A series about the gentrification of Barcelona and two fictions to raise the temperature, among the outstanding premieres of May

BarcelonaThe good weather has arrived but this does not mean that platforms are slowing down their pace when it comes to releasing series. This May, dramas decrease and entertainments with a sexy touch increase. These are the most outstanding series of the month.

After creating The Inbetweeners, one of Netflix's most talked-about series, Jack Thorne tackles a classic of English literature, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding. The protagonists are a group of children who survive a plane crash and are stranded on a seemingly idyllic tropical island. Without adults and imposed rules, they try to create their own community, but coexistence will quickly begin to fracture. A thriller that raises universal questions such as the birth of collective violence and the fragility of civilization.

Determined to become the preferred platform for young viewers, Prime Video premieres one of the most anticipated romantic series, Kiss Me (Off Campus), based on a saga of bestselling books written by Elle Kennedy. Following in the footsteps of one of the platform's great hits, The Summer I Turned Pretty, the new fiction centers on a college romance. The protagonists are Hannah, a songwriter, and Garrett, the star of the university's hockey team. Both reach an agreement to pretend to be a couple for mutual benefit: she wants to make the guy she likes jealous, and he needs someone to help him improve his grades and keep his spot on the sports team. The fact that the story is set in the world of hockey makes the connection with The Love Club, another fiction that has mixed love, sex, and sports.

Netflix continues to stretch the thread of Money Heist with a second season of the spin-off series centered on the character of Berlin (Pedro Alonso). In this new installment, the thief with a touch of psychopath gathers his gang in Seville to, theoretically, steal the well-known painting Lady with an Ermine, by Leonardo da Vinci. In reality, however, Berlin's targets are the Duke of Malaga and his wife, who have tried to blackmail the thief. In addition to Pedro Alonso, Michelle Jenner and Tristán Ulloa return, among others.

Along with Kiss Me (Off Campus), Rivals is the other series that will heat things up. This British comedy, also based on a saga of romantic books, is set in the eighties and focuses on the professional, sentimental, and sexual intrigues of the executives of a television network, their families, and friends. All set in the wealthy universe of the Cotswolds, a rural area near London where many affluent English people live. In the second season, tensions and rivalries increase and push the characters to the limit. The new installment consists of two parts, with six episodes each (the first arrives in May and the second at the end of the year).

Apple is betting on a genre blend with The Other Black Dog, a comedy thriller. Tatiana Maslany, who earned rave reviews for her performance in Orphan Black, plays Paula, a newly divorced mother who finds herself embroiled in a web of blackmail, murder, and youth soccer. After allegedly witnessing a crime, she begins her own investigation while simultaneously fighting for custody of her daughter.

After its run at the Canneseries festival, Se tiene que morir mucha gente, the comedy created by Victoria Martín, half of the podcast Estirando el chicle, arrives on Movistar Plus+. For her first project as a television creator, the comedian has chosen to adapt the book of the same name she published in 2023. The series' protagonists are three friends – Bárbara, Maca, and Elena – who have known each other since school and, as adults, lead quite dysfunctional lives. Bárbara is frustrated with her job and is hooked on benzodiazepines, while Maca, with whom she shares an apartment, wants to be an actress but survives by working as a waitress. Finally, Elena has married a sixty-year-old man and has become pregnant. The actresses Anna Castillo, Macarena García, and Laura Weissmahr play the three protagonists.

Inspired by his family history, Pol Rodríguez has created Ravalejar, a series that exposes the gentrification of Barcelona. Can Mosques, a centenarian restaurant in El Raval, falls into the hands of an investment fund and faces eviction. The family that runs the establishment decides to stand their ground and, to save the business, they will have to cross boundaries they never imagined. Directed by Rodríguez himself and Isaki Lacuesta, the fiction features some of the most recognized actors on the Catalan scene, such as Enric Auquer, Maria Rodríguez Soto, and Sergi López. After premiering on HBO Max, Ravalejar will be seen in November through 3Cat.

Filmin continues to gather the most interesting European projects and this month premieres this small Irish gem that is a celebration of everyday life. Narrated by Julia Roberts –yes, the Hollywood megastar–, the series focuses on two friends who build their friendship from their interest in board games. Leonard is a writer of children's encyclopedias who has led a mostly solitary life, while Paul is more relaxed and lives off odd jobs.