HBO Max is producing the six 25-minute episodes of Sin novedad (lit. “Nothing New” or “No Activity”), a comedy about how an apparently routine police surveillance operation ends up spiralling completely out of control. Its cast is headed up by some of the most highly acclaimed Spanish comedians, and it will boast cameos and special appearances from other popular names to boot. This Spanish adaptation of the Australian show No Activity is being directed by Rodrigo Sopeña (the TV programme La hora de José Mota), who has penned the scripts together with Álex Mendíbil (the series Camera Café).

The show follows two police officers during a nocturnal surveillance operation, two female inspectors who are coordinating proceedings from the police station switchboard, and a couple of criminals, all of whom are hoping for some action. However, when nothing at all happens, they start to kill time by telling anecdotes and stories about their private lives; they thus end up laying bare their eccentricities, secrets and true personalities.

Arturo Valls (whose Descarrilados [+lire aussi :
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Sebastián Moguilevsky, general manager of Warner Bros. ITVP Spain and Portugal, stated: “Ever since we began working on this project, we’ve known that we had something special on our hands. Its humour stems from the relationships between the characters, their interactions and the meaningless conversations they engage in while they wait. The secret of the series lies in its combination of a powerful screenplay and a fabulous cast.”

Miguel Salvat, executive producer at HBO Max, opines: “Sin novedad is an opportunity for the big names of Spanish comedy to unleash their creativity. This is a format that has proven successful all around the world, and now, in the hands of some of the most brilliant talents that Spanish comedy has to offer, I’m sure it will also be a hit here.”

Sin novedad is based on No Activity, created by Trent O'Donnell and Patrick Brammall. Aired in Australia in 2015, the series had a second series commissioned one year later. In 2017, CBS All Access (now branded as Paramount +) released the US adaptation, starring thesps of the likes of Will Ferrell, JK Simmons and Sunita Mani. It also enjoyed success and can now boast four seasons to date, the latest of which was animated. It has also been adapted for other territories: the Netherlands and Belgium launched two versions in 2020, Germany is currently producing its second season, and two seasons have been ordered for the Middle East.

Sin novedad is being produced for HBO Max in Spain by Warner Bros. ITVP.