Festival producers in 2022 sought a project steeped in history. Guillem Casanova began drafting Clua in Barcelona in 1973 for a 2011 playwriting tournament. The piece premiered in a modest venue, traveled to theatres around the world, evolved into a book, and now lands on Netflix in eight half-hour episodes. Smiling is a love story told through a gay lens yet accessible to all audiences. It gains strength from a diverse cast and a variety of cinematic frames that invite broad identification. Starring Carlos Cuevas and Miki Esparbé, their chemistry feels genuine. The project pays a respectful nod to Pepón Nieto’s transformative performance as a drag queen, an inspired choice. Like classic romantic comedies, it carries a holiday allure that makes it an ideal option for Christmas viewing.
Smiley marked Guillem Casanova’s first foray into comedy. It achieved notable success on stage, traveled as a book worldwide, and then found a fresh life as a serialized adaptation for television on Netflix.
One sentence can capture a decade of work. Casanova’s first comedy began as a short text from the 2011 Temporada Alta Dramaturgy Tournament. He faced Jordi Galcerán, who would later pen a major hit. The moment carried high stakes for a newcomer up against a seasoned playwright known for the Grönholm Method. The emotional core sparked the decision to expand. The premiere response, audience enthusiasm, and the ensuing phenomenon confirmed the choice to broaden the work.
Romantic comedy endures because love remains a universal driver. The pull of lovers fuels films, plays, and series. What changes is form. A Howard Hawks comedy from mid-century or a Nora Ephron-era romance looks different in today’s social climate. Shifts in gender and LGBTQIA representation reshape storytelling. Smiley emerged from a desire to reframe the tropes of the classic romantic comedy through the experiences of two men, lending fresh energy to a familiar template.
This is not merely a gay story; it is a love story. Its success stems from telling it through a distinctly LGBTQI perspective. The play centers on two men but includes two lesbian characters, straight characters, and older voices. It aims to resonate beyond any single audience, inviting universal identification.
Translating the story to an audiovisual format raised questions about expanding the universe rather than altering the core romance. The lead roles of Alex and Bruno translated smoothly because the storyline had already been explored in other media. The real challenge lay in shaping a broader character world that supports the main arc. It became a study in drawing from LGBTQI realities and exploring new ways of loving. Netflix offered a platform that permitted the smaller, intimate drama to unfold on a larger canvas, introducing new characters and deeper layers.
Was there humility in sharing personal stories on screen? Not in the sense of withholding. The creator often draws from personal experience and life’s insights. The series reflects current realities, friendships, and inner circles, turning into a rich source for humor. Real-life dating experiences and daily moments provide abundant material for comedy.
When casting Pepón Nieto as a drag queen, the decision grew directly from the script. The character was written as a mature performer, nodding to Barcelona’s historical reformers. Meanwhile the drag world has grown stylish today, with celebrated figures and shows that have popularized the look. The portrayal honors transgender history while keeping the tone fresh and relevant, ensuring that older characters still matter.
That role unites a spectrum of emotions through monologues that land with authority. The aim is to give him a central voice, a figure who may be secondary in a scene but whose insights carry both weight and beauty.
Choosing Carlos Cuevas and Miki Esparbé as leads proved a bold move. The script was originally built around different performers. Recasting required establishing instant chemistry and convincing audiences they would fall in love. The decision felt like a lottery win, producing a pairing that felt inevitable once seen together on screen.
There are Catalan dialogues in the series. Was this Netflix’s plan to address a language gap or a deliberate choice by the creators? Netflix was approached with a vision to honor Catalan themes and characters, to reflect an authentic Barcelona where Catalan and Spanish coexist. The choice was made to showcase the city’s linguistic reality.
The shorter episodes were a deliberate pacing choice. The creators wanted a format that felt consumable without dragging, with rhythm that stays sharp while preserving depth.
The play eventually spawned a sequel, Smiley, després de l’amor. Could it become a second season for the series? It would be wonderful, but the audience holds the future. If the moment arrives, there is material ready to continue the story.
A Christmas moment within the series nods to Love Actually. Throughout the season there are cinematic references, and a festive touch is woven in to honor the spirit of classic romantic comedies. The genre invites holiday viewing and a sense of warmth that linger after the screen fades.