Los Serrano

This is not only the best new series of the year in Spain, it's also one of the best sitcoms of the last 5 years. The cast is superb, not only well chosen, but acts remarkably well (specially Belén Rueda, who keeps raising and raising as an actress).

One of the best things I can say about this series is that it truly has a universal humor in most of its contents, and I really mean it: A Chinese student living at my home loves the show even when she doesn't get all they're saying. A proof that the acting is very good and the funny things are a combination of spoken and visual jokes.

I definitely recommend it.

this show is more than good. Its NOT a soap with all flat characters and stupid and predictable situations. Its about a man who has two sons and a woman who has three daughters. When they get married, the worlds collide and you get hell of a lot fun and drama and action (well, not so much action). All the characters are more than unique and constant. The acting is brought to near perfection even by the youngest characters who seem to have a great future. The situations that the families and their friends get into are unique in every episode and what makes it interesting is that some problems stretch through 5 or 10 episodes and some get resolved right away. The show is beyond watchable. if you have the opportunity to follow the adventures of the family Serrano, do it. Its fun, dramatic, full of jokes and feelings. Again, its not a soap, its real acting, real situations, and all that in what is most important - a real world.

I usually don't like telenovelas and soap operas. Still, I accidentally bumped into this one and, to my surprise, I was extremely pleased with it, as it had two major qualities: excellent humor (the kind that you don't get from soaps, telenovelas and this kind of series) and very well played. Previously there have been some attempts to make a telenovela that features real humor, like "Betty la fea" for example, who partially succeeded, and managed to mix telenovela-style acting (which "we", those who don't like that kind of shows, say it's overacting) with really funny situations, characters and gags; still, it wasn't really THAT funny. But I recommend the "Los Serrano" series even to the viewers who don't usually watch telenovelas and generally soaps; they'll love it and may see it as the equivalent of a good family sitcom. The humor is also unexpectedly sexual for a telenovela, but it manages not to be crude or heavy, mostly in the line of questions that kids innocently ask their parents about sex.

I loved this show! In 2004 I studied in Spain for a semester and I lived with a family and we would sometimes watch TV together. Now when I first got there, my Spanish was elementary at best, but when I saw this show for the first time I found it hilarious. And I didn't understand majority of the dialog! As my Spanish improved (and with TV subtitles for me to read), the experience of watching the show got even better. I even had my host mom tape an episode for me when I went out on 'Los Serrano' night. (And watching TV in a foreign language can be a great study tool.)

This show has such a universal appeal. At first it brings to mind the 'Brady' Bunch with the blended family, but that's where the similarities end as it's updated for this day and age. The antics of Fiti, Diego, and the sometimes cranky Santiago are reminiscent of Lucy & Ethel of 'I Love Lucy' and the chemistry between Marcos and Eva is hot! Unfortunately, I've only been able to witness the humble beginnings (and confusion LOL)of their relationship. And let's not forget the sweet, but often misguided Raul. Gotta love it.

Who would have thought a African-American girl from Chicago would fall in love with this Spanish gem? I wish it was available on DVD in the US. I read somewhere last year that Mexican/American network Telemundo bought the rights to develop their own version of the series, but I haven't heard any more on that. But it could never beat the original.

"Los Serrano" has been broadcast for the last two years to a great success among people of all ages. The secret of its success lies partly on the wisdom of writers, who have successfully aimed viewers from all ages as their targets. Thus, the Serrano family portrays the daily lives of a Brady Bunch-like family with a widower and a divorcée marrying and creating a new family with each one's children.

Antonio Resines, one of our finest comic actors, plays the father, while Belén Rueda is as effective as ever as the mother. The eldest of their children (Fran Perea from one side, and Verónica Sánchez from the other) have at some points been the center of the series with their unsolved sexual chemistry, but perhaps writers should focus on other characters too.

As it usually happens with Spanish TV series, the supporting cast excels the main one in many instances. A special mention should be made to Jesus Bonilla's uncle Santiago, and Antonio Molero's family friend, Fiti. Among the youngest actors, Alejo Sauras and Alexandra Jiménez are a lovely pair of goofy sidekicks to Fran Perea and Verónica Sánchez.

Maybe it's not the best comedy ever made, but it's extremely watchable and the whole family can have fun with it. I hope we will be seeing a lot of "Los Serrano" in the years to come.