The Ministry of Time

Found this whilst browsing Netflix on a boring afternoon. Three 70 minute 'binge' watching later and I was totally hooked. It is subtitled into English but that is really no problem. This is a time travel Ministry located in Madrid - every country has secrets - Spain's is time travel and run by civil servants not the military which makes a change. Imagine a secret branch of the Spanish civil service spread backwards through time - sorting out temporal irregularities whilst complaining about budget cuts. You need a composite drawing of a suspect - no problem - the ministry's artist is Velasquez who is obsessed with Picasso. It is has moments of laugh out load humour and beautiful examples of culture shock but balanced with very dark and challenging ideas all set within strong stories. It has a very 'European' style which feels very different to the American programmes we get swamped with in the UK. There are no 'mini dramatic moments' where you know the advert break would be or the 'meaningful looks to camera' and definately no 'syrupy endings'. I find myself rushing to Wikipedia after an episode to get the background of Spanish history. Enter our heroes - a new 'crash team' - consisting of Spain's first female university student and team leader, As the Under Secretary in charge says 'In our time she could have been anything - make her team leader', a knight from the 16th century ('Put him in a room with a modern marine armed only with a knife and the marine wouldn't stand a chance') and a present day paramedic. These are really strong and complex characters each with their own issues. The acting is really good and the writers are happy to have fun - 'Plan? We are Spanish, we improvise!' If you haven't found this series yet I urge you to do so. Three seasons so far, so fear not - it won't be cancelled if you like me get hooked.

This show is very good. The characters really grow on you. I like the concept of the doors through time. The Ministry of Time also has a great sense of humor. I find the acting quite good and engaging. It is refreshing to watch a show from a different country with a totally different perspective. The costumes are very lush and lovely. I have learned so much about a history I knew almost nothing of. This has been a fun side bonus. I liked the American show Timeless, which is not even half as good as this one and seems rather silly and ham-fisted compared to this one. The company that owns MOT, took Timeless to court for ripping them off and I totally can see why. This show is much better than Timeless. Which I will still watch, but now I will be comparing it to this show. If you are American and watching this show, you will get a total laugh out of the very bad American accents, when they attempt some some stories involving American figures. That is fun too. When J Edgar Hoover introduces himself the rolling R's in the attempted American accent cracked my family up. We replayed that about 5 times, laughing our heads off. If you like history and time travel, give this show a try. All three seasons with English subs is now on Netflix. I highly recommend it. I hope they make a 4th season.

I can't say enough about this show. There are so many little things that are so good about it A lot of subtle humor that one has to watch out for but it helps if one is Spanish I think to catch it all. Being American I missed out on Spanish history and this show brings some of the important Spanish history to life. Beautifully done with gorgeous scenery and sets. Photography is outstanding with beautiful lighting. Even the dyes used for the 15th century clothing fabric seems right to me. There are no gaudy reds, greens or blues in the 15th century clothes as one might see in American films.. All of the costumes must have been dyed with herbal dyes. The episode about Napoleon and the Mother Superior was so well done; so very warm and nice and funny too. Casting was perfect. Wherever did thy find the guy to play Napoleon? Perfect! I can't say enough about Nacho as Alonzo. We need more men like Alonzo in the world today. Fierce, sensitive, principled, religious; Great job Nacho!. It is interesting to see the way the English and Americans are seen by the Spanish. It makes one think! There is a metaphysical or spiritual aspect to the show too. It is interesting to think about whether one could or does transcend time at some point. This is an outstanding series. Give it a chance, even if you don't know Spanish and don't like sub-titles. It is a great way to learn Spanish, especially if you have been trying to learn it on you own for a while.

Whilst the concept behind this Spanish series has been done before I can not think of a single instance where its been done with such polish.

Ministry of Time takes a well worn idea and infuses it with a sophistication and at times romantic/nostalgic elegance that makes this series instantly addictive.

It works so well because it renders real characters, with human imperfections and asks the question of how these people would cope and react to different situations that are, quite literally out of their time.

The other reason it works is the stories it weaves are intelligently rendered. It asks questions and presents scenarios, that are at once familiar and unfamiliar. Its time travel tales with maturity. On the subject of which this is I would think 16+ fare, definitely not one for the kids.

Suffice to say if you love sci fi this is an absolute "must watch". 8/10 from me.

I have developed a mild obsession with Spanish drama over the last six months and whilst I've enjoyed Grand Hotel and Velvet, the Ministry of Time is something very special. Cleverly written, beautifully acted it has so much depth to it, it has taught me about Spanish history but still managed to retain warmth and heart and not be just give facts. It has made me laugh and genuinely weep, it makes you consider so many things in life - would you want to know your fate and how you die? I can't recommend it highly enough.