When it comes to learning foreign languages, it is always recommended to watch TV-shows in the original version (original language). It is a technique which also works if you decide to learn Spanish. Aside from practicing in conversation groups and reading books, it’s also recommended to watch TV-shows especially if you want to improve your pronunciation. They will help you with your vocabulary and you’ll get to know new words and typical Spanish expressions.
So what are the best Spanish TV-shows to improve your Spanish? Don’t worry, we have a list of the Top 10 Spanish TV-Shows to improve your Spanish. While learning Spanish you could become a fan of these TV-shows. All you have to do: turn the TV on and get yourself some popcorn!
Number 1 of the Top 10 TV-shows to improve your Spanish: La Casa de Papel
It is a very popular crime drama series created by Álex Pina. It is a series made up of 5 seasons that can be streamed on Netflix. It is about 2 heists, one on the Royal Mint of Spain and one on the Bank of Spain. This series will have you hooked from start to finish watching the well thought-out heists that take place. Each of the robbers wear red jumpsuits and masks similar to the one demonstrated in the image. The dialogue is quite fast but immerses you directly into the Spanish language.
Number 2 of the Top 10 TV-shows to improve your Spanish: Elite
If you are looking for TV-shows to improve your Spanish, you can find this thrilling teen drama Elite on Netflix. It is about a group of 3 working-class teens that attend a private school in Spain resulting in a conflict with the wealthy students which subsequently leads to a murder. It is made up of 4 seasons and explores concepts and themes associated with teen dramas. The Spanish dialogue is a good pace and emerges you in the colloquial language of teens in Spain. It is very relatable for many young people.
Number 3 of the Top 10 TV-shows to improve your Spanish: Vis a Vis
This is the Spanish version of the American TV-show Orange is the new black even if the Spanish protagonists wear yellow. It’s one of the TV-shows which earned the most positive critics and it’s a great success. Vis a vis tells the story of Macarena and her entrance to prison where she finds good and bad company and a lot of problems. A good TV-show to learn Spanish, especially colloquial expressions, far from the former Spanish. If you have already watched La Casa de Papel, you will definitely recognize Nairobi (Alba Flores) in the role of Saray Vargas.
Number 4 of the Top 10 TV-shows to improve your Spanish: Cable Girls (Las chicas del cable)
Another popular series on Netflix is Cable Girls. It is a Spanish period drama TV series set in Madrid in the 1920s which is produced by Netflix itself. It consists of 4 seasons with a final 5th season made up of 2 parts and is about 4 women from different backgrounds that have been newly hired at the National Telephone Company. They ring in revolution as they handle friendship, romance and the modern workplace. It is a romantic and emotional series that also demonstrates the hardships working women faced in the 1920s. Blanca Suárez (on the left of the picture), the main character of the series, is a really well-known actress in Spain who also plays in the movie “A Pesar de Todo”.
Number 5 of the Top 10 TV-shows to improve your Spanish: Toy Boy
If you want to see some handsome guys stripping to different themes, this is the series to go for. Toy Boy is on Netflix, made up of only 1 season consisting of 13 episodes (second season is coming soon), and it is about a stripper named Hugo that wakes up next to the burned corpse of a man who is the the husband of Hugo’s lover (or is he?).
He remembers nothing of the evening of the crime but is certain that he is not the murderer, but the victim of a set-up. He sets out to prove he is innocent for this crime and is unfairly imprisoned for 7 years. This suspenseful series will keep you on the edge of your seat. In this series you will recognize another actress from the above-mentioned series. María Pedraza (known as Marina in Elite) is a famous actress in Spain.
Number 6 of the Top 10 TV-shows to improve your Spanish: The Innocent (El Inocente)
If you want to get to know one of the most famous and handsome actors from Spain, you shouldn’t miss this TV-show. It’s a thriller about a man called Mateo (starred by Mario Casas) who accidentally killed someone nine years ago and it was the beginning of everything. You’re going to be shocked by the series of unfortunate events that Mateo and his girlfriend Olivia have to go through. Even though Olivia is his girlfriend, he doesn’t know her darkest secrets. Throughout watching the TV-show, more and more secrets are coming to light.
Number 7 of the Top 10 TV-shows to improve your Spanish: The Mess You Leave Behind (El desorden que dejas)
This Spanish TV-show is based on the novel which won the Primavera award in 2016. Raquel is a young literature teacher who is struggling with her marriage and moves to her husband’s birth town to give their love a second chance. However, in this town there are many secrets to be unrevealed. If you are a fan of Arón Piper (Ander from the show Elite), you will definitely enjoy his acting.
Number 8 of the Top 10 TV-shows to improve your Spanish: Someone Has to Die (Alguien tiene que morir)
The series, consisting of three episodes, takes place in the 1950s in Spain, which was a time of conservative and traditional society. It is about a young man who comes home from Mexico after 10 years of distance to his wealthy family. His parents have chosen a woman for him to marry. However, he brings a male ballet dancer with him, which was shocking for the conservative community. And again, you can see an actress from the show Elite – Ester Expósito.
Number 9 of the Top 10 TV-shows to improve your Spanish: Morocco: Love in Times of War (Tiempos de guerra)
This is a good example for a TV-show to improve your Spanish – especially for beginners. But why? The characters talk very slowly and understandable which makes it easier to comprehend. It is a series about a group of nurses from Madrid who are sent to Melilla, Africa to open a hospital in the war torn region. Although the nurses witness the cruelty of war with their own eyes, they still find time for romance. You might know the actors of this TV-show since they are very famous: Álex García, Amaia Salamanca, Verónica Sánchez, …
Number 10 of the Top 10 TV-shows to improve your Spanish: Alta mar
The series takes place on a luxury ocean liner in the late 1940s. After the death of their father, the sisters Eva and Carolina Villanueva travel on this ocean liner from Spain to Brazil. They become involved in investigating mysterious deaths, a secret microfilm, and hidden Nazi gold. This TV-show is also a good example for you to improve your Spanish because they speak very clearly and they don’t use complicated language for the cases.
So get comfy in your sofa, turn on Netflix and enjoy your time watching some TV-shows that will help you improve your Spanish without notice it! Plus, here it is another way to improve your Spanish while watching TV : a list of 7 movies to improve your Spanish. Enjoy!
