By blending Breaking Bad and Orange is the New Black with impeccable plotting - and some dubious titillation - Spanish prison drama Locked Up is winning over more than just expatsPossibly because of BBC1´s early-90s soap flop Eldorado, the British TV schedules infrequently visit Spain. When they do, it´s often through the lens of expat life, be it aspirational shows such as A Place in the Sun or dramas such as Benidorm; when Spanish shows come to Britain meanwhile, they can be so-so, such as Sky´s Grand Hotel. But with prison drama Locked Up, Spain has created a clever and thrilling breakout hit. With its female inmates, Locked Up was always at risk of sentences from critics accusing it of theft from Orange is the New Black and Prisoner Cell Block H. But, while there are unavoidable overlaps, especially in sexual tension and the tactics of incarceration, the Spanish show´s originality has raised high anticipation for the second season that starts on Channel 4 tonight, ahead of the release of all 13 episodes on All 4´s global TV drama library Walter Presents. Related: Locked Up: it`s Orange is the New Black - with added sex and violence Continue reading...
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