Mexican pop culture is no different when it comes to helping you hone your Spanish language skills; and beyond language learning, it's simply great television. From narco dramas to dark comedies and supernatural thrillers, the best Mexican TV shows span a remarkable range of genres, and streaming platforms like Netflix have brought them to a global audience. Whether you're new to Mexican series or looking for your next binge, the 15 shows below are the ones worth your time. 🎬
Here is a list of the top 15 best Mexican TV shows handpicked, keeping in mind the cultural relevance towards Mexican society.
| # | Show | Years | Genre | Where to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luis Miguel – La Serie | 2018–2021 | Biography / Drama | Netflix |
| 2 | Sr. Ávila | 2013–2016 | Crime / Thriller | HBO Max |
| 3 | La Reina del Sur | 2011–present | Crime / Drama | Telemundo / Netflix |
| 4 | Club de Cuervos | 2015–2019 | Comedy / Drama | Netflix |
| 5 | Ingobernable | 2017–2018 | Political Thriller | Netflix |
| 6 | ¿Quién Mató a Sara? | 2021–2022 | Mystery / Thriller | Netflix |
| 7 | La Casa de las Flores | 2018–2020 | Dark Comedy / Drama | Netflix |
| 8 | Diablero | 2018–2019 | Supernatural / Horror | Netflix |
| 9 | Control Z | 2020–2022 | Teen Drama / Thriller | Netflix |
| 10 | Monarca | 2019–2021 | Drama / Family | Netflix |
| 11 | El Chapo | 2017–2018 | Crime / Biography | Netflix / Telemundo |
| 12 | Somos. | 2021 | Drama / True Crime | Netflix |
| 13 | Tijuana | 2019 | Crime / Drama | Netflix |
| 14 | El Juego de las Llaves | 2019–2021 | Comedy / Romance | Amazon Prime Video |
| 15 | Monstruo | 2022 | Crime / Drama | Netflix |
Whether you're diving into Mexican TV for the first time or looking to expand your watchlist, the 15 shows above cover everything from biographical dramas and narco thrillers to dark comedies and supernatural horror. Some are best enjoyed with subtitles, others will push your conversational Spanish further than any textbook could. Either way, grab your snacks; because once you start, stopping is the hard part. 🍿
Also, if you would rather watch movies instead of TV shows, here are our ten picks of the best ones to watch.
1. Luis Miguel – La Serie (2018–2021)
Luis Miguel is one of the best Mexican musicians of all time, and this series dramatizes his life with all the flair you'd expect. The story starts with Luismi beginning his career as a child star managed by his father, a failed Spanish singer. When the lead actor turns sixteen, he fires his father and relaunches himself as a serious performer, rising to international stardom. What makes the show truly compelling is the family drama underneath the glitz, particularly the mystery surrounding the disappearance of his mother. The hype around this series was extraordinary in Mexico, with people discussing it as widely as a World Cup.
2. Sr. Ávila (2013–2016)
Produced by HBO, Sr. Ávila has all the hallmarks of a prestige drama. Set in Mexico City, the show follows a family man who also happens to be a professional hitman. The tension between his suburban domestic life and his cold professional life is where the show finds its dark comedy and its horror in equal measure. Four seasons explore this double existence with the kind of detail and moral complexity HBO is known for. If you enjoy slow-burn character studies with a violent edge, this is one of the most distinctive Mexican drama series available.
3. La Reina del Sur (2011–present)
Narcoculture has inevitably become a highly publicized and internationally known part of Mexican history, and La Reina del Sur is one of the most gripping takes on it. This fictional story follows Teresa Mendoza, played by Kate del Castillo, who flees Culiacán after her narco boyfriend is killed. She ends up in jail, builds an empire from the inside, and upon release becomes the head of the greatest drug cartel in the South. The Spanish used in the show is rich with regional Mexican dialect, making it excellent for language learners while still being compelling viewing for everyone else.
4. Club de Cuervos (2015–2019)
Club de Cuervos was Netflix's first original Spanish-language series, and it remains one of the best. The show follows two siblings who inherit a fictional Mexican soccer club after their father's death and immediately go to war over who gets to run it. Equal parts sports drama and family comedy, it captures the absurdity of Mexican sports culture with real affection. Four seasons across four years gave it time to develop its characters into something genuinely funny and occasionally moving.
5. Ingobernable (2017–2018)
Ingobernable stars Kate del Castillo (the same actress from La Reina del Sur) this time as the First Lady of Mexico, who becomes the prime suspect when the President is found dead. The show is a tightly wound political thriller that draws on real anxieties about Mexican governance and corruption. Del Castillo is magnetic in both roles, and the show's two seasons move at a pace that rewards binge watching. It is one of the most popular Mexican TV shows on Netflix globally.
Mexican television has gone from being seen as pure melodrama to producing some of the most sophisticated storytelling in the Spanish-speaking world.
General critical consensus, widely cited in coverage of the Netflix Mexico era
6. ¿Quién Mató a Sara? (2021–2022)
Who Killed Sara? became a global phenomenon when it dropped on Netflix in 2021, ranking among the platform's most-watched non-English series. The show follows Álex, who is released from prison after serving 18 years for a murder he did not commit, and sets out to find who really killed his sister Sara. Each episode peels back another layer of a wealthy Mexican family's dark secrets, and the show never lets you settle. Two gripping seasons and a satisfying conclusion make this one of the best Mexican series for thriller fans.
7. La Casa de las Flores (2018–2020)
La Casa de las Flores is the most stylish show on this list. A dark family comedy set in Mexico City, it follows the De la Mora family, owners of a high-end flower shop, as their perfectly curated public image begins to collapse. The show is visually striking, funny, and surprisingly tender, with a non-linear structure that rewards patient viewers. Three seasons aired between 2018 and 2020, and a prequel film followed. It has developed a devoted international following and is one of the best Mexican TV shows for viewers who enjoy sharp, aesthetically driven storytelling.
Crime / Narco drama: La Reina del Sur, El Chapo, Sr. Ávila, Tijuana
Mystery / Thriller: ¿Quién Mató a Sara?, Control Z, Monstruo
Comedy / Drama: La Casa de las Flores, Club de Cuervos, El Juego de las Llaves
Political thriller: Ingobernable
Supernatural: Diablero
True story: Luis Miguel – La Serie, El Chapo, Somos.
8. Diablero (2018–2019)
Diablero is Mexico's answer to supernatural horror television. Based on the novel "El diablo me obligó" by F.G. Haghenbeck, the show follows a demon hunter, a priest, and a woman searching for her kidnapped daughter through the dark underbelly of Mexico City. It draws heavily on Mexican folklore and pre-Hispanic mythology to create a world that feels distinctly local rather than a generic horror export. Two seasons aired, and while it was canceled before a full resolution, what exists is compelling and original.
9. Control Z (2020–2022)
Control Z is Mexico's sharpest teen drama and one of the most popular Mexican TV shows among younger international audiences. Set in a Mexico City high school, a mysterious hacker begins exposing students' deepest secrets, and the fallout tears the school apart. What begins as a whodunit quickly becomes a sharp critique of social media culture, performative identity, and class anxiety. Three seasons aired, with the story escalating in ambition each time. It is a genuinely good thriller that happens to be aimed at a younger audience.
10. Monarca (2019–2021)
Monarca follows Ana María Carranza, who returns to Mexico from New York to help run her family's tequila empire after her father is nearly killed in an attack. What she finds is a business deeply entangled with cartel money and political corruption. The show is a sophisticated family drama in the vein of Succession, with strong performances and a consistent interest in the moral compromises required to survive at the top of Mexican business. Two seasons give it enough room to develop its story properly.
11. El Chapo (2017–2018)
El Chapo dramatizes the rise and fall of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, the Sinaloa Cartel boss who became one of the most powerful and notorious drug traffickers in history. The show covers his career from the 1980s through to his capture and extradition to the US, drawing on documented events while adding the narrative texture of a prestige drama. Three seasons aired between 2017 and 2018. As Mexican drama series go, it is one of the most internationally recognized, and provides significant cultural and historical context about the narco era.
12. Somos. (2021)
Somos is the most important show on this list, even if it is not the most entertaining. Based on a real massacre that took place in Allende, Coahuila in 2011, when the Zetas cartel killed hundreds of townspeople, the series tells the story from the perspective of ordinary residents in the days before the attack. It is deliberately slow, intimate, and devastating. Netflix created it as a documentary companion piece ran alongside the show. Only six episodes long, it is the kind of television that stays with you.
13. Tijuana (2019)
Tijuana is the most journalistically grounded show on this list. Following a team of reporters at a Tijuana newspaper as they investigate a mayoral candidate's ties to organized crime, it is a taut crime drama that explores press freedom and political corruption in Mexico with unusual specificity. One season aired in 2019, and while it was not renewed, it holds up as a complete, well-crafted story. It is particularly interesting for viewers who want to understand the real pressures facing Mexican journalists.
That's how many Netflix subscribers are in Latin America.
14. El Juego de las Llaves (2019–2021)
El Juego de las Llaves is the most fun show on this list. A comedy about four couples who agree to swap partners, it is both genuinely funny and surprisingly thoughtful about modern relationships, jealousy, and desire. Set in Mexico City's upper-middle class, it captures a specific social world with real wit. Two seasons aired on Amazon Prime Video, and it has built a strong following among fans of smart romantic comedy. It stands out for being lighthearted among an otherwise drama-heavy field of Mexican TV series and is filled with quite a few famous actors and celebrities.
15. Monstruo (2022)
Monstruo is a recent addition to Netflix's Mexican catalogue and one of the most intense. Inspired by true events, it follows the investigation into a series of murders connected to a religious cult in rural Mexico. The show blends true crime with psychological horror and is not easy viewing, but it is compelling and sharply made. One limited season aired in 2022, and it received strong critical notices for its performances and its unflinching portrayal of how cults exploit vulnerable communities. A strong pick for fans of dark, socially conscious Mexican drama series.
🗳️ Which Mexican series is your favorite?
One of the best ways to learn Spanish is by following the Mexican pop culture; with incredible movies and TV shows, you can refine your reading and speaking skills.
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