For decades,television reflected what the U.S. was as a country, with most viewers firmly rooted in the middle class. Shows ranging fromI Love LucyandLeave It To BeavertoThe Brady BunchandThe Andy Griffith Showallfeatured families living comfortably, but never to excess. The trend of going away from showcasing everyday Americans started to shift slightly in the 1970s when audiences became obsessed with wealthy lifestyles with shows likeDallasandFalcon Crest. Even though the ’80s hadDynasty, overall, many shows still went on to depict average families, such as the ’90s TGIF lineup ofFull HouseandFamily Matters. Even though plenty of people tuned in to get inspired by celebrity riches inLifestyles of the Rich and the Famous(which aired from 1984 to 1995), there wasn’t a major focus on flashy living when it came to fictional series.
That all changed with shows likeGossip Girl,The O.C., and theReal Housewivesfranchisein the early 2000s. Suddenly, it seemed like there wasa huge audience for shows featuring the uber-rich. Over the last two decades, more and more shows have started to feature over-the-top wealth. These shows are centered around white people (except for a few shows such asEmpire), who typically get away with everything from embezzlement and adultery to fraud and murder. The characters are generally pretty vapid and vain, and they’re always much more concerned with obtaining more wealth than caring about the well-being of anyone around them.They’re hard to root for as protagonists(since they make horrible and extremely selfish decisions), so why do we keep tuning in to watch them?
The Wealthy Are Taking Over Our TV Screens
Some of the most successful shows over the last couple of years havetold the stories of fictional, wealthy people. Two of the most Emmy-winning dramas,SuccessionandThe White Lotus, have featured rich, white people behaving badly. The former wasinspired by several real-life media families, such as the Murdochs, which makes their misbehavior and immoral actions even more disturbing. Even though many of the characters onSuccessionare related to each other, they show no loyalty whatsoever and are basically just fine pushing any member of their family out of their private jet if it means they can better achieve their own goals.
Just likeSuccession,The White Lotusfeatures characters every season who areself-centered and fixated on boosting their social status. Even dopey and seemingly sweet billionaire Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) is just fine going back on her word when it means that she’ll get to hold onto more of her dough. Some of these individuals have worked hard to obtain their wealth, but themajority of them were born with a silver spoonin their mouth and have pretty much lost sight of what normal Americans experience. Their ability to be extremely out of touch is not that relatable, but it is incredibly gripping.
There are also shows, likeIndustry, that feature specific businesses. This gives audiences an inside look at how entire corporations operate (often in the shadows). Their employees abuse drugs and people, andcross most ethical lines, all in the name of success and greed. And then there are series that focus more on the subtle wealth that some Americans possess. It’s not a private villa in Italy, but it’s a home with an ocean view in California. WriterLiane Moriartyhas become a go-to source for depicting the affluent. Three of her books have already been successfully adapted for the screen, includingBig Little Lies,Nine Perfect Strangers, andApples Never Fall. Her characters are always fairly well-off, typically white, and have questionable morals. In all of these shows, the characters strive towards obtaining more wealth and place a premium on keeping up appearances to the outside world,no matter how much their lives are actually falling apart.
The 25 Best Shows About the 1%, Ranked According to Rotten Tomatoes
“It’s fun to watch rich people be naughty.”
Shows Like ‘Succession’ and ‘The White Lotus’ Provide Constant Drama
So, if these characters are all corrupt and constantly getting involved inschemes and crimes, why are we so endlessly fascinated by them? The biggest reason we all keep tuning in to watch these morally gray characters is because they’re super compelling.When people behave badly, all kinds of thrilling situations unfold. The suspense that comes from watching these characters try their best to claw higher up the ladder is addictive. Plus, since they’re often mixed up in murders, there is plenty of drama and intrigue that draws audiences in. For normal people with a conscience, it can be riveting to step into the shoes of characters that exist completely outside moral constructs. They do what they want, no matter the consequences, and it can feel almost liberating to watch someone act like that. Weirdly, people who displaysome villainous tendencies(even if they’re being painted as the hero) will always be more interesting to us as humans than someone who holds very little darkness within them.
There is also an element of aspirational living that makes these types of shows very fun to watch. Even if you’re stuck on your couch in your apartment, getting sucked into these shows can help transport you away from your environment. It can be a special experience to watch series that feature flashy clothes, magnificent mansions, and expensive cars. Even shows that are supposed to appear more down-to-earth throw insome aspects of wealththat most of us would kill for. For example, even John Dutton (Kevin Costner) inYellowstonehas a helicopter and a personal chef on his ranch. John is a rugged cowboy, but he also has enough wealth that allows him to never step foot in his own kitchen. As despicable as some of these characters might be,they sure do look good while carrying out their wicked acts. And, pretty much all ofthese shows tend to take placein big cities, exotic locales, or picturesque towns. There’s plenty of travel porn to vibe off of any time you turn on these shows.
Watching rich white people hatch plan after plan to get more money is oddly captivating. These non-diverse characters work to avoid any consequences for the people they hurt or the crimes they commit, but we’re still all tuning in. It’s like a social experiment, where we get tosit in on these experiences without having to compromise our own moralsto do so. They arenot people we’d want to be friends with, but they do make for seriously good television that we can’t stop watching. We might never be able to go back to the days ofThe WaltonsorFriends(those characters actually had roommates), but who doesn’t want tovicariously vacation in Hawaiiwith theWhite Lotuscrew or take part in a wellness retreat a laNine Perfect Strangers?You might not hit that Logan Roy billionaire tax bracket anytime soon or find yourself covering up a murder like the ladies inBig Little Lies, but you can at least imagine what it would be like by watching these shows.
All seasons ofSuccessionare available to stream on Max in the U.S.
Succession
The Roy family is known for controlling the biggest media and entertainment company in the world. However, their world changes when their father steps down from the company.
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