Which Shows the World Is Watching, Including Soap Operas from Brazil to Superheroes Created from Sweet Bean Filling
Not long ago, our coverage examined the surge of international dystopian series arriving to audiences across the globe. These shows delivered tales of climate catastrophe, violent autocracy, and alien invasions from various countries such as Argentina, Nigeria, and Asia. Beyond highlighting worldwide fears about societal breakdown, it also underscored how linked the TV landscape has become in 2025. Streaming platforms, satellite channels, video platforms, and pirated content can quickly provide local content from every continent—except Antarctica, although it's interesting to consider if any penguin-themed dramas exist there.
Still, even with the extent of international exchange in television today, many shows stay largely unknown beyond domestic borders even though huge success at home. This week, we set out to spotlight these programs by inquiring journalists based in various countries about the shows audiences are viewing in their areas. Read on for accounts of Jamaican breakfast television, Brazilian telenovelas, and Japanese sweet bean-filled superheroes.
In Brazil | Vale Tudo
Even if Brazil's longstanding passion for soap operas has been slightly influenced by online platforms and rivalry from Korean series and Turkish equivalents, the most talked-about and most watched TV show in Latin America's largest country is, unsurprisingly, a soap opera. Vale Tudo is a reboot of a production regarded as one of the key of the genre and a huge hit in 1988 and 1989, when Brazil was still recovering from a brutal 20-year authoritarian rule. The original version revolved around the question: "Is it worth to be ethical in Brazil?"
The new version—launched during a time of profound political polarisation—has largely abandoned the original's political focus, but has achieved strong ratings and ignited heated online debates. While numerous fans like the new version, with clips spreading widely on social media, there has also been criticism over changes to the original plot and the reproduction of cliches often associated with Black women in relation to one of the protagonists.
Nigeria | Big Brother Naija
One could write a compelling dissertation on Nigeria's interest with neighborly boundaries and the nation's ongoing curiosity in watching over twenty unknown individuals confined to a shared home. The latest season of Big Brother Naija is on now, and it continues to drive more conversation, particularly on social media, than any other pop culture event except for Premier League football.
BBNaija experiences a level of cultural breakthrough that makes the drama hard to ignore whether or not you don't watch it. Contestants can still expect their time on the show into a career of fame and endorsements, even if short-lived. This is likely to continue for as long as the creators keep up their skill to choose the ideal combination of contestants who all seem born for the constant spotlight.
Japan | Anpan
According to the latest figures available, Japan's top-rated regularly scheduled programme is Anpan. It's the newest in a long series of short daily series, called asadora, broadcast in the morning Monday through Saturday by public broadcaster the Japanese broadcasting corporation. The show is based on the life of a woman named Nobu Komatsu, whose husband, Takashi Yanase, developed the Anpanman (meaning Bean Paste Man) children's books and cartoon show that have amused and enthralled generations of children in Japan.
The series recounts the rags-to-riches narrative of a female protagonist who experiences the atrocities of the World War II and, with her husband, establishes a kind-hearted picture book series in the seventies. Its main character Anpanman—a red-bean-filled pastry with a cape—generously aids those in danger and need, even giving parts of his own head to nourish the starving. Like most asadora, Anpan is visual comfort food, with a heartwarming, uplifting plot that calms the unsettled mood of today's times.
Jamaica | Smile Jamaica
Typically, the majority in Jamaica access their media content from the United States, but even so the domestic station Television Jamaica's the show Smile Jamaica morning show continues to be a critical part of the national daily life.
Airing from early morning, with a weekend version on Saturdays, it features an eclectic mix of light entertainment and segments on heavy topical issues. Audiences can enjoy popular dance and pilates tutorials, intriguing interviews with a Jamaican Michael Jackson impersonator and the producers of a recent food product, but also debates on gun regulations in Jamaica and the difficult topic of suicide prevention after the nation was shaken by the passing of a beauty pageant alumna at just twenty-six. The program is a great example of significant funding in its entertainment sector, with multiple local film festivals and the authorities recently announcing substantial funds for domestic movie projects.
Poland | Chopin Piano Contest
It may not fit the standard idea of a mass-audience show, capable of attracting millions of viewers. Still, a large part of the country will be tuned in for the next three weeks following the excitement of the latest edition of a renowned piano competition honoring Poland's musical genius Fryderyk Chopin.
The nineteenth iteration of the Chopin Piano Competition started recently. It will feature 84 pianists from twenty nations—selected from over six hundred applicants—contending for the first place, often seen as a key opportunity to play in the top international venues.
The competition, resembling the global sports event for keyboard artists, takes place quinquennially and attracts many of music enthusiasts to the city of Warsaw, with admissions being reserved a long beforehand. This edition, the host nation has 13 participants, but pianists from the US, North America, and Korea are seen as some of the favourites.
The competition is broadcast by Poland's public broadcaster and available via live stream, with the winner's performances starting in the latter part of the month.
