Which Shows Global Audiences Are Tuning Into, Including Soap Operas from Brazil to Heroic Characters Created from Red Bean Paste
Recently, our coverage examined the wave of global dystopian series arriving to audiences across the globe. These shows brought tales of environmental disaster, violent autocracy, and extraterrestrial attacks from various countries such as Argentina, Africa, and Korea. Aside from revealing worldwide fears about institutional collapse, it also underscored how linked the TV landscape has become in 2025. Streaming platforms, broadcast networks, YouTube, and pirated content can instantly deliver regional shows from every continent—except Antarctica, although it's interesting to consider if any penguin-themed dramas exist there.
Still, even with the extent of global intermingling in television today, numerous programs remain mostly unseen outside their home countries even though massive popularity locally. This week, we aimed to highlight these programs by asking journalists based in different nations about what audiences are viewing in their regions. Read on for accounts of morning shows in Jamaica, Brazilian telenovelas, and Japanese sweet bean-filled superheroes.
In Brazil | Vale Tudo
Even if Brazil's longstanding love affair for telenovelas has been slightly influenced by streaming services and competition from K-dramas and shows from Turkey, the most talked-about and most watched TV show in Brazil is, unsurprisingly, a telenovela. Anything Goes is a reboot of a series considered as one of the key of the genre and a massive success in 1988 and 1989, when Brazil was still recovering from a brutal two-decade military dictatorship. The first version centered on the theme: "Is it worth to be honest in Brazil?"
The new version—released during a time of profound political polarisation—has moved away from the political themes of the first, but has achieved strong ratings and ignited heated online debates. While numerous fans enjoy the reboot, with scenes spreading widely on online platforms, there has also been criticism over alterations to the story and the reproduction of cliches often associated with Black women in relation to one of the main characters.
Nigeria | Big Brother Naija
You could conduct an in-depth study on Nigeria's interest with social dynamics and the country's ongoing curiosity in watching over twenty strangers confined to a communal house. The latest season of Big Brother Naija is currently airing, and it continues to generate more discussion, particularly on social media, than virtually every entertainment happening aside from Premier League football.
BBNaija experiences a degree of mainstream penetration that makes the show difficult to avoid whether or not you aren't a viewer. Contestants can still expect their time on the show into a life of fame and brand deals, however temporary. This is likely to continue for as long as the creators keep up their incredible ability to choose the ideal combination of contestants who all seem born for the constant spotlight.
Japan | Anpan
According to the latest figures released, Japan's highest rated consistently aired programme is the series Anpan. It's the latest in a long series of short daily series, called asadora, broadcast in the morning on weekdays by public broadcaster the Japanese broadcasting corporation. Anpan is inspired by the life of a woman named Nobu Komatsu, whose spouse, the creator Takashi Yanase, developed the Anpanman (literally Red Bean Bun Man) children's books and cartoon show that have amused and enthralled multiple age groups of children in Japan.
The series tells the grit-through-to-glory story of a female protagonist who experiences the horrors of the World War II and, alongside her spouse, establishes a kind-hearted picture book series in the seventies. Its hero the hero Anpanman—a sweet bun with bean paste with a cape—selflessly helps those in danger and distress, offering pieces of his soft, sweet head to feed the hungry. Similar to other asadora, Anpan is visual comfort food, with a touching, uplifting story that soothes the unsettled mood of today's times.
In Jamaica | Smile Jamaica
Usually, most people in Jamaica get their media content from the US, but despite this the local channel TVJ's Smile Jamaica morning show continues to be a essential part of the country's routine.
Airing from early morning, with a weekend version on the weekend, it features an diverse range of light entertainment and sections on heavy topical issues. Audiences can see popular dance and pilates tutorials, interesting conversations with a Jamaican Michael Jackson impersonator and the makers of a recent food product, but also debates on gun regulations in Jamaica and the difficult topic of mental health awareness after the nation was shaken by the passing of a beauty pageant alumna at just 26. The program is a great example of significant funding in its film and TV industry, with several local film festivals and the authorities just pledging millions in local currency for local film productions.
Poland | International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition
It may not fit the standard idea of a TV blockbuster, capable of attracting huge audiences. Still, a large part of the country will be glued to their screens for the coming weeks due to the excitement of the new installment of a renowned piano competition honoring Poland's musical genius the composer Chopin.
The nineteenth iteration of the Chopin Piano Competition began recently. It will feature 84 pianists from twenty nations—narrowed down from more than 640 submissions—vying for the first place, often seen as a golden ticket to play in the world's greatest concert halls.
The event, like the Olympic Games for pianists, is held every five years and attracts many of music enthusiasts to the city of Warsaw, with admissions being reserved a year in advance. This time, the host nation has 13 participants, but musicians from the United States, Canada, and Asia are regarded as some of the favourites.
The event is broadcast by Poland's public broadcaster and available via live stream, with the winner's concerts starting in late October.
