Vrinda Bachchan
Netflix’s unscripted reality TV series ‘Bling Empire’ takes its audience inside the lives of the affluent Asian and Asian American socialites who inhabit the posh homes of Beverly Hills and Hollywood, dominating the social scene with their insanely opulent and ultra-luxurious lifestyles. They throw lavish, extravagant parties and navigate friendships and rivalries, old and new, with oodles of addictive drama. If you’ve watched and loved ‘Bling Empire’ and are now on the hunt for something similar to binge, here’s a list of reality shows that you should check out. You can watch most of these shows like ‘Bling Empire’ on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.
6. The Real Housewives of New York City (2008-)
They are smart, sassy, dramatic, and enviously rich. Though they’re known as ‘The Real Housewives of New York City,’ the ladies who grace this show are anything but housewives. Most of them have high-profile jobs that keep them extremely busy when they’re not looking after their home and family. ‘RHONY’ is similar to ‘Bling Empire’ in the way that it also offers viewers an intimate, unscripted look inside the lives of rich and successful socialites, albeit ones who live in New York instead of Los Angeles.
5. Styling Hollywood (2019-)
The best kind of reality TV comes from fashion, home styling, and rich celebrities, and ‘Styling Hollywood’ combines them all in a scrumptious package that’s pretty binge-worthy. The show stars celebrity stylist Jason Bolden and his husband, interior designer Adair Curtis, taking us behind the scenes of their joint creative venture, JSN Studio. Jason curates jaw-dropping red carpet looks for Hollywood A-listers while Adair renovates and redecorates their homes. Like ‘Bling Empire,’ ‘Styling Hollywood’ also focuses on the luxe fashion and glitzy lifestyle of the rich and the famous. Chic LA homes, big designer labels, and glamorous parties are part and parcel of both reality shows.
4. Married To Medicine (2013-)
‘Married To Medicine’ is another reality show that focuses on wealthy socialite women in Atlanta, Georgia. But these ladies are not just party-planning housewives; they are either high-profile doctors themselves or married to one. The show revolves around how these socialites plan their busy social calendars around their even busier work lives. Like how ‘Bling Empire’ shows people like Christine, Kelly, and Jaime managing their careers as well as attending the lavish parties that their friends throw, the same is the case with ‘Married To Medicine,’ whose stars manage their demanding social lives with flair alongside successful careers.
3. Selling Sunset (2019-)
With Los Angeles being home to the uber-wealthy and famous, it’s no surprise that the real estate market in the city of angels is quite cut-throat. Realtors have to really bring their A-game while trying to sell luxury properties or risk losing big clients to equally fierce competition. ‘Bling Empire’ only features one rich couple looking at big, fancy homes because they want to move away from Malibu.
However, ‘Selling Sunset‘ is all about checking out immensely expensive listings and finding the best real estate gems in a place where everyone has deep pockets and excessive style. It mostly focuses on the interpersonal relationships between the group of agents. Both shows feature the highly well-heeled inhabitants of LA and dramatic rivalries.
2. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (2010-)
There’s insane affluence everywhere else, and then there’s insane affluence in Beverly Hills. The kind of lavish lifestyle that the Beverly Hills socialites lead is seldom found elsewhere. Crazy, over-the-top parties, opulent dinners, upscale lunches, and dramatic rivalries form the crux of both ‘RHOBH’ and ‘Bling Empire.’ The only difference between the two shows is that ‘Bling Empire’ only follows the charmed lives of the Asian and Asian American socialites of different nationalities.
1. Keeping Up With The Kardashians (2007-2021)
High-profile celebrity members of the Kardashian-Jenner family provide an intimate view into their glamorous, star-studded personal lives and expose various secrets concerning their families and relationship dynamics in this long-running reality series. The kind of drama that ‘Bling Empire’ brings to the screens is quite similar to the vibe and tonality of ‘KUWTK’ if only a bit amplified. Also, Hollywood Medium Tyler Henry shows up in both the series. If you loved ‘Bling Empire,’ there’s no way you will not enjoy watching the antics of the Kardashian-Jenner clan.
Read More: Best Reality Shows on Netflix
