Why is there such a buzz about..?

Money Heist (Netflix)

Sure, it seems obvious now that everyone would love watching a team of good-looking, sexy Spaniards carrying out audacious, spectacular crimes in a stylish, funny, Tarantinoesque show. Yet when Netflix acquired Money Heist (La Casa De Papel – The House Of Paper, as it is rather more poetically named in Spanish) at the end of 2017, the series’ ratings were in freefall in its home country.

The streaming service quietly made the show’s two seasons available without any fanfare or marketing. Within a few weeks the stars noticed the number of followers they had on social media increasing exponentially.

Then fans started dressing like some of the characters – the gang of robbers (including Esther Acebo, right), all codenamed after cities and brought together by the mysterious ‘Professor’, wear red jumpsuits and Dali masks. Some of them began showing up at political protests – it has been argued the show is a critique of capitalism.

Stephen King declared himself a fan, tweeting last year: ‘When does MONEY HEIST come back? Because, dig it, I’m not getting any younger here.’

It is now one of Netflix’s most watched shows. The new series – the fourth – has been trending worldwide, although it has been divisive, with many viewers angry over a popular character’s death. Another series is believed to be in pre-production, and Money Heist: The Phenomenon, an hour-long documentary about the making of the show and revealing how several key scenes were created, is currently available on Netflix.