If you are one of the many who got totally sucked into Netflix’s first crack at a reality series, The Circle, you might have already binged all 12 episodes.
In the series, based on a U.K. version of the same name, eight 20-somethings (and a few 30-somethings) enter individual apartments in the same building where they must create limited online profiles and communicate with one another solely using a voice-activated instant messaging system. They never meet and have no idea if the people they are talking to are the same people they are seeing in the photos.
It’s a perfect guilty pleasure series for anyone who’s a fan of the genre. If that’s you and you’re looking for your next reality fix, here are 10 shows to check out that you might also like.
Big Brother
It’s no surprise that this long-running series is on the list, considering that The Circle has been described as a cross between Big Brother and Catfish. Just like on The Circle, people from all walks of life are put to live together in a house where they must compete and form bonds in order to make it to the end.
Big Brother is much cattier and competitive than The Circle, especially since the housemates never get any solitary time and live together in the same quarters. But there are elements that will remind you of The Circle, such as outspoken characters, alliances, and gossip.
Survivor
Survivor is an entirely different animal than The Circle, but it has its similarities. In both shows, people must communicate with one another and live under circumstances that are much different than the norm.
In the case of The Circle, they are on their own in separate apartments, left to their own devices and communicating only by text. On Survivor, they are in the wild and have to build their own shelter, catch their own food, make their own fire, and compete against one another while always being face-to-face.
The Real World
Dealing with issues that are typical among the younger generation, including religion, prejudice, sexuality, and troubled childhoods, this long-running reality series takes a deeper dive into the lives of its players than we might have gotten to see on The Circle.
Like The Circle, however, it also usually includes about eight people who must live together in a new city as they are filmed 24/7. While The Circle takes place entirely in an online setting, the conversations had and friendships formed likely did continue into the real world. And for many of the younger generation, much of their “real” lives occur online anyway.
The Bachelor
OK, so The Bachelor isn’t necessarily like The Circle. But if you’re into reality shows full of young, beautiful people who wear their emotions on their sleeves, some of whom aren’t being completely genuine, this might be a good show to watch.
There wasn’t much romance brewing on The Circle save for one kiss shared by two players who actually got to meet one another in person. And there are many more petty fights and brawls on The Bachelor, since everyone is competing for the affection of one person versus affirmation of a group. But they’re both delicious guilty pleasures.
America’s Next Top Model
The Circle welcomed a few models among its players, including Alana, as well as plus-sized model Sean. And while not everyone worked in modeling, they all had their signature looks, whether it was real players like Tony and Sammie or fake photos being used for “players” like Adam and Mercedeze.
In this reality series, aspiring models compete for a kick-off to their career in modeling. There are tons of episodes of the series to watch, along with more than 30 international versions.
The Voice
While The Voice is a singing competition, the concept and lessons behind both series are the same. The idea with both is that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and develop preconceived notions about someone based on what they look like.
On The Voice, the judges’ chairs are turned around so they can’t see the person who’s singing. On The Circle, players only communicate by text-based messages and emojis looking at profile photos that they believe actually belong to the person to whom they’re conversing with (which isn’t always the case.) In both, opinions have to be formed based on what you think the person looks like, not necessarily what they actually look like.
The Masked Singer
Similarly to The Voice, The Masked Singer is a blind singing competition. Except it features celebrities of all kinds who are wearing elaborate costumes to hide their identities. They can only be judged on their vocal talents and performances, along with short clue packages that tell you about their lives.
The idea, as with The Circle, is to appreciate someone for who they are, not what you know about them, or what you might think about them based on what you’ve heard or read about them.
Jersey Shore
If you loved Tony on The Circle, you will absolutely love this reality series. Joey would fit right in with the gang from Jersey Shore who live by the “gym, tan, laundry” mantra. All Italian, they work out like he does, are from New York/New Jersey, and value family and their Italian roots.
Joey even pays homage to one of the most popular characters from Jersey Shore, Pauly D, with his “yeahhhh buddy!” squeals when he enters the house. He has a good heart, but something tells us he loves to party just like they do.
Catfish
The other series that The Circle is compared to, Catfish, sees the hosts investigate stories where people have forged intense romantic relationships with others online, never having met them in person. They try to determine if the person really is who they claim to be (often not), call them out, and help the two meet face-to-face and clear the air.
Sometimes the outcome is sweet, and sometimes people get hurt. That’s just like on The Circle, when several players were revealed to be people different than who they pretended to be in their profiles.
Queer Eye
This series sees gay professionals in fashion, personal grooming, interior design, entertaining, and culture, known as the “Fab Five,” come together to give someone a makeover. It usually involves a straight man who is assisted in selecting a new wardrobe or redecorating his home, or simply receiving helpful advice.
It’s a sweet way to help someone come out of their shell and become a better version of themselves. This is a theme that we saw across The Circle, as people like Karyn commended Chris for being a confident, openly gay man, and the group praised Sean for fessing up to being a plus-sized girl instead of the thin woman she was pretending to be.
