Dani Rovira debuts on TVE with the show "Al margen de todo"

Spanish comedian Dani Rovira has returned to the airwaves of public broadcaster RTVE, debuting as the host of the new show "Al margen de todo". The premiere episode aired on Thursday evening in prime time on the TVE channel. The format was announced as a blend of humor, interviews, and reflection, offering a "sideways look" at various topics. Rovira opened the show with a personal monologue about his mother, highlighting her key role in his life. "Family, and especially your mother, keeps you grounded in reality," the comedian stated. Among the guests of the first episode was a teacher, whom Rovira introduced as "the best teacher in the world". Reviewers from the eldiario.es portal noted that while the show has a clear concept from Rovira, some segments still need polishing and smoothing out.Dani Rovira, born in 1980, gained popularity in Spain as a stand-up comedian and later as a film actor. His biggest cinematic success is his role in the 2014 comedy "Ocho apellidos vascos", which became one of the highest-grossing hits in the history of Spanish cinema. On television, he is known for hosting the Goya Awards ceremony. Preliminary viewership data, cited by El Confidencial, are not optimistic for the new production. The show's debut was described as "warm" or "lukewarm" in terms of audience, which turned out to be relatively low for the broadcast slot on the main channel of public television. This is a significant challenge for RTVE, which in recent years has faced strong competition from commercial stations and streaming platforms, trying to attract a younger audience with new formats. Rovira himself, commenting on his return on social media, referred to his earlier work hiatus. "Sometimes you need to stop and rest to sharpen the axe," he wrote, quoting a well-known proverb. His return to public television after this break represents an attempt to refresh the broadcaster's image and programming offerings. The show "Al margen de todo" fits into a broader trend in Spanish television, where popular comedians take on hosting entertainment-talk shows, trying to combine lightness with substance. The success or failure of this format could influence RTVE's further programming decisions regarding prime time. Future episodes will show whether the production manages to build a loyal audience and improve viewership figures, or if it will be quickly taken off the air. In the context of the difficult financial situation of Spanish public television and ongoing debates over its funding model, every new production is also analyzed in terms of cost-effectiveness.