‘El Rosco’ returns as ‘La Rueda’ on Telecinco

The final challenge that made Pasapalabra one of Spain’s most watched television moments is returning after months of legal battles. It will not return under its old name, on its old program or on its old channel. Telecinco will premiere Rueda la letra on Monday, with the familiar challenge renamed La Rueda.

The new show will air from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Mediaset has chosen not to place it directly against Pasapalabra on Antena 3, leaving ¡Allá tú!, hosted by Juanra Bonet, in that time slot instead.

The return follows a lengthy legal dispute over Pasapalabra’s final test. Spain’s Supreme Court ruled that El Rosco constitutes a work protected by intellectual property law and that ownership belongs to the Dutch company MC&F. Mediaset subsequently reached an agreement with the company to bring back the popular format as part of a new program.

Produced by Bulldog TV and directed by Rafa Guardiola, who previously led Pasapalabra during its earlier run on Telecinco, Rueda la letra will be hosted by Carlos Sobera. The show will divide its action into two clearly separate sections. The first will focus on entertainment and a series of games designed to build time for the final challenge. The second will center entirely on La Rueda.

Each of the two teams will include an anonymous contestant and two celebrities. The first contestants will be Fran González and Lilit Manukyan, both former winners of the jackpot on the earlier program. They will be joined by Samantha Vallejo-Nágera, Miguel Ángel Muñoz, Iván Sánchez and Laura Sánchez.

The competition will begin with La oportunidad, in which Fran and Lilit will compete to become the show’s first official contestant. The loser will receive another chance on the next program against a new challenger. Later rounds will include ¡He Dicho!, Cantando espero, Con dos Palabras and Palabras Ocultas. The network says the games will have a strong family component and allow viewers at home to take part. Their mechanics will change across episodes, while La Rueda will retain the main elements of El Rosco in a separate section of the studio.