Maybe you're trying to improve a second language, or learn a new one altogether, or maybe you're just like me and love period pieces so much that it doesn't matter what language they come in.
Last week I mentioned Morocco: Love in Times of War. It is a Spanish speaking period drama available on Netflix. It is so good, but I mean SO good that I literally binge watched in one or two days and I'm hoping really really hard, that a second season is made available.
After I was done with that one I went on the hunt for other period drama series, and what I found was that most of the English ones I've already seen, and the others that I hadn't were all basically international series, Spain, Mexico, Turkey, Poland, Germany, Russia and so forth.
And so I picked one and clicked play, and just like that, a whole new world opened up to me.
I had also said that I didn't like subtitles and found it hard to pay attention when I was trying to read and whatnot. I'm an idiot, that's all I'm going to say, because I found another one on Netflix that didn't offer the option of dubbing in either English or Portuguese/Brasilian, so I was forced to use the English subtitles and one episode in, it didn't even bother me.
But wait until I tell you about this show. Oh my goodness, I get giddy just thinking about it because it is by far one of my favorite, and I mean all time favorite Period Series in like, years.
It is called Velvet, there are 4 Seasons and no there won't be another Season as it actually finished, much to my chagrin.
The series takes place in the 1950's in Madrid. We have the young super handsome Alberto whose father owns a very well known fashion house, and the gorgeous seamstress Ana. Two people who have known each other their entire lives, grew up around the fashion world and the Velvet clothing store, have been madly in love since forever, and unfortunately are at different ends of the social ladder.
What ensues is 4 seasons of heartache, love, sacrifices, pregnancies, crazy people, humor, friendship and an unconditional love so beautiful that leaves you wanting more and more.
I watched all 4 Seasons in 2 days, not even joking. The weather last week was awful, there were a lot of cancelled days at work, Jasmine didn't have to work much either, so I indulged and really obsessed with this show. I could not wait to watch the next episode. It was THAT good.
But before that one, I threw myself head first into Gran Hotel - Grand Hotel and simply devoured those episodes too. 3 Seasons, just gone like that. I am telling you I was on a roll with these Spanish shows.This one was another that was just beautiful. If you loved Downton Abbey you will LOVE Gran Hotel. It is very reminiscent of the Downton Abbey we loved.
Again we are privy to the beautiful love story between Julio a servant who has come to Gran Hotel to figure out what happened to his sister who was a servant at the hotel too. He believes she was murdered and will stop at nothing to find the culprit and make them pay. What he isn't counting on is falling head over heels with the daughter of the owner, Alicia.
These two make such a gorgeous couple and their love is tested time and time again.
Apparently Eva Longoria is making an American version also called Grand Hotel, which will premiere on ABC this June. Not sure if I will watch it, but we will see.
I fell in love with both Julio and Alicia, played by Yon Gonzalez and Amaia Salamanca and went in search of more of their work, and that is when I ran smack dab into Las Chicas de Cable - Cable Girls.
Yon Gonzalez once again plays the lead character, this time as Francisco the director of the National Telephone Company. One day as he is welcoming the new cable girls (telephone operators) to the company, he is shocked to see the face of Alba, his first love, the girl he ran away from home with and due to unforeseen circumstances lost track of during their escape. He tried for many years to track her down with no luck....and now here she is, just as gorgeous as he remembered her.
Alba is being blackmailed into stealing from his company and is also trying to forget her first love, Francisco.
Things get messy, Francisco has since married the daughter of the owner, Alba wants nothing to do with him and is even running around with a different name, but no matter how much they try, the connection and the love they have is constantly throwing them together.
So far there are 3 seasons, and again, I zipped through those so fast it made my head spin. Thankfully, there IS a 4th Season in the works and will be airing this year, just not sure of the date yet.
There are quite a few other international period drama series available to watch, and I plan on getting through those as well.
Here is a quick list of all the good foreign language series I am watching, or finished watching, it may give you an idea or you may just find yourself a whole new favorite like I did.
Morocco: Love in Times of War - Spanish
Gran Hotel - Grand Hotel - Spanish
Las Chicas del Cable - Cable Girls - Spanish
Velvet - Spanish
Velvet Colecion - Velvet Collection (sequel to Velvet but without Alberto and Ana) - Spanish
El Internado - Spanish
Juana Ines - Mexican
Charite - German
Secret of the Nile
Love is in the Air - Turkish
Kurt Seyit ve Sura - Turkish
Resurrection: Ertugrul - Turkish
Trotsky - Russian
Eugenie Nights - Middle Eastern
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