Tell Me How It Happened

Tell Me How It Happened follows the Lopes family, a close knit Portuguese household, as the country leaves the late dictatorship behind and starts shaping a new era. The story centers on António Lopes a steady breadwinner, his wife Margarida Marques Lopes, and their children, who grow up amid changing expectations and stubborn loyalties. We see neighbors and relatives who help and complicate life, reflecting how ordinary moments like meals, work, and school become mirrors of a society in transition. The show blends domestic scenes with the wider sweep of history, emphasizing how politics and personal choices influence a middle class life. After a long initial run the series returned in 2019 and moved the timeline into the 1980s. New episodes explore life beyond the dictatorship with nuance.

Created by Miguel Ángel Bernardeau, the series aired on RTP1 from 2007 to 2011 and was revived in 2019, moving the story into the 1980s to reflect Portugal's changing landscape. Its revival kept the tone intimate and grounded.

The show's premise centers a middle class family amid upheaval, pairing home life with political change. It offers a lens on how ordinary people adapt and negotiate new freedoms while keeping family ties intact. That approach helped connect Portugal's past to viewers today.

Critics have praised the drama for its steady pace and well drawn characters, exploring the tensions between tradition and change and how daily life adapts under shifting political winds. It foregrounds resilience and the quiet compromises families make when history redefines their world. Viewers praised the performances of the Lopes family, especially the younger cast.

Awards: No major nominations or wins are documented for this series in widely used databases, though fans note its strong character work and careful period details. Some local critics mention nominations may exist in smaller awards circuits, but none are widely cited. The absence of visible nominations should not overshadow its reception.