Binge-worthy American TV Shows and Movies Every Expat Should Watch
My curated list of American shows that actually helped me decode U.S. culture, humor, and values — from The Office to Atlanta.
When I first moved to the US from Singapore, I quickly realized that half of every casual conversation at work involved references to TV shows I had never watched. Someone would crack a "that's what she said" joke and the whole room would laugh, and I'd just stand there smiling politely, completely lost. I knew then that catching up on American TV wasn't just entertainment — it was survival :P
So over the past couple of years, Sophie and I have been working through what I think of as the "American cultural literacy" watchlist. Some of these we binged together (the kid-friendly ones, obviously), and some I stayed up way too late watching on my own. I have to admit, I now understand about 70% more of the jokes at the office. Progress.
Here's my list of the shows that I think give expats the best window into American culture, humor, and values. Everyone's list is different, but these are the ones that actually helped me understand this country.
The Cultural Essentials
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The Office (US version, 2005-2013) — This is where the "that's what she said" jokes come from, and honestly, it taught me more about American workplace humor than any onboarding session. The cringe comedy felt alien at first — in Asia, you would never embarrass your boss publicly — but now I get why it resonates. American office culture really is this awkward :D
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Friends (1994-2004) — I was shocked how many Americans can quote entire episodes from memory. Beyond the laughs, it showed me how Americans idealize close friendships as a kind of chosen family — something that felt very different from the family-first culture I grew up with in Vietnam.
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The Simpsons (1989-present) — This animated family has been satirizing American life for over 30 years. It taught me more about suburban America — the strip malls, the school systems, the local politics — than any guidebook ever could.
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Breaking Bad (2008-2013) — A high school chemistry teacher turns meth producer. One of the best things I have ever watched. It explores some very American themes about the healthcare system, ambition, and the dark side of the "pull yourself up" mentality that I kept hearing about.
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Seinfeld (1989-1998) — "A show about nothing" that is actually about everything. I did not understand half the references at first, but after a few seasons I realized this is the source code for modern American humor. The way New Yorkers talk, argue, and obsess over tiny social rules — Seinfeld explains it all.
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Parks and Recreation (2009-2015) — Small-town American government, played for comedy but surprisingly heartfelt. This show helped me understand the very American idea that local community matters — town hall meetings, neighborhood parks, civic pride. In Singapore, everything is top-down. In Pawnee, Indiana, it is beautifully bottom-up.
Shows That Go Deeper
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Atlanta (2016-2022) — Donald Glover's show about the Atlanta rap scene is unlike anything else on television. It gave me a perspective on Black American culture that I simply was not getting from my Bay Area bubble. Surreal, funny, uncomfortable, essential.
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Modern Family (2009-2020) — A mockumentary about an extended family that captures the diversity of modern American family life. It normalized so many things for me — blended families, same-sex parents, generational gaps — in a way that felt natural rather than preachy.
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Stranger Things (2016-present) — 1980s nostalgia, kids on bikes, and a terrifying alternate dimension. Sophie loves this one. For me, it was a crash course in American childhood nostalgia — the malls, the arcades, the small-town dynamics. Every American over 35 seems to have a personal connection to this era.
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The Good Place (2016-2020) — A comedy about the afterlife that is secretly a philosophy class. I learned about the trolley problem from this show, which is slightly embarrassing to admit. But it also showed me how Americans can take big, serious ideas and make them accessible through humor — something Asian media rarely does.
Sophie-Approved (For Watching Together)
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Sesame Street (1969-present) — The OG educational show. Every American kid grew up on this, and watching it with Sophie helped me understand the values Americans absorb from childhood — sharing, diversity, counting in English with a vampire puppet.
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Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008) — An animated series with surprisingly deep themes about balance, duty, and identity. One of the rare shows both kids and adults genuinely enjoy. As a bonus, it draws heavily from Asian culture, so it felt like a bridge between my world and Sophie's American one.
Why This Matters for Expats
I think watching American TV is genuinely one of the fastest ways to understand the culture here. You pick up on humor styles, social norms, even the way people argue. After 15+ years in Singapore watching mostly Asian and British content, American storytelling felt very different to me — more direct, more individualistic, more emotionally expressive. Understanding that shift helped me adjust in ways I didn't expect.
What shows helped you settle into American (or any new) culture? I'm always looking for recommendations.
Cheers,
Chandler
