TV and Movies · Posted on 8 Feb 2019
There's a whole world of entertainment beyond Hollywood, and it's easier to access than ever before.
by Jenna GuillaumeEditor-at-Large, BuzzFeed Australia
I recently asked my Twitter followers to tell me their fave non-American shows on Netflix. Here are the top recommendations, along with some of my own:
1. Sex Education Netflix
A smart and hilarious British comedy about a repressed boy, his sex therapist mother and the sexually dysfunctional teens he goes to school with.
2. Derry Girls Netflix
Set in Northern Ireland during the 1990s, Derry Girls is about a group of teen girls (and one boy) just trying to live their lives in the middle of a civil war. It's simultaneously over-the-top and incredibly real.
3. The Cable Girls Netflix
A Spanish period drama set in the 1920s, about four young women working at a new telecommunications company.
4. Switched Netflix
Two Japanese schoolgirls switch bodies with unexpected consequences. The show is darker than the zany premise would suggest, but it still has a lot of charming and sweet moments.
5. Call My Agent! France 2
This French series follows the personal and professional lives of a group of agents at a celebrity talent agency.
6. Dark Netflix
Dark is a German sci-fi show that's often compared with Stranger Things . It involves time travel, disappearing kids and a mystery that spans three generations.
7. The End of the F***ing World Netflix
The End of the F***ing World is a weird but wonderful British show about two highly dysfunctional teens who go on the run together. Things kind of spiral out of control from there with often hilarious and sometimes incredibly moving results.
8. Love in the Moonlight KBS2
A South Korean series set during 19th-century Joseon Dynasty, Love in the Moonlight is a coming-of-age romance about a young prince.
9. Lovesick Netflix
A surprisingly lovely rom-com about a guy living in Glasgow, his best friends and his sexually transmitted disease (yes, really!).
10. Dance Academy ABC
This Australian show follows a group of teens as they attend an elite ballet school and compete for roles – and relationships. Despite the heightened setting, it's actually a pretty realistic exploration of the highs and lows of being a teen.
11. The Casketeers TVNZ
Set in New Zealand, The Casketeers is a comedy about a funeral home that is much more delightful than it sounds.
12. Anne with an E Netflix
A ~gritty~ adaptation of Canadian author L. M. Montgomery's beloved Anne of Green Gables series, about a young orphan girl who turns the lives of those around her upside down in the best possible way.
13. Kim's Convenience CBC
This series follows a Korean Canadian family who, as the title suggests, run a convenience store. It's very funny and very endearing.
14. Kurt Seyit ve Sura Star TV
A Turkish drama set in Russia during World War I, this series follows the turbulent love story of the two main characters.
15. Bodyguard BBC
This British series is about a police sergeant and war veteran who is assigned to protect the conservative home secretary.
16. Élite Netflix
Élite has been called a Spanish Gossip Girl – it's a sexy teen drama about three friends who get scholarships to an exclusive private school.
17. The Hook Up Plan Netflix
A charming French rom-com about a heartbroken woman who is set up with a male escort by her best friends and gets way more than she bargained for.
18. 3% Netflix
A dystopian series from Brazil which sees impoverished 20-year-olds competing for survival and the chance to live in the idyllic "Offshore".
19. Terrace House Netflix
A Japanase reality show following a bunch of strangers who move in together and start dating.
20. Sisters Ten
This Australian show focuses on a woman who discovers her father, a former fertility specialist, used his own sperm on patients and fathered hundreds of children. She tracks down some of her biological siblings, including two very different sisters.
21. Peaky Blinders BBC
Set in post-World War I England, Peaky Blinders is about the Shelby crime family, specifically the leader, Tommy Shelby – a complicated but compelling anti-hero.
22. Merlí TV3
A Catalan series about a philosophy teacher and the students he teaches. Think Dead Poets Society vibes.
23. Chewing Gum E4
Chewing Gum is a very funny British comedy about a sheltered young woman determined to lose her virginity despite her religious family's judgement.
24. Meteor Garden Netflix
This Chinese show is the latest adaptation of the popular Boys Over Flowers manga series, about a lower-class girl who finds herself involved with the lives and loves of four very rich and privileged boys.
25. Sacred Games Netflox
An Indian thriller that focuses on a police officer living in Mumbai who receives a mysterious phone call telling him he has 25 days to save the city.
26. Rita TV2
Rita is a Danish dramedy about a woman named Rita (of course) who is a sharp-tongued teacher and single mother– but the whole cast of characters are incredibly interesting.
27. Tidelands Netflix
Set in Australia, this Netflix original is about a group of "Tidelanders" – half-human, half-siren creatures who wield mysterious power over the town they live in. Everyone is hot and half-naked most of the time.
28. Luther BBC
A British crime drama about an obsessive detective who gets a little too close to the dark side of the crimes he investigates.
29. Broadchurch ITV
Another British crime drama, this time about the death of an 11-year-old boy and the impact his murder investigation has on the small town he grew up in.
30. Norsem*n NRK1
Norsem*n is a Norwegian comedy (yes, a comedy!) about a group of vikings living in the 790s.
31. Hello My Twenties! JTBC
A South Korean coming-of-age story about the lives of five college friends.
32. Baby Ballroom ITV
This British reality series about a group of kids at a ballroom dancing school is ridiculous, camp and so much fun.
33. Happy Valley BBC
Another British crime series, this time centred around a bad-ass female police sergeant who is dealing with her own personal trauma while investigating a kidnapping.
34. Babylon Berlin Sky 1
Set in Germany in 1929, Babylon Berlin is about a police inspector and World War I veteran who is on a secret mission, and a flapper who dreams of joining the police force.
35. Paquita Salas Netflix
A Spanish comedy that centres on a failing talent agent who tries to relaunch her business and reinvigorate her career.
36. The Master's Sun SBS
A South Korean rom-com with a supernatural twist, about a girl who sees ghosts and the guy who offers her respite.
37. Schitt's Creek CBC
Schitt's Creek is a warm comedy about a rich family who lose all their assets and have to move to the town their father bought as a joke. The character growth and combination of heart and humour are worth sticking around for.
38. Call the Midwife BBC
Set in London in the 1950s, Call the Midwife follows a group of midwives as they care for the people of the lower class East End.
39. The Last Kingdom Netflix
Based on the book series by Bernard Cornwell, this British historical drama tells the story of Uhtred of Bebbanburg and his fight for survival and revenge at a time when England was divided into seven kingdoms.
40. Velvet Antena 3
A Spanish love story set in the 1950s, which sees the heir of a prestigious fashion house fall for a seamstress who works there.
41. El Ministerio del Tiempo LA 1
This Spanish fantasy series is about a secret government ministry that guards the doors of time to prevent anyone from messing with history.
42. The Letdown ABC
The Letdown is a quirky Australian comedy that follows a new mother as she learns to deal with her baby, her changed life and her mother's group.
43. The Fall BBC
This British/Irish crime drama takes us in the heads of both a serial killer and the police officer investigating him. It's chilling and utterly impossible to stop watching.
44. Money Heist Antena 3
This series is about an extended, complicated bank heist involving the Royal Mint of Spain. If you love a tense thriller, this one is for you.
45. The Protector Netflix
A young Turkish man discovers he has superpowers and must protect his city – and the world – from dark forces.
46. The Rain Netflix
A post-apocalyptic Danish show about a rain-borne virus that wipes out nearly all of humanity. Six years later, a group of young survivors travel the country looking for answers.
47. Glitch ABC
This excellent Australian series follows a police officer who discovers that seven people in his small town have come back from the dead with no memory of who they were before they died.
48. Strong Girl Bong Soon JTBC
From South Korea, Strong Girl Bong Soon is about a girl who, as the name suggests, has superhuman strength. It's a lot of fun!
CORRECTION Feb. 08, 2019, at 23:32 PM
FAQs
South Korean "Squid Game " is the most popular non-English television show on Netflix of all time as of July 2024, based on the number of views within its first 91 days of being on the platform.
What foreign series to watch on Netflix? ›
International TV Shows
Pablo Escobar, el patrón del mal. Rosario Tijeras (Mexico) Pasión de Gavilanes. Desperate Lies. The Mafia Dolls. Boys Over Flowers. The Surrogacy. Dear Child.
What Netflix shows are exclusive to certain countries? ›
Drama
Title Genre Netflix exclusive regions Medici Historical drama UK, Ireland, Canada and India One of Us Is Lying Drama Selected territories Orphan Black Science fiction thriller Selected territories Outlander Historical fantasy drama Selected territories
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What shows are not on American Netflix? ›
According to IMDB's top 250 TV shows list, these are the best-rated TV shows not available on Netflix USA.
Rick and Morty (9.2) ... Cowboy Bebop (8.9) ... Fargo (8.9) ... The Office (8.9) ... Only Fools and Horses (8.8) ... Das Boot (8.8) ... Friends (8.8) ... Twin Peaks (8.8)
What is the No. 1 Netflix series? ›
Global Top 10
# TV (English) Weeks in Top 10 1 Cobra Kai : Season 62 2 Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam: Limited Series 1 3 Too Hot to Handle: Season 6 2 4 Simone Biles Rising: Season 1 2
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What are the 5 most watched Netflix shows? ›
Series
# Title Genre 1 Squid Game Survival drama 2 Stranger Things Science fiction/Horror 3 Wednesday Supernatural horror 4 Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Horror drama
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What is a real good series on Netflix? ›
Sweet Home, The Decameron, and Star Trek Prodigy are just a few of the shows you need to watch on Netflix this month. Streaming services are known for having award-worthy series but also plenty of duds.
What to watch on European Netflix? ›
European Movies & TV
Dear Child. The Gentlemen. Black Money Love. The Last Kingdom. Fool Me Once. Wrong Side of the Tracks. Unauthorized Living. The Asunta Case.
What is Netflix top 10 right now? ›
The 10 most popular movies on Netflix right now
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) 46% 6.1/10. Trolls Band Together (2023) 53% 6.0/10. ... Land of Bad (2024) 57% 6.6/10. ... Find Me Falling (2024) 49% 6.5/10. ... Hillbilly Elegy (2020) 38% 6.7/10. ... Paw Patrol: The Movie (2021) 50% 6.1/10. ... Minions (2015) 56% 6.4/10. ... Shrek (2001) 84% 7.9/10. ...
What 5 countries have no Netflix? ›
As of 2022, Netflix is streaming in over 190 countries, not including China, North Korea, Russia or Syria .
What does Netflix UK have that the US doesn't? In the UK, you can enjoy TV shows like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Office US, Friends, Rick and Morty, and The Big Bang Theory .
What is available only on Netflix US? ›
Only on Netflix
Desperate Lies. The Mafia Dolls. King the Land. The Queen of Flow. The Surrogacy. Money Heist. Bolívar. Crash Landing on You.
What is the most watched foreign Netflix series? ›
Lupin: Part 1Watch now. ... Money Heist: Part 5Watch now. ... Money Heist: Part 3Watch now. ... Lupin: Part 2Watch now. 68.4 million views. Who Killed Sara?: Season 1Watch now. 58.4 million views. Berlin: Season 1Watch now. 56.7 million views. All of Us Are Dead: Season 1Watch now. 55.5 million views. Dear Child: Limited SeriesWatch now.
What is the most popular non English show of all time on Netflix? ›
1 'Squid Game ' - Season 1 Of course the most popular non-English-language show on Netflix is the first (and so far only) season of Squid Game.
Can I tell a secret on Netflix? ›
Can I Tell You a Secret? follows three women — Zoe Jade Hallam, Abby Furness, and Lia Marie Hambly — and their accounts of being terrorized by the same online stalker . Each of their stories began the same way: a strange message from one of their followers, but the content was relatively harmless.
Why are so many Netflix shows not in English? ›
There's a demand for foreign content and netflix is a good place to provide that. Not like some other mouse house that straight up buys exclusive worldwide streaming rights and make it only available in the originating region. Lots of movies are made in other countries and languages.
Can I filter out non English shows on Netflix? ›
Once you've logged into Netflix on your browser, click Browse by Languages near the top of your screen. Select either Dubbing or Subtitles from the dropdown menu, then choose your preferred language . Netflix offers subtitles in an impressive 40 languages, so be sure to try this feature during your next movie night.
What is the most watched English language show on Netflix? ›
Most viewed English-language Netflix TV shows 2024 As of July 2024, the most popular English-language Netflix TV show of all time was the first season of the comedy horror TV show "Wednesday," with over 252 million views in the show's first 91 days on the platform.
What shows are everyone watching on Netflix? ›
Top 10 lists available in selected countries and territories.
Cobra Kai: Season 6. ... Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam: Limited Series. ... Simone Biles Rising: Season 1. ... Homicide: Los Angeles. ... Too Hot to Handle: Season 6. ... Vikings: Valhalla: Season 3. ... Master of the House: Season 1. ... Cobra Kai: Season 1.
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