Aristocratic Bloodlines at Gran Hotel

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the NetFlix series 'Bloodline' is available to subscribers with both Spanish audio (dubbed from English) and Spanish subtitles.  See here for a review:  Review of Bloodline.  This is good news for my daily exposure to spoken Spanish because, though it's relatively easy to find TV series with Spanish audio (either dubbed or original), finding material that has both audio and subs is not nearly as simple.  And this is a good one to watch for the purposes of learning.  1) It's relatively fast-moving and contains a lot of action that cues the watcher/listener who is trying to comprehend the Spanish and 2) it's well-acclaimed, reasonably directed, and offers Sissy Spacek and Sam Waterson in starring roles.  I watched the entire first episode with both Spanish audio and subs turned on.  Though there was some dialogue (a lot actually) that I didn't grasp, I was able to follow along with the story and scenes fairly well.  Naturally, the issue with subtitles, no matter what language they're in, is that if you're reading, it's hard to concentrate on the audio.  I suppose the sensible thing to do would be to watch each episode twice--once in English to make sure I absorb most of the dialogue and story and then again to focus exclusively on the Spanish audio.  I'm just not sure I like the series enough to watch each episode twice.  Now, if they offered a show that's very dear to me, like 'Monarch of the Glen,' for example, that would be a pleasure to watch in two languages.

One thing that I've noticed is that subtitles, whether in English or Spanish, do not always match completely with what the actors are saying. I was elated to see that I was understanding enough of the spoken Spanish to recognize this.  I suppose the subs sometimes have to be shortened to fit that little space on the bottom of the screen. 

"Santander.Palacio.de.la.Magdalena.2". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Santander.Palacio.de.la.Magdalena.2.jpg#/media/File:Santander.Palacio.de.la.Magdalena.2.jpg

The other show I'm following on NetFlix for Spanish practice is 'Gran Hotel,' (See Wiki here: Gran Hotel ) which interestingly is offered only with Spanish audio (its original track) and English subtitles.  One of the things most attractive for language learners here is that there are over 40 episodes of 'Gran Hotel,' enough viewing time to give me a pretty thorough comprehension workout.  The series is a sort of high quality telenovela, rife with beautiful actors and lush Spanish scenery.  It's filmed on the north coast of Spain at the Palacio de la Magdalena.  It is highly melodramatic with people getting murdered right and left, pistol duels, and someone getting pushed out of a window.  Lurid stuff, but perfect for language practice, since there's lots of action and conversation.  Now if only I could find a version with Spanish subs.