How many seasons of El hormiguero are there?

El hormiguero has aired 20 seasons so far.

How many episodes of El hormiguero are there?

There are 1436 episodes of El hormiguero across 20 seasons.

Who created El hormiguero?

El hormiguero was created by Pablo Motos.

What is El hormiguero's IMDb rating?

El hormiguero holds an IMDb rating of 5/10 from 969 votes.

Comedy

When Does El hormiguero Season 21 Come Out? Is It Renewed?

El hormiguero Season 21 doesn't have an official release date yet. Based on the roughly 12-month gap between previous seasons, expect it around September 2026.

IMDb

5.0/10

Seasons

Episodes

1436

Diagnostics

Network: Cuatro
Genres: Comedy, Talk
First aired: 2006-09-24
Last aired: 2025-11-27
Runtime: 50 min
Rated: NR

Awards 8 wins & 29 nominations

Predictive Logic Analysis

El hormiguero has been a fixture on Cuatro since 2006, and its longevity alone sets it apart from almost any other show in Spanish television. A format that has run for two decades and generated over 1,400 episodes is not something a broadcaster treats as disposable. Cuatro, as part of the Mediaset España group, has consistently backed the show through changes in the broader TV landscape, and there is no credible signal suggesting that relationship is under strain.

The IMDb rating of 5 from under a thousand votes is weak on paper, but it is a poor proxy for a daily or weekly live talk show that draws its audience through habitual viewing and celebrity guests rather than binge-watching or online fandoms. The Trakt active watcher count is low at 78, but again, Spanish broadcast talk shows are not primarily tracked through international streaming platforms. The more meaningful signal here is the show's continued production at scale: a season that ran through late November 2025 suggests the production machine is fully operational. With no cancellation news, no network statement about ending the format, and a history of uninterrupted renewal across 20 seasons, the default assumption is continuation.

What is El hormiguero about?

El Hormiguero stands as Spain's longest-running late-night talk and comedy institution, a program that has fundamentally shaped how Spanish television approaches the talk show format. Hosted by creator Pablo Motos, the show operates as a hybrid between traditional celebrity interview program and variety show, built on the premise that audiences crave unpredictability alongside their entertainment. What draws viewers nightly is the show's willingness to pivot from serious political discourse to absurdist comedy sketches to genuine scientific demonstrations, often within a single episode. The addition of the puppet ants Trancas and Barrancas as comedic foils provides recurring comic relief that has become iconic within Spanish pop culture, while guest appearances from personalities like Luis Piedrahita create a sense of community among regular viewers who know what to expect yet never quite know what they'll get.

The program's distinctive character emerges from its refusal to be confined by genre conventions. Where many talk shows lean heavily toward celebrity promotion or political commentary, El Hormiguero blends comedy, science education, and current events with equal weight, creating an environment where a surgeon might demonstrate a procedure one moment and a stand-up comedian might perform the next. Motos himself functions less as a traditional interviewer and more as a creative conductor, orchestrating segments that feel spontaneous even when meticulously planned. The show's willingness to engage with experimental comedy and its integration of visual gags and physical humor alongside conversation has influenced how other Spanish-language programs approach the format.

Since its 2006 debut as a weekly 120-minute program, El Hormiguero has become a cultural fixture, securing enough audience loyalty to warrant its expansion to a daily 40-minute format by 2007. The show's 2009 Rose d'Or Award for Entertainment recognized what Spanish audiences already knew: this was essential viewing, the kind of program that generates water-cooler conversation and influences broader cultural conversations. With nearly 1,500 episodes across two decades and a consistent move from Cuatro to the larger Antena 3 platform, the show has demonstrated remarkable staying power in a landscape where talk shows typically face declining viewership. While critical metrics show modest online ratings, the program's cultural penetration within Spain remains substantial, marking it as a genuine institution of Spanish television rather than a passing phenomenon.

Created by Pablo Motos

Themes

interview

Is El hormiguero renewed or cancelled?

Working toward renewal

high

20 seasons and nearly 1,500 episodes aired with no interruption since 2006, making it one of Spain's most durable broadcast formats

high

No cancellation or ending signals from Cuatro or Mediaset España

high

Last season aired as recently as November 2025, indicating the production is active and well within a normal broadcast renewal window

medium

Cuatro's long-standing institutional commitment to the format across ownership changes and shifting ratings environments

Working against it

medium

No renewal signals or trade press coverage available to confirm Season 21 directly

low

IMDb rating of 5 from under 1,000 votes, suggesting low international online engagement

low

Trakt active watchers at 78 with steady momentum, reflecting limited tracking on international platforms rather than domestic audience decline

El hormiguero Season 21 Release Date

El hormiguero typically follows a broadcast television schedule tied to the Spanish TV season, which runs roughly from September through June or July. If the most recent season concluded in late November 2025, it either wrapped mid-season or the show took a scheduled break. A return in early 2026, or a new season launch in September 2026, would both be consistent with its historical pattern. Without an official announcement, the exact return date is unknowable, but a gap of any significant length would be unusual for a show of this frequency and institutional standing on Cuatro.

S20