El ministerio del tiempo

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 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.

I'm really enjoying this Spanish SciFi series! It takes the past and rolls it into the present and back and forth in an entirely entertaining manner! I've grown to love each of the characters, one more than the other, depending on the episode. It's also a good way to help me brush up on my Spanish. I'm currently watching it with English subtitles but plan to switch to Spanish and rewatch the entire 3 seasons. I hope it continues well into the next few years so I can learn more about Spanish history, practice my Spanish, and continue to enjoy this remarkable sci-fi show!

How accurate these series are, I'm not sure. I'm no expert, but so far all the historical facts seem quite correct, and that is part of the fun. This series is funny, and also smart and exciting. Well written, well acted, decently edited, professionally directed. I'm really enjoying watching it!

Even for those not familiar with Spanish history, many of the characters are fictitious anyway, and those who are not are big names. And in case someone in the audience wouldn't recognise those big names, they are all explained so the plot makes sense for everyone.

So give it a try, you won't regret it!