Culture, and television in particularly in Europe has been quite America-dominated for a while. I’d love to hear what’s good from your home countries. If I can make a request, give a short description of the shows that you are recommending, try to sell it a bit, and don’t just post the titles. Particularly, I’d recommend:
Matador (Danish, 1978)
This is the best TV series in the history of Denmark, possibly the world. Set in a small fictional town, it takes place in the years 1929-1947, and the changes Danish society goes through at the time. While this is interesting, the real strength is the fantastic characterization, with the show starring pretty much all famous Danish actors of the era, doing their best work.
Whiskey on the Rocks (Swedish, 2025)
A Swedish satirical series about the Whiskey on the Rocks incident of 1981, where a Soviet Whiskey-class nuclear submarine ran aground in Karlskrona. It got a lot of criticism for depicting the Soviet Union as lovable drunken buffoons instead of brutal imperialists, but I found it pretty funny regardless.
Braunschlag (Austria, 2011)
Another comedy. The mayor of the upper Austrian village of Braunschlag ran the town bankruptcy. In order to get some money flowing back into the town, he decides to fake a Marian apparition. The series is generally very Austrian, but fantastic if you like that sort of thing.
Nice idea, curious to see the recommendations
I really liked Los Serrano, a Spanish television drama comedy from 2003.
It was my childhood series that my whole family sat down together to watch. Just a comedy drama about Serrano family and their daily lives that ran for years.
My favourite series of all time is Brideshead Revisited (UK, 1981). A beautiful and melancholic look at British high society between the wars, following the recollections of one Charles Ryder as he remembers his youth, college years and early adulthood. Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews give star performances as the two leads, while John Gielgud and Lawrence Olivier steal the show as their respective fathers.
Also I’ve been quite partial to the range of crime dramas from N. European countries. Ones I can remember offhand include:
- The Killing (Sweden), award winning crime drama, multiple remakes
- The Bridge (Denmark and Sweden), possibly the apotheosis of the Nordic crime drama subgenre
- Endeavour (UK) a prequel to Inspector Morse
- Jack Taylor (Ireland) gritty police procedural from the West of Ireland
- Corp & Anam (Ireland) Irish language crime drama, great cast
- Wallander (Sweden, UK remake) long running series, also remade a few times
- Poirot (UK) charming and eccentric series based on the Agatha Christie stories
- There are many others but that’s what I came up with on the fly
Also Father Ted is something the Irish are still very proud of. 3 misfit priests are exiled to an island off the west coast where they get up to all kind of ridiculous high-jinks. The show lampoons Irish culture and society in the 1990s, and absolutely eviscerates the Irish Catholic Church.
And there is of course a wealth of excellent stuff out of the UK: comedies and dramas, sketch shows and miniseries.
Germany
Dark (2017-2021)
The story follows dysfunctional characters from the fictional town of Winden in Germany, as they pursue the truth in the aftermath of a child’s disappearance. They follow connections between four estranged families to unravel a sinister time travel conspiracy that spans several generations. The series explores the existential implications of time and its effect on human nature and life.
Babylon Berlin (2017-)
The series is set in Berlin during the latter years of the Weimar Republic, beginning in 1929. It follows Gereon Rath (Volker Bruch), a police inspector on assignment from Cologne who is on a secret mission to dismantle an extortion ring, and police clerk Charlotte Ritter (Liv Lisa Fries), who aspires to become a police inspector.
Ok, it’s honestly much better than this description. It gives a feeling of those times (1929-1931) in Germany, shows social and political issues.
Babylon Berlin (Germany, 2017 - now)
Set in 1920s Berlin, Babylon Berlin explores the clash of social conflicts, vibrant pop culture, the emancipation of women and sexual minorities, the aftermath of World War I, and the rise of fascism. The plot is characterized by political intrigue in the context of historical events, some dramatic elements and a bit of mystery. The series shines with high production quality and well-acted protagonists Gereon Rath and Charlotte Ritter.
