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Three TV shows that will help you to understand Sweden

Nele Schröder
Nele Schröder - [email protected]
Three TV shows that will help you to understand Sweden
Photo: BiancoBlue/Depositphotos"

As it emerges that the premiere for the second season of hit Swedish show "Vår tid är nu" gathered a staggering 1.6 million viewers last week, SI News looks at three Swedish TV series that can help you to understand your new Scandinavian home.

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Learning about a new country and language can often be a tedious experience, so what better and entertaining way to get acquainted with a new language than slouching on your sofa watching a TV series?

Presenting three shows that can help you to learn more about Sweden and all its quirks:

Vår tid är nu (The Restaurant)

Set in Stockholm after World War II in 1945, the series takes a peek at the intrigues surrounding the Löwander family and their restaurant business. Set across two decades, both seasons reveal the conflicts between the two sons, Gustaf and Peter, over the ownership of the family business, and the flourishing relationship between Nina, the daughter and the new kitchen assistant, Calle.

Vår tid är nu follows the changing times and attitudes in Sweden and in the city of Stockholm itself, uncovering how these post-war societal shifts affected people from upper to lower classes.

Vår tid är nu will give you a grasp of the history and evolution of contemporary Swedish society looking at its change in attitude towards taboos like alcoholism, abortion and homosexuality. And you can learn about all this while sitting comfortably on your sofa!

Bron (The Bridge)

If mystery and crime series is your thing, Bron is a must.

After a corpse is found on Øresund Bridge, the bridge connecting Malmö and Copenhagen, Swedish and Danish police must team up to solve the crime.

Its four seasons have been internationally acclaimed and even adapted both by the French, Brits and Americans.

Both entertaining and unnerving, the show reveals itself to be a true Nordic Noir with its dark Scandinavian storyline peppered with moments of humour.  

If you live near Malmö, you might want to check out the five crime shown in the series.

Welcome to Sweden

If you haven’t nailed the Swedish language yet, you might want to give this one a watch.

In both English and Swedish (with subtitles!) Welcome to Sweden features the real-life story of Greg Poehler who moves from America to Sweden to follow his Swedish girlfriend. With no friends and no job, Greg is thrown into the quirks of a culture he is puzzled by, experiencing the true expat life with all its trials and errors.

The stereotypes shown on screen might be over-the-top, yet they are incredibly relatable for a newly-arrived foreigner. All in all, an easy watch and a great way to improve your Swedish.

Happy watching!

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