By: Dina Osama
“Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films,” Bong Joon-Ho, director of Oscar-winning South Korean film Parasite, said in his Golden Globes acceptance speech.
And boy, did he hit the nail right on that pesky head because two years later, Squid Game amassed a staggering 1.65 billion hours of streaming in 28 days following its premiere.
And true, popularity is no yardstick for quality, but Squid Game had us gripping our couch’s arms so tightly their cotton stuffing almost made a cameo.
The point is if you’re not exploring TV shows beyond the English-Arabic (occasionally Spanish once La Casa De Papel comes out with a new season) binary, you’re seriously missing out.
So let us introduce you to a list of some kick-ass foreign TV shows you might’ve been too daunted by the language to watch.
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Watch on: NRK TV
Skam
Skam headlines our list for one simple reason: its storytelling is so exemplary that some Nordic schools have incorporated it into their curricula.
This Norwegian slice of life drama trails the lives of four high school students, each with their respective season, as they navigate love, loss, and identity. Each season offers a diverse storyline, covering just about almost every obstacle a teenager might encounter.
Skam tells simple stories, but it tells them well, without relying on gimmicks and an over-saturation of underage nudity to sell realism.
And if you’re not sold, Skam happens to be one of the few TV shows where the Muslim girl doesn’t whip her scarf off just to please a boy. Small mercies, right?





Watch on: Netflix
Call My Agent
This French drama-comedy follows a small group of people who work at a boutique Paris talent agency, striving to provide the finest service possible to a select handful of customers whose success supports the firm’s growth.
The show weaves biting humor about show business with sympathy for folks who are forced to treat celebrities like family to make a living. The characters are thoroughly developed; the show doesn’t stereotype or give in to the impulse to be crass in response to the eccentricity of movie and TV stars.


Watch on: Netflix
Dark
Dark has taken the world by storm. As the first Netflix German original series to air on Netflix, it paved the way for a myriad of other German TV shows to follow in its stead.
When two children go missing in a tiny German village, lurid secrets are unveiled as their families attempt to find them. The mystery-drama series offers a sophisticated riddle full of turns, as well as a mesh of intriguing personalities, all of whom have a link to the town’s turbulent history.
This is not a show you can binge-watch, as events might get mingled in your head. Its various plot points–which include time travel–require a clear head. We suggest you take your time with it.


Watch on: Netflix
Midnight Diner
Midnight Diner, or Shinya Shokudô, is a Japanese TV show about a tiny restaurant that only opens once the hustle and bustle of the Tokyo nightlife have died down. The restaurant’s regulars are people from all walks of life who come into the restaurant for company, which the chef–known as the Master–dutifully provides.
The show has a knack for finding whimsy in everyday life. It also conveys a palpable feeling of sorrow, as midnight seems to draw out the latent emotions one represses throughout the day. Shinya shokudo is a refuge for many troubled souls & it might be for you, as well, as a watcher.



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