38 Best Spanish TV Shows on Netflix (2018)
Getting hooked on a binge-worthy Spanish TV show is a great way to practice vocabulary and listening skills. You also learn about other cultures and gain exposure to different accents and slang. If you are an intermediate or advanced learner, I recommend watching with Spanish subtitles as studies show it enhances language learning. I also jot down any interesting new vocabulary and add it to my Anki flashcards later.
Here are 38 recommended Spanish-language TV series on Netflix streaming in the US as of September 27, 2018. If you’re not in the US, just click the title to check if the show is available in your country (if it’s not available, it’ll display an error or redirect to Netflix’s home page).
Netflix originals will stick around, but watch the rest while you can, because content disappears as licensing agreements expire.
Also, don’t miss my Netflix lists of top Spanish TV shows on Amazon Prime, Spanish-language movies, Mexican movies, as well as Spanish-language movies on Amazon Prime!
1. La Casa de Papel (Money Heist)
Click on the photo to watch the trailer
Addictive, entertaining thriller from Spain. A clever take on the bank heist formula reminiscent of Reservoir Dogs. A crowd-pleaser with lots of twists and turns, some of which push the limits of suspension of disbelief. Season 2 now available.
Accent: European Spanish
2. La Casa de las Flores (The House Of Flowers)
This brand-new Netflix Original is generating rave reviews. In this satirical telenovela, the seemingly perfect De La Mora household deals with the dark secrets uncovered by the sudden death of the patriarch’s mistress, while learning that their flower shop shares its name with a cabaret secretly owned by the father of the family.
Accent: Mexican
3. Ingobernable
Kate del Castillo kicks butt in this binge-worthy suspenseful thriller. Lots of Mexican slang, especially the chilanguismos spoken in Mexico City, and great location shots of the capital. Interestingly, del Castillo’s parts had to be filmed in San Diego, because the actress risked arrest in her home country. She is wanted by authorities for having met with drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán while he was on the run in 2015. Real life meets narconovela!
Accent: Mexican
4. Tiempos de guerra (Morocco: Love in Times of War)
Click the photo to watch the trailer
Historical drama from the producers of Gran Hotel, Velvet, and Cable Girls, with some of the same actors. Revolves around the adventures and romantic entanglements of upper-class Spanish volunteer nurses in war-torn Spanish Morocco in the 1920s. Ridiculously melodramatic and predictable, but still manages to be a lot of fun.
Accent: European Spanish
5. Élite
If you miss El Internado, which recently disappeared from US Netflix, check out this teen thriller set at a Spanish boarding school, also reminiscent of 13 Reasons Why. The story follows three working-class teens who enroll in an exclusive private school in Spain. Eventually, the clash between them and the wealthy students leads to murder.
Accent: European Spanish (except for Mexican actress Danna Paola, who struggles to capture the Spanish accent and slang)
6. Enemigo Íntimo
If you liked El Señor de los Cielos, check out this action-packed Telemundo novela that shares some of the same cast. The suspenseful story follows two siblings separated as children who no longer recognize each other and are pitted against each other in a war involving drugs, crime, and betrayal.
Accent: Mexican
7. El Chapo
To be honest, I find the real-life cartel kingpin El Chapo repugnant and didn’t want to watch anything glorifying his sociopathic exploits. But I started this gripping crime series on my Spanish teacher’s recommendation and me enganchó de volada – I was hooked straight away. The complete three seasons of this Netflix-Univision co-production are now on Netflix.
8. La Catedral del Mar (Cathedral of the Sea)
Tap the photo to watch the trailer
Inspirational, intense story of a serf’s flight from abusive nobles to medieval Barcelona in search of wealth and freedom. Based on the historical fiction novel by the same name by Ildefonso Falcones, one of Spain’s most popular works of literature.
Accent: European Spanish
9. Cuatro Estaciones en La Habana
Click the photo to watch the trailer
Wonderfully written and acted adaptation of a legendary noir detective series. Fall in love with the melodic Cuban accent and the stunning city of Havana in this riveting four-part crime thriller.
Accent: Cuban
10. Gran Hotel
This fan favorite is back on Netflix Instant by popular demand. Juicy Spanish period soap with plenty of romance, murder, blackmail, betrayal, and comedy. A Spanish Downton Abbey meets Hercule Poirot. The plot twists are definitely preposterous but this highly addictive show never fails to entertain.
Accent: European Spanish
11. La Niña
Click the photo to watch the trailer
Captivating and moving series about a former Colombian guerrilla fighter kidnapped as a child as she struggles to overcome her brutal past and reintegrate into society. An inspiring tale of resilience and courage. Well-written script with lots of Colombian colloquialisms.
Accent: Colombian
12. Rebelde
Netflix has brought back all 440 episodes of this smash hit teen series about six students at an elite Mexican boarding school who form pop band RBD. The compelling storylines of this fun show hook you right away. Not just for teenagers, as this 46-year-old can attest.
Rebelde is infamous for its use of fresa slang popularized by upper-class Mexican youth (fresas). Fresa speech includes the use of English words and phrases as well as expressions like equis (ordinary, boring) and o sea (“come on” or “duh!”).
Accent: Mexican
13. El Ministerio del Tiempo
Spanish fantasy series chronicling the adventures of three members of a secret agency who guard Spain’s past from time-traveling intruders.
Accent: European Spanish
14. El Barco
This sci-fi adventure series follows the gorgeous, skimpily clad crew of a Spanish training vessel as they struggle to survive after a global cataclysm. Highly entertaining despite an absurd plot.
Accent: European Spanish, some Colombian
15. Juana Inés
Click the photo to watch the trailer
If you are seeking a meticulously researched PBS-style documentary about the life of this extraordinary scholar, philosopher, and poet, this isn’t it. However, if you are in the mood for an entertaining melodrama “inspired by actual events” featuring forbidden lesbian love, sneering villains, and bad Spanish accents, then this could be just the ticket. And despite the drama’s soapiness, Sor Juana’s incredible story still inspires and fascinates.
Accents: Mexican, bad European Spanish
16. Mar de Plástico
Murder melodrama set in southern Spain. Suffers from plot holes and poor acting, but offers fascinating insights into contemporary Spanish culture such as the ethnic tension between the locals and the town’s communities of African immigrant workers, gypsies, and Russians. The arid Andalusian landscapes are depicted with wonderful cinematography.
Accent: European Spanish
17. El Marginal
Gritty, suspenseful drama set in an Argentinian prison. Fascinating introduction to Lunfardo, the unique slang native to Buenos Aires. Fortunately, Spanish subtitles are in standard Spanish to help you translate.
Accent: Argentinian
18. La Reina del Sur
Kate del Castillo kicks butt again in this insanely popular telenovela. Del Castillo plays a young Mexican woman who becomes the most powerful drug trafficker in southern Spain. Gorgeous locations in Morocco, Mexico, Spain, and Colombia. This narconovela probably glamorizes the drug trade, but I loved the powerful female characters.
Great for Spanish practice due to the wide diversity of accents provided by an international cast. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Spanish author Arturo Pérez-Reverte.
Accents: Mexican, Colombian, European Spanish, and even Moroccan
19. El Señor de los Cielos
I’m slightly embarrassed to admit my affinity for this narconovela, but if you can get past the violence and machismo it’s a suspenseful and highly addictive show that will keep you watching back-to-back episodes (and there are a lot of them, in traditional telenovela style). Great casting and dialogue in Season 1; however, in my opinion Season 2 went downhill fast.
20. Velvet
A steamy love story set in the glamorous fashion world of 1950s Madrid. A big favorite with Spanish learners!
Accent: European Spanish
21. Velvet Colección
Fans of Velvet won’t want to miss this spin-off, in which Ana Rivera returns from New York to launch a store and design school in Barcelona. Second season to come.
Accent: European Spanish
22. Made in Mexico
This fun reality peeks into the lives of nine wealthy Mexico City socialites. The show’s makers were excited to present a cool, glamorous side of Mexico divorced from the usual media focus on drugs, violence, and poverty.
It’s perturbing, however, how white-skinned this universe is, with the only people of color being the household staff who make occasional appearances.
Note that two of the cast are American, so there is some English dialogue (in addition to the English phrases frequently dropped by the fresas — upper-class Mexicans).
Accent: Mexican
23. Las Chicas del Cable (Cable Girls)
Click the photo to watch the trailer
Soapy melodrama about four women working as operators for a phone company in 1920s Madrid. The unique storyline is loaded with twists and intrigue, and Gran Hotel’s Yon González is always un bombón (easy on the eyes). 😀 Beautiful production values but some jarring anachronisms like the modern soundtrack. From the creators of Gran Hotel, Velvet, and Tiempos de Guerra; however, many fans consider it the weakest of the four.
Accent: European Spanish
24. The Day I Met El Chapo
In this fascinating docuseries, Mexican actress Kate del Castillo presents her side of the now-infamous meeting between notorious drug trafficker El Chapo, Sean Penn, and herself. I’ve always admired del Castillo for her strong convictions and badass female roles, but here her ambition and naïveté get her into deep trouble. Sean Penn outs himself as a total slimebag, and Kate becomes a convenient scapegoat for the corrupt Mexican government.
Interesting insights into Mexican culture (the influence of Televisa and telenovelas, Mexicans’ deep distrust of their own government) and lots of colloquial Mexican Spanish.
Accent: Mexican
25. Narcos
OK, Narcos is partially in English, but it’s still a compulsive watch and a fun way to practice Spanish from the comfort of your couch.
Accents: Colombian, Mexican (Note: Some of the Colombian accents are notoriously fake as the cast was drawn from across Latin America and Spain. Brazilian actor Warner Moura’s portrayal of Escobar was particularly ridiculed.)
26. Pablo Escobar, el Patrón del Mal
This Colombian version of the Escobar saga is much more detailed and authentic than Narcos, and Andrés Parra’s portrayal of the narcotraficante is vastly superior. The intermingling of graphic period footage adds to the realism.
Parra spent days studying Escobar’s voice, expressions, and body language, and his impersonation is thoroughly convincing. In contrast to Brazilian actor Wagner Moura’s bizarre Portuguese-accented Spanish in Narcos, Parra’s Paisa accent is spot-on. (In Moura’s defense, he only had a few months to learn Spanish. Parra was offered the role of Escobar in Narcos but turned it down because he did not want to be typecast, and because he found it psychologically exhausting to play such an evil character.)
Note: Despite its high quality, I did not finish this series as Escobar’s unmitigated evil was too hard for me to watch. Stronger stomachs than mine should check it out though. 😉
Accent: Colombian
27. Surviving Escobar – Alias JJ
Tap the photo to watch the trailer
Jonesing for another quality drug drama fix? Try this suspenseful Colombian series based on the memoirs of John Jairo (JJ) Velásquez, Pablo Escobar’s main hitman. As the Medellín Cartel crumbles, JJ struggles to survive and gain respect in the prison hierarchy.
Accent: Colombian
28. Bala Loca
A Chilean journalist investigating corruption stumbles on a big story when a fellow reporter dies suspiciously. Ten-episode political thriller that garnered rave reviews in its native Chile.
Accent: Chilean
29. La Esclava Blanca
Excellent Colombian novela that tells the story of Victoria, a white girl saved and raised by slaves in the Colombian Caribbean who later returns to fight for the freedom of her adopted family.
Accent: Colombian
30. Club de Cuervos
This witty Mexican drama, Netflix’s first Spanish-
Accents: Mexican, Peruvian, Argentinian, European Spanish, and even Brazilian
31. Club de Cuervos Presents: The Ballad of Hugo Sánchez
Click to watch trailer
This charming spin-off of Club de Cuervos focuses on meek personal assistant Hugo Sánchez, who is tasked with babysitting the Cuervos in Nicaragua and leading them to victory — that is, if his mom would let him.
Accents: Like Club de Cuervos, a diversity of accents including Mexican, Nicaraguan, and Argentinian
32. Celia
Alternative trailer with English voiceovers
This 80-part Colombian series follows charismatic Afro-Cuban singer Celia Cruz as she overcomes sexism, racism, and political strife to become the Queen of Salsa. Nice to see a novela with an Afro-Latina in the lead role. Mixed reviews due to its slow pace and a jarring cast change halfway though, but worth watching if you love Celia and her music.
Accent: Cuban
33. Lady, la Vendedora de Rosas
The poignant real-life story of Colombian child-star Lady Tabares, who was plucked off the streets of one of Medellin’s poorest neighborhoods to star in a film and quickly rose to fame.
Accent: Colombian
34. Edha
Netflix’s first original Argentinian production is an erotic thriller set in the glamorous fashion scene of Buenos Aires. The life of a successful designer and single mother turns upside down when she meets a mysterious man. A soapy mixture of revenge, passion, and dark secrets!
Accent: Argentinian
35. Apaches
Set in a working-class neighborhood of Madrid, this series based on the novel by Miguel Sáez Carral follows a young journalist who is forced into a life of crime to save his family.
Accent: European Spanish
36. Fariña (Cocaine Coast)
Tap the photo to watch the trailer
Suspenseful crime drama set in 1980s Galicia, Spain about the rise to power of a young fisherman seduced into becoming a prosperous cocaine smuggler. Based on journalist Nacho Carretero’s controversial nonfiction book of the same name.
Accent: European Spanish (Galician), some Latin American
37. Paquita Salas
Netflix picked up this popular Spanish web series, a tongue-in-cheek parody of the entertainment industry. Middle-aged Paquita, played by actor Brays Efe in drag, was one of Spain’s top talent agents in the ’90s, but finds herself in dire straits after losing her biggest client. Lots of cameos of Spanish celebrities, slang, and pop culture references.
Accent: European Spanish
38. Crematorio
Spanish thriller about corruption and the mafia that follows a ruthless real estate developer battling family drama, betrayals, and the fallout from decades of shady deals. Based on the award-winning novel by the same name.
Accent: European Spanish
More Netflix Spanish TV Suggestions
Even more shows that haven’t made it on the list yet:
- Yago – Addictive and operatic Mexican remake of a hit Turkish crime drama. Watch the trailer.
- Merlí – It’s in Catalán, not Spanish, but this wonderful series about an unconventional high school philosophy teacher is a fun watch, especially if you’re interested in the diverse cultures and languages of Spain. Watch the trailer (Note: Unfortunately, this badly dubbed trailer is the only one available. As always, I recommend watching this show in its original language, Catalán).
- Welcome to the Family – Another Catalán offering from Netflix. This dysfunctional family comedy follows single mom Àngela as she tries to support her family by covering up her estranged father’s death after learning they’ve been written out of his will. Watch the trailer.
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Super fun post to read – thanks! Makes me want to learn Spanish… 😉
Thanks, Rainier! I’ve found Spanish to be really easy and rewarding, as there are so many opportunities to practice it online and in my travels. With your flair for languages I’m sure you’d pick it up quickly. 😉
Me too 😀
Thanks for this great summary. The only one of these I’ve seen is Tiempo Entre Costuras, which I loved. Another series that I loved was Las chicas del cable. I watched El guardián invisible the other night, which includes some Basque as well as Spanish. I haven’t published a review of the last one yet, but it’s coming.
Hi Virginia, it’s great to hear from you! I definitely have Las Chicas del Cable on my list… looks great. Have you seen Velvet? I have that one on my list too. Just added El Guardián Invisible to watch before my upcoming trip to Spain, thanks! Basque is so fascinating.
Lanina. How could you miss this one?
Do you mean La Niña? Got it in my queue but haven’t watched it yet.
Another great one that I couldn’t stop watching was Velvet. Typical telenovela but set in the 1950s fashion world.
Thanks for the recommendation, Julie! I definitely have Velvet in my queue to watch before my next visit to Spain. I may just add it to this list before then since several other people have also recommended it. 🙂
Velvet was very additive but I did not care for the ending. La casa de papel is also a very good.
Hi Maria, La Casa de Papel is new to Netflix and I haven’t had the chance to check it out yet, but I definitely will soon. Thanks for the recommendation!
To those don’t mind violence and vulgar words, I suggest to watch Narcos which season 1&2 showing about pablo escobar and season 3 showing about cali cartel.
I just finished watching el chapo season 1 & 2, season 1 quite boring but season 2 more of action packed war amongst cartel dealers with el chapo leads the war mostly. most of el chapo’s advantage came from government liason don sol that support him internally especially the army of entire season 2. Worth to watch and better than season 1 for sure!
Agree, Season 2 is awesome! Can’t wait for Season 3 already. 🙂
Mar de Plastico (2016, 2017; crime drama; murder mystery; European Spanish)
Hi Charles, thanks for the suggestion! I watched a couple of eps of Mar de Plástico and enjoyed it, but hadn’t gotten back to it yet… I was planning to do so before my next visit to Spain. I should add it to the list!
Hi Ingrid, you’re welcome. I also liked “Estocolmo”; it’s another Argentinian crime thriller set in the more swanky but seedier news- and boardrooms of Buenos Aires. Another in the same genre is “La Bala Loca” set in Santiago, Chile. Enjoy!
Gracias, Charles, I’ll check those out, especially La Bala Loca… we don’t have any other Chilean series in the list right now!
My favorites are El internado, el tiempo entre costuras and velver, of course El gran hotel was awesome too. I need to watch the other ones
Agree, and thank you for reminding me El Gran Hotel is back! I need to add it.
Oh my gosh, “Club de cuervos” is hilarious! I love it. Give it another go.
Thanks for the encouragement! So many people love it that now I feel like I have to give it another try. 😉
Pablo Escobar – El Patron del Mal; this would have to be up there. 7 seasons worth and the characters they create in the series are top notch.
Hi Sean, you’re right, I should add it. I watched a couple of episodes but didn’t continue because I found it hard to watch the unmitigated evil of the main character. I do think the portrayal of Escobar is vastly superior to the one in Narcos. Thanks for the suggestion!
I’ve just started watching another v. similar to the one I mentioned before, Surviving Escobar. Again it’s like 70 episodes and follows the story of the last remaining member of the Medellin Cartel after all the other Inextritables have perished. The protagonist, JJ, or John Jairo, plays an awesome role as a street smart wheeler and dealer, and I find the whole show equally well made as Pablo Escobar.
I have an affinity with the Colombian Spanish I think.
I’m only 6 episodes in but am settling in for a marathon!!!
Thanks for the suggestion, Sean! Looks like a high-quality show. I will add it. And agree, the Colombian accent is very easy on the ears!
Thank you for noting what accent is on the show. Makes it more fun when searching for a new country of origin to pick shows from when one is used to watching the same thing all the time.
So glad you found it useful! I try to provide shows from a diversity of Spanish-speaking countries.
Rebelde is not available on netflix.
Hi Jaye, it’s available on US Netflix (I’m currently watching it), but may not be in other countries.
You forgot Según Roxi!!!!
Sarah, that sounds awesome, but it’s not on Netflix USA! What are you using to watch it?
What about turkish series in spanish CC ?
Hi Luisa, I know those are really popular in Latin America, but I haven’t watched any yet. Do you have any recommendations?
dont forget sin senos yo hay pariso…..it was awesome….so was centaur’s woman..the first season….
Thanks for the recommendation, Tammy! Looks like Centauro’s Woman (La querida del Centauro) isn’t on Netflix yet but it is on Youtube!
Lady, la vendedora de rosas. And I really wish they’d bring back the Disney series, Soy Luna.
Thanks for the suggestion, Vallarie, I should add Lady. And Soy Luna looks great… I hope they bring it back too.
Thanks for this great list! I just finished Ministry of Time (one of the best shows ever IMO) so this list will help a lot in picking my next few Spanish series to watch. I was actually looking for both “Isabel” and “Águila Roja” but sadly neither are on Netflix, Hulu or AmazonPrime. I found a few episodes on youtube but without English subs. RTVE site seems to possibly have all the episodes of each but doesnt allow views outside of Spain. I could try using a VPN to circumvent, but I suspect they still won’t have English subs. You don’t happen to know where these can be view do you? Also, once thing I noted in Ministry of Time is that many words with “S” have it pronounced like the English “Th”. Is this a European Spanish thing? Because I never noticed this before but most of the other Spanish language shows/movies I have watched were probably Mexican or Colombian.
Hi, Jim, thanks for the recommendations! I’ve been wanting to watch Isabel myself, but have not found it anywhere. Hopefully those RTVE shows will come to Netflix at some point. Agree that they won’t have English subtitles if you watch them on the RTVE website.
As you may know, in Castilian Spanish (considered the standard European Spanish) the letters “c” and “z” are pronounced “th,” and in some parts of Andalucía even the letter “s” is pronounced “th,” so maybe that’s the sound you’re hearing.
Let me know how you like the next shows you watch, and if you discover any new ones!
Ah yes that makes sense about the European Spanish pronunciations… just sounds strange after watching mostly Latin American language shows before lol. And frankly, it’s even more noticeable in “Mar del Plastico”, which makes sense given your comments about that region. I am 3 episodes away from the end of season 1 on that and definately agree with your review. The plot holes are notable but not the worst I’ve seen… some of the acting is less than stellar but I really like Rodolfo Sancho and think he does a great job along with a few others in this series. I find it pretty intriguing, though i may jump to another series (possibly La Nina or El Barco) before starting series 2.
For me Andalusian Spanish is some of the most difficult to understand. What I loved about Mar de Plástico was the unique mix of cultures in southern Spain… the Spanish locals, the Roma, the Russians, and the Africans. La Niña is probably a better more serious and well-made production than El Barco, but both are good for entertainment and for practicing Spanish… Let me know what you think!
I agree about the cultural mix aspect… very fascinating to see those tensions and realize that horrible things like that occur across the globe, not just in the US as many closed-minded people would like to think. But to be clear, it’s sad that they occur anywhere, just really interesting to see another country’s perspective on it. I did go ahead and finish the 2nd season and i couldn’t stand not to after that cliff-hangar at the end of S1!
After that, I opted to go with La Nina and am now totally addicted to that lol! Very well done production, and although a little too bit “telanovela-y) for my taste at times, the strong characters and acting, as well as the riveting story line, have got me almost through half of the ~80 episodes already.
I also wanted to mention something about “Isabel” that i just discovered today, as I know you and probably others here are interested in that series. Still no word on Netflix availability but I found that Amazon Prime Video now has full season 1 & 3 (and strangely only ep.1 of season 2). I was thrilled to see this but was quickly disappointed that there were only Spanish and Portuguese subs available. However, a work-around for some that require English subs is to watch through Google’s Chrome browser and enable “auto-translating” of non-English web pages. I use this feature a lot while browsing but never realized it would work on translating subs! What i found was that the original Spanish subs show up very briefly but are then instantly translated to English! The only downside is that a few times, the English subs were not on screen long enough to read. I need to concentrate on watching a full episode to see if that is really going to be an issue, but hopefully this will be a decent work around for most people.
Jim, you rock! Thank you so much for sharing that, as well as your workaround for English subs. I’m going to add it to the Amazon Prime section. Hopefully Amazon will add the full Season 2 soon.
And glad you’re enjoying La Niña! The Colombian accent is famous for being one of the most beautiful Latin accents and is one of my favorites.
Tierra de Reyes was super good. Couldn’t stop watching. I will highly recommend. Filled with love, intrigue, suspense, thriller and a super cast.
Thanks for the recommendation… looks like a very fun and juicy show! 😉 Unfortunately, it’s not available here for streaming in the US, but hopefully readers from other countries can check it out.
Looking forward to watch Pasion De Gavilanes on Netflix Hongkong soon
Looks like a good Colombian novela, Mai… I hope you get it soon. By the way, I just read that Tierra de Reyes is a remake of Pasión de Gavilanes – had no idea!
I’m not finding most of these when I’m trying to search on Netflix. I’m in the US and I’ve tried searching with Spanish and English titles any ideas why?
Hi Jen, that’s odd. Try clicking just on the title of the show – it should take you directly to the page on Netflix. Let me know if that doesn’t work!
That worked, thank you! I’ve really enjoyed Grand Hotel and Velvet. I’m excited to try these others.
Great! Let me know what your new favorites are. 🙂
Looking forward to watch Pasion de Gavilanes and Tierra de Reyes on Netflix Hongkong
Let us know which you prefer!
Great blog post! I appreciate you putting it together. I just finished watching La Niña, which I really enjoyed. I also watched Cuatro estaciones en la Habana when it came out, which gives much more authentic exposure to Cuban Spanish than the Celia Cruz series, as most of the actors on that show aren’t even Cuban. I never finished it, but I might go back if only just for Aymee Nuviola, who is a totally legit Cuban singer in her own right, recognized for her ability for controversias, which is essentially the Cuban singing equivalent of a freestyle rap battle. There’s some fantastic footage of her performing that stuff on YouTube. But I digress. The end point is that for authentic Cuban Spanish, Cuatro estaciones en la Habana is the way to go.
Hi Eric, glad you found it helpful. Totally agree that the Cuban Spanish in Cuatro Estaciones en la Habana is much more authentic. And thanks for the Aymee Nuviola YouTube recommendations – she is amazing! Hopefully TV production in Cuba will pick up, and we’ll see more Cuban series on Netflix in future.
Another recommendation, if you like social conflict, would be “Alli abajo”, which is a comedy showing the differences between Andalusians and Basques (which are famous for not getting along).
Hey, that sounds great! It looks like it’s only available on Netflix in Spain right now, so hopefully language learners there can take advantage of it.
El barco was the best to me, so far. It was not supposed to be serious, it was a science fiction movie and perfectly done. IT was also super funny and super sad at times. Yes the cast was gorgeous and the beautiful European Spanish was also extremely nice to hear. I love the th sound in English and love it in Spanish. It gives the language a nice respite from the constant s sounds that occur with Latin American accents of Spanish and also gives it that majestic, royal, powerful, and elegant sound, that is so unique to CAstilian proper….It is GORGEOUS!!!. Also, there is a Colombian in it who has the most elegant of the Latin American accents (because it is the one that is the most like European Spanish). But honestly, those of you who cannot listen to Isabel and understand Isabel in Spanish, well, I am really sorry. ISabel was so good that there are no words for it. Everything about it was superb, everything. Then in addition to the gorgeous, elegant, European sound, you have the expressions that they used in the sixteenth century, which are so poetic, elegant, beautiful. Honestly, Isabel is something that you could just have in the background and you would think you were in heaven (just from the sheer beauty of the sounds). On top of that, if you like history, oh my god, and Spanish history of that time was absolutely fascinating and I mean for anyone. Isabel was one of the first European queens who actually had power. I think she may have been the first. Castilian women were a little more respected by their men than in other parts of Spain and the world and that is why she could rule there. IT IS FASCINATING and really goes into Castllian culture as well. The sequel, Carlos Rey Emperador is also superb. Honestly it is worth learning Spanish just to be able to follow this one. It is cruel not to have an English translation, it is cruel…..seriously…..because the world deserves to know this history…When Isabel died, I cried for days afterwards, so you will get into it in ways that I cannot describe especially if you like history.
Hi Laura, thanks so much for the thoughtful comment, and for the reminder that Colombian actor Juan Pablo Shuk is in El Barco… just added that to my accent notes. (By the way, I loved him in Narcos too).
Where were you able to watch Carlos Rey Emperador? Looks like it’s on Prime but not currently available for streaming or purchase. Hopefully they’ll add it as they did Isabel.
Hi Ingrid,
Thanks so much for this list! I studied Spanish from the 6th grade until my junior year of undergrad (I’m now in my first year of grad school), and have been looking for ways to keep learning and exposing myself to the language since I don’t get to interact much with other hispanohablantes! I had started El Internado on Netflix last year, but I’m sure you know they recently removed it. This list gives me a GREAT arsenal of series to get started on. Hopefully none of these disappear soon 🙂
Hi Kaelah, so glad you’re finding it helpful! Yes, such a bummer that Netflix removed El Internado! As I’m sure you know, the selection is constantly changing, which is why I update this list at least once a month. Enjoy watching, and let me know any suggestions you have! 🙂