Netflix orders first Spanish original

Netflix has ordered its first original series from Spain, a drama set in the 1920s from Velvet and Gran Hotel director Carlos Sedes.

Erik Barmack

The as-yet-untitled series, which starts shooting in Madrid this year for a 2017 release, hails from producers Roman Campos and Teresa Fernandez-Valdes from Bambú Producciones.

The 16×50’ series will look at the lives of four women who work as switchboard operators for the state-owned phone company’s central headquarters in Madrid.

The show was co-created by Campos and GemaNeria, his long-term writing partner.

“We’re delighted to be working with Bambú Producciones, director Carlos Sedes and co-creator Gema Neira on our first original series filmed in Spain. We’re huge fans of their work on Gran Hotel and Velvet – epic romances that have been embraced by our members around the world,” said Erik Barmack, VP of international original series at Netflix.

“We’re certain that our members will love this unique and engaging drama created by some of the best storytellers in Spain.”

The news comes five months after the US SVoD service launched in Spain and follows commissions of original dramas in other Netflix territories, including the UK, France, Italy and, most recently, Germany.

At the beginning of the year, Netflix announced it was expanding into a further 130 territories.