This July 4th, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to some of the best TV you’ve never seen!
There’s a whole world of great TV from other countries waiting to be discovered – and MHz Choice brings it all to you with our custom-built, easy-to-read English subtitles! New to subtitles? Never fear! We make it easy. Here’s a list of some of our favorite foreign-language TV series and their American equivalent.
Still not sure about subtitles? Let Norwegian actor Kristofer Hivju set your fears to rest.
1. If you like Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones, The Witcher), you should watch: TWIN and Beck
Norwegian actor Kristofer Hivju, best-known to American audiences as Tormund Giantsbane in Game of Thrones (also on the big screen and in some of the best Super Bowl commercials ever) not only stars as Detective Steinar Hovland in the long-running Swedish police procedural Beck – he plays twin brothers in the acclaimed Norwegian dual-identity thriller TWIN, which he co-created. Double the fun! Pairs well with big fish and pizza.
2. If you like The Wire, you should watch: Spiral
French cop thriller Spiral has been called darker and more twisted than The Wire – and that just may be understating the case! Winner of the 2015 International Emmy® for Best Drama Series, the show is about the men and women who work at the heart of the French judicial system. As reality spirals out of control for each character, the boundaries between private and professional life become blurred. All eight seasons of Spiral are available to stream on MHz Choice.
3. If you like Mare of Easttown, you should watch: Missing
A small-town Pennsylvania detective investigating a murder – how about a small-town Swedish detective investigating a murder? In the dark and suspenseful four-part limited series Missing, Helena Bergström (Spring Tide, Annika Bengtzon) plays Maja Silver, an inspector with the Stockholm police department who returns to her hometown in the Swedish Bible Belt in an attempt to reconnect with her daughter. Their family reunion is interrupted by a terrible discovery as an emaciated girl is found dead on a highway. When another local girl disappears, Maja finds herself embroiled in an intense search for the truth. The investigation leads her to a charismatic preacher who holds mysterious sway over his flock – but as the search for the missing girl intensifies, it becomes clear that many in the community have their own secrets…
4. If you like The Sopranos, you should watch: Mafiosa
The most dangerous man in Corsica is a woman! Playing like a female-led variation on The Sopranos, Mafiosa is a gripping drama about the inner workings of a notorious mob clan after its patriarch dies and his young niece takes over as heir to the family business.
Binge all five seasons of Mafiosa on MHz Choice!
5. If you like 24, you should watch: Agent Hamilton
Move over, Jack Bauer! Jakob Oftebro stars as legendary Swedish superspy Carl Hamilton in a ten-part thriller loosely (very loosely) based on the novels by Jan Guillou. In this up-to-the-minute nail-biter, Hamilton battles cyber terrorists, the CIA, Swedish intelligence and anyone else who threatens democracy. Krister Henriksson (Wallander), who rarely misses a Hamilton series, is along for the ride.
6. If you like It’s a Sin, you should watch: Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves
If you enjoyed Russell T. Davies’ acclaimed series about gay life in London in the 1980s, you should also watch Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves, a three-part limited series based on Swedish author Jonas Gardell’s memoir of gay life in 1980s Stockholm. With its grainy, period-inspired photography and era-appropriate soundtrack, Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves bristles with the joy and energy of youth, freedom and love – with dark clouds on the horizon.
