# Non-US Dopers: what US TV shows do you like? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 19, 2016, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004 "2016-10-19T03:45:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/1 "2016-10-19T03:45:30Z")
A couple of years ago, I did a thread about the UK shows that Americans like. It did pretty well, and then got resurrected last week, and now is up to three pages. So I’m curious: what US imports do well overseas? I’m especially interested in what UK people watch, but I want to hear from all corners. I remember when I spent a summer with family in Slovakia, I discovered they watched a ton of crappy US TV (those nighttime soaps like _Dallas_, _Dynasty_ and _Hotel_) dubbed in German. It was the 80s, though; there wasn’t much good to watch. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/2 "2016-10-19T05:40:14Z")
Of the ones that I think are US not Canadian, this South African is currently liking _Westworld_, \*Lucifer \*and \*Elementary, _as well as all the Marvel and DC shows except_ Arrow. \* I also like _Last Week Tonight_ and \*Face/Off \* ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/3 "2016-10-19T06:19:43Z")
A lot of the U.S. shows I like seem to be filmed in Canada. Their pop culture is basically _our_ pop culture. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/4 "2016-10-19T07:14:40Z")
Quality mainstream dramas like 24, Breaking Bad and Walking Dead do extremely well on Japanese cable TV. As do comedies like Modern Family. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/5 "2016-10-19T08:59:21Z")
Nothing currently screening really floats my boat, but I can lose an hour or so with: _Designated Survivor_ _The Get Down_ _Walking Dead_ [but not _fear the Walking Dead_ so much] Most favourite of recent decades was _The Wire_, replacing\* Rockford Files\*. Biggest joy of recent times is going through _Arrested Development_ systematically from start to finish in order. Total joy! ---
**Author:** ![WilyQuixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f9ae1b/32.png) [@WilyQuixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WilyQuixote)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/6 "2016-10-19T09:21:15Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Of the ones that I think are US not Canadian, this South African is currently liking _Westworld_, \*Lucifer \*and \*Elementary, _as well as all the Marvel and DC shows except_ Arrow. > \* > > - Another vote for Lucifer, Westworld and Marvel’s Netflix shows. No love for any Arrowverse shows, including Supergirl, from this English-speaking South African. As to whats US shows are popular here, probably the same stateside - Big Bang Theory, NCIS and other unfunny sitcoms and silly police procedurals. Among older shows, MacGyver (the original) remains incredibly popular. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/7 "2016-10-19T11:24:59Z")
I’m in the UK. I have complete collections of: Murder One + Murder Two Law and Order (original series) CSI (original series) Sports Night West Wing Studio 60 Newsroom Big Bang Theory Two and a Half Men Entourage Serenity Franklin and Bash So everything by Aaron Sorkin; comedy by Chuck Lorre; shows where the budget for scriptwriters is higher than the budget for makeup (e.g. Charmed 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/8 "2016-10-19T11:54:47Z")
> [@glee](#): > > I’m in the UK. > > I have complete collections of: Similarly, I have West Wing Frasier ER 24 Tour of Duty (a drunken Amazon purchase, but it’s actually pretty good) Homicide: Life on the Street Police Squad Battlestar Galactica I’ve been swithering over buying the complete Hill Street Blues, but it’s about £150… ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/9 "2016-10-19T12:05:38Z")
Personally, I’ve enjoyed The Wire and comedies like Frasier, Will and Grace, Golden Girls, and I stuck with Desperate Housewives. I seem to remember enjoying shows like Hill Street Blues, Taxi, and Cagney and Lacey. I don’t much care for sci-fi or shoot 'em up crime dramas, nor for a lot of formulaic committee-written sitcoms and dramas. Any show that’s sold as “heartwarming” or ends with weepy reconciliations, especially where there’s a dog involved, immediately fires up my inner Uncle Fester. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/10 "2016-10-19T12:06:16Z")
¿Lately? None. I kinda enjoyed Stranger Things, but nothing since then. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/11 "2016-10-19T12:07:11Z")
When I was in China all of the younger people seemed to like any American TV, but I’ve heard _The Big Bang Theory_ mentioned by many of them. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/12 "2016-10-19T12:35:31Z")
I’m a big fan of political dramas and comedies which, aside from the original House of Cards and The Thick of It, we in the UK just don’t do much of for some reason, so US TV supplies that filler for me in the form of: \> West Wing \> House of Cards (US version) \> Veep \> Madam Secretary. You don’t seem to do much historical drama, which is my other love, although I still remember North and South with great fondness. Well, apart from Mad Men. Love Mad Men. And who doesn’t love Friends? ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/13 "2016-10-19T12:43:50Z")
Breaking Bad, The Wire, The Sopranos ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/14 "2016-10-19T12:49:00Z")
Are you kidding ?! Ninety % of our TV shows and movies are made in the US. I rarely watch a Dutch movie. I read American websites, too. The only Dutch things I read are the weekend newspapers and work-related stuff. So, I enjoy the usual quality HBO and Netflix shows that everyone else always mentions. Your pop culture is my popculture. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/15 "2016-10-19T13:18:01Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > A lot of the U.S. shows I like seem to be filmed in Canada. Their pop culture is basically _our_ pop culture. Well, Vancouver has been a tax-break haven for filming for a long time. I think X-files filmed there for its first 5 seasons and that was over 20 years ago. My wife and I call the forests up there “Caprica forest” because in the first season of Battlestar Galactica, Helo and Athena spend a lot of time there. Every time we see a show in a forest, we check and learn it is Vancouver’s “Caprica forest” and laugh. It’s oddly distinctive for being a forest. Those shows are mainly American shows, not Canadian. Some shows are co-produced Canadian and American, but a show like X-files is fully American despite being filmed in Canada. Supernatural is another fully American show filmed there. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/16 "2016-10-19T13:50:39Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > Are you kidding ?! Ninety % of our TV shows and movies are made in the US. I rarely watch a Dutch movie. I read American websites, too. The only Dutch things I read are the weekend newspapers and work-related stuff. > > So, I enjoy the usual quality HBO and Netflix shows that everyone else always mentions. > > Your pop culture is my popculture. After visiting the Netherlands, I was both a little bit happy, and a little bit sad that the Dutch television stations tended to show a LOT of English-speaking stuff, and in a few cases, were actually IN English, and subtitled in Dutch. It was a relief relative to say… a trip to Prague or Italy, where the only thing in English was the BBC world news. (although I have to admit that “Beavis and Butthead Do America” dubbed into Italian was strangely hilarious to watch) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/17 "2016-10-19T14:14:56Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Those shows are mainly American shows, not Canadian. Some shows are co-produced Canadian and American, but a show like X-files is fully American despite being filmed in Canada. Supernatural is another fully American show filmed there. Take heart, Canada is currently killing it with Sci-Fi shows like _Dark Matter,_ _Killjoys_ and _Orphan Black_. I consider all those Canadian even when US companies are involved in the production. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/18 "2016-10-19T15:50:57Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Take heart, Canada is currently killing it with Sci-Fi shows like _Dark Matter,_ _Killjoys_ and _Orphan Black_. I consider all those Canadian even when US companies are involved in the production. Huh. I thought _Orphan Black_ was from the UK. Guess I should watch the credits more closely. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/19 "2016-10-19T15:59:49Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > ¿Lately? None. > > I kinda enjoyed Stranger Things, but nothing since then. “Since then”? It came out this summer, it’s not like you’ve been traveling across a long, dry television desert for decades. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004/20 "2016-10-19T16:32:04Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Those shows are mainly American shows, not Canadian. A lot of the people _making_ the shows are Canadian, and I don’t just mean film crews but directors, writers and actors. That said, I was fond of the original _Law & Order_, which I guess is as “New York” a show as one can get. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-us-tv-shows-do-you-like/769004.md?page=2)