Danish reality shows to watch

A couple months ago, I posted a TikTok with some sage advice to people learning a new language (particularly Danish): If you want to watch TV to help you learn, watch reality TV instead of scripted shows!! I explain why in the video…

I asked people to post their favorite Danish shows in the comments, and they delivered. So I read through the 300+ comments to bring you the top recommended shows and where you can watch them! Enjoy… 🙂

5 shows I’ve seen and enjoyed!

Den Store Bagedyst (and Den Store Juniorbagedyst)

Genre: Baking competition

Den Store Bagedyst is the Danish version of The Great British Bake Off. The format is identical, which makes it very easy to follow if you’ve seen TGBBO. And it’s just as wholesome and enjoyable! As I said in the TikTok, Den Store Bagedyst was the first Danish show I watched and actually got into! Juniorbagedysten is the kids’ version of the competition. I haven’t watched it but I’ve heard it is adorable, so it’s definitely on my short list!

Where to watch: DR

Stormester

Genre: Competition, comedy

This is the Danish version of the British show Taskmaster, which I had never seen or heard of, but maybe that’s relevant to some of you 😛 On Stormester, 5 famous Danes compete in extremely silly tasks for a dumb prize contributed by one of the contestants each episode (one episode featured a contestant’s mini fridge with leftovers inside). I admit that I didn’t know who any of the famous Danes were, but still found the show very entertaining.

Where to watch: TV2

Boligkøb i Blinde

Genre: Home renovation

This is a new favorite for me!! Danish real estate is WILDLY EXPENSIVE (I always get sad when I watch American home buying shows now because everything seems so cheap in comparison). So there are a lot of people who can’t afford their dream homes, and renovations are the answer. Each episode of Boligkøb i Blinde (which I would roughly translate as “Blind Home Buying”), features a home renovation, where the home owners buy the house sight-unseen and then the renovations are revealed at the end of the episode. This show is different from any American home reno show I’ve seen because the home owners get almost zero control over the whole process. They determine their budget, general location, and 3 non-negotiables for the house… but that’s it. A realtor purchases the house for them (unlike an American show, where they might pick between 3), an architect manages the renovation (without having the buyers approve it first), and an interior designer decorates it. The home owners only get to see the house once it has been purchased – pre-renovation – and after the renovations are complete, when they are moving in. I love this show.

Where to watch: Viaplay

Luksusfælden

Genre: Finance

Luksusfælden means “the luxury trap.” Each episode focuses on a Dane (sometimes couples) who is deep in debt, and 2 financial experts come and knock some sense into them about their spending, and help them (hopefully) get control of their finances. This one’s not as fun as some other shows, IMO, but you do end up rooting for the subject to be successful!!

Where to watch: Viaplay

Hammerslag

Genre: Real estate

I didn’t see anyone recommending this one in the comments, which is shocking to me because I love it!! On each episode, 2 teams of real estate agents tour different homes in Denmark, and then they have to guess how much the houses sold for. They tour 2 or 3 homes (it depends on the season) and the team who guessed the closest in total by the end of the episode wins. It’s so fun to see different types of homes all over Denmark, and usually they have the same realtors on throughout the season, so you get to know their personalities as well.

Where to watch: DR

10 shows recommended by others!

These are shows that were suggested in my comments! I haven’t seen them so did my best guess to tell what they’re about 😛

• Alene i Vildmarken: “Alone in the Wilderness” — this sounds kind of like Survivor? DR
• Familien Fra Bryggen: “The Family from the Pier” – series that follows a family that lives in Islands Brygge, which is a neighborhood in Copenhagen (this is the first time I have wondered what “brygge” means in English, and Google Translate says “pier!”). Viaplay
• Forsidefruer: “Front Page Ladies” — this seems like a “Real Housewives”-esque series (and I am not above that). Viaplay
• Gift Ved Første Blik: The Danish version of Married at First Sight. DR
• Hjem til Gården: “Home to the Farm” — people go to live on a farm and compete in different tasks to win money. TV2
• Klipfiskerne: I don’t really understand what this show is about, but it seems like it’s trivia of some sort?? TV2
• Løvernes Hule: The Danish version of Shark Tank. DR
• Masterchef: Viaplay
• Vild Med Dans: The Danish version of Dancing with the Stars. TV2
• X Factor: TV2

What are your favorite Danish shows?? Do you prefer reality or scripted?