Incredibly wealthy people: they’re arguably destroying our planet, they almost always smell good, and, for better or for worse, they’re really fun to watch on TV. While reality shows like ‘The Kardashians’ and ‘Selling Sunset’ offer a front-row seat to ludicrously expensive real estate and the lives of people whose weekly earnings dwarf many small nations’ annual GDP, I’ve always been drawn to the way wealth is portrayed in scripted television. It’s the perfect format to explore deranged excess without (necessarily) glorifying it.
To that end, we’ve rounded up seven of the all-time best wealth-forward TV shows that allow us to gawk at opulent interior design and fascinating interpersonal interactions. Let’s dive in:
The OC:
Ah, the show that launched it all, if by “it” you mean a lasting cultural obsession with Southern California excess, newsboy caps (how did Marissa Cooper make those look good?), and Yogalates. The real-life area of Orange County that ‘The OC’ is based on also skews pretty wealthy and conservative, but it’s nothing compared to the over-the-top version that creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage presented on screen.
Gossip Girl:
This show hits a little too close to home for me, as someone who briefly attended the real-life Upper East Side girls’ school that ‘Gossip Girl’s’ Constance Billard was based on. I constantly found myself baffled by how everyone knew what was “in” (expensive polo shirts and Tiffany’s jewellery, always). Nonetheless, watching Serena and Blair compete for queen-bee status in a parade of incredible clothes will never get old.
Succession:
Rich people: sometimes they’re very, very mean! Nobody does lavish, ridiculous, ill-gotten excess wealth better than the Roy family, whom I can credit for teaching me about ortolan and ludicrously capacious designer bags. That said, all the money in the world still won’t net you that kiss from Daddy.
The White Lotus:
Finally, the wealth-intrigue show we were all waiting for: a series about how really, really rich people vacation. (Spoiler: lavishly and with a whole lot of drama. Also, I guess Jennifer Coolidge is usually there?) I have high hopes for the upcoming third season of Mike White’s dramedy, which will be set in Thailand. After all, who’s better at playing a mean rich girl than Parker Posey?
Big Little Lies:
This gossipy drama set in a tony part of northern California wasn’t always perfect, but between trying to solve the mystery at the heart of season one and sorting out how Reese Witherspoon managed to steal every scene she was in, it did give us a lot to talk about. It was also the show that launched a thousand vaguely similar series about a monied and mysterious Nicole Kidman, from ‘The Undoing’ to ‘The Perfect Couple.’
Downton Abbey:
Nobody does extravagant-yet-refined wealth quite like the British aristocracy – just see the family (and the house) at the centre of ‘Downton Abbey’. Sure, there’s attention paid to the Crawley clan’s domestic workers, but the real drama always seemed to flare up when someone’s substantial dowry is on the line.
Billions:
I mean, it’s all in the name, right? Any show set between New York and Connecticut (the ultimate bastion of WASP wealth) is sure to feature some pretty wild real estate, but the houses aren’t the only jaw-dropping thing about this drama. Its investigation into the depths of financial crime might turn you into something of an armchair socialist if you’re not already so inclined, but it’s also just really, really fun to watch. Damn it, really rich people! Why must you be such compelling protagonists?
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