Smiley

I found out Smiley by accident and gave it a chance. It turned out I watched the whole thing in one breath, one sitting.

Brilliant writing, deep characters and relatable events!

The show is so true-to-life that it makes you laugh, cry and sometimes both at the same time. There are literally lines in the script to provoke your thinking, your outlook on life.

Highly recommend for those who got bored of cliches in the recent year and seek to watch something real.

What can I compare it to? It's a bit similar vibe to Queer as Folk, but the typical spanish cinema flavours make it unique!

But this is not your typical US LGBT series. It is so much more.

I found Bros probably one of the most self indulgent actor/writer projects of recent years, and understand why it bombed as a rom com. Smiley, on the other hand succeeds with characters you want to follow on their romantic journeys through all the episodes! I enjoyed how it was an ensemble, so rather than a focus on just the leads, you can enjoy the supporting players performances and storylines. The chemistry between the two leads, was undeniable (something a project like Bros failed on miserably), and you find yourself rooting for them to find what they are looking for in the end. I won't reveal any spoilers, but I was wondering while watching how they came up with the title, and was pleasantly surprised with the reveal at the end. I think American writers and producers, disappointed by the failure of Bros, should applaud and appreciate how this Spanish production did it right and exceeded expectations for a male/male rom com.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this series. The trailer looked promising but I've been duped by trailers before. The series starts with a call to a wrong number that sets up a chain of reactions and introduces us to the various storylines, all of which were well written and carried out - a stagnation marriage, a lesbian couple at the crossroads of their 7 year relationship, a widow and her long lost childhoold friend. The main story centers around Bruno and Alex, two polar opposites on the gay spectrum who meet by accident and discover there's a white hot chemistry between them. Yes, Carlos Cuevas is very easy on the eyes but that's not the only reason to watch. I intended to view just the first episode and ended up binge watching all eight episodes in one sitting. This series reminded me of the great 2000 Spanish film 'Km.0' which was amazing. Highly recommend this to fans of limited romantic drama series.

Old telephones and wrong numbers, misunderstandings, the inability to express true feelings and blossoming LOVE. That is Smiley.

All the classic elements of rom-com rolled into a delightful Christmas gift from Spain and Netflix.

Throw in a handsome cast of fine actors and this Spanish comedy just flies.

It touches on a wide range of issues including family, and rejection but mostly the search, the timeless search, for love.

This series is joy. Sit back and join Bruno and Alex as they navigate the pitfalls of modern romance in a fabulous looking Barcelona.

We may all know where we are going but the journey is half the fun!

I expected yet another banal, predictable gay rom-com. And while some of the plot is predictable, there is so much more character development than most gay rom-coms that I binged watched the entire series in two sittings. The writing is clever, the acting is very good, and the characters are multi-dimensional.

I enjoyed the many different ways the film explores relationships and people's yearning for love, despite their ages and sexual proclivities. While each character's foibles complicate their searches for love, ultimately their journeys lead them to where they should be.

If you're looking just for eye candy, you can find that here, too. And Barcelona itself is one of the stars.