What to Watch Next if You Like ‘The White Lotus’: Nostalgic Picks With the Same Bite
The White Lotus has had people talking for years thanks to its beautiful tropical setting, complicated relationships, and major stars. With the HBO show just finishing its third season, some fans are aching for a similar vibe. Why not lean into nostalgic television shows while you wait for the next season? There were several shows throughout the 1960s and 1980s set in tropical locations and featuring rotating casts of popular guest stars.
If that’s what you’re looking for, these earlier series offer a nostalgic version of the same formula, but often with a more optimistic tone if you need something a little more positive after all of those dark twists and turns.
Love, American Style
Love, American Style ran from 1969 to 1974 and took a slightly different approach, using an anthology format to tell short, self-contained stories about romance and relationships. Each episode featured multiple segments with different characters and situations, often played by a wide range of guest actors. That rotating cast structure, where each episode resets with a new group, reflects the same storytelling that continues to work in shows like The White Lotus, even decades later.
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Hotel
Hotel premiered in 1983 and ran through 1988, set in San Francisco at the upscale St. Gregory Hotel. Produced by Aaron Spelling, the series starred James Brolin as manager Peter McDermott and focused on both the staff and the constant flow of guests. Like The Love Boat, it relied heavily on guest stars to drive individual episodes, while also building ongoing stories for the hotel employees. The balance of learning about the workers and the wealthy guests does feel a bit like The White Lotus.
The Love Boat
The Love Boat also debuted in 1977 and became one of ABC’s biggest hits, running until 1986. Set aboard the cruise ship Pacific Princess, the show followed Captain Stubing, played by Gavin MacLeod and his crew as they dealt with the personal and romantic lives of their passengers. Each episode typically featured multiple storylines and a wide range of guest stars, many of them already familiar to viewers from film and television. This series was definitely more romantic and lighthearted, but it reminded us, as did the others, that everyone has their own baggage.
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Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island premiered on ABC in 1977 and ran through 1984, bringing viewers to a mysterious tropical resort where guests could live out their deepest fantasies, usually with an unexpected lesson along the way because things weren’t always what they seemed. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as Tattoo, and each episode introduced new visitors, often played by well-known guest stars. The tone is much more positive and moralistic than the shocks of The White Lotus, but the vibe of escapism remains similar.
