Thanks for suggesting Matador, we really enjoyed it!

Finnish tv shows are probably not widely available, but I'll list some nonetheless. Most what I'm going to recommend are comedies and Finnish humour might be weird for someone who has not grown in Finland (even dark and absurd at times, second-hand embarrassment is also very common) but I feel like comedy series are the most authenic we have, dramas often try to imitate international series and by doing that they don't feel as authentic. I've also only chosen to list shows that I feel like would have some appeal even for a non-Finn and shows that are unique, not everyday shows that have a very basic premise.

Queen of Fucking Everything (2024) Real estate agent's husband disappears with all their money and leaves her with a 3 million euro worth of debt. She gets mixed into illegal drug business and shady renovating practices to get the money to pay her debt. Absurd characters and twists and turns.

Toinen tuleminen / Money Shot (2024) Sari is a 40-year old porn star that gets fired because she's too old. She starts her own porn film company, hires a film school reject Linnea as writer and together they start to make feminist porn. Absurd characters, twists and turns.

Poromafia / Reindeer Mafia (2023) One family has ruled a little town in Lappland. The matriarch of the family dies and her testament causes the remaining family to start fighting. There's a snowmobile gang, a Norwegian druglord, paid off authorities etc. Mostly drama but at times dark or absurd humour sprinkled in.

M/S Romantic (2019) Miniseries about a cruise ship journey and what happens during that. Characters include both tourists and staff, there are a lot of hilarious situations. This is what White Lotus would be like if it was written about Finnish people who are not rich by any means.

I really liked Los Serrano, a Spanish television drama comedy from 2003.

It was my childhood series that my whole family sat down together to watch. Just a comedy drama about Serrano family and their daily lives that ran for years.

Detectorists 🇬🇧

Comedy about the lives of 2 nerdy friends and their hobby; metal detecting. I've never seen anyone talk about it, which is a damn shame because it deserves much more love. It features nice music and beautiful shots of rural England, very funny dialogue and lovable characters.

ZeroZeroZero (2020)

🇮🇹 Drug crime, thriller, action-adventure

One of my favourites, it manages to intertwine several stories and locations quite nicely.

ZeroZeroZero follows the journey of a cocaine shipment, from the moment a powerful Italian cartel buys it, to its packaging in Mexico and shipment across the Atlantic. The journey is followed until final delivery and payment in Europe. At the same time, it sparks an epic power struggle throughout the chain, from local dealers to the most powerful boss in the hierarchy of international organised crime.

https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/92137-zerozerozero

The Day of the Jackal (2024)

🇬🇧 Action-adventure, thriller, spy, hitman

Super thrilling, every single episode had something going on and it had great characters all around.

An unequalled and highly elusive lone assassin, the Jackal, makes his living by committing murders at the highest rate. But after his latest kill, he meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer who begins tracking the Jackal in a thrilling cat-and-mouse game across Europe, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/222766-the-day-of-the-jackal

Au Service de la France / A Very Secret Service (2015)

🇫🇷 Comedy, spy, cold war

Typical French humour, I really loved it. Easy to watch and I felt it made use of the spirit of 1960s France quite elegantly.

Paris 1960. 23-year-old André Merlaux is proud to join the French secret service - the best in the world. Under the strict supervision of his superior Moïse, André is trained by three elite agents to carry out the most delicate missions. He could become the best of the best, but he falls in love with the wrong person.

https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/64249-au-service-de-la-france

Kleo (2022)

🇩🇪 Comedy, spy, cold war

Great characters and I feel they mimicked the period style very well.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, a former East German spy resolves to find out who betrayed her and why — and use her lethal skills to exact revenge.

https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/206010-kleo

Unsere Mütter, Unsere Väter / Generation War (2013)

🇩🇪 War (WWII), drama

I thought this series is rather unique, because it shows the war from a German perspective and on a human scale, focusing on the individuals rather than the action.

Wilhelm, his younger brother Friedhelm, Charlotte, Viktor and Greta say goodbye in Berlin in the summer of 1941, promising to see each other again after the war. They do not know how long the war will last, let alone to what extent the unfathomable experiences, hardships and horrors will change them.

https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/46849-unsere-mutter-unsere-vater

Eigen Kweek / Home Grown (2013)

🇧🇪 Comedy, drug crime

This one is mostly for a Dutch speaking audience I think, it has typical Flemish humour and lovely characters.

Home Grown tells the story of the Welvaert family, a family of sympathetic potato farmers from Heuvelland. Jos and Ria have two sons, Frank and Steven, who, to Jos' frustration, show no interest whatsoever in growing potatoes. And then there is Geoffrey, a distant cousin they raised as their own son after his father was killed.

https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/61519-eigen-kweek

After Life (2019)

🇬🇧 Dark comedy, drama

I think a lot of people know this one, full of dark British humour.

Tony had a perfect life. But after his wife Lisa suddenly dies, Tony changes. After contemplating taking his own life, he decides instead to live long enough to punish the world by saying and doing whatever he likes from now on.

https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/79410-after-life

I advice you to always watch comedies (or preferably any series) in their original language with subtitles

Babylon Berlin (Germany, 2017 - now)

Set in 1920s Berlin, Babylon Berlin explores the clash of social conflicts, vibrant pop culture, the emancipation of women and sexual minorities, the aftermath of World War I, and the rise of fascism. The plot is characterized by political intrigue in the context of historical events, some dramatic elements and a bit of mystery. The series shines with high production quality and well-acted protagonists Gereon Rath and Charlotte Ritter.

1670 (Polish)

A satirical comedy following a Polish lower nobleman, his family, and a few of the serfs. The nobleman (Jan) wants to secure his legacy and increase his status/power, but doesn't do a great job. The characters are very well made, and the story is very ridiculous.

Norsemen (Norwegian, but in English)

Also a satirical, dark comedy about vikings. This one primarily relies on absurdism for its humour.

Both are on Netflix (which is sadly American, but I'm sure there are alternative ways of watching).