Series
These are some of my personal favorites for binge watching. Many of these you can find on just about any major streaming service. Be sure to check out my guide for navigating foreign entertainment for extra tips on how to be actively engaged. This list is updated on a regular basis so be sure to check back in every once in a while for new recommendations. DISCLAIMER! I want to make sure you’re aware that censorship can be completely different in other countries so if there’s certain content you don’t like to watch or want you kids to watch make sure to check the ratings because they usually list any sensitve content.
Marseille
I got into this series when I was preparing for my study abroad trip to Paris and wanted to practice my listening skills. I would describe it as a drama taking place in the city of Marseille following it’s mayor…who seems to have a bit of a drug problem, he has a wife, who is a cellist starting to have arthritis issues, and 2 grown daughters. At the same time, you get to see inside the crime and corruption that goes on inside the city from the perspective of multiple characters. I think it’s a good show if you’re really into shows about powerful and corrupted wealthy politicians and whatnot.
La Casa de las Flores
This was a recommendation from a friend in college. I finished this series so fast, I couldn’t believe it was over! If you really want to get into telenovelas, this one is highly favored in my book. You have everything from people sleeping around, a sudden death, someone finding out their husband is a transwoman, someone turns out to be gay, and everyone’s hiding something. You don’t have to understand Spanish to understand that some crazy stuff is happening and each episode ends with a cliff hanger. It’s about a wealthy family in Mexico that owns a flower shop and a caberet of the same name La Casa de las Flores, and you get to see what goes on inside their crazy lives.
dark
This one was recommended to me by a friend from church. He told me it was a good one to practice my German and I took him up on it. I wouldn’t call this a thriller necessarily, but it’s definitely a series that provokes mystery in the sci-fi sense. The series starts with posters all over town about a missing boy. We meet another boy who goes out with his little brother and his friends into the woods where they find a cave. The boy’s little brother runs into the cave as a thunderstorm appears and he’s gone and no one knows what happened to him. The whole series asks the question of where these two missing boys ended up and how did they end up there. I would say this is a thought provoking series.
Ingobernable
I loved this series with the well-known Mexican actress Kate del Castillo who plays the First Lady of Mexico before her husband is killed at the start of the first episode. After the murder of her husband she flees and goes into hiding knowing that they would accuse her of his death considering they were arguing before the incident occured. I’m really sad that this series only lasted 2 seasons because it was so good! I will say, I learned some new swear words throughout the entire series. Keep in mind the actors are speaking in Mexican Spanish depending on what particular Spanish you’ve been learning.
Elite
I remember when this first came out and it’s so good! The 3rd season came out earlier this year and I couldn’t wait to watch it. It’s a show that you have to pay attention to because it goes back and forth from the present and the past. The show is about students who attend a prestigious bilingual private school in Spain and they’re being interogated by a detective about a student who was killed. All the events reflecting the past are key moments that lead up to figuring out which one of the main characters is the one that died. If you loved Pretty Little Liars or The Lying Game back when those came out, then I can assure you’ll love this one. Keep in mind this is European Spanish.
Millenials
This show is on Netflix and I would describe this as the modern day version of Friends…but in Spanish. They do touch on current hot topics including mental health, abusive relationships, and exploring our own sexuality. I wouldn’t necessarily say this one is for kids, but this is basically a sitcom about a group of 6 friends who hang out at a coworking space and go about their everyday lives. Also I would keep in mind this is Argentinian Spanish in case it’s different from what you’re used to.
Coisa Mais Linda
This is a great short series to enjoy if you want to master your Brazilian Portuguese. It takes place in Rio de Janeiro in the year 1959 when Malu found out her husband had an affair and decides to turn his restaurant into a nightclub for music. The whole series touches on how women were perceived in Brazilian society (especially women of color) and watching Malu transform herself into a confident entrepreneur. The English Title is Girls from Ipanema and it’s definitely worth watching if you love dramas set in different time periods centered around characters with a Great Gatsby lifestyle.
Mamans & Célébres
You might need to get a VPN to view this depending on where you are, but this Francophone series on TFX is so addicting. It’s primarily centered around French-speaking influencer moms in different locations. You have some moms that are located in varying cities in France, even in Belgium, Switzerland, Northern Italy, and even Dubai. I love that many of the moms have their own businesses and do some pretty interesting things as they’re parenting children. As a lover of children and entrepreneur myself, it’s so motivating to watch.
The Circle- France
This was really popular when this came out, but they’ve done a version of this with French and Brazilian people and you can find this on Netflix. It’s actually really fun to watch and you get the sense of how younger people are speaking for the most part.