mail-5189 This show is a mix between "Orange is the New Black" and the Australian "Wentworth" with a main character similar to Piper Chapman while the overall tone of the show is more like Wentworth: dramatic, dark and gritty with the occasional black comedy.It's well acted and written with a story line that is very different from ONTB and Wentworth.However, in terms of the writing, directing and overall execution is doesn't quite reach the level of Wentworth which really excels in all areas.The character writing is not as strong (but still good) - most of them are very likable and easy to root for, but especially the main villain could be more interesting and complex. So overall I'd say it's not as addictive as Wentworth but still really good and definitely worth watching.

richetal riveting from the minute I started watching, and I am not a TV fan, do not do Netflix or telly, I came across a review in a newspaper stating series 2 was starting here on Ch 4 and how good it was; I only really started watching in order to practise my Spanish (using the subtitles to cheat) however from series 1 episode 1 I was hooked. It is compulsive viewing I became addicted and quite antisocial, it is gripping, shocking, at times sensual, brilliantly acted and challenging to watch. Great sound track and some wonderful dark humour. The ending of the final episode of the second series was dreadful and I am not sure how I will last till series 3 starts! I have nothing to compare it with but it is utterly brilliant - if not for the faint hearted.

Tweekums This series, retitled 'Locked Up' in the UK, follows Macarena Ferreiro, a young woman who finds herself in prison after she is arrested for embezzling a large sum of money. She claims she was merely doing what her boss told her but he denies any involvement. Life in prison is not easy and Macarena gets off to a particularly unpleasant start when one of her cellmates is murdered. Then she discovers a phone SIM card that belonged to the dead girl… it gives the location to where she hid nine million Euros; naturally everybody wants it. She passes the information to her father hoping he can use it to pay her bail but things soon go from bad to worse when Zulema, the woman who dominates her cell block, finds the location and passes it to her boyfriend 'The Egyptian'. This puts her family in danger from him and on the wrong side of the law and Macarena at risk from Zulema inside the prison. If that weren't enough she has to deal with the prison doctor's unwanted advances and the consequences of rebuffing him.If anybody thought this series would be easy viewing the first episode will dispel those beliefs; it can be quite gruelling at times. Thankfully it isn't all depressing though; we see that not everybody there is unpleasant. Maggie Civantos does a great job as Macarena; she makes the viewer feel for this vulnerable character while also believing in her as she gradually toughens up as the result of what happens to her in prison. Najwa Nimri also impresses as Zulema; a believably unpleasant character who we believe will carry out her threats… and sometimes does in fairly shocking ways. The rest of the cast, both prisoners, prison staff and Macarena's family are also pretty good. The design of the show is great; most notably the yellow and green prison design which extends to the inmates' bright yellow uniforms. So far I've only seen the first season but based on that I'd recommend this series and hope that season two becomes available in the UK soon.These comments are based on watching the first season in Spanish with English subtitles.

anibeli When I first saw this title on Netflix I also thought "Oh, man. This is an Orange is the New Black copy-cat" But, as a fan of prison related shows I decided to give it a try, and man! It was awesome. This show has the intensity in every chapter as Prison Break (2005- 2009) has. If you haven't seen Vis-a-Vis you're missing out a great story, this show is NOT a comedy, it's drama, action, secrets, violence, every single episode will keep you wanting for the next. Vis-a-Vis shows a more real point of view of what is to be inside of prison. The show is about Macarena Ferreriro a normal woman who fell in love with her married boss, she was thrown into jail for a fraud they both committed. Macarena is a nice, sweet person, very naive but when she gets in jail she will realize that prison is a horrible place.The TV show has great characters, great story, you will not be disappointed. I definitely cannot wait for season 2!