Key Takeaways
- Spanish-language TV shows have exploded in popularity thanks to global streaming services.
- Subtitles and dubbing make Spanish-language series accessible to everyone.
- Spanish-language shows have a rich history that spans multiple genres, from dramatic, soap opera-style telenovelas to Netflix original comedies.
Spanish-language series are becoming some of the most sought-after TV shows worldwide thanks to the boom in global streaming platforms.
Modern television audiences are constantly looking for the next best thing to watch. Gripping storylines, easy-to-follow subtitles, and English-language dubbing have boosted Spanish-language TV shows alongside a global surge in people learning Spanish.
The only issue for newbies is where to start. This guide to the most popular Spanish TV shows gives you the rundown on what to queue up next, whether you’re a fan of murder mystery, period drama, or comedy.
Most Popular Spanish TV Show Genres to Watch
We’ve divided these TV shows into genres to easily find your favorites. Inevitably, there is some crossover, so be sure not to skip over.
- Period dramas and historical dramas
- Thrillers and drama, including crime drama
- Love stories
- Telenovelas — these are usually a Latin American soap opera-style, limited edition series with a complete story arc
- Comedy
To access these series, you need a subscription to streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube TV, Telemundo Max, the Roku Channel, or others. Most from this list are on Netflix.
We have links to stream each show below to make it easy to dive into a new favorite!
Period Dramas and Historical Dramas
Some of these historical dramas occur in the 14th century, others in the early 20th century. The storytelling and costumes are bound to keep you gripped as you journey to another era.
Las Chicas Del Cable (Cable Girls)
Travel to 1920s Spain and follow four young women who find work as telephone operators at the country’s first national telephone company.
Their employment symbolizes women’s battle to earn equality in what were different times. Complete with fantastic costumes, the series shows the Cable Girls’ attachments to various elements of their lives, from families to partners.
Where to watch: Netflix
La Catedral Del Mar (Cathedral of the Sea)
Catch the “Game of Thrones” vibe with this 14th-century spin through a serf’s life in Barcelona.
Class difference, power, and incredible acting beef up this series. It follows a stone worker who tries to break free from his lowly position to climb into high society.
Where to watch: Netflix
Alta Mar (High Seas)
What could go wrong on a 1940s cruise from Spain to Brazil?
Plenty, seemingly, as a floating, Downton Abbey-style murder mystery with dizzying plot twists unfold during Alta Mar. Reviewers seem to love or hate this show. Spanish learners may find some of the Spanish a little antiquated at points, although, fortunately, everyone aboard speaks the language to keep the flow.
Where to watch: Netflix
Gran Hotel (Grand Hotel)
This Spanish period drama follows a young man looking for his sister. The longer he stays at the luxurious Grand Hotel, the more its wealthy clientele reveal mysteries, affairs, and intrigue.
Romance and suspense abound, all woven around 20th-century Spain’s social and class divisions.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime (with ViX Premium subscription), Roku Channel, YouTube TV
Isabel
Queen Isabella I of Castile (1451-1504) helped unify Spain, finance Christopher Columbus’ expedition to the Americas, and breathe new life into Catholicism across the country.
Isabel is a historical drama that gives a reasonably accurate review of this pivotal Spanish queen in a fascinatingly entertaining way.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Thrillers, Drama, and Crime Drama
Everyone loves a thriller, and some of the most popular Spanish-language TV shows fall under this genre. Warning! Some of these may be unsuitable for minors or those of sensitive dispositions.
La Casa de Papel (Money Heist)
La Casa de Papel is one of the most famous Spanish-language Netflix series of recent times.
Seasoned and masked robbers occupy the Royal Mint of Spain, holding hostages while trying to print billions of euros. But as the siege draws out, the masks slip from the professional thieves, leading to drama, plot twists, and high-tension TV.
Where to watch: Netflix
Vis a Vis (Locked Up)
A young woman takes the rap for her lover’s financial crimes and gets locked up in a harsh prison. Danger lurks behind every corner, and Macarena Ferreiro has to learn quickly in her new environment.
Think “Orange Is the New Black” with more serious undertones that explore society’s ills.
Where to watch: Netflix
La Casa de Las Flores (The House of Flowers)
An upper-class but dysfunctional Mexican family’s life is about to be turned upside down after a suicide. As a backdrop, the family owns a celebrated flower shop but a struggling cabaret venue.
The series tackles themes as varied as drug addiction and gender identity in a dramatic and sometimes darkly humorous fashion.
Where to watch: Netflix
Monarca (Monarch)
After her brother’s death, tequila billionaire Ana María has to return to Mexico City. Familiar themes of dark family secrets, deceit, and power struggles flourish as Ana explores the corrupt world she has inherited.
Where to watch: Netflix
¿Quién Mató a Sara? (Who Killed Sara?)
This Mexican thriller sees Álex Guzmán try to find out who killed his sister—18 years after he was sent to prison for the crime, a crime he didn’t commit.
What Álex finds leads him to face betrayals, family secrets, and a powerful dynasty, all wrapped into a thrilling narrative.
Where to watch: Netflix
Pablo Escobar, El Patrón del Mal (Pablo Escobar, the Drug Lord)
Perhaps you’ve seen the hit TV series “Narcos,” the world-famous series loosely based on the life of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.
Well, “Pablo Escobar, El Patrón del Mal” is a real-life Colombian take on one of its most notorious citizens. It is an up-close and personal look at one of the world’s most successful criminals, with authenticity dripping from every scene. Try this before Narcos and then make your own mind up about which is better.
Where to watch: Netflix
Ingobernable (Ungovernable)
This is another Netflix series, this time focusing on corruption and power, but once more, we’re in Mexico. There is another false accusation, this time against Emilia, who is accused of killing her husband, who happens to be the president of Mexico.
The political and personal interweave in this suspense-tastic tale.
Where to watch: Netflix
Élite (Elite)
Élite may contain a multitude of high school tropes and clichés, but it’s worth the ride. A private school for the super-rich in the mountains outside Madrid accepts three working-class teenagers on scholarships.
Drugs, teenage drama, and murder ripple through the first season’s tight script, which seems to specialize in rich and beautiful people backstabbing each other. Add in love stories, religion and class issues, plus sexually curious teens, and those elites show that, ultimately, we’re all human.
Where to watch: Netflix
Luis Miguel, La Serie (Luis Miguel: The Series)
Mexican singer Luis Miguel captivated audiences in Latin America for decades. This eponymous series, starring Diego Boneta, dramatizes his life as he goes from child prodigy to global star.
Where to watch: Netflix
Love Stories
Spanish and Latin people are famous for their fiery passion. Without a doubt, this intensity heats up the screen through tempestuous love stories. Check out these series to get your romance fix.
El Tiempo Entre Costuras (The Time in Between)
Humble seamstress Sira Quiroga is set to marry a government clerk in this period piece set in Civil War-torn Spain (1930s). Marriage is one thing — love is another. Add in espionage, and this series’ cliffhangers will have you clicking “Next Episode.”
The show is adapted from the book “The Time In Between” by María Dueñas.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime (with PBS Masterpiece subscription), Roku Channel, YouTube TV
Siempre Bruja (Always a Witch)
Colombian witch Carmen has been transported from the 17th century to modern-day Colombia to save her true love. Romance and magic swirl as Carmen adjusts to her new era with this series that appeals to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” fans.
The series has been criticized and praised in equal measure after taking on controversial themes of race and slavery.
Where to stream: Netflix
Velvet
Another seamstress, this time Ana, is a working-class woman living in 1950s Spain. She works at a leading Spanish fashion house. Velvet follows the traditional plot of Ana’s love story with the fashion house’s heir, Alberto.
The four-season love story was so successful it launched a spin-off, “Velvet Collection,” set in Barcelona. Ana returns to her hometown after a spell in New York to realize her final dream.
Where to stream: Netflix
Spanish-Language Telenovelas
Telenovelas—literal translation, “television novels”—involve dramatic storylines and have been a cultural staple across the Spanish-speaking world since the 1950s.
Unlike soap operas, which often run for many years, a telenovela usually has a definite beginning and end with limited episodes. A telenovela tends to have a reasonably stable cast list and complete story arc. Many telenovelas feature happy-ever-after endings, but the twists and turns en route keep viewers transfixed.
Latin America is the heartbeat of the telenovela. Expect themes of love, lost love, revenge, family feuds, and anything that could make both your and the characters’ blood boil.
La Reina Del Sur (Queen of the South)
Telenovelas don’t mind banding around stereotypes. Fans seemingly don’t either.
In La Reina Del Sur, Mexican Teresa Mendoza pops up in southern Spain to become a drug tycoon. The Spanish TV show ran for three seasons and enjoyed swift and worldwide success. The question is, does Teresa end up as another generalization of a Mexican drug gangster, or does another life await?
Where to stream: Netflix, Telemundo Now, Hulu with Live TV
La Reina Del Flow (The Queen of Flow)
There are more queens to watch: This time, it’s the Queen of Flow, a Colombian telenovela.
Set in Medellín, the whopping 172-episode series follows a woman released from prison after serving 17 years for a crime she didn’t commit. She then works undercover as a music producer named Tammy, working alongside the police to uncover the true architects of the crime for which she was framed.
Where to stream: Netflix
Cristal
This 246-episode ‘80s Venezuelan classic follows Cristal, owner of a successful fashion house, in her search for the baby she abandoned when she was young. Unbeknownst to the mother and estranged child, their paths cross, with revenge, love tangles, and drama that need to be seen to be believed.
Where to stream: Not on streaming platforms
Comedy TV Shows in Spanish
We all like a good laugh. These comedies should fit the bill. Humor is notoriously difficult to translate due to cultural idiosyncrasies, but these comedies bridge any gap. The rise of quality in English and Spanish subtitles and translations has also helped.
Paquita Salas
The award-winning “Paquita Salas” blends quick-witted sarcastic humor with big-hearted storylines. The show has the female lead, Paquita Salas, played by male actor Brays Efe. The comedy was created by the duo known affectionately as “los Javis,” Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi.
In the 1990s, Salas was a top Spanish talent agent who lost her best client and fell from grace. The series mixes saucy lines with awkward moments to create a moving, heartwarming watch about remaining true to yourself. It’s also perfect for learning Spanish slang.
Where to stream: Netflix
Valeria
A struggling Madrid-based writer is going through marital and creative issues in this Spanish drama series. Who steps in to help? Her three besties, each going on a journey towards self-realization through the script’s humorous and romantic lines.
Where to stream: Netflix
Club de Cuervos (Club of Crows)
Netflix seems to have all the best Spanish TV shows! In this show, the fictional football club Cuervos FC is thrown into chaos when its owner dies and leaves the team to his children, Chava and Isabel.
The resulting series dives into Mexican football culture as the siblings, with their contrasting personalities, try to run the team and sort out their differences. Drama and humor abound.
Where to stream: Netflix
Lesser-Known Spanish-Language TV Series to Watch
A few lesser-known TV series to put on your to-watch list include:
- Puerta 7: A drama thriller exploring the rough-and-tumble world of soccer fans in Argentina.
- Frontera Verde: Mysterious murders in the Amazon rainforest on the Colombia and Brazil border lead to mystic discoveries with roots in the past.
- Niquelao! (Nailed It: Spain): In every episode of this reality series, amateur bakers are given a limited timeframe to make some near-impossible confection. The result? Hilarious creations and commentary lead up to inevitable cooking disasters.
Watch the Most Popular TV Shows in Spanish
The most popular TV shows in Spanish are often available on global streaming services, ready to binge-watch. Some come from Spain, but many originate in Latin America.
You can choose from comedy to period dramas, real-life documentaries to horror. There’s great variety in actors and scenery, too, with productions from Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, and more.
And why not kill two birds with one stone and watch incredible TV shows and practice learning Spanish at the same time?
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All images licensed from Adobe Stock.