6 web series based on the riches to rags theme that you need to watch

As audiences, we love the ‘rags to riches’ plot where the underdog becomes a self-made individual. It's inspiring and emotional. Equally compelling are stories wherein a wealthy family or an individual experiences a humbling incident that turns their life around, and they are forced to settle for a simpler life. Watching them struggle, meltdown, and adapt and accept their new reality has and will never stop being interesting and funny.

Here are some of our favourite shows based on this theme.

The Good Life (1975-1978)

This British sitcom, aired in the '70s, revolves around the lives of Tom and Barbara Good, a middle-class couple, who decide to say goodbye to their life in the suburbs and become financially independent. With this move, they leave behind a successful working professional's life and their dreams of giving their home a major makeover, and instead start enjoying simpler things like growing their own food, raising livestock and living on what the land can give back. 

The reason why the show was popular then was the touch of (almost satirical) humour in the narrative with its spotlight on themes of class inequality in society, hustling in the rat race in the hope of a meaningful life, and the stark difference between chasing the materialistic and being content with a self-sufficient life. Leadbetters, the wealthy neighbours next door whose lifestyle was the complete opposite of the Goods made for a lot of laughs. 

Arrested Development (2003-2019)

Much before the world could learn about the life of the wealthy Rose family in Schitt’s Creek came this critically-acclaimed sitcom that ran for 16 years. It’s about the life of the perfectly-imperfect and dysfunctional Bluth family. Their real estate empire comes crashing down after George Bluth, the head of the family, gets arrested for white-collar crimes. The control of the family business then falls on the shoulders of Michael who not only has to steady the sinking ship, but also deal with his annoying relatives. 

The show told via direct-to-camera interviews and a narrator grew in popularity owing to its witty writing, jokes, and how layered the storytelling was as it explored the dynamics of a dysfunctional family, the absurdities of upper-middle-class life, and privilege. Done in a humourous, yet thought-provoking manner, it’s a show that gave many others a blueprint to follow, none more so than Schitt’s Creek. 

Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar

Downsized (2010)

This sitcom focuses on the life of a family that faces immense financial difficulties after losing a lot of their wealth, owing to the father, Mike being unemployed. The Hughes family have to make a lot of adjustment and adapt to their new life. There’s Mike, who does his best to maintain all decency and decorum while seeking a new job; the mother Kathy, who struggles to strike the perfect balance between her dreams and the ground reality. Then, there are the children facing their own set of problems. It is intriguing to watch how each family member deals with this new change and how they get closer despite the many hardships. 

2 Broke Girls (2011-2017)

The show is about two women, Max Black and Caroline Channing, two waitresses in a Brooklyn diner who are trying to start their own cupcake business. While Black is a street-smart, no-nonsense individual who has been hustling all her life, it’s Channing, the daughter of a wealthy businessman who’s lost her fortune and status that makes the situation comical. Unaware about what life outside her bubble is, Channing looks up to Black to help her adapt and make sense of her new surroundings. Together they tackle one financial and personal problem after another as they try getting closer to their dream of opening a cupcake shop. Touching upon the themes of not just friendship, but the difference in class between two individuals, it’s a must-watch show on what adulting truly means. 

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020)

Schitt's Creek revolves around the life of the rich and famous Rose family who lose all that they have and end up moving to a remote town named Schitt's Creek. Right from its pilot episode, to an epic finale that made audiences wish the show never ends, what stays constant throughout the show is how it’s genuine in its humour and emotions making the characters feel real and relatable. You see them transform from being self-centered individuals to becoming people who care for each other as they realise the importance of relationships and family over wealth and fame. Backed by clever writing—that’s a mix of the real and the absurd and outstanding performances by Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Dan Levy, and Annie Murphy, it’s a show that keeps you hooked and teaches audiences to accept their faults, embrace themselves, and find joy in the small and simple things. 

Where to watch: Netflix

Call Me Bae (2024)

Ananya Panday made her web series debut where she, as Bella ‘Bae’ Chowdhary, went from heiress to hustler. Born with not a silver, but a golden spoon, her super-glamourous life turns upside down when her relationship with her husband ends due to her affair. Disowned by her family and spouse, Bae shifts to the bustling streets of Mumbai, where she must now fend for herself. From living in a hostel, shifting to a modest 1 BHK, travelling in a rickshaw, Bae goes on to land an internship at a media organisation where she finds herself in the middle of a scandal involving a high-profiled politician and a news anchor. The show is a fashion and luxury master class as audiences learn about must-have accessories that take their style game up a notch. 

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Also read: Here’s what we liked and didn’t like about 'Call Me Bae'

Also read: Outfits from 'Call Me Bae' that we can’t get enough of