Skip to main content

Netflix readies new period drama as first original series from Spain

netflix adds picture in ipad sign
Netflix
Netflix went global this year, switching on in over 190 countries in total, and now it’s getting ready to start production on its first original series filmed and produced entirely in Spain.

Hailing from the directors and producers of popular Spanish series Velvet and Gran Hotel, Carlos Sedes, Ramon Campos, and Teresa Fernandez Valdes, the yet-to-be-titled drama will start production in Madrid this year and debut on Netflix worldwide some time in 2017. The series will be a period piece set in the 1920s, following the lives of four very different women with very different backgrounds from across Spain, each hired to work as a switchboard operator for the only telephone company in the country. It promises to deliver jealousy, envy, and betrayal as the four women try to work toward success and progress at the forefront of the communications revolution.

The series was co-created by Gema Neira, along with producer Campos. Campos says the team are “enthusiastic fans” of Netflix original series, and feel honored to be part of this project. Fernandez Valdes adds that Netflix is “revolutionizing the television industry worldwide.”

Netflix brass are fans of both Gran Hotel and Velvet, both of which stream through the service, adds Erik Barmack, Vice President of International Original Series at Netflix calls the series “epic romances that have been embraced by our members around the world.”

“We’re certain,” he adds, “that our members will love this unique and engaging drama created by some of the best storytellers in Spain.”

There will be 16 episodes in the first season, each of which will run about 50 minutes. A specific shooting date hasn’t been confirmed, but Netflix confirms that it will commence some time “later this year.”

Netflix is developing original series in various locations around the world, including Suburra in Italy, which will also premiere in 2017, and 3%, which is being shot entirely in Brazil in 4K Ultra HD resolution and is listed as “coming soon” on the site.

Editors' Recommendations

Christine Persaud
Christine has decades of experience in trade and consumer journalism. While she started her career writing exclusively about…
5 movies leaving Netflix in April 2024 you have to watch now
A clown stares into the mirror.

The end of April means Hollywood is heading into the summer blockbuster season. The new month also signals the removal of many notable films on Netflix. Step Brothers, The Florida Project, The Sting, and the first three Jurassic Park films will be unavailable on Netflix starting May 1.

The list does not stop at the six films mentioned above. We selected five additional films departing Netflix at the end of April. Our choices include an Oscar-winning psychological thriller revolving around jazz, an iconic comedy from the 1990s, and a billion-dollar-grossing comic book villain origin story.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Read more
Where to watch the NFL draft live stream in 2024
The NFL Logo

The 2024 NFL Draft gets underway tonight. For 257 prospects, it's the culmination of years of hard work, and for 32 teams,  it's the introduction to integral pieces that will shape the future of their franchise.

Round 1 of the draft starts on Thursday, April 25, at 8:00 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2 and 3 will start Friday at 7:00 p.m. ET, and Rounds 4 through 7 will start Saturday at 12:00 p.m. ET.

Read more
If you like The Sopranos, watch these three great modern TV shows now
The cast of The Sopranos.

A quartercentury after it first premiered, The Sopranos retains a remarkably strong foothold over the television landscape. The show shaped what's become known as antihero TV, and it remains one of the very best shows of its kind to ever air. We're no longer in the Golden Age of TV, but there are still plenty of modern shows that owe at least a small debt to what The Sopranos was able to pull off.

While none of these series is exactly like The Sopranos, we've gathered three great shows that have something in common with that show. Whether you're just finishing up your first watch or have seen the show hundreds of times, these shows may help to fill the hole that it leaves behind.
Better Call Saul (2015-2022)
Official Season 6 Trailer | Better Call Saul

Read more