| Native Name: | Los espabilados |
| Creator: | Albert Espinosa |
| Opentheme: | "Los espabilados" by Alfred García |
| Country: | Spain |
| Language: | Spanish |
| Num Seasons: | 1 |
| Num Episodes: | 7 |
| Runtime: | 25 min (approx.) |
| Network: | Movistar+ |
Alive and Kicking (Spanish; Castilian: '''Los espabilados''';) is a Spanish television series created by Albert Espinosa for Movistar+. Based on the novel Lo que te diré cuando te vuelva a ver by Espinosa, the plot follows five teenagers escaping from a mental health centre. It aired in 2021.
The fiction follows the mishaps of five teenagers (Mickey L'Angelo, Yeray, Guada, Samuel and Lucas) escaping from a mental health centre in Menorca, experiencing from then on a sort of road movie that takes them to different locations in Spain, Germany and Italy in search of Mickey's older brother.[1]
Created by Albert Espinosa, Los espabilados is inspired by the novel Lo que te diré cuando te vuelva a ver, also authored by Espinosa. It consists of 7 episodes, directed by Roger Gual,[5] featuring a running time of around 25 minutes.[6] A 7-part road movie, the series is a drama with comedy elements. Filming started in Menorca on 4 November 2019.[7] Movistar+ programmed the release of the first 3 episodes for 29 January 2021, and the release of the 4 remaining episodes on a 2 episodes per Friday basis.[8] [9] Before the series' release, Movistar+ tasked Espinosa with the writing of a second and final season, although the platform did not confirm the renovation at the time.[10] The series' main theme, "Los espabilados", was composed and performed by Alfred García.[11]
The portrait of mental disorders in the series was harshly criticised by critics.[12] Reported problematic aspects include the romanticization of illness and the "dangerous" underlying antidiagnostic thesis present in the series.[13]