Some of the most memorable shows of all time are good, old-fashioned prime-time soap opera fare.
Think Dallas, Dynasty, and Knot’s Landing. All were long-term series that still influence the current television age.
While television may have moved away from the genre, many series still embrace the core principle of those beloved soaps: throw everything at the wall and see what sticks.
There are a lot of downright scandalous series on the air nowadays and in years past. Those that are rife with drama and unbelievable plots that may not make all the sense in the world but are too entertaining for it to matter.
We’re looking at some of those current and past series that embody the spirit of wacky and dramatic television that had everyone gathered around the water cooler (remember those?) to discuss the latest attempted murder or cheating scandal!
Check out our list, and let us know some of your favorite soapy shows from over the years!
Scandal
When you think of the wildest and most nonsensical storylines that had you glued to your television screen weekly, you think of the Shonda Rhimes gem Scandal.
All the Shondaland shows could make this kind of list (and you’ll see another one pop up later!), but Scandal remains one of the biggest shows of the last twenty years, and its cultural impact can still be felt today.
Olivia Pope, her white hat, President Fitzgerald Grant III, DEFIANCE, and B613 were just some of the various things Scandal gave us, and audiences devoured the sordid tales of espionage, political intrigue, and high-profile affairs.
Scandal was drama on top of drama, and the series constantly outdid itself by finding new and twistier ways to shock viewers who thought they’d seen it all.
The age of live tweeting and instant reactions really took off during this age of television, and Scandal was a big reason for that.
Watch Scandal Online
Gossip Girl
“Hey, Upper East Siders, Gossip Girl here.”
You may have never seen an episode of the CW 2000s staple, but you’ve undoubtedly heard that phrase before. Gossip Girl came along when cell phones quickly became THE place to get all your information, and the series fed into the craze.
From the outside, it wasn’t wholly relatable, as not many teens across America were living the extravagant lifestyles that Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf, but they could relate to the high school hierarchies, betrayals, and heartbreak that often befell the young Manhattanites.
The characters were deceitful in their own ways, and the series relied on shock value, though it didn’t always come in the form of surprising deaths but good, old-fashioned treachery.
Every Thanksgiving that one clip from Gossip Girls Season 3 Episode 11 makes the rounds and is the epitome of what the series was. Secrets and more secrets came out, causing embarrassment, sadness, anger, and everything in between.
It was not a prestige drama. But Gossip Girl remains one of the most deliciously twisty series in recent memory and lives on now as one of the most entertaining series we’ve seen.
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Bridgerton
Think Gossip Girl meets the Regency Era, and you get Bridgerton, a Shondaland product that has become one of the most popular shows of the past five years.
Bridgerton’s entire premise is basically someone in town hiding behind the moniker Lady Whistledown and gossiping about everyone in her own little published paper.
Sound familiar?
The series is sexy and raunchy in all the right ways, and while that period may not be relatable, seeing cutthroat courting, backstabbing, and betrayal transcends all eras.
Bridgerton has become a household name, and each new season features a new romance and a new set of trials and tribulations that audiences are excited to devour.
The show has a little bit of everything, leaving you gobsmacked regularly.
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Ginny & Georgia
Ginny & Georgia is a complicated but engaging tale about Georgia Miller, the mother of Ginny and Austin. She has moved to many places with her children and set up shop in Wellsbury, Massachusetts.
Georgia and her kids have a tough go of it, and the series delves into several serious topics, like childhood abuse and self-harm.
Georgia tried hard to fit in when she arrived, but Cynthia and her friends in Season 1 spread so much gossip about her that she never did.
You weren’t the right kind of woman if you didn’t fit into the ladies’ society.
There’s a lot of drama in the serene little town, and it’s a soapy series that reminds you of the comedy dramas from the 80s that thoughtfully dealt with serious subject matter.
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Elite
Look, if you want to have a conversation about why Elite was still airing as of 2024, then that’s a conversation that can be had. But when the series was in its heyday (we’re looking at the first three seasons), it was one hell of a thriller.
The Las Encinas high schoolers were involved in various dramas, including crime and straight-up murder. While the series was risqué when it wanted to be, it also dove into broader and more serious topics.
The series took off on social media amid a time when binging series were taking off, and audiences were enthralled by the high school drama mixed with heart and a gripping mystery woven within.
Like many of the others on this list, the series became popular across social media and launched the careers of many of the series stars.
That first season remains one of the most captivating teen drama seasons ever. They had one job and one job only: to cram as much drama as they could into eight episodes, and they did it in spades.
Watch Elite Online
Revenge
Emily Thorne came to get her revenge but encountered many other problems along the way.
A story about someone looking for revenge is a tale as old as time. Still, Revenge turned Emily’s journey into something unexpected, as she fought feelings for the enemy, faces from the past, and supposedly dead people!
Emily was on a mission to avenge her father, and she did so by waltzing into the lives of various families in the Hamptons with nothing but a dream and a Sharpie. But the secrets she encountered were plentiful, as were the lies and dangerous situations she and others found themselves in.
The series stood out, especially in its earlier seasons, for taking itself very seriously while leaning into the ridiculous. It was sometimes predictable (hell, A LOT of the time), but it was highly addictive.
Each week, Emily got deeper into the lives of the people she was solely trying to rip apart from the inside out.
The series may have gone on a season or two too long, but when it was great, it was genuinely great.
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Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin
The latest in the Pretty Little Liars franchise desired better than its fate.
Original Sin took us to Millwood, Pennsylvania, where a set of new friends came together and found their lives threatened by a masked killer named A, who may have had something to do with a mysterious death that befell a classmate of their mothers.
The chemistry between the girls was the heart and soul of the slasher teen drama, which had a great mix of drama, mystery, intrigue, and vengeance to keep things interesting week in and week out.
While trying to find the identity of A was the end goal, there was so much deception and craziness along the way that sucked you in. Every storyline had meaning and emotional weight, even when the levels of ridiculousness reached a fever pitch.
Having the girls attend summer school in the second season expanded the universe and upped the stakes. It was soapy goodness at its very best, and it’s shameful that we won’t see the girls continue to grow and uncover the never-ending secrets and mysteries throughout those small Pennsylvania towns.
Watch Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin Online
Rivals
If you haven’t gotten the chance to stream Rivals on Disney+ yet, do yourself a favor and do so now.
The British drama series explores the rivalries between various people surrounding an independent commercial television station. It’s sexy and indecent, filled with affairs and backstabbing from just about every corner.
Every character gets a moment to be a little naughty, and the series takes us back to the ’80s, with high hair, high-waisted jeans, and a relatively high tolerance for debauchery.
There aren’t many television shows currently airing that truly invoke the wild and crazy of yesteryears and do it with such aplomb. The ensemble cast is stacked from top to bottom with compelling characters and intriguing storylines.
If those watercooler conversations were still a thing like they were in the period this series takes place, Rivals is the kind of show that would have everyone talking.
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Now that you’ve seen our list, tell us your favorite gossip-worthy series in the comments below!
Did your favorite make the cut? What others would you add, and which would you remove from the list?
We can’t wait to hear from you!
The post Revenge Plots, Breakups, and Drama: The Best TV Shows for Spilling the Tea appeared first on TV Fanatic.
Source: TV Fanatic
