Benidorm

Benidorm is a British television comedy-drama series that aired from 2007 to 2018. The show, written by Derren Litten, masterfully combines various television genres like sitcom, drama, and tourism, creating an engaging viewing mixture that captivates audiences around the globe. The series takes its name from the popular coastal city in Spain's Alicante province where the action takes place - Benidorm, showing off the beautiful Mediterranean Sea vistas, skyscrapers, and sunny beaches that the city has to offer.

The key setting for this show is the Solana, a fictional all-inclusive resort. The series wonderfully showcases the stories of guests who choose this location for their annual summer holiday, along with the amusing and sometimes complex lives of the hotel staff.

The humorous and dramatic interactions between this assortment of British holidaymakers and the hotel staff form the heart of the show. Various recurring characters, each with their distinct personality and storyline, build a unique sense of intimacy for the viewer.

One of the major charms of Benidorm is its rich array of characters that span all ages and walks of life. Each of the characters is brilliantly penned and superbly acted with convincing and hilarious characteristics, resonating with the wide spectrum of viewers.

The long-standing, middle-aged, ordinary yet endearing Garvey family led by Mick and Janice, and their teenage children, Michael and Chantelle, along with ever-cranky grandmother Madge, become one of the central pillars for the show. Their down-to-earth appeal, routine domestic squabbles, intermixed with light hearted camaraderie create a sense of familiarity with the audience.

The hotel staff on Lee Mead's character, barman and lothario Mateo, provides the majority of comedy. His recurring misunderstandings due to a language barrier, romantic escapades with the guests, and flamboyant personality keep the audience hooked.

The depiction of the night-life in Benidorm and the relationships formed and tested in the backdrop of beautiful sandy beaches and blue waters provide the perfect setting for drama and comedy. The show brilliantly and humorously displays the cultural differences and similarities between the Brits and the Spaniards, creating numerous comedic situations.

The British aesthetic infused with Spanish culture gives the show uniqueness in terms of soundscape as well, with a mix of English and Spanish language songs filling the vibrant scenes.

The dynamics between the characters as they navigate through the holiday, testing their relationships, encountering eccentric characters, forms the backbone of the series. The sense of reality that Benidorm brings, with its cocktail of unusual and quirky occurrences one might see on a typical holiday, adds to the humor and charm of the show.

Even though Benidorm is a comedy at its core, the thoughtfully written plots sometimes border on the dramatic too, with themes such as love, marriage, friendship, infidelity, economic crisis, and old age becoming part of the storylines. This complexity only makes the show more engaging and enthralling.

Despite the comic overtones, the series also lightly touches upon relevant social issues, permitting the audience to ponder on them, thereby providing an undertone of seriousness beneath the surface level chuckling scenarios.

To sum it up, Benidorm expertly stands out in the British television landscape as a unique comedy-drama series. It excels in balancing humor with touching moments, everyday characters with vibrant vacation locales, unexpected storylines with relatable vacation incidents, and most importantly, presenting the noisy, bustling, entertaining, yet relaxing world of a holiday in Benidorm. It's an escape from the routine and into a world where anything can happen under the Spanish sun.

For those who enjoy spirited comedy and drama intermingled with cheers, tears, and holiday culture clashes, Benidorm is a much-watch series that is sure to captivate the heart and tickle the funny bone.