Incredibly rich 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” provide a front-row seat to ludicrously expensive real estate and the petty squabbles of people whose weekly earnings surpass the annual GDP of small nations, scripted television offers a unique lens into the world of wealth. It’s a platform to explore deranged excess without necessarily glorifying it, and these seven shows deliver on that promise, allowing viewers to gawk at lavish interiors and intricate interpersonal dramas to their heart’s content.
The O.C.
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 O.C.” is based on skews pretty wealthy and conservative, but it’s nothing compared to the over-the-top version that creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage presented onscreen.
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. It’s always been baffling to me how everyone knew what was “in” (expensive polo shirts and Tiffany’s jewelry, always). But watching Serena and Blair compete for queen-bee status in a parade of incredible clothes never gets 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, dramatically, 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 1 and sorting out how Reese Witherspoon managed to steal every scene she was in, it did give us a lot to talk about. But 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 center 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 Showtime 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?
