El ministerio del tiempo

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!

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.

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.

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!

First, about the show itself ... an unusual team is put together to go to the past and ensure that certain things happen the way they should or that certain historical figures survive to live out their destiny. They travel through doors that are time portals, which sounds totally nutty, but the matter-of-fact way the characters travel through time makes it believable. Most important, however, the show is just a ton of fun! Guau ("wow" in Spanish), I almost died laughing during Episode 2, where the team has to save Lope de Vega. The actor's portrayal of Lope as a shameless womanizer was one of the funniest acting jobs I've ever seen. The episodes are intriguing, suspenseful, funny, and so much fun, all at the same time!

My knowledge of Spanish history isn't good enough to verify the accuracy of the show, but I've read it's quite a bit more faithful to history than "Isabel," although that might not be saying much because "Isabel" gained some notoriety for its dramatic license. What I am sure of is the show accurately reflects the significance and impact of its figures, works, and events from Spanish history. The foreign (that is, non-Spanish) viewer gets a good sense of what Lope de Vega, Lazarillo de Tormes, and El Guernica mean to today's Spaniards.

Finally, I can't recommend this show enough if you're a non-native speaker trying to learn (Castilian) Spanish. First, with Julian (the nurse from 2015), you hear how Spanish is actually spoken today. It's not the Spanish you hear in the classroom, but it is how real, honest-to-goodness, normal Spaniards speak. Then with Amelia (the brilliant university student from the 1880s), you hear perfect formal Spanish - the kind still taught in the classroom. Perhaps the least practical but the most entertaining is the Spanish spoken by Alonso, the 16th Century soldier. Alonso's Spanish is more Siglo de Oro than 21st Century, but it's fun to listen to.

Watch the show because it's massively entertaining. And if you're trying to sharpen your "castellano," you've found a gem in "El Ministerio Del Tiempo." The videos of all eight Season 1 episodes are available on the RTVE website, with captions (but only in Spanish) if you need them.