Foreign Television Shows (non-US) | Golden Skate

Foreign Television Shows (non-US)

Smile23

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
Foreign TV Shows Discussion (non-US)

I thought we'd start a thread for all foreign television shows. It just seems weird posting about other shows in a thread that's dedicated to one. In any case, this is the Foreign Television Shows thread so post here about any non-US TV shows you've watched.

I just finished watching the Spanish series Grand Hotel, and I loved it. It's probably one of my favorites ever. Netflix currently has all 3 seasons but I suggest you watch it as soon as you can because Netflix has a habit of only streaming it for a short period of time. They've streamed the show before but they removed it after a while a couple of times already so keep that in mind. They recently added it about two weeks ago so make sure you keep an eye on any news regarding its removal.

If you're a Velvet fan (same producers), you will probably enjoy Grand Hotel. GH has a bit darker vibe but the feel of the show (fast pacing, witty humor, rich vs poor premise, etc) is similar to Velvet.
 

CokGuzel

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 16, 2017
Gran Hotel

I thought we'd start a thread for all foreign television shows. It just seems weird posting about other shows in a thread that's dedicated to one. In any case, this is the Foreign Television Shows thread so post here about any non-US TV shows you've watched.

I just finished watching the Spanish series Grand Hotel, and I loved it. It's probably one of my favorites ever. Netflix currently has all 3 seasons but I suggest you watch it as soon as you can because Netflix has a habit of only streaming it for a short period of time. They've streamed the show before but they removed it after a while a couple of times already so keep that in mind. They recently added it about two weeks ago so make sure you keep an eye on any news regarding its removal.

If you're a Velvet fan (same producers), you will probably enjoy Grand Hotel. GH has a bit darker vibe but the feel of the show (fast pacing, witty humor, rich vs poor premise, etc) is similar to Velvet.

Hello,
I just finished it, and it is awesome! Loved how each episode is always full of intrigue. All the characters are interesting and loved the comical characters like Javier, the black sheep of the family. Unlike the other Turkish series where there are characters I can’t stand to watch, there are no unbearable characters here. I didn’t do a single fast forward because of some characters I couldn’t bear to watch or a story line that I didn’t care about. Each minute of each episode was worth watching.
Just my opinion but this series reminds me more of a Sherlock Holmes type of show, as they were always solving murders. The romance of the main characters , Alicia and Julio, is sweet, and tender and I am so glad they have a happy ending. And as with happy endings, I wanted more of their story. I got torn up with the Alicia / Diego situation but I’m glad the series ended on a good note.
I’m glad Netflix gave us all 3 seasons so we weren’t left hanging. It’s a great holiday binge watching show. I haven’t watched Red Velvet so I can’t compare it. Will have to start on that as well.
 

Smile23

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
Glad to hear you gave it a chance. I still can't get over it. I'll probably watch it again at some point.

OMG, I'm so happy you mentioned Javier because he was one of my favorite characters. He was the comic relief of the show and it was so well done. :laugh: I also loved Inspector Ayala. But like you said, every character was good, even the old Lady who was the hotel gossip.

Make sure you watch Velvet because it's very good as well. There are a couple of Grand Hotel characters in that one: Alicia, Andres, and Laura (Javier's wife in the final season) are all big parts of Velvet.
 

CokGuzel

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 16, 2017
Glad to hear you gave it a chance. I still can't get over it. I'll probably watch it again at some point.

OMG, I'm so happy you mentioned Javier because he was one of my favorite characters. He was the comic relief of the show and it was so well done. :laugh: I also loved Inspector Ayala. But like you said, every character was good, even the old Lady who was the hotel gossip.

Make sure you watch Velvet because it's very good as well. There are a couple of Grand Hotel characters in that one: Alicia, Andres, and Laura (Javier's wife in the final season) are all big parts of Velvet.

Thanks for the tip. Now I really have to watch Velvet. I started a while back but stopped.
Javier, towards the end of season 3, was just hilarious. His storyline where he gets executed for dessertion, then shot, and he gets up when they were about to bury him was so funny. Typical Javier! His father’s flask (don’t know what that’s called) saves him! Too funny! In the earlier seasons, His mother said, she never worries about him because he always comes out unscathed. Then he falls in love with a crazy woman, Laura with her doll, was so funny. The writers did such a great job with his character. Javier/Laura/simonetta story had me cracking up.

I hated Teresa and Diego of course but they added such depth to the story. Their nastiness and maneuvering were classic drama essentials.

I loved Ayala and his assistant/later superior... so funny! Loved the gossip too, Lady...Luviminda.
My heart breaks for Julio, some scenes where he just watches Alicia with Diego. Ughhh, that look he gives her just tears you to pieces. Wish they had showed more of them together, they only had one episode of them together. Lots of stolen kisses or secret kisses were all they could do.
I also liked Andres/Belen/Diego angle. Loved the friendship between Andres/Julio/Alicia and Maite in the end. Maite being a lawyer seemed out of context in 1907. Were Spanish women that liberal at that time? But I loved her character too. I thought Julio was going to fall for her. I was thinking... ohhh no. But he stayed true to his love, Alicia.
 

Smile23

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
Teresa and Diego were great villains, although there were times I wanted to literally hit Diego with a shovel in the face. He was despicable. Teresa mezmerised me with her performance. I couldn't keep my eyes off of her, that's how powerful she was.

OMG, Maite was my everything in Season 3. Her character was a breathe of fresh air because she was an important ally for Julio/Alicia and loved the tiny bits with her and Julio. There was some sexual tension there but they never acted on it. But you're right, she felt way too progressive for that time.

What I loved about Julia and Alicia is that they stuck it out thru 3 seasons. Yeah, there were a couple of moments of doubt but they never gave up on each other, which I loved.

Great stuff overall. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Velvet. If you're anything like me, your anxiety will go thru the roof for that one. I remember having anxiety attacks while watching Velvet but I wouldn't change a thing. I loved that experience.
 

Meganda

Medalist
Joined
Mar 5, 2017
For those of you that watched and enjoyed The Crown I'm suggesting that you see the current move The Darkest Hour. It depicts Churchill, King George (Elizabeth's father), and Neville Chamberlain (who gave Czechoslovakia to Hitler) at the beginning of WWII. It was well played and one can appreciate Churchill, as excentric as he was for the orator that he was in his ability to inspire his nation in a time of need.
 

ines42575

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 1, 2015
Country
Uruguay
I have already watched most of the shows alreday mentioned. My ranking is

1 Great Hotel
2 Un tiempo entre costuras
3 A thousand and one nights
4 The Sultan
5 Kosem
6 Velvet

I still need to finish The Crown and The Darkest Hour.

I recommend my all time favorites. Numbres 2 to 7 are O Globo soap operas.

1 Kommissar Rex
2 El Clon
3 Avenida Brasil
4 India, una historia de amor
5 El profeta
6 Almas gemelas
7 Amor e vida
 

Smile23

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
I have already watched most of the shows alreday mentioned. My ranking is

1 Great Hotel
2 Un tiempo entre costuras
3 A thousand and one nights
4 The Sultan
5 Kosem
6 Velvet

Good list. Thanks for sharing.

#2 is The Time in Between? What's the Sultan? Magnificent Century? And Kosem I assume is the sequel?

I'll make a list as well at some point but just based on yours, I'd say Grand Hotel is easily the best. Right now, GH has a good chance to be #1 on my official list.

I didn't love the Time in Between as much as you. I thought it started well, when she was in Morocco but the show seemed to get worse when she went back to Spain. I thought the whole Portugal portion wasn't as good.

1,001 Nights was good. I thought Season 1 and the first half of Season 2 were good, then it went downhill fast.

Magnificent Century was OK. I thought it was a little overrated. But I only watched Season 1 and parts of Season 2. Gave up after that.

I didn't watch Kosem.

I loved Velvet much more than the Time in Between. But Velvet also had some issues in later seasons. The second half of Season 3 and Season 4 just couldn't match the greatness of Seasons 1 and 2 (and the first half of Season 3).
 

ines42575

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 1, 2015
Country
Uruguay
Good list. Thanks for sharing.

#2 is The Time in Between? What's the Sultan? Magnificent Century? And Kosem I assume is the sequel?

I'll make a list as well at some point but just based on yours, I'd say Grand Hotel is easily the best. Right now, GH has a good chance to be #1 on my official list.

I didn't love the Time in Between as much as you. I thought it started well, when she was in Morocco but the show seemed to get worse when she went back to Spain. I thought the whole Portugal portion wasn't as good.

1,001 Nights was good. I thought Season 1 and the first half of Season 2 were good, then it went downhill fast.

Magnificent Century was OK. I thought it was a little overrated. But I only watched Season 1 and parts of Season 2. Gave up after that.

I didn't watch Kosem.

I loved Velvet much more than the Time in Between. But Velvet also had some issues in later seasons. The second half of Season 3 and Season 4 just couldn't match the greatness of Seasons 1 and 2 (and the first half of Season 3).

Yes, Un Tiempo entre costuras is The Time in between, El Sultán is Magnificent Century and Kosrm is its sequel. I usually watch Brasilian soap operas (I grew up with them), but I really liked this ones too. As for Velvet I got bored after the second season, but I decided to finish it, I hate unfinishing series, movies or books.

The firs soap opera I remember is Esclava Isaura (I think it is from Record TV, but I am not sure), but it was El Clon the first I completed, I was 5 at the time it was aired on TV here in Uruguay.
 

Smile23

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
Netflix is adding a new Spanish series in mid-January starring Alicia from Grand Hotel. It's called Morocco: Love in Time of War so make sure you look for it when it's added. I certainly will.

Cable Girls Season 2 was added recently. Has anyone given it a watch? I wasn't a big fan of Season 1. It wasn't bad, in fact it's a quality show, but it didn't resonate with me at all. It's just not clicking for me.
 

Smile23

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
I was watching parts of Karadayi again last night and I feel like that show is so underrated, at least season one. It's actually a quality show. Yes, the premise is a bit far-fetched but it's at least well done.

Also, I have to think it was a popular show in Turkey since it featured the leading lady from 1,001 Nights and the leading man from Ezel, two hugely successful shows.
 

DelRetiro

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 9, 2017
I'm glad I discovered this thread. "Gran Hotel" was the first Spanish TV show I watched (it used to be free on Hulu), and it led me to a whole world of Spanish television available on the Internet. I liked GH because I loved the settings: the magnificent hotel, the gardens, the clothes, even the cars. I didn't much care for the plot because I thought it lost its way a bit. Most of all, I don't like the actor who plays Julio because I always feel like he plays himself & just reads the lines instead of playing the character. Diego was such a delicious villain, however, that he made up for the weak male lead. Teresa was a pretty awesome villainess as well.

Fun fact: the Gran Hotel that "starred" in the series is none less than the former summer palace of the Spanish monarchy. When I first saw the building, I was so blown away by the magnificent architecture. When I learned it was the summer palace, it all made sense. The structure is so beautiful that my jaw dropped every single time I saw it. The Spanish monarchy relinquished the palace in the civil war, I think. Now it's a conference center that is open for tours to the public. Only the scenes featuring the hotel exterior were shot at the summer palace. All the interior scenes and even the ones in the gardens were shot on a set.
 

Smile23

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
I'm glad I discovered this thread. "Gran Hotel" was the first Spanish TV show I watched (it used to be free on Hulu), and it led me to a whole world of Spanish television available on the Internet. I liked GH because I loved the settings: the magnificent hotel, the gardens, the clothes, even the cars. I didn't much care for the plot because I thought it lost its way a bit. Most of all, I don't like the actor who plays Julio because I always feel like he plays himself & just reads the lines instead of playing the character. Diego was such a delicious villain, however, that he made up for the weak male lead. Teresa was a pretty awesome villainess as well.

Fun fact: the Gran Hotel that "starred" in the series is none less than the former summer palace of the Spanish monarchy. When I first saw the building, I was so blown away by the magnificent architecture. When I learned it was the summer palace, it all made sense. The structure is so beautiful that my jaw dropped every single time I saw it. The Spanish monarchy relinquished the palace in the civil war, I think. Now it's a conference center that is open for tours to the public. Only the scenes featuring the hotel exterior were shot at the summer palace. All the interior scenes and even the ones in the gardens were shot on a set.

Yeah, the Grand Hotel setting was fabulous. That building alone was itself a character. My one complaint about the scenery, I wish they would've showed us the ocean more because I've seen photos of the place - it's right by the water. We saw a little bit of it but I thought they didn't do it justice.

I liked Julio. He was to me the glue of the show. He had a meaningful relationship with almost every single character. Yon Gonzalez was very young at the time so maybe he was inexperienced but I thought he did reasonably well. Grand Hotel is the type of show that will swallow you alive if you're a weak actor but he didn't feel out of place, which is a success for him.

Do you know anything about that new Spanish Netflix series coming out January 18th, Morocco: Love in Time of War?
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
I've been sniffing around Grand Hotel, but have not committed. So, I appreciate the enthusiastic recommendations.

Netflix also has a Russian police dramas I've watched recently. The Method features an unorthodox policeman and his tortured young female apprentice catching/killing serial killers.

It's subtitled, no English dubbing. I liked it very much.
 

DelRetiro

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 9, 2017
No, unfortunately I dropped my subscription to Antena 3 because I had watched every single show in their archive (at least all the shows that appealed to me), nor do I subscribe to Netflix. "Times of War" didn't look interesting enough to renew my A3 subscription. I did see a few clips on YouTube, and they didn't do much to spark my interest.

The lack of Gran Hotel scenes by the ocean gives away just how little they shot at the summer palace & how much they shot on set. I agree, not only the palace but its setting are simply spectacular. Visiting Santander is definitely on my bucket list.

I'm curious, is "Lifeline" (Spanish title was "Pulsaciones") on Netflix? Audience reviews for the series were pretty mixed, but I enjoyed it.
 

Smile23

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
No, unfortunately I dropped my subscription to Antena 3 because I had watched every single show in their archive (at least all the shows that appealed to me), nor do I subscribe to Netflix. "Times of War" didn't look interesting enough to renew my A3 subscription. I did see a few clips on YouTube, and they didn't do much to spark my interest.

The lack of Gran Hotel scenes by the ocean gives away just how little they shot at the summer palace & how much they shot on set. I agree, not only the palace but its setting are simply spectacular. Visiting Santander is definitely on my bucket list.

I'm curious, is "Lifeline" (Spanish title was "Pulsaciones") on Netflix? Audience reviews for the series were pretty mixed, but I enjoyed it.

I checked and I don't see Lifeline on Netflix.

According to the list of shows to be added in January, there are two Spanish series: the already mentioned Morocco and El Ministerio del Tiempo (all 3 seasons). The only thing I know is it stars the lead guy from Mar de Plastico.
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
Tagging on to my original post about Russian series.

Silver Spoon was also a police drama, but it was a little lighter in tone. While not exactly comedic, it wasn't nearly as dark as The Method.

Again, it was subtitled on Netflix. No dubbing.
 

Smile23

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
I just finished watching Season 2 of Cable Girls. I definitely liked it much more than Season 1, and I'll definitely watch Season 3 when it's out. But overall, still not a great show, just OK to pass the time.
 

DelRetiro

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 9, 2017
I checked and I don't see Lifeline on Netflix.

According to the list of shows to be added in January, there are two Spanish series: the already mentioned Morocco and El Ministerio del Tiempo (all 3 seasons). The only thing I know is it stars the lead guy from Mar de Plastico.

Ooooh, El Ministerio del Tiempo is awesome!! A crew of three very different team members are charged with a mission to go back in time and make sure that things happen the way they're supposed to. They do all sorts of crazy stuff like making sure that the Nazis don't confiscate Picasso's masterpiece "El Guernica" or that the writer of "Lazarillo de Tormes" (a literary classic that every single Spanish schoolkid reads) survives to write his great work. The team comprises a 21st century nurse (the lead from "Mar de Plastico"), the first woman to graduate university in Spain, and a knight from the 16th century. They're kind of the like the Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow from "The Wizard of Oz": the nurse is the heart, the university grad is the brains, and the knight is the courage of the team. Even though I'm not a great fan of Rodolfo Sanchez (the Mar de Plastico guy) and a huge fan of his replacement Hugo Silva (Sanchez left the show after the first season), the show really went downhill when Silva came on board. The character was completely different (Silva's character is a cop from the 1980s), and the dynamic changed, for the worse unfortunately. But I absolutely loved the first two seasons. "The Time Ministry" built a huge cult following in Spain, and after watching the first season, it's easy to understand why.
 

CokGuzel

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 16, 2017
Time In Between

Just finished Time in Between. It is fabulous!!!! The dresses are wonderful!
I don't know why I dilly dallied watching this show.
After the first episode, I totally got hooked. I loved how strong Sira is and I love her becoming a spy. The scenes where she is trying to get out of situations while spying were so thrilling. I also loved the friendships she's formed with people around her and who helped her.
I wanted more by the time I realized I was on the last episode. If anyone is looking for a good binge, watch this series.
 
Top