debut on Canal 7, in Mexico City, on June 19, 2005 at 10:00 p.m. TV Azteca broadcast the first episode nationally the following day, at 9:00 p.m. In the United States, Amor en Custodia premiered on Azteca America, on July 18, 2005 at 9:00pm, a month after the original Mexican showing. The first episode was provided as a free download at the series' official website on June 30, 2005. At the end of the first season, TV Azteca canceled the Canal 7 showing due to poor reception by the public. The series was suspended in Argentina between November and January, over a dispute concerning the rights to the story. During the suspension, TV Azteca repeated the first episodes, hoping that the series would later return. However, it did not return to the air in Argentina, except for the last episodes of the first season. Cast and characters Featuring four main character roles, the majority of the cast was assembled from January to March, 2005. Bárbara Mori was originally cast as the female lead, Barbara, but due to scheduling problems she was forced to pull out and was replaced by Paola Núñez. Margarita Gralia was then signed to play Paz. Andrés Palacios auditioned for one of the lead roles, Pacheco, but was made second choice after Sebastián Estevanez. However, before filming began, Estevanez had to pull out for personal reasons and Palacios got the part. With just a month before the scheduled release of the first episode, Sergio Basañez was cast to play Paz's love interest, Manuel. In the 8th season, and some of 11th season, Sebastián Estevanez appeared as Barbara's boyfriend and bodyguard. The rest of the cast were chosen as the series continued, and by early July 2006 casting stopped as the series was coming to an end. Cast (*) Transferred from "guest star" status to main cast mid-season. Reception Critical response Amor en Custodia initially received strong reviews. Due to its pedigree as an adaptation from the Argentine version, it was one of the most anticipated new shows of 2005. The first week showing garnered positive reviews from sources such as Ventaneando, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and Yahoo!. DVD release There was originally no plan to release the series on DVD, but with the success of bootleg DVD versions in Mexico, the USA, Europe, and Argentina, and Internet piracy, a 2-disc DVD was released on February