You might have found subtitles in movies annoying, but sometimes they are indeed very helpful -- especially if you are watching a TV show in a foreign language. Apart from some great English language TV shows, we are still quite unfamiliar with the thousands of hit TV shows in foreign languages. Below we have a list of five foreign language TV shows, a few of them old, that you should definitely binge-watch.
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Gomorrah [Italy]
Gomorrah is set in the suburbs of Naples and focuses on organised crime and the relationship between gangsters, drug dealers, and ordinary people. Gomorrah is similar to The Wire in terms of street-level crime and its hierarchical organisation from the pavement up to the office chair. It tells the audience a story about the external and internal power struggles between criminals and delinquents.
Platform: Tata Sky Mobile App, Tata Sky HD set-top box
The Young Pope [Italy]
The HBO series follows the journey of a modern fictional pontiff's (who happens to be the first American Pope). He is irrational and also has a hunger for power. Played by Jude Law, the young pope Pius XIII is handsome and very ruthless. He is a man of great power who is stubbornly resistant to the Vatican courtiers, unconcerned of the implications of his authority. During the series, he is seen losing those closest to him and living with the constant fear of being abandoned, even by God.
Platform: HBO website
Marseille [France]
In the series, the long-time mayor of Marseille is preparing to hand over the reins to his protégé when a sudden and ruthless battle erupts for control of the city. The local mafia has other ideas, and a drama of political intrigue, corruption, and gang warfare unfolds against some stunning shots of the city. The TV series features Gérard Depardieu and Benoît Magimel.
Platform: Netflix
Hibana [Japan]
Starring Kento Hayashi, Kazuki Namioka, and Masao Yoshii, the Netflix original series revolves around friendship and conflict between two comedians, who search for meaning in life and comedy. The series is based on comedian Naoki Matayoshi's Akutagawa Prize-winning novel.
Platform: Netflix
Wentworth [Australia]
Much like Orange is the New Black, Wentworth begins with the incarceration of a first-time offender. Bea Smith (Danielle Cormack) is locked up while awaiting trial for the alleged attempted murder of her abusive husband and must learn how life works in prison. Meanwhile, she will find herself struggling between two hot lesbian alpha pups. The show's story is quite gritty and dark.
Platform: SoHo, Netflix