48 Non-American Shows You Should Definitely Watch On Netflix

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.

Norsemen


NRK1

Norsemen 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!

Is your fave show missing? Share your recs below or @ me on Twitter or Facebook.

CORRECTION

Lovesick is set in Glasgow. An earlier version of this post misidentified the city.