''Alive and Kicking'' ( es, Los espabilados; ) is a Spanish television series created by Albert Espinosa for

Movistar+ Movistar () is a major telecommunications provider owned by Telefónica, operating in Spain and Hispanic American countries. It is the largest provider of landline, broadband, mobile services, and pay television ( Movistar+) in Spain. Movistar ...

. Based on the novel ''Lo que te diré cuando te vuelva a ver'' by Espinosa, the plot follows five teenagers escaping from a mental health centre. It aired in 2021.

Premise

The fiction follows the mishaps of five teenagers (Mickey L'Angelo, Yeray, Guada, Samuel and Lucas) escaping from a mental health centre in

Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capi ...

, experiencing from then on a sort of

road movie A road movie is a film genre in which the main characters leave home on a road trip, typically altering the perspective from their everyday lives. Road movies often depict travel in the hinterlands, with the films exploring the theme of alienatio ...

that takes them to different locations in Spain, Germany and Italy in search of Mickey's older brother.

Cast

* Álvaro Requena as Mickey L'Angelo. * Marco Sanz as Yeray. * Sara Manzano as Guada. * Aitor Valadés as Samuel. * Héctor Pérez as Lucas. *

Miki Esparbé Miki Esparbé (born 9 October 1983) is a Spanish actor. He is known for his performances in ''Off Course'', ''Barcelona, nit d'estiu'', and ''Cuerpo de élite''. Biography Born in Manresa, Catalonia, on 9 October 1983, Esparbé earned a licen ...

as Izan. *

Marta Torné Marta Torné Gracia (Barcelona, Spain, 10 March 1978) is a Spanish actress and presenter. When Torné finished C.O.U., she went to work as a receptionist at a production company. She decided to study audiovisual and radio production so she cou ...

as Elsa. *

Àlex Brendemühl Àlex Brendemühl i Gubern (born 27 November 1972) is a Spanish-German actor. Born in Barcelona to a Spanish mother and a German father, he has appeared in more than 60 films and television shows since 1995. Brendemühl played the lead role of ...

as Dr. del Álamo. * Bruno Sevilla as Dr. Sánchez. * Andreu Benito *

Hanna Schygulla Hanna Schygulla (; born 25 December 1943) is a German actress and chanson singer associated with the theater and film director Rainer Werner Fassbinder. She first worked for Fassbinder in 1965 and became an active participant in the New German ...

* Rym Gallardo

Production and release

Created by Albert Espinosa, ''Los espabilados'' is inspired by the novel ''Lo que te diré cuando te vuelva a ver'', also authored by Espinosa. It consists of 7 episodes, directed by Roger Gual, featuring a running time of around 25 minutes. A 7-part

, the series is a drama with comedy elements. Filming started in

on 4 November 2019. Movistar+ programmed the release of the first 3 episodes for 29 January 2021, and the release of the 4 remaining episodes on a 2 episodes per Friday basis. Before the series' release, Movistar+ tasked Espinosa with the writing of a second and final season, although the platform did not confirm the renovation at the time. The series' main theme, "Los espabilados", was composed and performed by

Alfred García Alfred García Castillo (born 14 March 1997) is a Spanish singer-songwriter. He gained national recognition when he took part in series nine of the reality television talent competition '' Operación Triunfo'', where he finished in fourth place ...

Reception

The portrait of

mental disorder A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitt ...

s in the series was harshly criticised by critics. Reported problematic aspects include the romanticization of illness and the "dangerous" underlying antidiagnostic thesis present in the series.

References

{{authority control Television shows set in the Balearic Islands 2020s Spanish drama television series 2021 Spanish television series debuts Spanish-language television shows Works about travel Television series based on Spanish novels Television shows filmed in Spain Movistar+ network series