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Foreign Language Series on Netflix
The beauty of being multilingual is that I am able to watch other shows and movies in the language they were written it. That is if those languages are French and Spanish – hehe. I muddle my way through Portuguese and my two-years of German does come in handy from time to time. Although I am watching shows in Danish and Finnish, these languages are beyond my capabilities. There is, however, what to watch on Netflix in Spanish, French and Portuguese (and sometimes on Prime) to keep you entertained. Here is the second installment in my series “What to watch on Netflix when you’re stuck at home and want to travel – Latin Languages Edition.
Spanish
Cable Girls – (Las Chicas del Cable)
Set in 1920’s Spain, four young women begin working as telephone operators at one of the world’s first modern telecommunications companies in Madrid, Spain. They are charmed by their young bosses, old flames and trusty co-workers. Set in the 1920s, these gal pals are their generation’s “working women”, as such, they each fights for independence. Whether escaping her dark past, struggling to come out from under her father’s thumb or country girl comes to the big city, all have tales to tell. All the while wearing dazzling fashion and hair dos from the roaring twenties. This is one of my favourite shows for what to watch on Netflix in Spanish. Available in Spanish with English subtitles. 5 Seasons.
Grand Hotel – (Gran Hotel)
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Juicy Spanish period soap opera 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. This popular period drama from Spain is now available on Netflix, and featuring a major mystery that involves both the owners and the servants at a 1900’s aristocratic hotel. I know. Don’t you want to hit play right now? But be warned: Grand Hotel’s Spanish version gets a bit steamier than the more conservative Downton Abbey. Available in Spanish with English subtitles. 3 Seasons
What to watch on Netflix in Spanish What to watch on Netflix in Spanish What to watch on Netflix in Spanish
Velvet & Velvet Collection
An unlikely romance unfolds between a poor seamstress and a fashion mogul’s son in this stylish period drama set in 1950s Spain. Set in Madrid, you can watch the antics unfold as the family opposes the romance and many obstacles get in their way. Spanish with English subtitles. 4 Seasons
The sequel (Velvet Collection) moves to Barcelona and set in the swinging 60s. The Galerías Velvet opens another store in the Catalan capital of Spain and we are introduced to a new cast of characters. I am currently crushing on this show with my mom. The fashion is so amazing and definitely a favourite for what to watch on Netflix in Spanish! As per the usual there are many layers to the plot but it’s always entertaining. Spanish with English subtitles. 2 Seasons
Morocco: Love in Times of War (Tiempos de guerra)
A multilayered war drama with strong women characters set in the 1920s Melilla, a Spanish city located in North Africa. Occurring during the Rif War, the series revolves around a group of nurses from Spain who are sent to Morocco by Queen Victoria Eugenia.
Lead by a duchess, the nurse-matron teaches these upper class young women about politics, medical procedures and diplomacy. Of course there are romances, conflicting relationships, jealousies and abandonment. All the great plot lines of any Spanish drama. In a nutshell, the nurses learn firsthand the cruelty of war, but still find time for romance. Spanish with English subtitles. The series debuted in 2017 and has 1 season with 13 episodes on Netflix.
High Seas (Alta Mar)
Their is a ship owner, his fiancee, her sister, their dubious uncle and a long lost father. This glamorous Spanish murder mystery, focuses on the two sisters discovering disturbing family secrets. There are a string of mysterious deaths and plenty of suspects on this luxury ship traveling from Spain to Brazil in the 1940s.
As always the fashion, hair and make-up are bang on and a delight to see. The acting is fairly good and you will notice that some of the cast includes many familiar faces from Velvet, Morocco: Love in Times of War, and Gran Hotel. Spanish with English subtitles. Season 3 dropped in 2020.
What to watch on Netflix in Spanish
Money Heist- (La Casa de Papel)
Half the reason I watched this show was the masks of Salvador Dalít worn by these bank robbers in the title image. What kept me watching was the cast of characters all named after cities and their heist of the Royal Mint of Spain.
Hostages are taken, rules of engagement are set but all goes wrong when shots are fired. This is a continuing series with the most recent season released in April 2020. Netflix expects season 5 to be released in 2021 (I’m guessing 2022 is more likely).
Three Days of Christmas (Dias de Navidad)
Three sisters come across a man and his daughter. Fugitives from the law, the father makes the sisters swear to take care of his daughter or curse their parents to die. Too frighten to do anything else, the girls hide Valentina in the shed. An accidental death ties the family together and they then take the girl in and pass her off as their own. Four sisters celebrate Christmas in their family home at 3 different times in their lives: teen-hood, adulthood and elderly age.
This is a lovely story with the first two episodes in this three part series are well put together and intriguing. By the third, the story line crumbles – not enough to not watch. A good snowy or rainy afternoon watch. Spanish with English Subtitles. Limited 3 part series.
Criminal: Spain
The Criminal franchise started in the UK and was so successful, it created off-shoot episodes in Spanish, French and German. The episodes are located in police headquarters where a team of detectives are interrogating their prime suspect. The drama play out both in the interrogation room and the room on the other side of the two way mirror. That room has the other detectives listening and watching the interrogation. They are looking for verbal, physical and psychological clues. All twelve episodes will film at Netflix’s production hub at Ciudad de la Tele in Madrid.
There are three different story lines and each always starts with the suspect denying any involvement in the crime. Invariably, there is a plot twist you never see coming. On the side, there are issues with the defectives which are usually unrelated to the crime but somehow come together in the end. This is riveting. French with English subtitles. 3 episodes in each franchise.
French
The Parisian Agency: Exclusive Properties
It is amazing how much I don’t care about fancy properties in LA or Toronto but I am obsessed with the luxury real estate market in Paris, France. Is it the multimillion-dollar ‘pied-à-terre’ that I’ve always dreamed of buying if I won the lottery? Or is it the sense of style and the adorable accents (with colloquialisms that I remember well from my year in Paris – oh.so.long.ago) ?
All I know is I love this family business where the parents and three of the four sons work together to list and sell amazing properties in the city of light. Take a peak into apartments and houses you would not otherwise be privy to. At the very least, you’ll know you will need a cool €3-4 million Euros ($4.4 – 5.8 million CDN) for anything remotely decent – with a view, a balcony and a modern kitchen. Season 1 started in June 2021 (French with English subtitles)
Lupin
I have fallen for Lupin… but only the first season. The storyline is about a petty thief and how he seeks to clear the name of his father who was sent to jail for a robbery he did not commit. Lupin is a master of disguise and has a deep love for his teenage son and still holds a torch for his ex-wife. Although not always plausible I love the lead actor Omar Sy as he takes on the character Arsène Lupin, “gentleman thief,” first imagined in 1905 by writer Maurice Leblanc. Lupin’s status in France is akin to that of Sherlock Holmes has in English-speaking countries. Season 2 released in May 2021 (French with English subtitles)
Criminal: France
One of the deadliest national terrorist acts in French history, the assult at Bataclan Theatre, is covered in one of the episodes. Once again, it does not go where you think it should but you will feel like you are right there at the nightclub in Paris, when gunmen started shooting. In French with English subtitles. 1 Season
Call my Agent
Gritty, funny and very fast pace, this drama/comedy is about a talent agency set in Paris. The agency is sent into chaos as the Director and owner dies suddenly while on vacation with his mistress. This series ran for four seasons with 6 episodes per season. In French with English subtitles, you will be challenged to keep up with the dialogue and slang used in each episode.
I did manage to widen my vocabulary and a tuned my ear back to Parisian French. Well written and full of interesting characters, it is well worth binge watching. From the young intern to the matronly veteran, the hip and carefree lesbian to the ponytail impeccably dressed new owner. There lives are all intertwined.
The beauty of this show is many episodes have cameo appearances by some of the most famous French actors. It is so much fun to see them play themselves (and I’m sure some camp it up). I highly recommend this series if you want to see Paris. It’s way more complicated than Emily in Paris #justsaying French with English subtitles. 4 Seasons.
Portuguese
Girls from Ipanema (Coisa Mais Linda)
If you are a fan of fashion, Girls from Ipanema is a must-see for what to watch on Netflix if you want to travel. Set in the swinging 60s, it has some of the best fashion, hairstyles and set design for that era. Set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil our protagonist is a wealth-off young women who leave São Paulo to find her wayward husband.
Thinking he is busy setting up their new business, she soon finds out the restaurant is nothing more than an old abandoned club. With a new found friend she decides to open a live jazz club. She is supported by her two childhood friends. The blind faith in their success is all very progressive and hip – one white woman and one black woman opening up a nightclub. To say she has obstacles placed in front of her by her father, her ex and other shady characters is an understatement.
Once again, more strong women characters challenging a male dominated world in the swinging 60s. The men in the series tend to be in the background but manage to cause all sorts of problems for these gal pals. In Brazilian Portuguese with English subtitles. 3 Season
You may be interested in my favourite food shows on Netflix to get your taste buds salivating. Although I love practicing my Spanish with my list of what to watch on Netflix in Spanish, I love listening to Finnish. Be sure and check back for the Scandinavian edition coming soon. Check out the English language shows I loved to watch (and you should too) if you’re stuck at home and want to travel!
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🏡 Where to Stay: Top Accommodations
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