The eight TV series filmed in Malaga and released in 2025 that you really should see, if you haven't already

2025 has certainly been the top year for television series filmed in Malaga. Not only have eight national and international titles filmed in the province been released, but these productions have also been highly acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. Some have reached number one worldwide, several have topped the ratings in Spain and one has even received two Golden Globe nominations. Locations throughout the province, from the Axarquia area to Marbella, have hosted these intriguing and crime-driven dramas as the main characters, featuring storylines from acclaimed writers (Javier Castillo and Carmen Mola) and actors (Robin Wright, Sean Bean, Park Seo-Joon and Álvaro Morte). Moreover, in this end-of-year series review, there's clearly a change in the wind: with the exception of one series where Malaga 'stands in' for another location, the scripts are choosing Malaga province with storylines that are actually set here.

Release date: 31 January 2025 | Available on: Netflix | Episodes: 6 | Locations: Malaga city, El Palo and Benalmádena

Miren Rojo, the investigative journalist character working for SUR in this thriller, was the first to top the list of Malaga-based series with the Netflix hit The Snow Girl 2: The Soul Game, the sequel to the popular crime saga based on the novels by Javier Castillo. A 'film noir' version of Malaga, damp, although somewhat less rainy than in the first series, is the setting for this long-awaited six-episode sequel that quickly became number one on Netflix in Spain. With the addition of Miki Esparbé to the plot as a crime reporter for the Malaga newspaper and a counterpoint to the main character played by Milena Smit, this second instalment deals with the disappearance and murder of several young women. It begins when the reporter receives a blurry Polaroid of a girl with her hands tied, while at the same time a teenager is found crucified in a ruined building. For those who are big fans of Castillo's books, his partnership with Netflix has also borne fruit this year with another adaptation, The Crystal Cuckoo, released at the end of November and also a leader on the streaming platform in Spain with the story of a young doctor and some serial murders.

Release date: 29 August 2025 | Available on: Netflix | Episodes: 3 | Locations: Frigiliana, Torrox and Malaga

In just 24 hours, it was already at the top of the most-watched list in Spain and 14 other countries. Then, in its first week, it reached number one worldwide for non-English language series on Netflix, where it reigned for two weeks. This year's most resounding audience success for series filmed in Malaga has been 'Dos tumbas' (Two Graves), the powerful, three-episode thriller created by the writers and screenwriters behind the Carmen Mola label: Agustín Martínez, Jorge Díaz and Antonio Mercero. The success of this miniseries was aimed directly at one of the most charming towns in the Axarquía area, namely Frigiliana, the main setting for this story about the disappearance of two girls during the local feria and the tireless investigation by one of their grandmothers to find her granddaughter and her friend. The beach of Vilches in Torrox and the luxurious Huerta del Conde mansion in Malaga also provided locations for this binge-worthy series starring three actors who were also cast in 'La casa de papel' (Money Heist): Kiti Mánver from Antequera, Hovik Keuchkerian and a transformed Álvaro Morte, who goes from being the 'Professor' in his previous role to recovering his Andalusian accent for his role in this series as a mafioso and father of one of the victims.

Release date: 9 September 2025 | Available on: Movistar+ | Episodes: 8 | Locations: Antequera, Benalmádena, Marbella and Malaga city

The British mafia's fondness for the Costa del Sol gets its umpteenth outing with 'This City is Ours', a solid BBC production starring gangsters with a distinctly local flavour. Instead of the usual London criminals, this time the focus shifts to the Liverpool underworld. Sean Bean, the unforgettable and fleeting Ned Stark from the first season of Game of Thrones, plays Ronnie Phelan, the veteran drug baron who is considering stepping down from frontline ops. This unleashes a power struggle within his criminal organisation between the gang's lieutenant and Phelan's adopted son and the kingpin's first-born son. Along with the northern, English city of The Beatles, it's the Trocadero restaurant in Benalmádena, the port of Malaga and the Marbella seafront that also star in this thriller about family loyalties. The production also filmed scenes in Antequera with the mythical Peña de los enamorados mountain in the background, giving a certain epic and twilight western touch to the adventures of these gun-carrying criminals.

Release date: 10 September 2025 | Available on: Prime Video | Episodes: 6 | Locations: Marbella, Benahavís, Benaoján, Manilva, Ojén and Malaga city

The stellar presence of Hollywood star Robin Wright and two recent Golden Globe nominations - one for the actress and the other for the series itself - endorse what is undoubtedly one of the best productions of the year set in Malaga. The American actress and director brings the plot of The Girlfriend to Malaga, pushing the morbid boundaries that she previously explored in House of Cards, taking the traditional conflict between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law to pathological, even bizarre, lengths. Wright is the possessive mother of the boyfriend in this apparent family drama full of unexpected twists and turns that gradually intensifies and evolves into an erotic, violent and bloody thriller with Olivia Cooke (House of the Dragon) as her rival. The luxurious locations of this Amazon MGM Studios plot deserve a separate chapter. With the collaboration of Malaga-based production company Anima Stillking and the company A Film Locations, it is also set in the Cueva del Gato (Cat Cave) in Benaoján, the centre of Marbella, the spectacular Villa Tramores mansion in Benahavís, the port of Malaga and a luxury yacht - named 'Amante' (Lover), nothing is gratuitously done in this miniseries - that cruises along the coast of Manilva.

This is probably the least-known of the series filmed in Malaga and the one that will surprise viewers the most. Its novel, radical plot make it a kind of Finnish Breaking Bad, starring a successful real estate agent who lives an idyllic life until she sees her entire empire collapse when her husband disappears, leaving her heartbroken and, above all, with an even bigger debt running into the millions. Her life of luxury is threatened and so the 'queen of houses' becomes 'the queen of fucking everything' when, in order to maintain her lifestyle, she takes over the reins of her partner's construction business and ruthlessly dives into shady business dealings, corruption and crime. The seafront promenade of La Malagueta and other locations on the Costa del Sol serve as the backdrop to this pitch-black comedy, whose third episode takes place in Malaga province and features the main character, Laura Malmivaara (of Bordertown fame), assisted by her sidekick Katja Küttner (Princess). The Finnish public television series YLE is distributed internationally by AMC and can be viewed in Spain through the Prime Video and Apple TV platforms.

Release date: 8 October 2025 | Available on Disney+ | Episodes: 6 | Locations: Malaga city and El Palo

Among the best Spanish series titles of the year is Fate: A Series of Coincidences, the story of a veteran bullfighter, revered and respected by the fans, whose superstition leads him to hire a new, young driver for his tour of Spain when his own driver is sidelined. Óscar Jaenada, with his bullfighting composure and resemblance to Morante de la Pueblo - not only physically, but also in his character - and Ricardo Gómez, as the hired driver, star in this drama tinged with comedic undertones. It's not only a magnificent portrayal of bullfighting in these changing times, but also a superb tale of decline and friendship. The half-hour episodes give a fresh feel to this inspired series by Paco Plaza (of REC fame) and Pablo Guerrero ('Entre tierras', Between Lands) that delves into the bullfighter's personal crisis and doesn't shy away from the debate that pits bullfighting fans against animal rights activists opposed to the spectacle. Moreover, the series makes the conflict between the old and the new the central basis of a plot that was filmed in La Malagueta, El Palo and Malaga city centre.

Release date: 9 October 2025 | Available on: Movistar+ | Episodes: 6 | Locations: Benajarafe and Madrid

The spy genre is traditionally dominated by CIA and MI6 plots. This dominance is challenged by The Centre, an entertaining series that delves into the little-known world of the CNI (Spain's national intelligence centre) to show how this institution operates in the age of mostly digital threats, albeit with a certain Cold War feel to it as the bad guys in the storyline are Putin-era Russians. The plot begins with a murder that uncovers an international operation by Moscow's intelligence services, while also revealing the existence of a mole within the very heart of Spanish intelligence. A phlegmatic and astute spy, played by Juan Diego Botto, stars in this thriller, filmed mostly in Madrid. It also includes some beach scenes, shot in Benajarafe on the Malaga coast and featuring American actor Ken Appledorn ('Arde Madrid', Madrid Burns), but, in the story, these scenes are set in San Fernando (Cadiz).

Release date: 6 December 2025 | Available on: Prime Video | Episodes: 12 | Locations: Malaga city and Marbella

Fans of Korean dramas (K-drama) also have an Asian-Malaga title to feast their eyes on right now, 'Tal vez mañana' (Surely Tomorrow), which was filmed in the centre of Malaga just three months ago and has already premiered on Prime Video. The main attractions of this romantic drama are the Asian star with the eternally youthful face, Park Seo-Joon (The Marvels), and Won Ji-An (Squid Game), who star in a story of second chances about a young couple who, after breaking up, meet again years later in a very different situation: he is a journalist who publishes a drug case that affects the popular husband of his ex-girlfriend. Plaza de Uncibay, Mundo Nuevo, Alcazabilla, Molina Larios and Plaza de Camas are some of the Malaga city locations featured in this highly-anticipated, 12-episode series. It is still on the seventh episode, with a new episode released on a weekly basis, and the episode set in Malaga has yet to be screened.