30 best Netflix Shows set outside the US

29. Lilyhammer

This Norwegian crime-comedy-drama revolves around a former New York City mobster hiding out in Lillehammer, Norway after going into the witness protection program. This series was touted as the “first time Netflix offered original content” as this program debuted on the service after its initial run on Norwegian television.

From that point until now, Netflix has certainly capitalized on its original content. It seems that once or twice a month a hit-TV show is premiering or continuing on Netflix.

Former mobster Frank Tagliano, played by Steven Van Zandt, uses his testimony to enter into protection and is placed in Norway. However, he finds himself involved in the world he just left, but an adjacent world to say the least. The show predominately features Norway as its location, but in the third season, the show visits Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in a few scenes.

Van Zandt is most known for his portrayal of Silvio Dante from HBO’s The Sopranos where he was a mafia underboss for Tony Soprano. Although the two are strikingly similar, they are unfortunately meant to be different people entirely. Of course, that’s what a former mobster would want you to think.

The series lasted three seasons before Netflix ultimately pulled out of the show after it was canceled. Some habits seem to die slowly in the Netflix offices. It’s interesting that Netflix’s first foray into original content took advantage of showing “foreign” locations to its user base. The method of showing American audiences the rest of the world seems to pay off fairly well.