abroad. Actors as Barbara Goenaga, Aitor Luna, Miren Ibarguren, Jose Ramon Soroiz, Joseba Apaolaza, Veronica Moral, Ane Aseginolaza, Iñaki Beraetxe, Gorka Otxoa, Isidoro Fernandez, Iker Galartza or Carlos N`Guema.

References

  1. ↑ ‘Goenkale’, la gran cantera de actores vascos in Teleprograma
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