Thanks to hits like Narcos and Money Heist, American audiences have developed a budding interest in Spanish-language TV shows. Most of these projects are shot in Spain, Mexico, and Colombia; through them, American and global audiences experience different cultures while enjoying unique storylines.
Typically, Spanish-language crossover hits tend to be dramas, but there are a couple of great small-screen sci-fi projects worth checking out for fans of the genre.
10 The Barrier (2020)
Stream On Netflix
Classism is a common theme in sci-fi movies and TV shows, but The Barrier dives into it much deeper through a story where Madrid is divided into two using a Berlin-like wall. On one side, the rich enjoy opulence, while on the other side, the poor struggle with impoverishment, disease, and constant harassment from law enforcement officers.
Some of the absurd fictional diseases and mutations prevent The Barrier from being one of the realistic dystopian TV shows. Still, as a sci-fi series, it impresses by having several characters that are focused on innovation in order to get themselves out of their predicaments. Set in the 1940s, the series also gives a picture of what the world would look like if there were a nuclear-driven World War III.
9 Offworld (2022)
Stream On Apple TV+
A solar storm remains one of the most feared outcomes by scientists, and in Offworld (Apagon), it’s a reality. Survivors in the series have a lot of work on their hands since the storm has caused most of the world’s technology to cease to exist, hence the need for a fresh start.
The show is adapted from the podcast El gran apagón, so most of the unique ideas found in it are what is presented on screen. Science aside, viewers witness great interpersonal relationships between the survivors while also learning a thing or two about how to soldier on during an apocalyptic scenario.
8 The Girl From Yesterday (2009)
Rent On Apple TV+
The Girl from Yesterday (La Chica de Ayer) is a step up from its already stellar source material since it's much more emotionally intense than Life on Mars (the British show Girl from Yesterday draws inspiration from). The focus is on time travel, so fans get to see a policeman plucked from modern times and inserted into the ‘70s when Spain was still reeling from the effects of Francisco Franco’s authoritarian rule.
Unlike most procedurals which only focus on cases, investigations, and trials, The Girl from Yesterday constantly flirts with politics. In addition, only outdated investigation methods are used, given the period, so the cases mostly get closed because of vigorous interrogations and surveillance rather than forensics.
7 The Ministry Of Time (2015)
Stream On Netflix
The Ministry of Time (El Ministerio del Tempo) has something close to the Time Variance Authority (TVA), most recently seen in one of the MCU’s most adored TV shows, Disney+’s Loki. Similar to the Marvel organization, the Spanish series has The Ministry of Time, which pursues and prosecutes individuals whose time-traveling exploits are messing with the general flow of events.
Apart from sci-fi fans, the series is tailored to appeal to history fans since it features various influential figures from the past. From Napoleon Bonaparte to Ernest Hemingway and Alfred Hitchcock, several surprise figures pop up and influence the plot in one way or another. Additionally, the casting is magnificently done, making even the minor characters worthy of investing time into.
6 Paradise (2021)
Stream On HBO Max
Paradise is modeled after Stranger Things as it has a young cast, is set in the same era, uses the same color scheme in the cinematography, and has episodes featuring a string of unusual events. Even so, it has an original story that revolves around the disappearance of 3 girls.
The character development is exemplary, and so is the general world-building, with the show never rushing any of its plots or overcooking them. The friendships and budding relationships also feel wholesome. Most importantly, it allows viewers to witness the messiness of grief and misfortune, making them share in the characters' pain.
5 Plutón B.R.B. Nero (2008 -2009)
Stream On Amazon Prime Video
Borrowing the template used by some of the best American sci-fi sitcoms, Plutón B.R.B. blends humor and science as it follows a group of astronauts journeying across the universe as they try to find a new habitable planet. Overall, the show stands out by addressing the issues of overpopulation and the aggressive expansion of infrastructure around the globe.
Because the two issues haven’t been properly managed, Earth is now full, which means that humans need to start living on other planets. Thanks to this predicament, viewers get to witness a space adventure similar to Star Trek but tailored enough to be considered its own thing.
4 The Mysterious Island (1973)
Rent On Vudu
The Mysterious Island can be recommended to Lost fans as it features a similar premise, only that the survivors are from a wrecked ship rather than a plane. It's also one of the best book-to-TV adaptations, with events mirroring those of L'Île mystérieuse, an 1875 novel by Jules Verne.
What makes the series enjoyable is that the threats never end. As if getting stranded on an island is not traumatizing enough, the protagonists have to deal with pirates keen on looting from them, a volcanic eruption, and strange diseases that threaten to turn them into whole new creatures. Theme-wise, the show is heavy on nihilism, giving fans plenty to think about.
3 Stories To Stay Awake (2021)
Stream On Amazon Prime Video
At times, science provides a much better explanation for horrific elements than the supernatural. Such is the path Stories to Stay Awake (Historias para no dormir) rides on. The series – a reboot of a similarly titled show from 1963 – features different groups of individuals having strange encounters that only make sense in the later stages of an episode.
Each episode has a different director, so the differences in tone and structure are noticeable. Besides that, a high Amazon budget translates to much more immersive cinematography. In addition, there’s steady pacing throughout the proceedings and satisfactory conclusions rooted in scientific concepts that seem implausible but are fascinating nonetheless.
2 The Boat (2011 - 2013)
Buy On Amazon Instant Video
Before he made Money Heist, Alex Puna had The Boat (El Barco), a show about a group of students that become the only survivors of a global cataclysm caused by a faulty particle accelerator. The setting is a ship, so events never feel all over the place. With the students learning that most of the Earth’s land is now submerged, staying on board becomes the only way to survive.
Despair and anguish, therefore, become the most recurring emotions. Additionally, concepts such as mutations and Quantum Physics are explained in detail through the dialogue. Since the main characters are students, the portrayal of a good number of them as overly smart never feels off. The series also takes time before introducing the primary antagonist; hence the grand arrival feels much more special.
1 If Only (2022)
Stream On Netflix
Many people imagine what it would be like to go back in time and start again. In If Only, a miserable married woman named Emma gets such an opportunity. Tired of her marriage, she time-travels back to a decade before she was married, allowing her to make better decisions about her love life.
The show is heavier on romance and humor than science, but the time-traveling is done plausibly, with even loops being introduced to the proceedings. Furthermore, the lead actress does a remarkable job as she is very expressive, allowing fans to feel the regrets she feels from no longer having the twins she got while married and the joys of meeting new partners.