Looking for really awesome Spanish-language broadcast media — TV, radio, podcasts, whatever.

February 4, 2009 10:38 AM

¿Como se dice "The Wire" en Español? Looking for really awesome Spanish-language broadcast media — TV, radio, podcasts, whatever you've got.

I'm trying to revive my long-dormant Spanish skills. I studied it from kindergarten on through college, but it's been years since I had a chance to practice much.

It'd be nice to have a regular something in Spanish to watch or listen to — and while I'm at it, it may as well be something I can really look forward to. I don't care if it's heavy or light, funny or serious, fiction or non-fiction, whatever, so long as it's awesome.

So what are your recommendations for the coolest, best-made and most interesting Spanish-language media?

posted by nebulawindphone to media & arts (7 comments total)

What do you like? That would give us something to work with in terms of suggestions. If you're looking for language practice, you could always join a service like Livemocha and hook up online to chat (over Skype or another service) with other speakers.

If it's more media you'd like - films, tv series, music, etc - help us with some genres or tell us what some of your favorites in English are. What you're asking currently is too broad.
posted by cmgonzalez at 11:29 AM on February 4

I've heard good things of HBO's Spanish drama Epitafios.
posted by Gyan at 11:41 AM on February 4

If it's more media you'd like - films, tv series, music, etc - help us with some genres or tell us what some of your favorites in English are. What you're asking currently is too broad.

Like the question says, I'm looking for media. And really, I'm trying to cast a wide net and try new things here, so if a show's really good go ahead and recommend it no matter what the genre.

That said, here are some American TV shows I've liked: The Office, The Wire, M*A*S*H, Freaks and Geeks, The Simpsons, Futurama, The Daily Show, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock (no, really), Firefly, Six Feet Under. I'll watch just about any talk show if I'm interested in the guests — feel free to recommend 'em, and I'll skip an episode if the guest sucks. Reality TV bores the crap out of me. I like educational TV better if it's actually teaching me something — Alton Brown yes, Emeril no; This Old House yes, Trading Spaces no.

In terms of radio, I like ... well, what I think of as NPR-style programming. Car Talk, This American Life, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, that sort of thing. But frankly, that's mostly because that's what we've got here in the US. If there are, I dunno, old-fashioned radio dramas or variety shows on the radio in Spanish, or some new radio genre that we don't get here in the States, then by all means, tell me about them!

I don't currently listen to any podcasts. But if you know of any good ones, tell me anyway and I'll give 'em a shot.

I'm not particularly looking for movies (I want something I can download/tune in to regularly) or music (not that great for building conversation skills).
posted by nebulawindphone at 12:07 PM on February 4

(Oh, and to give you an idea how clueless I am on the subject, I had no idea Epitafios existed and we get HBO. Assume I live under a rock. Feel free to give me totally obvious suggestions.)
posted by nebulawindphone at 12:09 PM on February 4

I've been listening to La Matinal, which is a very NPR-style half-hour daily news podcast produced in the Netherlands. It's pretty good for reinforcing "current events" vocabulary (count how many times you hear una tregua en la Franja de Gaza in one week!), and there's a block of straight newscaster-talk (~5-10 minutes) followed by interviews, which helps with processing different modes of speech.
posted by kittyprecious at 12:14 PM on February 4

A classic of Argentine radio is Alejandro Dolina (a strange mix of wit, popular culture, classic culture, and absurd irreverent jokes). I can see there's literally thousands of segments from his programs here. Hopefully the local vernacular doesn't throw you too far away.
posted by Iosephus at 4:09 PM on February 4

Alejandro Dolina is sure enough above my comprehension level right now. La Matinal and Epitafios are just what I'm looking for — and I'll give Dolina another shot in a year or two.
posted by nebulawindphone at 4:53 PM on September 21