Loved Every Dramatic Minute of The Circle? Here's What to Dive Into Next
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If you've already binged all 12 episodes of season one of The Circle then you know just how good it is. Adapted from a popular show in the UK, The Circle is a social media competition where participants compete to be the most popular or likable among the group using an app (unshockingly called The Circle) — but there's a catch: no one meets face to face until the finale. Coined as the Big Brother of Netflix, The Circle has all the elements of a binge-worthy show: strategy, drama, mind games, vulnerability, and cat-fishing. While we anxiously wait to see if The Circle will be renewed for a second season, here are 10 other similar shows that have just as much sneaky game play and drama.
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You
If creating a profile of whoever you want to be was one of the aspects that drew you to The Circle, then consider bingeing You next. The show is centered around Joe Goldberg, who tends to always find himself with blood on his hands and in a very passionate love affair. By the end of season one and throughout the second, you'll realize a common theme from The Circle: not everyone maybe who they seem.
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Dating Around
Similar to The Circle, Dating Around is a reality TV show heavily inspired by social media, particularly online dating. Each episode follows a new single woman or man as they navigate five blind dates hoping to spark a connection. Participants are put to the test on dates when questioned if who they are in real-life matches their exotic online dating profiles.
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Queer Eye
A Netflix series with a mix of interior design, culture, entertainment, fashion, and personal styling . . . is there a better show to watch right before going to bed? Queer Eye, a personal makeover show, led by five gay professionals, is the perfect feel-good show that encourages people to embrace and love their inner selves.
This is a theme we see come to life in The Circle when the house rallies behind Sean after she tells them is plus-size and not the thin girl she pretended to be, or when Karyn applauds Chris, an openly gay man, and he beams confidently.
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Next in Fashion
Love fashion and a series that ends with a contestant winning a jackpot of money? Next in Fashion is a brand-new series coming to Netflix where designers from around the world will be competing for a chance to be the next big thing and to get $250,000. The Circle participants (and models) Alana and Sean would be all over this show.
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Catfish
For those wishing to go on season two (if renewed!) of The Circle, do yourself a favor and study the hit MTV show Catfish. The show is based on helping people figure out if the person they've been talking to online is using a fake personal profile or is the real deal, which is a major theme in The Circle! You'll quickly learn the crazy lengths people go to to not get caught.
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The Masked Singer
In The Masked Singer, a comedy reality TV series, celebrities are hidden in full-body costumes to hide their identities and win a singing competition based off talent. Besides the fact that you should watch because the costumes are ridiculously hilarious, it has the same theme of portraying fake or hidden personas like the participants on The Circle.
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Survivor
Strategy and mind games more your thing? Try watching a season of Survivor, where those elements and likability are what can get you to the end and win a million dollars. Of course, contestants also have to avoid getting voted off every week.
There are 34 seasons available so if you fall into a deep rabbit hole (which we promise you will) you'll have enough TV to hold you over until a possible season two is available!
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The Bachelor
It might seem like a stretch, but The Bachelor has a lot more in common with The Circle than you might think. In a show where being the most liked gets you to the end, contestants who are putting forward what they think is their best selves (or a front) can be very intimidating and cause you to lie or exaggerate the truth so you end up on top.
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Jersey Shore
How could Joey's epic "Yeahhh, buddy!" house entrance not remind you of Pauly D from Jersey Shore! While everyone living in the house on Jersey Shore can communicate face to face, they do have challenges like opening up and letting down their guard around each other. If you resonated with Tony and Joey the most then this is the show for you.
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Real Housewives of New Jersey
In a land of sequins and tag lines, The Circle's Chris would fit right in. If you're craving more legendary tag lines like his "godfidence" and "I'm a real-ass bitch in a fake-ass world" then watch Real Housewives of New Jersey.
Honestly, any Real Housewives franchise will satisfy the sequins and tagline sweet tooth you might be craving but New Jersey brings a whole different level of punchy banter and drama. The show also carries themes like secrecy and portraying different sides of yourself to different people.