Which Shows Global Audiences Is Watching, From Soap Operas from Brazil to Heroic Characters Created from Red Bean Paste
Not long ago, this publication looked into the trend of global post-apocalyptic dramas making their way to viewers worldwide. These series delivered stories of environmental disaster, violent autocracy, and alien invasions from various locations such as Argentina, Nigeria, and Asia. Aside from highlighting worldwide fears about institutional collapse, it also underscored how interconnected the television industry has become in 2025. Online services, satellite channels, video platforms, and pirated content can quickly provide regional shows from every continent—excluding Antarctica, though one might wonder if any penguin-themed dramas exist there.
However, despite the high level of international exchange in TV today, many shows remain largely unknown beyond domestic borders even though massive popularity at home. Recently, we aimed to highlight these series by asking journalists based in different nations about what people are viewing in their areas. Continue for stories of morning shows in Jamaica, Brazilian telenovelas, and Japan's red bean paste-based superheroes.
In Brazil | Vale Tudo
Even if Brazil's traditional passion for telenovelas has been somewhat affected by online platforms and competition from K-dramas and Turkish equivalents, the most talked-about and highest-rated TV show in Brazil is, expectedly, a soap opera. Vale Tudo is a reboot of a series considered as one of the most important of the genre and a massive success in the late 80s, when Brazil was recovering from a harsh 20-year authoritarian rule. The first version centered on the question: "Does it pay to be honest in Brazil?"
The updated series—launched during a time of deep political division—has largely abandoned the original's political focus, but has drawn high viewership and ignited intense discussions on the internet. While numerous fans like the new version, with scenes spreading widely on social media, there has also been backlash over alterations to the story and the portrayal of cliches commonly linked to Black women in relation to one of the protagonists.
Nigeria | BBNaija
You could conduct an in-depth study on Nigeria's fascination with social dynamics and the country's ongoing curiosity in observing over twenty unknown individuals locked in a shared home. The latest season of BBNaija is on now, and it still manages to generate more discussion, particularly on social media, than any other entertainment happening aside from soccer matches.
Big Brother Naija experiences a level of cultural breakthrough that makes the show hard to ignore even if you don't watch it. Contestants can still expect their appearances into a life of celebrity and brand deals, however temporary. This is likely to continue for as long as the producers maintain their skill to choose the perfect mix of contestants who all seem born for the 24-hour stage.
Japan | Bean Paste Hero
According to the most recent data available, Japan's highest rated regularly scheduled show is the series Anpan. It's the latest in a extensive lineup of 15-minute dramas, called asadora, aired in the morning Monday through Saturday by national network NHK. Anpan is based on the story of Nobu Komatsu, whose husband, Takashi Yanase, created the Anpanman (literally Bean Paste Man) picture books and animated series that have entertained and captivated generations of Japanese kids.
Anpan tells the rags-to-riches narrative of a female protagonist who lives through the atrocities of the World War II and, alongside her spouse, establishes a gentle-spirited book collection in the 1970s. Its hero Anpanman—a red-bean-filled pastry with a cape—selflessly helps those in peril and distress, even giving parts of his own head to nourish the hungry. Like most asadora, the show is soothing viewing, with a heartwarming, uplifting plot that soothes the unsettled mood of today's times.
In Jamaica | The Morning Show
Usually, most people in Jamaica get their media content from the US, but despite this the domestic station Television Jamaica's Smile Jamaica breakfast program remains a essential part of the national daily life.
Airing from 6-8.30am, with a weekend version on the weekend, it offers an diverse range of light entertainment and sections on serious current topics. Viewers can enjoy viral dance and exercise guides, intriguing interviews with a local performer and the producers of a recent food product, but also discussions on gun regulations in Jamaica and the difficult topic of suicide prevention after the country was shaken by the passing of a beauty pageant alumna at just twenty-six. The program is a great example of Jamaica's heavy investment in its entertainment sector, with several annual movie events and the government just pledging substantial funds for domestic movie projects.
Poland | Chopin Piano Contest
It's perhaps not the standard idea of a TV blockbuster, capable of attracting huge audiences. Nevertheless, 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 music contest celebrating Poland's musical genius Fryderyk Chopin.
The nineteenth iteration of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition began this week. It will feature eighty-four musicians from twenty nations—narrowed down from over six hundred applicants—vying for the first place, often seen as a golden ticket to play in the top international venues.
The event, like the Olympic Games for keyboard artists, is held every five years and attracts thousands of classical music lovers to the Polish capital, with tickets being reserved a long beforehand. This edition, the host nation has 13 participants, but pianists from the United States, Canada, and Korea are seen as some of the favourites.
The event is televised by Poland's national TV and streamed online, with the champion's performances starting in late October.
