Without a doubt, White Lotus marks the show of the season. It’s got fashion, sex, glamour, drama and best of all, Jennifer Coolidge. The dark comedy, created by Mike White, follows a group of wealthy travellers whose vacation is upended by never-ending drama. While we can’t promise you another show starring the iconic Coolidge set in the beautiful landscapes of Italy, we can suggest some shows similar to White Lotus that we’re sure you’ll enjoy.
The Morning Show
Like The White Lotus, The Morning Show uses an ordinary setting to explore societal issues. Honestly, it’s Aniston’s best performance to date in my opinion and positions herself so far removed from the ditsy, lovable iconic girl-next-door role that defined her career (Rachel in Friends of course). In the show, Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon play two television hosts tasked with revamping their early-morning talk show. While trying to boost ratings, the duo uncovers a slew of problems within their workplace. We see office affairs, power struggles, horrible bosses, and of course, a whole lot of drama. Sound familiar?
Severance
This was the best show I saw in 2022, no shadow of a doubt. Its so brilliantly existential and merges dystopian schools of thought with Classic and religious imagery and themes in a way that’s so fresh and entertaining. The cast is also stellar. Adam Scott plays an employee with a purposefully meaningless and confounding job at a biotech company called Lumon. He has undergone a process called severance, where your consciousness is split when you arrive at work—so that your personal life and memories are compartmentalised. Now why the hell would anyone put themself through this? Well, friend, that’ll just be one of the many questions you’ll be asking throughout the show.
Sure, a workplace drama—especially one that takes place in fluorescent-lit cubicles—might sound very far from the warm, beautiful shores of The White Lotus. But when it’s pumped full of twists and turns like Severance, you’ll be too busy pressing the “watch next episode” button to care.
The Young Pope
Bringing you more Dolce Vita Italian vibes, The Young Pope follows Jude Law’s baby-faced religious leader as he rises to the highest rank in the Catholic Church, offending nearly everyone he comes across. Visually, it is also breathtaking.
Schitt’s Creek
We couldn’t leave this iconic name out of this list. Genuinely, there isn’t another skewering of the rich—other than The White Lotus, of course—that will genuinely make you laugh at every other line. Schitt’s Creek follows a fancy-pants family of four who are down on their luck, but could learn a thing (or five) from their new backwoods home.
The Chair
Honestly, anything with Sandra Oh is a good option in my opinion. This hilarious and addictive Netflix series is to academia as The White Lotus is to the one percent, satirising the pettiness and inequality of campus life at a prestigious university. Sandra Oh stars as Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim (Sandra Oh), who is newly appointed as the first ever female chair of the English department—and soon discovers just what a poisoned chalice she’s been handed.
Big Little Lies
Despite it being one of the best books I have ever read, the series, produced by and starring Reese Witherspoon, is nothing short of brilliant. Just like The White Lotus, Big Little Lies is a juicy, character-driven murder mystery drama set in an irresistible oceanfront location, in which gossip and class warfare heighten the stakes. Big Little Lies also explores of trauma and domestic violence with unexpected nuance—and while its second season is far weaker than its first, the addition of Meryl Streep is reason enough to keep watching.
