Is Netflix’s Breathless based on true story? Explained

Breathless, the new Spanish hospital drama series on Netflix, was released on the platform on August 30, 2024. This 8-episode medical drama revolves around a team of doctors as they try their best to do their job in a busy public hospital.

The official summary of the show reads:

“A passionate medical team is devoted to saving lives in a bustling public hospital where tensions — and romance — keep their pulses racing.”

Based on an original screenplay and not a true story, Breathless, called Respira in Spanish, is set in the Joaquín Sorolla Hospital in Valencia, Spain. Mostly through the perspective of the character called Biel, the viewers are shown how medical professionals consistently have to grapple with all sorts of institutional limitations even as they try their best to take care of their patients.

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Breathless is a work of fiction

Even though the themes and issues tackled in the show are quite realistic and timely, the various plot and character elements are the result of a screenplay penned by Carlos Montero, Carlos Ruano, Guillermo Escribano, and Pablo Saiz.

While not based on a true story, the professional and romantic lives of the medical professionals portrayed in the series are the result of a blend of realism and creativity.

On May 9, 2024, Carlos Montero, the creator and showrunner of Breathless, explained to Variety how the principal idea for the show came to his mind. The series features a protest that the medical team puts up to ensure better facilities at the hospital. This naturally brings the institution to a standstill.

Montero told Variety:

“The initial idea for this show came from that paradox, that dilemma, that to save the health care system as a whole, you may have to abandon the patients.”

He continued:

“It’s obviously a very extreme premise, but I think there is a very rich opportunity for storytelling there.”

Thus, even though the show is a work of fiction, its premise stems from worldly issues.

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Breathless: Plot and episodes

This Spanish medical drama on Netflix, set in the Joaquín Sorolla Hospital in Valencia, Spain, follows Biel, the resident at the hospital. It depicts how several challenges significantly limit the amount and efficacy of the services doctors provide to their patients.

Among other things, a constant problem is the dwindling resources in the public health sector. Despite these problems, the doctors try to have romantic lives. However, things change when an important patient is admitted to the hospital.

The failing infrastructure of the institution and the conflicts between the doctors all come to the fore, and soon there is a strike called by the medical professionals. Biel supports the doctors’ demands for improvements at the hospital, but he is also not sure if a strike is fair for the patients.

There are 8 episodes in Breathless. Their names are as follows:

Episode number	Episode name
1	Above All Else
2	Doctor Material
3	We Stop
4	I Trust You
5	Strike
6	Last Man Standing
7	Scorched Earth
8	Cold Drop

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Breathless: Cast and crew

Carlos Montero, famous for previously creating Elite for Netflix, is the creator and showrunner of the show. The screenplay of the series was written by Montero, Carlos Ruano, Guillermo Escribano, and Pablo Saiz. The show was executive produced by Montero and Diego Betancor, while David Pinillos and Marta Font were in charge of directing.

Actors like Najwa Nimri, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Blanca Suárez, and Manu Ríos play the major roles in the series. Other cast members include Ana Rayo, Macarena de Rueda, Blanca Martínez, Abril Zamora, Xoán Fórneas, Marwa Bakhat, Víctor Sáinz, among others.

About the decision to cast Najwa in the role of Patricia Segura, Carlos told Variety the following:

“Najwa was the one name I had in my head from the beginning. I knew she’d be perfect for that role. In fact, we waited for her to finish another job because we knew it would be worth it if we could get her.”

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All 8 episodes of Breathless are currently streaming on Netflix.