The hardest part of learning Polish, or really any language, isn’t the grammar or the vocab — it’s keeping your motivation up. Language learning isn’t something you can do overnight. It takes consistent work. Yet sometimes, after a long day of work, your idea of downtime might not be drilling conjugation charts. And that’s fair! Fortunately, there are other ways of getting some exposure to a new language without it feeling like a chore. One great option is exploring Polish TV shows, which entertain and inform at the same time.
If you decide to use television, it’s worth keeping in mind that there are multiple ways to go about it. Want it to be a more active learning experience? You can use subtitles and such to really focus on understanding what’s being said. But even if you just want to relax, watching Polish TV shows is a good way to add some passive learning to your day. No, watching television won’t immediately transform you into a Polish speaker, but just hearing the language can help.
The next question is, what should you watch? There are so many streaming options, it can be hard to narrow them down. We’ve chosen six of our favorite shows to watch, which span a variety of genres. Whether you need an intense crime drama or a light-hearted comedy, there’s something here you’re bound to enjoy.
6 Polish TV Shows To Watch
1983
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Number of Seasons: 1 (ended)
Show Premise: This show was Netflix’s very first Polish-language original program. 1983 takes place in an alternate-universe version of 2003, where the Cold War never ended and the Soviet Union still exists (also, Al Gore is president of the United States for some reason). The title itself is a not-so-subtle nod to George Orwell’s 1984, as the story generally takes on totalitarianism from the perspective of revolutionaries who are gearing up to take on the government.
Sexify
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Number of Seasons: 1 (ongoing)
Show Premise: We won’t lie, a lot of the Polish TV shows on this list skew toward the dark and depressing. Sexify, however, is a big exception. The show is about a student who needs to design an app for a project. The idea she lands on is something that can, well, help her with her problems in the bedroom. It’s a show that talks candidly and explicitly about sex, so definitely don’t watch this one with kids in the room. If you love Netflix’s Sex Education, though, this Polish show is worth checking out.
Ślepnąc Od Świateł (“Blinded By The Lights”)
Streaming Platform: HBO Max
Number of Seasons: 1 (ended)
Show Premise: The eight episodes of Ślepnąc Od Świateł follow a single week in the life of a cocaine dealer living in Warsaw. This might tip you off that it is not a particularly light-hearted show. The protagonist sees his careful life fall apart around him, as he goes from serving high-profile clients to needing to escape from the country. It all makes for a fast-paced thriller that’ll keep you watching.
Pakt (“The Pact”)
Streaming Platform: HBO Max
Number of Seasons: 3 (ended)
Show Premise: What better way to wind down after work than with a show all about (fictional) corruption? Pakt is about an investigative journalist who starts looking into a string of suicides and uncovers a vast conspiracy (massive fraud that implicates even his own brother!). You know, classic investigative journalist stuff.
W Głębi Lasu (“The Woods”)
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Number of Seasons: 1 (ended)
Show Premise: You didn’t think you’d make it through this list without seeing a crime drama, did you? W Głębi Lasu is a miniseries that follows a man’s search for his sister’s killer. The main difficulty is that the murder happened 25 years ago. The show is based on a novel of the same name by Harlan Coben, so you can expect a tightly paced thriller.
Rojst (“The Mire”)
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Number of Seasons: 1 (ended)
Show Premise: What do you get when you cross the “mysterious murder investigation” of The Woods and the “investigative journalist digging up a vast conspiracy” of The Pact? The Mire! (We did warn you that Polish TV shows tend to be a little dark.) Set in a small Polish town in the 1980s, the plot kicks off with a double murder. When an investigative journalist starts looking into what happened, they discover something much darker than he anticipated. Sure, a murder in a small town exposing a bleak truth isn’t the most original concept, but when something works, it works.
Header Photo From Netflix / Sexify