By now, you've probably tuned into the deeply dissatisfying season finale of The White Lotus. For those who haven't, I'll refrain from any spoilers. But for those among us yearning for the al fresco dining, pull-out lounges and general chaos that comes with the far off shores of our favourite resort, I offer you this list. So as Monday night rolls around, with the gaping hole we once filled with our weekly ration of The White Lotus, why not replace it with any one of these shows instead? Here you'll find a cocktail of social commentary, mystery and a good dollop of humour.
Read on for our list of TV shows like The White Lotus.
Nine Perfect Strangers
View this post on Instagram
From the coast of Hawaii to the Byron Hinterland, it seems no place is safe from the tension that builds when you summon rich strangers together. Once again, we see Nicole Kidman in another compelling TV role. This time around she plays the poised wellness guru, Masha, who gives off strong Cate Blanchett/Galadriel vibes. Masha invites nine strangers to participate in her wellness program at Tranquillum house. While it's hard not to snigger at her misplaced eastern-bloc accent, you'll soon fall silent at Kidmans power as a cult-y leader.
Better Things
View this post on Instagram
Unlike a lot of others on this list, the Fox family make for truly charming TV. Pamela Adlon plays, Sam, a single mum to three daughters, mirroring her own real-life circumstances. Positioned in LA, where Sam works as an actor, the family, along with their nutty grandmother, navigate the narcissistic, navel-gazing hubbub around them. What ensues is a hilarious, moving and chaotic sketch of motherhood, devoid of clichéd storylines.
Little Fires Everywhere
View this post on Instagram
If you winced at Jennifer Coolidge's character arc in The White Lotus, prepare for the full body cringe that Reese Witherspoon's character will no doubt elicit. Witherspoon plays a white, middle-class, meddling mother that becomes obsessed by a guarded Black artist (played by Kerry Washington) and her daughter. Throughout the series, Witherspoon tries to orchestrate proximity between herself and Washington, at one point offering her a role as 'House Manager'. Cringe - there it is! As you can imagine, drama ensues.
Succession
View this post on Instagram
What do you get when you're rich and you mix family and business? Succession, obviously. There's a lot to love and a lot to hate watch. But isn't that the reason we tuned into The White Lotus anyway?
Big Little Lies
View this post on Instagram
Another Liane Moriarty book-turned-TV-series. Big Little Lies is immediately a hit, thanks to its star-studded cast that features Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Zoe Kravitz, Reese Witherspoon and Shailene Woodley. It's rich person drama with a West Coast edge. Add on a side of murder-mystery and you've got our attention.
The Undoing
View this post on Instagram
Another whodunnit series, this time zeroing in on a mega-wealthy Upper East Side family played by Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman. Hugh Grant's endearing Englishness is weaponised to mask something far more odious than the two-timing sexcapades of Daniel Cleaver. Gripping, sickening, it's a tale of how the powerful and privileged are shielded by their streams of gold and silver. And just when you think you've made your mind up, new evidence surfaces to cast doubt on everything you thought to be true.
Schitt's Creek
View this post on Instagram
Take a break from dramas centering awful rich people and opt for this comedy poking fun at them instead. Watch on as the recently bankrupt Rose family are forced to uproot to a motel in the middle of Schitts Creek - a town Johnny Rose, the dad, bought years ago as a joke. As it turns out, the joke is solely on them as they try to adjust to their new way of life.
Olive Kitteridge
View this post on Instagram
Frances McDormand brings the severe and painstakingly pragmatic character of Olive Kitteridge to life. Based off Elizabeth Strout's novel of the same name, the four-part miniseries is a story of womanhood and class told from below. We follow school teacher Olive as she steers her husband and son in their seaside town of Crosby, Maine. Bleak and stony scenes are broken up with Richard Jenkins warmth and Bill Murray's wit.
Images: Instagram
