Catch These Foreign-Language TV Hits

Several foreign TV hits, from Israel’s political thriller Fauda to Spain’s period mystery Gran Hotel, have caught Americans’ fancy for international intrigue in exotic locales. Below are new shows guaranteed to entertain and take you to distant lands. Trust us, the subtitles are worth reading.

Lola Upside Down

(Finland, streaming on MHz Choice)

Fans of more ominous hits, such as Twin Peaks and Fargo, will be drawn to this whodunit’s location: picture-perfect Finland. Someone’s been murdered, and diary pages found in a toy doll named Lola hold the key to the crime. Along the way, colorful townsfolk — from a female pastor to dads in midlife crisis — will remind you of the old fave Picket Fences.

Stefan Erhard/Netflix

German-language show Dogs of Berlin, airing on Netflix, is a mix of crime and comedy.

Dogs of Berlin

(Germany, streaming on Netflix)

Attention, NCIS fans. Care for a gritty, and sometimes funny, buddy-cop tale on the order of Lethal Weapon? Then grab some beer steins — we’re off to Deutschland! Here, bickering and roguish police detectives reluctantly team up to solve a soccer star’s murder. There’s an adorable pooch involved, but it’s the political intrigue and corruption that will give you a taste of home.

Keshet/Hulu

Ishai Golan in False Flag, which airs on Hulu, after a successful run on Israeli TV

False Flag

(Israel, streaming on Hulu)

Did you know that the hit show Homeland was based on an Israeli show called Prisoners of War? For similar conspiratorial thrills, get lost in this latest Israeli-made chess game. A kindergarten teacher and four others find themselves accused of kidnapping — and maybe killing — a diplomat in Russia! Until Season 2 arrives in 2019, check out the debut season.

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