It has come to that time of year, and the Nordic Watchlist team have put their heads together to share some of the favourite and best Nordic TV shows of 2025.
There has been a huge number of Nordic series coming to our screens in 2025 including the likes of Fatal Crossing, Bordertown, and RIP Henry on Walter Presents/Channel 4. Over on Viaplay there has been a surge of great series including Vanguard and Mafia. Netflix has brought a number of series too including The Glass Dome which kicked things off in January.
We also saw a number of series episodes directed by Nordic directors, which include the incredible The Death of Bunny Munro, which was directed by Isabella Eklöf, and Ugla Hauksdóttir’s work on Alien:Earth.
Support Nordic Watchist: Before you jump in and see what we put forward as our Top 10, we’d like to share our new partner, Recce, a brilliant new, free App designed to simplify your viewing. Review films and series, and instantly find out exactly where to watch. By following the link below and signing up you will be supporting the running of Nordic Watchlist for another year and it won’t cost you a penny. Now, let’s get to the list you’ve been waiting for!
10. Families Like Ours | BBC iPlayer
Synopsis: This Danish drama, directed by Oscar-winner Thomas Vinterberg, is a cli-fi series set in a near-future Denmark that is being evacuated due to catastrophic rising sea levels. It follows several interconnected families as they face separation, moral chaos, and the difficult transition from privileged citizens to climate refugees.
What Nordic Watchlist thought: “This was a thought-provoking and emotional rollercoaster, with a story that feels very realistic and unnerving”
Read More: Exploring Amaryllis August’s Role in Families Like Ours
9. The Asset | Netflix
Synopsis: A high-octane Danish crime thriller about Tea, a young police cadet who is pushed into a dangerous undercover mission. She must pose as a jeweller to infiltrate a brutal criminal network by befriending Ashley, the crime boss’s wife, which quickly causes Tea’s personal identity and loyalty to the mission to blur.
What Nordic Watchlist thought: “The series examines everything from addiction to domestic abuse; the poverty cycle and childhood trauma. There are plenty of twists and shocks to keep you engaged throughout“
8. Chaos | Viaplay UK and USA
Synopsis: This romantic dramedy follows Lise Jensen, a highly polished and successful Danish morning TV anchor. When her seemingly perfect career and marriage hit a crisis point, she is forced to confront her life choices and the wild allure of an adventurous, free-spirited new man who lives off-grid.
What Nordic Watchlist thought: “Chaos is so utterly binge-worthy that you won’t want it to end. It’s the perfect balance of romance, comedy, drama and emotional tension“
Read More: Jacob Lohmann discusses filming his Viaplay romantic comedy
7. Home for Christmas Season 3 | Netflix
Synopsis: The beloved Norwegian seasonal favourite centres on Johanne, a single nurse in her 30s. After lying to her family that she has a boyfriend, she has 24 frantic days until Christmas Eve to find a perfect partner to bring to the family dinner.
What Nordic Watchlist thought: “If you’ve enjoyed the cosy glow of the previous two seasons of Home for Christmas, you simply cannot miss season three. It will make you want to run away to a tiny Norwegian town and chaotically search for love amongst the snow and sweaters“
6. The Secrets We Keep | Netflix
Synopsis: A gripping Danish crime drama about an au pair who mysteriously disappears from one of the country’s most affluent, seaside neighbourhoods. A concerned neighbour initiates her own investigation, which eventually unravels the deep-seated hypocrisy, class privilege, and explosive secrets hidden within the wealthy community.
What Nordic Watchlist thought: “This series will keep you guessing right up until the very last episode and does a good job of throwing your suspicions on a number of characters throughout. What will stay with you the most, perhaps, is the obvious racial and class divides that ultimately influence the outcome of the story“
5. Diary of a Ditched Girl | Netflix
Synopsis: This Swedish comedy-drama follows Amanda, a 31-year-old living in Malmö, as she navigates the confusing, often humiliating world of modern dating apps and encounters after a particularly bad breakup, forcing her on a heartfelt journey toward self-love and resilience.
What Nordic Watchlist thought: “Diary of a Ditched Girl is such a gorgeously vibrant and unabashed take on life in your 30s. Whilst everyone else seems to be getting their lives together, yours can feel pretty isolating if you haven’t ticked off the same boxes. Carla Sehn’s Amanda will make you laugh, cry, recoil and recall“
4. The Breakthrough | Netflix
Synopsis: A riveting four-part true-crime miniseries based on the real-life 2004 Linköping double murder in Sweden, which remained a cold case for 16 years. The drama details the police and a genealogist’s persistent investigation, which finally cracked the case using groundbreaking forensic genealogy – a first for a European murder investigation.
What Nordic Watchlist thought: “There is no glamourising the “true crime” element, here. Instead, we get an insight into what it really takes to interview over 10,000 suspects and to swab over 6,000 people. We see the anger and frustration of both the police and the victim’s families“
Courtesy of Netflix ©
3. To Cook a Bear | Disney+
Synopsis: This period mystery is set in 1852 in the dark wilderness of Northern Sweden. When a local girl is murdered, the villagers blame a killer bear. However, the newly arrived Pastor suspects a human hand and teams up with his Sami foster son to hunt for the real killer amidst local superstition, prejudice, and the unforgiving landscape.
What Nordic Watchlist thought: “Gustaf Skarsgård brings yet another intricate, nuanced character to the screen, whilst director Trygve Allister Diesen revels in plunging his viewers into a community wrapped in secrets“
Read More: Check out our interview with lead star Gustaf Skarsgård
2. The New Force | Netflix
Synopsis: Inspired by true events, this Swedish period drama is set in 1958 Stockholm and follows the country’s first small cohort of female police officers. They are assigned to the city’s most crime-ridden district, where they must fight crime while simultaneously enduring professional ridicule and scorn from their male colleagues and society.
What Nordic Watchlist thought: “The New Force is a thoroughly engaging watch, thanks to slick plotlines and strong central performances. It will have you equal parts frustrated and entertained; shocked and compelled“
1. A Life’s Worth | Viaplay UK and USA
Synopsis: A powerful six-part Swedish drama inspired by the first Swedish UN battalion sent to war-torn Bosnia in 1993. It focuses on four young, inexperienced soldiers and their commander, who are forced to navigate the brutal conflict, facing the impossible moral line between their peacekeeping mandate and the urgent need to intervene in human suffering.
What Nordic Watchlist thought: “A Life’s Worth is an extremely well-paced, unflinching exploration of wartime. The writing and the performances really elevate this particular drama, exploring both the complexities and the bonds that develop when human relationships are pushed to the very brink“
Read More: We spoke to Edvin Ryding about his experience shooting A Life’s Worth
Agree of disagree with our list? What have we missed which you think should be added – we’d love to hear from you in the comments.
