18 Best Shows About the 1%, Ranked According to Rotten Tomatoes
HBO’s Succession continues to get essential acclaim and attract new fans thanks to its excellent 4-season run that brings viewers into the wealthy and toxic planet of the chaotic Roy household. Like Succession, lots of other shows depict the 1% with admirable accuracy, rapidly becoming essential and fan favorites.
Some series take a darkly comical method, though other people pick out a simple depiction of what it is like to have that considerably income a handful of shows opt for the other route, portraying what audiences consider possessing that wealth is like. Whatever they make a decision, these shows stay brilliant examples of this certain genre, as evidenced by their higher ratings in the critique aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
18 ‘Dirty Sexy Money’ (2007 – 2009)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 68%
Starring the very talented late DonaldSutherland who appeared in properly-recognized films The Hunger Games and Pride & Prejudice, Craig Wright‘s scandalous household drama sees a lawyer named Nick George (PeterKrause) forced to take care of 1 of New York City’s wealthiest households right after his father mysteriously dies in a plane crash and he agrees to take his position.
Although slightly overlooked and not very as preferred as when it was released, Dirty Sexy Money is nevertheless worth the go if only for its juicy and addictive drama that will appeal to any person who enjoys much more more than-the-prime plots. With a ridiculously wealthy household at its center, Wright’s satirical comedy about wealth and celebrity specifically in the United States also deserves a nod when the subject is the 1%. – Daniela Gama
Dirty Sexy Money
- Release Date
- September 26, 2007
- Seasons
- 2
- Main Genre
- Drama
17 ‘The O.C.’ (2003 – 2007)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 68%
The initially hit series created by Gossip Girl co-creator JoshSchwartz, The O.C. options a related premise to its successor — at least in how it is a teen Television show that requires audiences to a wealthy, upper-class neighborhood (Newport Beach, Orange County, California). Specifically, the story focuses on a troubled and gifted young man (Ben McKenzie) who becomes embroiled in the lives of a close-knit group of individuals.
Readers on the lookout for a show that is match for younger audiences and also touches on themes of social class may well obtain The O.C. the suitable option. It may well not be on the identical level as other series pointed out on this list. However, the way it manages to entertain though also supplying an intriguing social commentary tends to make it worthwhile and a need to-see in this niche category. – Daniela Gama
The O.C.
- Release Date
- August 5, 2003
- Seasons
- 4
16 ‘Revenge’ (2011 – 2015)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 69%
Emily VanCamp and Madeleine Stowe starred in the ABC drama Revenge. The show focused on Emily Thorne, a young lady pursuing revenge against the household that framed her father for murder and ruined her life. Through cunning and ruthlessness, Emily disturbs the life of the individuals of the Hamptons, earning a mortal enemy in the equally formidable Victoria Grayson.
Revenge had 4 seasons of silly and more than-the-prime drama. However, the show was at its very best when VanCamp and Stowe had been locking horns, developing 1 of the very best and most addictive rivalries in any contemporary show. Featuring beautiful vistas, grand houses, and lavish parties in virtually each episode, Revenge is a good depiction of the 1% that is fantastic for fans who reside for the drama and chaotic chemistry amongst the characters.
Revenge
- Release Date
- September 21, 2011
- Cast
- Emily VanCamp , Madeleine Stowe , Joshua Bowman , Nick Wechsler , Gabriel Mann , Christa B. Allen , Karine Vanasse , James Tupper
- Seasons
- 4
15 ‘Bel-Air’ (2022 – )
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%
Will Smith‘s beloved ’90s sitcom received a gritty remake with Peacock’s Bel-Air. The show follows the identical premise – a teenager from Philadelphia sent to reside with his wealthy parents in the exclusive and elitist Bel-Air neighborhood. The protagonist (named Will Smith and played by Jabari Banks) quickly encounters issues as he realizes how unique his planet is from the 1 he just moved into.
While the original sitcom took a lighthearted method, the reimagined version opts for a much more realistic portrayal of race dynamics and culture shock. Bel-Air is a good and typically insightful portrayal of racial tensions and wealth, with beautiful visuals and production values reinforcing its weighty themes. While it undoubtedly requires a unique point of view than Succession, it is depiction of the 1% remains.
Bel-Air
- Release Date
- February 13, 2022
- Creator(s)
- Andy Borowitz , Susan Borowitz , T.J. Brady
- Cast
- Coco Jones , Jordan L. Jones , Olly Sholotan , Adrian Holmes , Jimmy Akingbola , Cassandra Freeman , Akira Akbar , Jabari Banks , Simone Joy Jones
- Seasons
- 2
- Main Genre
- Drama
14 ‘Arrested Development’ (2003 – 2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%
Mitchell Hurtwitz‘s show is 1 of the most iconic tv comedies involving household affairs. Thanks to its engaging narrative and memorable characters, it deserves a spot on this list. The story centers about Jason Bateman‘s Michael Bluth, who requires more than household affairs right after his father is imprisoned. However, he faces the rest of his spoiled life, with his dysfunctional household creating his tasks unbearable.
Arrested Development is 1 of the very best and most iconic shows about the wealthy, even though the household at its center has observed improved days. The show supplies an entertaining depiction of these who formerly had it all and need to now conform to the notion that they lost fairly considerably every thing. Among Arrested Development‘s most important assets are the writing and the hilarious laugh-out-loud moments. – Daniela Gama
13 ‘The Crown’ (2016 – 2023)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
Oscar-nominated writer Peter Morgan made the Netflix historical drama The Crown. A fictionalized take on Queen Elizabeth II’s life, the show chronicles her comprehensive life on the throne of England, from her ascension at 21 to her late age. Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton play the Queen all through unique stages of her life.
The Crown is Netflix’s crowning jewel, earning essential acclaim and becoming a fan preferred. The show is an intimate and sympathetic portrayal of English royalty, providing audiences a glimpse of the lush lives of the House of Windsor. The Crown shows the pressures of getting born into royalty but does not shy away from displaying the family’s vast wealth.
The Crown
- Release Date
- November 4, 2016
- Seasons
- 6
Watch on Netflix
12 ‘Gossip Girl’ (2007 – 2012)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
Blake Lively and Leighton Meester starred in arguably the greatest teen show of the noughties. Gossip Girl followed the romantic and private drama of a chaotic group of wealthy teenagers-turned-young-adults living in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. It chronicles their friendships, how rapidly they fall apart, who’s in enjoy with whom, and who’s sabotaging each and every other.
Contrary to what lots of could possibly think, the original Gossip Girl has a surprisingly higher RT score. The show was appreciated for what it was – a guilty pleasure with more than-the-prime drama featuring absurdly gorgeous individuals wearing beautiful gowns and designer clothing. It might’ve not been realistic, but Gossip Girl was escapism in its purest type.
Gossip Girl
- Release Date
- September 19, 2007
- Creator
- Stephanie Savage, Josh Shwartz
- Seasons
- 6
11 ‘Empire’ (2015 – 2020)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
Oscar nominees Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson star in the acclaimed musical dramaEmpire. The series chronicles the drama behind Empire Entertainment, a hip-hop music business run by the extremely unstable and continually-feuding Lyon household. The music fades into the background as the family’s fighting requires center stage, all for manage of the enormous empire.
It could possibly be 1 step above soap opera territory, but higher production values, high quality musical numbers, and spectacular performances from its talented cast much more than compensate for Empire‘s flaws. Henson is specifically fantastic as the ferocious Cookie Lyon, 1 of contemporary television’s very best and most unabashed characters, and a breath of fresh air for tv in the 2010s.
Empire
- Release Date
- January 7, 2015
- Creator
- Lee Daniels, Danny Strong
- Seasons
- 6
- Main Genre
- Drama
Watch on Hulu
10 ‘The Gilded Age’ (2022 – )
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
Julian Fellowes made the HBO historical drama The Gilded Age. Starring a enormous ensemble led by Carrie Coon, Cynthia Nixon, and Christine Baranski, the show follows many characters living in New York City throughout the late 19th century. Like Fellowes’ other series, The Gilded Age options an upstairs/downstairs narrative.
The Gilded Age received praise for its wealthy production values, seamlessly recreating late 19th-century New York with beautiful detail. The narrative delivers a dramatic but endlessly entertaining appear at the lives of these wealthy characters, adding a historical spin to the classic formula of shows about wealthy individuals.
9 ‘Downton Abbey’ (2010 – 2015)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%
Hugh Bonneville and Maggie Smith lead a enormous ensemble in the English sensation Downton Abbey. The show follows the wealthy Crawley household and their servants living in the fictional Downton Abbey state in 1910s England. It kicks off with the sinking of the Titanic, which requires some crucial characters with it and leaves a wealthy person with out an heir.
Blending historical information with fictional drama, Downton Abbey is a journey to the previous to expertise the lives of the aristocratic English households of yore. Elegant, slightly more than the prime, and with a stupendous cast of revered performers, Downton serves higher drama by way of English etiquette. One Downton Abbey show and two films later, fans cannot look to get adequate of its story.
Downton Abbey (2010)
- Release Date
- January 9, 2011
- Creator
- Julian Fellowes
- Seasons
- 6
8 ‘Billions’ (2016 – 2023)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%
Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti joins Emmy winner Damian Lewis in Showtime’s drama Billions. The plot centers on the difficult dynamic amongst hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod, whose monetary antics typically have illegal undertones, and US Attorney Chuck Rhoades, who spends his time attempting to prosecute Bobby.
Thanks to Giamatti and Lewis’ performances, Billions is an addictive and surprisingly realistic appear into the cutthroat planet of Wall Street. It’s complete of unlikable characters who showcase all types of questionable actions that individuals are prepared to do for the dream of getting component of the 1%. Tense and more than-the-prime, Billions will satisfy viewers seeking for compelling dramas about undesirable guys receiving wealthy in all the incorrect approaches.
Billions
- Release Date
- January 1, 2016
- Creator
- Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Seasons
- 7
- Main Genre
- Drama
7 ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ (2019 – )
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
John Goodman, Danny McBride, and Adam DeVine star in the HBO comedy The Righteous Gemstones. The plot centers on the titular household, a dysfunctional televangelist clan and megachurch pastors living a lavish life thanks to generous donations from their followers. When private affairs threaten their religious empire, the household members commence to turn on each and every other.
The Righteous Gemstones options 1 of television’s richest households. The Gemstones are dangerously charming and manipulative, convincing their clueless followers that every thing they say is gospel. Meanwhile, they lead selfish and more than-the-prime lives, wasting their time on petty feuds with each and every other and outdoors rivals coming for their spot as the country’s prime televangelists.
Watch on Max
6 ‘Big Little Lies’ (2017 – 2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
Oscar winners Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, and Laura Dern star in HBO’s sensation Big Little Lies. Joined by Zoë Kravitz and Shailene Woodley, the actresses portray a group of mothers whose lives turn into entangled by an unexpected death. Each major character’s life is explored as the mystery surrounding the death grows.
Aside from getting an fantastic showcase for its absurdly talented stars, Big Little Lies is an interior decorator’s dream come accurate. Featuring lavish California houses and ladies in beautiful clothing driving fancy automobiles, Big Little Lies is the fantastic cross amongst a prestigious HBO show, a dramatic soap opera, and a TLC decorating series.
Big Little Lies
- Release Date
- February 1, 2017
- Seasons
- 2
- Main Genre
- Drama
5 ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
From the thoughts of the astounding horror director Mike Flanagan, The Fall of the House of Usher does not disappoint in the slightest when compared with his other renowned functions. The story focuses on the Usher siblings, played by BruceGreenwood and MaryMcDonnell, who have not only constructed a pharmaceutical business, but also established an empire of wealth, privilege, and energy. However, the hidden truths surrounding the Usher dynasty are exposed as the heirs get started meeting their mysterious demise.
Meditating about dysfunctional households and generational trauma — themes that the talented Flanagan has examined across his physique of operate — the twisted, wicked exciting The Fall of the House of Usher is a strong addition when it comes to the very best shows about the 1% which includes a razor-sharp social commentary about the approaches as well considerably energy, pride, and greed corrupt, specifically in a household setting. – Daniela Gama
4 ‘The White Lotus’ (2020 – )
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
Mike White‘s deliciously wicked satire of the wealthy and privileged is 1 of HBO’s most significant successes of the 2020s. The White Lotus stars a massive ensemble of troubled and chaotic characters on getaway at the titular White Lotus resort a murder mystery has framed each seasons. Standout performances from stars like Jennifer Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Aubrey Plaza, and much more make each and every season a need to-see.
The White Lotus received universal acclaim for its sharp and biting humor, tone, the cast’s performances, and production values. The show’s themes involving class, income, and sex have also attracted considerable commentary, with reviewers and audiences thinking about it amongst the smartest and most insightful shows about wealth.
3 ‘Élite’ (2018 – 2024)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
The unofficial “guilty pleasure” subgenre has no worthier representative than Netflix’s salacious teen dramaÉlite. The show centers on higher college students attending a prestigious private college in Spain, whose lives turn into increasingly difficult by an ongoing series of murders and disappearances. With the murders straight linked to the conflict amongst the wealthy and underprivileged students, items only get worse as the tension escalates.
Trashy and campy, Élite is so undesirable that it is fantastic. The show becomes increasingly unhinged with each and every new season, but loyal fans never look to care, and neither do critics. Indeed, everybody appreciates it for what it is, enjoying the overblown and melodramatic mess it delivers with each and every new episode.
Elite
- Release Date
- October 5, 2018
- Cast
- Omar Ayuso , Itzan Escamilla , Miguel Bernardeau , Aron Piper
- Seasons
- 8
Watch on Netflix
2 ‘Schitt’s Creek’ (2015 – 2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Schitt’s Creek paints a related situation to Arrested Development. It sees protagonist Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) and his household go from very wealthy to penniless overnight right after getting victims of a fraud. This is when they relocate to the little and unsophisticated titular town and, naturally, culture shock ensues.
Dan and Eugene Levy‘s Canadian sitcom is the type of Television show that gets improved with each and every season and an LGBTQ-friendly Television series that focuses on inclusivity, so it is not tricky to recognize its appeal. Because of its intriguing storyline, Schitt’s Creek efficiently highlights the contrast amongst the unique financial classes, compellingly dealing with themes of identity and giving viewers with a genuinely engrossing dysfunctional household dynamic. – Daniela Gama
Schitt’s Creek
- Release Date
- February 11, 2015
- Creator
- Dan Levy, Eugene Levy
- Seasons
- 6
- Main Genre
- Comedy
1 ‘Succession’ (2018 – 2023)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
Succession revolves about the Roy household, struggling to manage their enormous business Waystar RoyCo, amidst rumors of their patriarch’s failing wellness. The show combines dark humor with intense drama and stars an ensemble led by Bryan Cox and Jeremy Strong.
Universally acclaimed by critics and audiences, Succession is a contemporary classic and a worthy entry into HBO’s iconic Sunday-evening shows. Praise has gone for its humor, depiction of wealth and energy, and portrayal of its extremely unlikable but somehow nevertheless sympathetic characters. Succession continues to get acclaim from critics, with the show deservedly taking dwelling the Emmy Awards for Best Dramatic Series, Kieran Culkin for Best Actor, Matthew Macfadyen for Best Supporting Actor, Sarah Snook for Best Actress, and much more.
Succession
- Release Date
- June 3, 2018
- Creator
- Jesse Armstrong
- Seasons
- 4