Actor Álex O'Dogherty has released behind-the-scenes photographs revealing how the popular Telecinco television sitcom Camera Café was filmed 21 years after its premiere.
O'Dogherty, who starred as office worker Arturo Cañas in the hit Spanish comedy, published the rare images on his social media accounts to show fans how the show's iconic set was constructed and what took place behind the cameras.
The actor admitted that when the project first launched, he did not expect the series to enjoy a long run on television. He explained that he honestly believed the cast and crew would not last more than two weeks on air, joking about his own lack of foresight regarding the show's longevity.
Reflecting warmly on his time with the production, O'Dogherty said he remains grateful for the opportunity to join the cast. He added that he was amazed that viewers still remember the sitcom 17 years after its final episode was broadcast.
Set Design and the Hidden Machine
The newly shared images offer a rare visual look at how the production team built the set, which revolved almost entirely around a single central focal point: an office coffee machine. For years, fans of the show had expressed curiosity about the dispenser, which was never fully shown on screen.
While members of the cast had previously described the physical layout of the set in interviews, O'Dogherty's pictures provide clear visual confirmation of how the scenes were staged. In reality, no actual vending machine stood in front of the actors during filming. Instead, the set featured a custom wooden structure containing an opening where actors could place the signature white plastic cups used throughout the series.
This specific structural design allowed the production team to position the camera directly inside the opening from the perspective of the supposed machine. By shooting from within the cutout, the directors maintained the static frontal camera angle that defined every episode of the program.
Behind the Cameras and Cast Memories
Beyond the physical set, O'Dogherty used the social media post to honor the off-camera crew who built the comedy behind the scenes. The photographs feature members of the production and sound teams alongside series director Luis Guridi and several principal cast members.
O'Dogherty paid a special tribute to veteran actor Luis Varela, who played the character Gregorio Antúnez. The actor explained that his main goal in sharing the archive photos was to recapture the initial enthusiasm from the start of production while recognizing the large team responsible for bringing the project to life.
Camera Café featured an ensemble cast of Spanish television actors, including Ana Milán, Carolina Cerezuela, Esperanza Pedreño, Carlos Chamarro, Arturo Valls, César Sarachu, Marta Belenguer, Joaquín Reyes, Nacho Rubio and Juana Cordero. The series was broadcast on Telecinco, a major commercial television network in Spain owned by Mediaset España.
Ratings Success and Hospital Spin-off
During its original broadcast run, Camera Café aired for four seasons and comprised 530 episodes. The production achieved major commercial success in Spain, securing an average audience share of 19.5 percent and drawing an average of 3,619,000 viewers per episode.
Following the conclusion of the series, Telecinco attempted to extend the franchise by launching Fibrilando, a spin-off series featuring the same core cast members relocated to a hospital setting. The medical comedy spinoff remained on air for one season before ending. O'Dogherty's nostalgic photo collection provides fans with a complete look behind the scenes at how the original coffee machine comedy was created.
