Bravo has long been the home of reality TV programming that features the exploits of the relatable, the hardworking, and the wealthy. To this degree, one of the network’s flagship series includes Below Deck, a look into the lives of staff members working on a multi-million-dollar luxury yacht. Under a tightly run ship, the regimented discipline of the staffers often clashes with the guests’ upscale demands and leisurely loafing.
Below Deck joins (or has inspired) a long line of similar reality shows that either focus on the affluent lifestyles of the mega-rich or the behind-the-scenes machinations of a very specific occupation.
Updated on November 14th, 2022, by Lynn Gibbs: With the recent announcement that Below Deck was getting another spinoff, Below Deck Adventure, Bravo fans are excited for another show like Below Deck. Watching a team of relatable yet entertaining figures work hard for their job, only to party harder when it’s done, turned out to be amazing television. There are a ton of reality TV shows out there, but the ones that surround work and play are some of the best.
Vanderpump Rules (2013-)
Available on Peacock TV, Bravo, DirecTV, And Fubo
As one of the most popular The Real Housewives spinoffs, consider this a tangential nod to that series. Just as Below Deck peers into the lives of those working behind the scenes in an expensive yacht, Vanderpump Rules traces the rigors of opening a trendy Hollywood restaurant.
Beverly Hills maven Lisa Vanderpump and her upscale family are the focus of the series as they attempt to successfully operate SUR Restaurant & Lounge in West Hollywood. Like Below Deck, Vanderpump Rules has betrayals, mistakes, and mishaps with bosses. Produced the same year as Below Deck, the fellow Bravo series adheres to a similar format.
Selling Sunset (2019-)
Available on Netflix
In 2019, Netflix released a reality show that focused on the realtors and owners behind Los Angeles’ Oppenheim Group. Fans of shows like Below Deck would love Selling Sunset because it focused on the dynamics of colleagues.
Not only is the cast entertaining, dramatic, and hard-working, but fans of the show get to see some of the most extravagant homes and properties in West Hollywood. While there are some fake aspects of Selling Sunset, the theme of this reality TV show is adjacent to Below Deck’s. Recently, the show spiraled into two spinoffs, Selling Tampa and Selling the OC.
Unanchored (2018)
Available on Hayu
Unanchored is an underrated and unknown reality TV show that deserves more praise. Although there’s only one season with 8 episodes, the show focused on friends at sea.
With Captain Jack Royds in charge of the ship, the friends take care of their ship while also partying and enjoying the areas surrounding the Bahamas. It’s like Below Deck, but the workers are also the guests. As exciting as life at sea is, cracks in the friend group show as the series goes on.
The Million Dollar Listing Franchise (2006-)
Available on Peacock TV, Bravo, Sling, Fubo, And DirecTV
The glamorous multimillion-dollar tableau of Below Deck is aptly reflected in Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing, an aspirational reality series set in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and San Francisco.
The series concerns various real estate agents and property brokers as they navigate their personal and professional lives with equal enthusiasm. Fans of Below Deck’s chic glamour are bound to enjoy the upscale manses for sale in some of the most expensive cities in the world. Below Deck is a lot like Million Dollar Listing, making it a great series to binge after.
Camp Getaway (2020)
Available For Purchase On Apple TV, Amazon, And Vudu
Much like Below Deck, Bravo’s Camp Getaway peers behind the curtain and into the lives of newbie staff members working at an adult summer camp in Kent, Connecticut. The show only has one season, but it’s a quick show to binge for Below Deck enthusiasts.
In addition to the various guests who attend camp and indulge in a series of outdoor childhood events, the series follows Camp Getaway owner David Schreiber, Camp Director Claire Sorrels, and seven inexperienced senior social coordinators who struggle to perform their job and adjust to the guests’ high demands.
Southern Charm (2014-)
Available on Peacock TV, Bravo, Fubo, DirecTV
Created by Bravo in 2014, Southern Charm is a landlocked companion piece to Below Deck that traces the aristocratic perks of South Carolina’s most affluent families.
Set in Charleston, the series showcases the lavish lifestyles of the state’s most influential socialites while tapping into the region’s checkered historical traditions and controversial politics. Two spinoff series have been subsequently produced, including Southern Charm Savannah (2016), Southern Charm New Orleans (2017), and the upcoming Bravo spinoff Southern Hospitality (2023).
Timber Creek Lodge (2016-2017)
Available For Purchase On Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, And Vudu
Although it lasted just one season and eight episodes, Bravo’s Timber Creek Lodge once again parrots the format of Below Deck by highlighting the crew members of a secluded resort lodge in beautiful Whistler, British Columbia.
The series chronicles the personal and professional ups and downs of various Timber Creek Lodge employees, including Lodge Managers Jamie Murphy and Katy Ann Boyd, head chef Nikita Williams, housekeeper Jenna Gillund, lodge-hand Blake Dubler, and a trio of VIP Mountain Hosts.
Summer House (2017-)
Available on Peacock TV, Bravo, DirecTV, And Fubo
Fans of Below Deck are sure to find Bravo’s Summer House just as appealing. Both series accentuate the notion of “work hard, play hard.” This group of friends travels to New York’s Montauk every weekend in the summer for parties and get-togethers. While the group’s work week isn’t shown, work is dissected over the weekend.
As a fellow Bravo production, Summer House has had a series tie-in with Vanderpump Rules in the past and the newer series Winter House. Summer House is full of dramatic quotes, relationships, and shenanigans. The sheer extravagance of the series is sure to leave a lasting impression.
The Cruise (2016-2019)
For one of the least-known series akin to Below Deck, tune into ITV’s The Cruise. With 24 episodes produced over three years, the docu-series charts the massive Regal Princess cruise ship as it travels around the Mediterranean.
The British series focuses on the major logistical challenges of operating the 1,082-foot-long, 142k-ton ship on a daily basis. Both the staff members and the vacationing guests are documented as they interact with each other on the roaring high seas. In season 4, the Regal Princess makes a voyage to Alaska.
Deadliest Catch: Bloodline (2020-)
Available on Fubo And DirecTV
What it lacks in upscale glamour and five-star amenities, Deadliest Catch: Bloodline makes up for gorgeous seaport locations and the visceral feeling of living on the ocean.
In particular, Bloodline is Deadliest Catch‘s spinoff series in which series mainstay and expert fisherman Josh Harris uses old maps left behind by his father Phil to explore uncharted areas off the coast of Hawaii. In addition to providing the feeling of being right on the water, Bloodline is the next best nautical reality series behind Below Deck. Between the sea, the teamwork, and the elements of the wealth, there are countless reasons to watch Below Deck and Bloodline.
