By Erica and Karen

We’re not ready to put our TVs and streaming screens into quarantine, but we’re close. In the meantime, there are still evenings and rainy days, and so we keep adding to our list of binge worthy shows. Here are some of our favorite new ones, surprisingly all foreign. We didn’t find the subtitles annoying or distracting in any of them.

The Restaurant. Swedish on Netflix. Starting in 1945, the story of the Lowander family over two decades. Some have said it is the Downton Abbey of Sweden, with intrigues in both the front of house and the back. Three engaging seasons. And you can skip the short Season 4 which unnecessarily fills in some early blanks.

Borgen. A 2010 Danish drama on Netflix about a strong woman centrist politician who becomes Prime Minister. The political and personal internal intrigues from a female perspective, pitting ideals against political realities, make this series a different but equally or even more engaging take on the Madam Secretary narrative. Stephen King said it was his favorite series of that year. Three seasons.

Le Bureau. Award winning French series on Amazon Prime. Apparently based on real events, this is a terrific spy thriller involving the French CIA and the lives of their undercover agents both in Paris and abroad. Beautifully acted. A little hard to follow in the beginning, but becoming clearer near the end of Season 1. Will keep you on the edge of your seats. Six seasons.

The Rake. Australian on Netflix. Lighter fare, the story of a fairly degenerate but utterly charming lawyer who takes on unsavory clients—and usually wins, though always with a slight twist. Don’t let the unsavory topic of the first episode put you off. Lighthearted with interesting issues and some laugh out loud moments. Richard Roxburgh as Cleaver Greene is terrific. Five seasons.

Press. A BBC miniseries (6 episodes) on PBS and Amazon Prime about two rival news organizations. Wonderfully acted. Engaging TV about issues that are not new, but still very much with us.

Money Heist. If you can’t get enough of edge of your seat thrillers, this Spanish one on Netflix (dubbed so even easier to watch) is just the ticket. It’s about a mastermind, his heist idea of the century to print billions of Euros in the Royal Spanish Mint, and his band of misfits. You will know whether you are hooked after 3 or 4 episodes and, if you are, there are 4 parts with many episodes each.

Let us know what you think—and let us know what to add to our list.

Enjoy!