Top 10 favorite Croatian shows

Whilst I mostly talk about English languge books and media (with the exception of the Millennium trilogy), I feel like I should talk a little bit more about media from my own country. Sadly most of these aren't available to many international readers of my blog, however I will definetley note if they are. I don't really watch many Croatian shows because most of them didn't seem that interesting to me, but I am always willing to make an exception. So without futher addue, let's talk about my favorite shows from a land of a thousand islands.

Honourable mentions

Despite my love for quite a few of them this list won't include my favorites made before Croatia's independence (1991) and separation from the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia. These include:

Our small town (Naše malo misto) and it's sequel Big town (Velo misto)

Where the hogs go (Kuda idu divlje svinje)

Smoggers (Smogovci)

Beggars and sons (Prosjaci i sinovi)

Grounders (Gruntovčani)

I will also focus strictly on scripted shows, so the list won't include my favorite documentaries, which are the following:

Hrvatski kraljevi (Croatian kings)

Republika (The Republic: A history of Dubrovnik)

Doba Uskoka (Age of the Uskoks)

Na rubu znanosti (On the fringes of science)

Ludi rimski carevi (Mad emperors of Rome)

Lovac na bilje (The Plant Hunter)

I might write posts about these in the future, but we'll see what it brings us.

So without further addue, let's get travelling with...

10.) Bibin svijet (Biba's world)

I know, I know, I'm not starting with anything big, but I can't leave out one of the few Balkan sitcoms that geniuenly made me laugh. It's nothing groundbreaking, but the cast was amazing, and they make the humor which flips between smart and simplistic atleast a bit funnier. The premise isn't anything we haven't seen before. We follow the personal and proffesional lives of a group of workers in a small conveniance store: the sarcastic and cynical cashier Biba Fruk, her lovesick best friend Đurđa Hrković, the always horny stock operator Milivoj Babić, the derpy butcher Vlado Krunčić and their strict yet bumbling boss Janko Piškorić. Along for the ride are also Biba's family: her frustrated and overworked husband Martin, boys crazy teenage daughter Sandra and surprisingly intelligent son Darko. The show can get feel a little repetative at times, but I found the characters charming enough that I came back every episode. If you like sitcoms, you'll love this.

9.) Mrkomir Prvi (Mrkomir the First)

Goran Navojec is one of the best and most notable Croatian actors, even so that he appears in some non-Croatian movies and shows (Serbian crime thriller Južni vetar, Bosnian sitcom Lud, zbunjen, normalan, American miniseries Dig and, even, Mission Impossible: Ghost protocol). Here he shines as Mrkomir, a lazy and dimwitted knez (Slavic term for a monarch before the establishment of the earliest kings and emperors) whose wild ideas and escapades make up the shows key source of comedy. The show, set in early medieval Croatia, parodies current ecological, socio-political, financial and other issues that plague modern Croatia through witty and sarcastic dialoge and situtational comedy. The cast is equally as great as the writing, consisting of memorable performances from various versatile actors. As I mentioned, Balkan humor almost never does it for me, but this is one of the very few exceptions.

8.) Uspjeh (Succes)

This was the the first Croatian HBO original (which was the main ploy of it's marketing as a matter of fact) and it's pretty obvious because it feels like nothing else on Croatian tv. The performances are unbelievabley good, the writing is spectacular, poigniant and real and the cinematography really feels cinematic. The title is appropriate as it suceeded in everything it tried to do. But, anyways, I'm rambling. What's the plot? Four individuals in Zagreb, who never met before and have no aspects that would connect them in the slightest, bear witnesses to the same tragic event uncovering a world of conspiracies, mystery and intrigue behind the shadows of the capital. Unlike the previous two shows, this one is available to international viewers, so anyone with a slightest hint of interest can watch it through HBO MAX.

7.) Novine (The Paper)

If everything you ever stood for was threatend, if every moral you hold up was put on the line, what would you do? Would you stand up or cover in fear of being trampled? The Paper seeks to answer just that. It's creator, Ivica Đikić, served as the chief editor of Novi List, the official newspaper of the city of Rijeka, which is where the show is set as well. The show follows the reporters and editing staff of the last independent and serious newspaper in the country, the titular Novine. A construction magnat and up and coming politician Mario Kardum plans on buying them to spread his worldview and propaganda so now their struggle of staying independent and fighting against the tide starts.Visually and thematically it's heavily inspired by nordic noir thrillers (such as Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy) and HBO's The Wire. It's another example of a show that's, thankfully, available to international viewers, but this time trhough Netflix who optioned the rights for the first two seasons.

6.) Urota (Conspiracy)

This one is certainly on the more low budget sign of things, however it's still a very thrilling and heart-pounding watch which kept me on the edge of my seat. A meeting of extreme importance for the future of Croatia and maybe even the entire Balkan region as a whole is held in Zagreb, culminating in the assasination of the Croatian prime minister. A team of experts from Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro is quickly summoned and the race is on to find out what could be the reason behind the assasination, unravelling a region wide plot and putting their lives at stake as well. The show can certainly get a little far fetched, but I was surprised that, despite that, it was never cheesy or too over the top, staying as grounded as it possibly could and I certainly applaud it for that.

5.) Patrola na cesti (Road patrol)

Krešimir Mikić is one of the most talented and versatile actors in Croatia right now, quickly establishing himself as one of my favorites and this is where I realised his full potential as an actor. Based on a short story from the collection of the same name by Jurica Pavičić, this miniseries follows Josip, a police officer who, by his own request, is transported to the southernmost border of Croatia where things from the Schengen zone (The Schengen Crossing or as it's reffered to in the show "The Asshole of the state") cross the border. There he reunites with his family: his sickly recently widowed father Jakov, his brother Frane, his sister in law Mara and his niece Josipa. But unbeknownst to him his brother is secretly a drug kingpin, transporting drugs across the crossing putting the two brothers at odds with each other. This show very much feels cinematic and fresh, giving us a grim look at reality of drug and human trafficking trade of southern Croatia, painted across the beautiful landscapes of Dalmatia. A touching familial drama and a dark crime thriller, this show has all of the bases covered.

4.) Područje bez signala (No signal area a.k.a The last socialist artifact)

Dalibor Matanić is, in my humble opinion, the best Croatian film and tv director giving us grounded and believable stories and portrayals of life in Croatia and this one is no exception. Following two cousins from Zagreb, Oleg and Nikola, who arrive in the small town of Nuštin, whose population spiraled down or left to seek better opportunities elsewhere. The two men want to restart an old turbine factory in order to sell them to a Marocan bussinessman, breathing life back into town bringing back an employement opportunity for many. But with this return of luck, life and general ease to the twon, old conflicts, trauma and secrets begin to rise as well. This is an ingenious portrayal of small town life (as someone who grew up in a town very much like Nuštin I related a lot to the setting) and how everything in it is connected in a web of positive and negative sides. Matanić's signature directing style and Hana Jušić, Milan Živković and Helena Paljan's script make the town just as intriguing and complex of a character as the people within. Not to mention with an episode count of only 6 episodes this miniseries never overstays it's welcome. Krešimir Mikić returns with another fantastic performance backed by Rene Bitorajac, who mostly stars in comedies, but gives a truly shattering dramatic performance here, showing how much of a versatile actor her truly is.

3.) Šutnja (The Silence a.k.a. Zlomovchannya)

This is an example of a show I knew I would love since it was announced. An intriguing murder mystery in the vein of The Bridge and Der Pass? Check. A setting you don't see much in Croatian shows (the region of Slavonia or Pannonia)? Check. A Croatian-Ukrainian coproduction with geniuene Ukrainian actors and writers partaking in the project? Check. Directed by Dalibor Matanić? Check, check,check!!! Croatia and Ukraine had shared so many parallels and connections trhought their rich history I'm surprised there haven't been more things like this. However I am more than happy this was made. It's a beautifully written and gorgeously shot murder mystery following an investigation into a murder of a Ukrainian girl whose body was found near the city of Osijek kicking off a wave of investigations and conspiracies in both countries. Whilst the brilliant writing and gorgeous cinematography make the show stand out with a distinct style and supstance not seen in any other Croatian show. It was nominated for several awards, including Večernjakova ruža (a Croatian tv award) in the category of Best scripted series of the year. Apparently it's also based on a trilogy of novels by reporter Drago Hedl so I know what I'll be reading soon enough. It's available to international viewers trhough HBO MAX.

2.) Počivali u miru (Rest in peace)

This is considered to be the single greatest Croatian tv show ever made and a gold standard for every drama that came afterwards. The plot follows a journalist Lucija Car who hosts a tv report about the closing of the largest and oldest Croatian prison Vukovščak (FYI it doesn't exist). During a report a grave of an infamous prisoner is opened revealing it to be empty. Lucija comes in contact with a former warden with secrets of his own trying to reveal the many murders, secrets and conspiracies of Vukovščak. Whilst each season has a new central mystery (season 2 has ritualistic murders in Histria and season 3 has supposed goverment organized shootings) the core themes of trauma, memories and depression are carried from one to the next, navigated by the fantastic performances (the standout being our lead played by Judita Franković), lots of atmospheric shots and a foreboding tone. The writing is also exceptional reminding me a lot of Nordic noir. Overall this is one hell of a show.

You must be wondering what could be better than what's considered the litlerall holy grail of Croatian television? That answer lies in three simple words...

1.) Crno-bijeli svijet (Black and white world)

This show is the definition of nostalgia for me. It originally started airing when I was 9 years old and I had been a fan ever since. This remarkably intelligent comedy drama follows the Kipčić family and their various friends, foes and romantic partners as well as their misadventures in 1980s Zagreb painting a picture of the events that were vital to Yugoslavia as well as the world as the whole in that era. The deaths of Josip Broz Tito and John Lennon, the Chornobil power plant explosion, Live-aid concert etc. I've watched every rerun so far and I can safely say that I still laugh at it's humor and cry at it's tearjerkers. It's a beautifully written, toucing and intelligently crafted story about many things, but most importantly family. The title is a reference to the song of the same name (which also serves as the show's theme song) by the rock band Prljavo Kazalište who blew up in the era the show took place and are considered the most influential Croatian band of all time. Can't sing the praises of this one enough.