The Best TV Shows on NPO 2

Every NPO 2 Show Ranked From Best To Worst

Showcasing over 20 shows from 1981 up until 2026, NPO 2 stands as a beacon of television excellence. Peruse our comprehensive roster of NPO 2’s top shows, encompassing over 20 distinct series as of August 2026. Highlighting NPO 2’s quality programming, Jeugdjournaal and Zomergasten stand out, premiering in 1981 and 1988.

  • Jeugdjournaal
    Jeugdjournaal (1981)9.0

    Jeugdjournaal is a Dutch television news programme produced by the Dutch public service broadcaster NOS for children. The programme has been broadcast since 1981. The aim of Jeugdjournaal is to present news that is both of interest and understanding to young viewers, without shying away from the main national and international news headlines. The broadcasts are viewed extensively by older viewers; about one-sixth of the programme's viewership are adults. Jeugdjournaal is involved in setting up similar shows in several countries where neutral news broadcasts are scarce. A main evening programme airs at 6:45pm, running for 15 minutes every night on Nederland 3. A 5-minute update also airs on weekdays at 4:25pm. The short afternoon updates and a weekly compilation programme are broadcast on the international Dutch-language television station, BVN.

  • Zomergasten
    Zomergasten (1988)9.0

    This VPRO's ‘summer classic’ is based on an equally simple and refreshing idea that originated in 1988: When during the summer most of the channels are showing reruns, ask interesting people people to curate their ‘favorite television evening’ and let them clarify the fragments in a long-form interview/conversation. The programme was first aired in 1988. Each episode takes up an entire Sunday evening, lasting typically three hours. It consists of an in-depth studio interview with a notable Dutch, Belgian or other Dutch-speaking foreigner, interspersed with cinema or television footage selected by the guest, which is subsequently discussed. Guests include writers, scientists, television personalities, politicians or business people.

  • De Slimste Mens
    De Slimste Mens (2012)8.5

    A quizshow presented by Philip Freriks and one-man jury Maarten van Rossum.

  • Wie is de Mol?
    Wie is de Mol? (1999)7.9

    Ten candidates have to complete assignments to earn money. However, one of the group members is the Mole. The Mole's goal is to make the assignments fail and keep the amount of money earned as low as possible. The other candidates do not know who the Mole is and need to unmask them. At the end of every episode, the candidates take a multiple-choice test about the mole's identity. The person who gives the least amount of correct answers is "executed" and must leave. This process continues until only two contestants and the Mole remain. The winner is the person with the most correct answers in the final test and they get all of the money earned in previous stages of the game.

  • In therapie
    In therapie (2010)7.7

  • Miljoenenjacht
    Miljoenenjacht (2000)5.2

    Miljoenenjacht, officially Postcode Loterij Miljoenenjacht, is a Dutch game show, sponsored by the country's postcode lottery, where a contestant and at-home viewer could win up to €5,000,000 or as little as €0.01. The show is broadcast at various times, spanning across six episodes for each set. The program was originally shown by TROS on Nederland 2, but moved to creator John de Mol's channel Tien in 2005. After the channel was discontinued after its sale to the RTL Group, the program moved to RTL 4. Originally based on the German game show "Die Chance deines Lebens", the format of the programme's final round used since 2002 has been exported worldwide by Dutch producer Endemol under the title Deal or No Deal, a title also used for Miljoenenjacht's lower-stakes sister spinoff on RTL 5, which is based more off the global format and removes the additional elements.

  • De Troon
    De Troon (2010)3.0

    Follow the Dutch royal family in the 19th century.

  • NOS Studio Voetbal
    NOS Studio Voetbal (2002)0.5

  • Metropolis
    Metropolis (2008)N/A

  • Verborgen Verleden
    Verborgen Verleden (2010)N/A

    In Hidden Past, famous Dutch people go in search of their family history. Who were their ancestors and what did they do? To find out, the main characters have to travel. Sometimes very far back in the past, sometimes much closer. In Hidden Past, the broad lines of history become visible in the stories hidden in the family trees of the main characters.

  • De smaak van Joël
    De smaak van Joël (2018)N/A

    Self-proclaimed omnivore and culinary journalist Joël Broekaert takes the viewer along in an adventurous research into the world and the history behind the five basic tastes. Joël devotes his life to everything that has to do with food, and everything related to taste. But what are sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami exactly? Why do those flavors exist? Why are we tasting them? Why are we always looking for sweets, why did we start to eat bitterly and why was salt so scarce in the past?

  • Pointer
    Pointer (2019)N/A

    Pointer is the platform for research journalism of Kro-NCRV on TV, radio and online. We keep your sharp and address the issues of now. We do this with the latest methods and the most experienced journalists, and we are always transparent about our approach.

  • Olympische Dromen
    Olympische Dromen (2021)N/A

  • Atlas
    Atlas (2021)N/A

  • Wat houdt ons tegen ?
    Wat houdt ons tegen ? (2023)N/A

  • De pompmoord
    De pompmoord (2023)N/A

  • Indonesia Calls!
    Indonesia Calls! (2023)N/A

    Historian Hans Goedkoop traces back the life of his grandfather: Rein van Langen. 'Grandpa Rein', born on Java, served in the colonial military between 1900 and 1950 - a period when the Dutch rule over the 'East Indies' began to falter.

  • Vuurtorenverhalen
    Vuurtorenverhalen (2025)N/A

  • De Cirkel
    De Cirkel (2025)N/A

  • NOS Studio Olimpico
    NOS Studio Olimpico (2026)N/A