Velvet tv screenshot opening

For a retrospective (fictive) peek at the 1960s, we had Mad Men. For the 1950s (and a small part of the 1960s), we have Velvet, also knowns as Galerías Velvet. As you may have read, when I finished the Spanish serie Gran Hotel, I was happy that there was yet another Spanish retro serie waiting for me: Velvet. A serie that is set in the late 1950s in Spain, with a serious ode to high class fashion of those days. Last week, I came back from my holiday and I couldn’t wait to watch the last two seasons. Season 3 and 4 were added to Netflix (Netherlands) on the 1st of August and I finished the final episode on the 5th of August. Yes, that’s how addictive this serie is. I’ve set my own personal binge-watch record, although now I regret that I didn’t spread my binge-watch pleasure over a few more days. Currently, I am still having a What-do-I-do-with-my-Netflix-life-after-Velvet dip.

So, why is this serie so intriguing and addictive? Read more

Julio Olmedo and Alicia Alarcon - Gran Hotel
Gran Hotel snapshot

There are series that give binge-watching a new dimension. Gran Hotel (or Grand Hotel) definitely belongs in that category. Rewind to the beginning of March. I finished the retro serie Land Girls and was looking for another retro serie. So I started browsing and browsing. And browsing some more. Then a picture caught my eye.

It looked like vintage, so I was curious. Then I read the description. A guy goes undercover in a hotel to investigate the disappearance of his sister. Not the most exciting description, but I decided to give it a try. The first few minutes I had to get used to the fact that it was a Spanish serie and the serie started off slowly. But…I decided to give it a try. I wanted to watch two episodes to form my official opinion. Boy, was I wrong at the beginning. I was hooked after the second episode. Read more