26 Awesome TV Shows From Around The World

    Great television knows no borders.

    Adam Davis
    by Adam Davis

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us their favorite TV shows from around the world. And here are their globe-spanning recommendations.

    1. Wentworth (Australia)

    SoHo

    "It's an Australian prison drama. All three seasons are available on Netflix here in the U.S., as well as other countries around the world. Definitely a great show to binge-watch. My partner and I watched all three seasons within three days."

    —Spencer James French, Facebook

    2. Les Revenants (France)

    Canal+

    "Les Revenants is a drama about an isolated village in the French Alps where people mysteriously start coming back from the dead. It is beautifully shot and consistently compelling. More of a suspense/ thriller than proper horror. There was a U.S. remake of it too, but it doesn't do the original French version justice!"

    —evaa49efa9634

    3. Hatufim (Israel)

    Channel 2

    "It's not a current show, but Prisoners of War (Hatufim) is available on Hulu (subscription only). It is the original Israeli inspiration for Homeland. It's in Hebrew with English subtiltes. I really enjoyed it."

    —Mike Gorman, Facebook

    4. Your Lie in April (Japan)

    Fuji TV

    "It's a wonderful Japanese anime about first loves, loss, growing up, and learning to let go. I watched it last year, but they just added it on U.S. Netflix (in English nonetheless). People on Netflix seem to really like it too right now — every rating is a 5-star, with a single 4-star review at the moment."

    —Alex Glyman, Facebook

    5. Catastrophe (United Kingdom)

    Channel 4

    "An absolutely hilarious comedy about a U.K. woman who is knocked up by an American who's in the country on business."

    —Kim Peacock, Facebook

    6. Skam (Norway)

    Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK)

    "Skam, or Shame, is a Norwegian TV series about high schoolers that every teen should watch and every teen would benefit from watching, even if some things aren't always easy to relate to."

    —malinelizabethdiskinn

    7. O negócio (Brazil)

    HBO Brasil

    "Three sex workers from São Paulo change the business with marketing and build a high-end brand around this taboo profession."

    —Arthur Newcount, Facebook

    8. Trapped (Iceland)

    RÚV

    "It's an Icelandic murder mystery playing out over a small town as a storm rolls in and traps the inhabitants with a murderer among them. It's a well-worn trope but Trapped brings something refreshing to the mix. 10/10 would recommend."

    —MattyAlf

    9. X-Company (Canada)

    CBC Television

    "This show is so, so engrossing, with fantastic acting, stunning sets, and a plot that literally cannot stop. Season 1 was fantastic and Season 2 thus far has superseded almost every show on television in power."

    —Christian Paliga, Facebook

    10. クレヨンしんちゃん, or Crayon Shin-chan (Japan)

    TV Asahi

    "The American dub is pretty funny, but the Japanese version is HILARIOUS. Quite possibly the most inappropriate "kids' cartoon" I've ever seen, it follows a five-year old boy and his dog and family in their daily life. The puns are genius and his behavior is totally wrong in the best way. It's a bit of work to understand the Japanese version (I don't speak it well) but it's worth it."

    —Eli Sullivan

    11. Black Mirror (United Kingdom)

    Channel 4

    "Black Mirror is an awesome series. Each episode has a different cast and setting, and they all focus on the consequences of new technology. They all have little twists and turns in them, and the Christmas special is fantastic. They've commissioned twelve new episodes for Netflix that are currently being written, but in the meanwhile you can watch episodes that include accurately predicting David Cameron's pig-gate scandal."

    —Ryan Townsend, Facebook

    12. El Tiempo Entre Costuras/The Time In Between (Spain)

    Antena 3

    "Amazing storyline and characters, not to mention gorgeous '30s/'40s fashion. It's on Netflix and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Downton Abbey."

    —Stefhani Marmolejo, Facebook

    13. Deutschland '83 (Germany)

    RTL / SundanceTV

    "Set in 1983, the show follows Martin, a young army officer from East Germany, who is sent to West Germany as a spy. It is really good. At present it only has one series/season but it will probably come back for a second."

    —evealiciaconnor

    14. Nodame Cantabile (Japan)

    Fuji TV

    "Beautiful, musical drama. Makes me fall in love with classical music again and it's funny as hell. After watching, I picked up the piano again and learned some classical music because of it."

    —lilir42765cf00

    15. Schitt’s Creek (Canada)

    CBC Television

    "Schitt's Creek is a Canadian comedy about a super-wealthy family who loses their money and has to go live in a tiny rural town they once bought as a joke. Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara star as the father and mother of the family, and they are fantastic. I look forward to it every week!"

    —Christina K

    16. Torka aldrig tårar utan handskar, or Don't Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves (Sweden)

    SVT1

    "It's a miniseries with only three episodes but Torka aldrig tårar utan handskar is great. It's about two young men who fall in love in the eighties in Stockholm. The three parts are called The Love, The Disease, and The Death, so I think you can figure the main plot out. Incredibly beautiful and incredibly sad."

    —i487f9362b

    17. The Almighty Johnsons (New Zealand)

    TV3

    "A show about Norse gods that live in New Zealand and how the youngest of four sons, Axl, discovers that he is the reincarnation of the god Odin and has to find his wife Frigg or his whole family dies! Actually VERY funny, promise!"

    —Maryanne Oketch, Facebook

    18. Please Like Me (Australia)

    ABC2

    "It's an Australian show about a guy, Josh, who has to move in with his mother who attempted suicide. At the same time, Josh is coming out to the people in his life, mostly by accident or very awkwardly. So relatable. It's just a hilarious show that's also just so on point about mental illness and insecurities and figuring out life."

    —mentalchicken11

    19. Mr. Robot (U.S.)

    USA

    "The plot is definitely inspired by Fight Club with a hint of Dexter (the early seasons), but somehow is supremely unique. The acting and the way it's shot is amazing. I tell everyone I know to watch this show, and I can't wait for Season 2!"

    —cmarie13

    20. Broen/Bron (Denmark/Sweden)

    Nimbus Film

    "You should definitely watch Broen/Bron. It's a Danish/Swedish thriller about a Danish and Swedish cop working together on different cases that involve both countries. It might sound simple but this one will give extreme thrills and make you wanna keep watching at the same time. The show is called Broen/Bron because it takes place in a city called Malmö in southern Sweden and in the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen. These two cities are connected through a bridge called the Øresund/Öresund Bridge, and broen/bron are the Danish/Swedish words for 'the bridge.'"

    —sofiep4467a95cf

    21. Escobar: El Patrón del Mal (Colombia)

    Caracol TV

    "I expected it to be garbage, but it was actually a nuanced and well-acted biopic/series. It was one of those rare times when they tried and succeeded in showing the true complexity of the Colombian drug-trafficking epidemic and of organized crime in the 1980s and 1990s, and didn't just settle for hammering you to death with 'Escobar was pure evil.' Very well done. It's on Netflix."

    —Giliana P. García Acevedo, Facebook

    22. Call the Midwife (United Kingdom)

    BBC One

    "I absolutely adore Call the Midwife. The story is centered on midwives in the 1950s who are based at Nonnatus House, which also houses nuns. It passes the Bechdel test 100 times over and each storyline is so enthralling, consuming, and original. It's just about to conclude its fifth series/season with another one set for next year. I'd recommend it to anyone and everyone, and I honestly don't think it gets enough praise and enough love outside of the U.K. Anyone who watches it is bound to love it!"

    —niamhthedweeb

    23. Signal (South Korea)

    tvN

    "This is a crime drama about two detectives, one from the past, one from the present, that tap into a mysterious walkie talkie signal that allows them to work together across time to solve a series of grisly cold cases from 1986-1991. Not like other K-dramas."

    —Emersonian11

    24. Gran Hotel (Spain)

    Antena 3

    "Oh my lord! Hot, beautiful people set against a lovely landscape of a early 1900s hotel! The family that runs the hotel, their employees, and their guests are so rich and lavish in personality, and a few other attributes. The Alarcon family is so wealthy and conniving, but their secrets are so delightful to watch. It's part murder mystery, part romance, yet it really tells a great story especially in regards to civil issues. But it's so relatable that it sometimes doesn't feel like it takes place a hundred years ago. WATCH IT! IT IS ON NETFLIX!"

    —fabfourdarling

    25. adını feriha koydum, or I Named Her Feriha (Turkey)

    Show TV

    "I'm watching the dubbed version of this. Its a Turkish dramedy with a little bit of everything: romance, drama, over the top fights, playboy billionaires, and psychotic spurned lovers."

    —akh

    And, of course...

    26. Doctor Who (United Kingdom)

    BBC

    "Obviously everyone knows Doctor Who, but oh my god Doctor Who. Humor, time travel, British accents, phenomenal character development, adventure, raw emotions, and a rich, 50-odd year history. It's the best show in the world."

    —musicismytherapy97

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    Note: some responses have been edited and condensed for length or clarity.