TV & Movies
Stream these while you wait for Season 2.
Centered around a group of ultra-rich Asian-American friends in Los Angeles, Netflix's Bling Empire gives viewers a look into the glitz and glamour of their lives — and the intense drama that lies behind it. Social competition, relationship struggles, and family secrets all come into play throughout the inaugural season, so while the group's extreme affluence may spark your interest, it's their loyalty and support for each other (plus the drama) that will keep you clicking "next episode." It's basically the reality TV version of Crazy Rich Asians.
Since its release, Bling Empire has been a mainstay in Netflix's official Top 10 list of content in the United States, and fans have become obsessed with its stars. While subscribers await the announcement of Season 2, here are some similar shows that'll hold you over in the meantime:
House Of Ho
House of Ho, which premiered in Dec. 2020, is a massively popular reality show descendent of Crazy Rich Asians. Centered around the affluent Vietnamese-American Ho family, the series has all the comedic, glamorous drama of Bling Empire. Only, it's set in Texas rather than California.
After Bling Empire premiered, House of Ho cast member Washington Ho congratulated the cast on their show and Times Square billboard.
#RichKids of Beverly Hills
Another seemingly direct predecessor of Bling Empire is #RichKids of Beverly Hills, which similarly follows the relationships and hi-jinks of an exceptionally rich group of L.A.-based friends. With its cast of twenty-something millionaire and billionaire heirs and heiresses, the E! network reality show ran for four wild seasons of materialistic, drama-filled episodes that will easily become your next guilty pleasure.
Selling Sunset
If you loved the elegant, high-end Los Angeles mansions of Bling Empire, you should definitely check out Selling Sunset. It centers around the Oppenheim Group, a real estate brokerage firm in L.A., and mainly follows the women who stage and sell the homes — including Chrishell Stause and Christine Quinn. The series captures all the juicy drama that follows the ladies in and out of the office, and its three seasons are incredibly easy to marathon-watch over a long weekend.
Shahs of Sunset
Since it premiered in 2012, Shahs of Sunset has followed a group of Persian-Americans living in Los Angeles as they navigate their careers in real estate, modeling, beauty, and beyond. The Bravo series also comes with a boatload of friend and family drama. With Ryan Seacrest on board as an executive producer and Andy Cohen moderating its end-of-season reunions, Shahs of Sunset has all the makings of a top-tier reality show.
The Simple Life
Some might say The Simple Life launched our obsession with watching rich people on television. Starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, the iconic reality show plucks the two wealthy young women from their high-end lifestyles and ships them off to small towns sans credit cards and cell phones. There, they must work hourly-wage jobs instead of strutting red carpets. An amazing marathon-watch for first-time and millionth-time viewers alike.
Keeping Up With The Kardashians
Considering that it's about to end after 20 seasons on the E! network, now's the perfect time to dive into the show that launched the Kardashian-Jenner empire. Watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians from start to finish now feels like a history lesson; you get to witness Kim's pre-Kanye relationships, Rob's time in the spotlight, Kendall and Kylie's childhoods, and the sisterly fights that spawned a lifetime of meme content. If you only keep up with the family via social media or tabloid news, you're in for a wild ride.
Pretty Wild
Not long after KUWTK premiered on E!, the network introduced Pretty Wild, a reality show in the same vein that follows Alexis Neiers, her sister Gabby, and their longtime friend Tess Taylor. Originally intended to showcase their Adderall-fueled upper-class lifestyle and explosive drama, the series soon became filled with court dates relating to Alex Neiers' involvement in the Bling Ring, irresponsible nights on the town, and one legendary phone call with a Vanity Fair journalist. The series only lasted one season, but it's like a fascinating time capsule of the late aughts.
NYC Prep
Airing on Bravo during peak Gossip Girl years, NYC Prep centers around a real-life group of wealthy Manhattan teenagers as they party, shop, and cause drama. It may have only lasted one season, but that just means you can consume all the juicy spats and romantic moments that ensue over its nine episodes in a single marathon-watch. After you finish, dive into the lives of the NYC Prep cast post-show, which even includes a Tiffany Trump connection.
By the way, if you're itching to see Kelly Mi Li's on-again, off-again boyfriend, Andrew Gray, as the red Power Ranger, head to Netflix. Power Rangers Megaforce, Nickelodeon's 2013 incarnation of the long-running franchise, is available on the streaming platform. You know, for research purposes.
