Foreign TV Shows

Sometimes you have to take a break from the ordinary, and dive into the different. That is what viewing foreign programming does. When you are sick of the mundane programming on network television, have binged out on Netflix, and grown tired of the free movies on Prime, it's time to take what other countries have to offer seriously.

There is more to see than just a straightforward tale, there are other tidbits as well. For instance, I was watching a Thai movie, and there was a joke about something Yogi Berra said. While watching a Korean show, there was Deer Park water in the fridge. Heinz ketchup showed up at a dinner table in Iceland. I get a kick from things like that. The stories are different from ours, each culture adds a new realm to explore. Iceland has always seemed so exotic to me. So I began watching Case. For a society that has a near zero deliberate homicide rate, they know the rhythm and melody of a great mystery. You have to get past the fact that the language is extremely different to the ear and go with the flow of the story. TheLava Field was equally good, but the real winner here is Trapped. If you were ever the least bit curious as to what winter can be like in the frozen north, this will give you endless admiration for the struggle. Add in murder, intrigue, and plot twists and voila! You have a great story. Now, Fortitude gives some of that and more, in English. It is a British production that takes place on a research island in Norway. The plot is so clever and so different I was hooked from the start. Although it starts out at a slow pace, stay with it. River and Happy Valley are also British productions. They are proof of how far the British writer's mind can stretch. The former is about a detective who sees dead people, namely his now deceased partner. It is dark but very entertaining. The latter is about a curmudgeonly, querulous female police officer who is coping with her daughter's suicide. It is a thriller that will keep you spellbound. The Missing takes place in both England and while the family vacations in France. It is the story of a boy who disappears and the machinations of the investigation. Wanted is an Australian Thelma and Louise buddy story that involves two disparate women who witness a crime. Chaos ensues. The Kettering Incident is also an Aussie production that takes place in Tasmania. Clever plotting even the most intuitive viewer will be fooled by. Hotel Beau Sejour is a Belgian production in French, not Flemish, and unlike Parisian French, it is spoken slowly enough to be understood if you took French in school. A young girl is murdered and her spirit comes back to solve the crime. Witnesses, also Belgian, is an intricate police drama focusing on six dead bodies that turn up simultaneously. A great Argentinian production, Cromo is pure suspense as a husband teams up with his wife's lover to solve her murder. It is my first Argentinian television show, but I have seen many of their movies and both are world class. I have even developed a love for subtitles. When younger, I preferred dubbing, Now, with all of my practice, I can read subtitles like I used to read flash cards. You have to get used to it. Give it a try, you'll find a whole new world of material for entertainment. Any one of these creations will satisfy the binge watcher. All are available on either Netflix or Amazon Prime.