The popular Australian series Neighbours is 30 years old so far this year. In it we can see the daily lives of the neighbors of a fictional suburb called Erinsborough: school, hospital, workshop, hotel, store, bar... reflects the local society. I find it very interesting how social issues are dealt with in the current series. The ease with which certain topics are dealt with in some places, and the same subject, if in other countries mere mention becomes impossible. Many resort to stereotypes, while the other uses them to cast the dirty rags of that society and to spread criticism to the whole world.

It is clear that, at present, television series are a global phenomenon without borders. The different genres and themes are worked with the aim of capturing as many viewers as possible. And how do you do that? One of the keys to working the characters and locations within the script is to create empathy in the viewer, that is, to feel identified. To this end, it seems essential to me to work on social issues, under the police plot, within fantasy worlds or at the centre of the terror passages. To show, in a subtle way, the X-ray of that particular country.

Borgen, Bron/Broen, Forbrydelsen, Äkta människor and Nordic countries

These four series show that a ferocious criticism of the current situation can be made through a television product, sensible and entertaining. In the four productions, we can clearly see that even in those Nordic societies that we have idealized in the eyes of all, there is corruption. It is possible to think deeply about this hidden aspect of local society, without resorting to stereotypes: class struggle, discrimination, xenophobia, love, loneliness, old age, friendship and the human being are joined with mastery.

Black Mirror, Happy Valley and United Kingdom

To begin with, these two series are two examples that the productions that come to us are of quality, short and alive. Above all, however, they demonstrate that a strict social criticism can be added to an entertaining history. On the one hand, the serious and irreversible consequences of the misuse of new technologies that can be extrapolated to the whole world. And on the other hand, with the excuse of a police plot and a kidnapping, we can make a realistic and crude reflection on drugs and their consequences.

The Wire, breaking bad, True detective and United States

Louisiana, Baltimore and Albuquerque are the cities where these three series have worked. The X-ray that I referred to at the beginning has been worked with a master's degree, turning the cities themselves into characters within the plot. I do not believe that chance has influenced the development of issues such as drugs, corruption, disease or crime in these particular places.

Goenkale and the Basque Country

Little can be said of this example, as the influence this series has had on the Basques is evident. In this case, all the incidents take place in Arralde, a small fictional fishing town located on the coast of Euskal Herria. Maria Luisa, Txapas, Joxe Mari, Boga boga boga and Barsobia have become part of our television culture. It is a teleerie of great actuality, which has been in contact with reality, reflecting in some way the normalization that we live in society. In order to detect this effect, as a curiosity, a few years ago the association of butchers called for the elimination of a plot related to counterfeit meat and the case was about to reach Parliament.