Now that we are halfway through 2025, it’s a good time to do an overview of the best new Mexican TV series out there that have achieved both notable popularity from the public and praise from the critics. I don’t intend to overshadow last year’s stellar offerings, such as “Las Azules” or “Como Agua para Chocolate,” but 2025 has been a great year for Mexican television, and still promises much more.
From poignant biopics and play adaptations to prison dramas and black comedies, TV networks and streaming services in the last six months have released Mexican series that include something for everyone. Creative and audacious, these series defy clichés and stereotypes. Enthralling, insightful and proudly Mexican, all these series have set the bar high and are worth your viewing time.
In no particular order, let’s dive in.
‘Mentiras, la serie’
If there is one series from 2025 that I wish everyone reading this would watch, it would be “Mentiras, la Serie,” (Lies, the Series), inspired by the acclaimed 2009 Mexican musical created by José Manuel López Velarde.
Set in the vibrant Mexico of the 1980s, this musical series tells the story of Daniela (played by the Mexican singer and actress Belinda), Yuri (Regina Blandón), Dulce (Diana Bovio) and Lupita (Mariana Treviño), whose lives intersect at the funeral of Emmanuel Mijares (Luis Gerardo Méndez) just as they discover that they all had been romantically involved with him — and are possible suspects in his death.
Gabriel Ripstein’s adaptation follows the female quartet as they unravel Emmanuel’s hidden history and confront the contradictions of their own lives. And “Mentiras, la Serie” is filled with thrilling musical sequences that engage the viewer to the very last episode.
With a dedicated cast, a handful of vein-cutting ballads and meticulous execution, this TV version honors one of Latin America’s most iconic and beloved musicals. If you’re nostalgic for ’80s culture, you’ll love this eight-episode re-imagining, which is now officially the most-watched title in the history of Amazon Prime Video México.
Stream ‘Mentiras, la serie’ on Prime Video.
‘Chespirito: Sin Querer Queriendo’
One of the most anticipated Mexican biographical series of the first half of 2025 has been “Chespirito, Sin Querer Queriendo” (Chespirito: Not Really on Purpose), which chronicles the life of legendary Mexican comedian, writer and director Roberto Gómez Bolaños, whose television creations, imbued with an enduring charisma, crossed borders and exerted an enormous influence on the lives of millions.
Max’s latest Mexican TV offering pays tribute to Gómez Bolaños, both as a family man and for his legacy in transforming Latin American television. Starring Pablo Cruz Guerrero, the eight-episode series takes its inspiration from the 2006 autobiography, “Sin Querer, Queriendo: Memorias,” and has been written by the versatile comedian’s children, Paulina and Roberto Gómez Fernández.
Only every once in a while does a biographical series come along that’s truly a human and empathetic study of its subject, and “Chespirito, Sin Querer Queriendo” is one of those rare exceptions. It will undoubtedly deeply touch the generations that grew up watching Bolaños’ iconic characters, such as El Chavo del Ocho (The Boy from Apartment 8) and El Chapulín Colorado (The Crimson Grasshopper), and for those who didn’t, it’s an well-done introduction to a Mexican pop culture icon.
Stream “Chespirito, Sin Querer Queriendo” on Max.
‘Serpientes y Escaleras’
Following their formidable collaborations in “La Casa de las Flores” and “Alguien Tiene que Morir,” Guadalajara-born director Manolo Caro and the extremely talented actress Cecilia Suárez reunite again in “Serpientes y Escaleras” (Snakes And Ladders), a hilarious, biting and unexpectedly venomous series.
This Netflix gem revolves around the figure of Dora López (Suárez), a teacher of unwavering ambition who aspires to become the principal of her prestigious school. Dora’s well-thought-out plan has been laid out over time, but her life takes a drastic turn when a conflict between students pits the city’s two most influential and wealthy families against each other, a feud at whose center Dora finds herself.
Over eight episodes, the series shows how Dora’s ambition leads her to sacrifice her principles and ethical values, causing a strong transformation in her nature.
This intelligent satire on the educational system and human values — although at times it has some soap-opera elements — reflects on provocative themes like greed, corruption, ethical dilemmas and the weight of power. In the realm of recent school comedies, “Serpientes y Escaleras” ranks alongside the U.S. series “Abbott Elementary” and “English Teacher.”
Stream “Serpientes y Escaleras” on Netflix.
‘Celda 211’
Directed by Jaime Reynoso and Gerardo Naranjo, “Celda 211” (Prison Cell 211) tells the story of Juan Olvera (Diego Calva, who starred in the 2022 Brad Pitt/Margot Robie film, “Babylon”), a lawyer about to become a father, who goes to prison for a routine visit and gets trapped there in the middle of a riot. To stay alive, he poses as a new inmate and experiences firsthand the Mexican prison system’s dangers.
This Mexican production, a combination of intense action with psychological drama, adapts the Spanish film of the same name, itself based on Francisco Pérez Gandul’s 2004 novel.
The six-episode miniseries moves the setting from Spain to Mexico and incorporates the real events of a 2023 prison riot that took place in Ciudad Juárez. This harsh and skillful adaptation sketches a crude look at the shortcomings of the Mexican prison system and the violation of human rights in that context.
Fair warning: In “Cell 211,” things are said with knives and bullets.
Stream “Celda 211” on Netflix.
