Australian and New Zealand Shows With a Strong Sense of Place

A place should do more than fill the gap behind an actor. These Australian and New Zealand shows let distance, local loyalties, work and weather shape the story. There are remote investigations, suburban arguments and a funeral-business documentary alongside the postcard landscapes. Deadloch's two settings make a useful starting point, while Rosehaven rewards an ear for small-town conversation. The selection spans recent arrivals and older favourites worth returning to, with the country and particular setting explained in each entry. Comedy and crime both belong here, but neither gets to turn an entire country into one temperament.