At a certain point in your language-learning journey, you will have learned a decent chunk of vocabulary and have a solid grasp of basic grammar rules. Then, you’ll be ready for some new methods to cement your knowledge of the language. This is where finding TV shows to immerse yourself in comes in handy. If you’re learning Dutch, make a habit of watching some Dutch TV shows to improve your listening comprehension and pronunciation, and to test your general language skills.
These five Dutch TV shows are both engaging and available to stream on either Netflix or Amazon Prime. Choose the one that sounds most interesting to you, then sit back, relax and learn!
Dutch TV Shows For Language Learning
Undercover
Where To Watch: Netflix
Number Of Seasons: 1 (ongoing)
Show Premise: A pair of cops — one from the Netherlands and the other from Belgium — go undercover to infiltrate a drug operation (ecstasy, to be specific). The officers pose as a couple staying at the campground where the kingpin spends his weekends, as they attempt to get closer to their target and his wife.
Learning Tips: You’ll pick up some useful vocabulary related to family and day-to-day living, as well as some criminal lingo, in this suspenseful series. The default setting on Netflix is Dutch audio with English subtitles, and we recommend beginners and even intermediate learners watch with subtitles the first time through. When you feel like you’re ready for a challenge, you can always turn them off and see how much you understand.
Ares
Where To Watch: Netflix
Number Of Seasons: 1 (renewal TBD)
Show Premise: In this Netflix Original horror series, a first-year medical student in Amsterdam gets inducted into a secret society, only to discover the terrifying truth about the group and what it’s hiding.
Learning Tips: This show is a good choice for beginners because the episodes are only around 25 to 30 minutes long, so you won’t be overwhelmed. Be sure to watch with the original Dutch audio and leave the English subtitles on until you’re ready to take the training wheels off.
Toon
Where To Watch: Netflix
Number Of Seasons: 2 (renewal TBD)
Show Premise: A socially awkward young man named Toon who composes ad jingles becomes an internet sensation when his reluctant performance at a birthday party goes viral. The comedy series follows Toon as he’s thrust into stardom, much to his chagrin.
Learning Tips: When watching this show, you’ll learn some vocab related to music and show business. You’ll also get a taste for the Dutch sense of humor. Getting to know a culture’s jokes provides useful insights (not everything translates from English!). As with the previous Dutch TV shows, watch Toon with the default settings of Dutch audio and English subs.
The Neighbors
Where To Watch: Amazon Prime
Number Of Seasons: 2 (ongoing)
Show Premise: A young couple moves to the suburbs to raise their first child. When the baby dies suddenly, they turn to their new neighbors for support. They soon learn that these neighbors are swingers, and the two couples’ lives become irreversibly intertwined.
Learning Tips: This emotionally heavy Dutch TV show covers topics of marriage, sex, parenthood, loss and more, which gives viewers plenty of new vocabulary to work with. The challenging themes may make this series more difficult for beginners, but Amazon provides English subtitles to help you follow along with the story.
Women of the Night
Where To Watch: Netflix
Number Of Seasons: 1 (renewal TBD)
Show Premise: Seeking more excitement in her life, Xandra — the wife of a government official in Amsterdam — reconnects with her past by managing a group of high-end escorts. Xandra tries to keep her second identity secret from her husband and daughter, but this becomes difficult as she’s pulled deeper into Amsterdam’s underworld of drugs, sex and violence.
Learning Tips: This is one of the most advanced Dutch TV shows on our list due to its layered storyline and complex topics of corruption and the escort industry. The English subs will help, though, so be sure to leave them on if needed.
Header Photo: Jo Voets | Netflix