Superstar is an American TV documentary series. It was broadcast on ABC between August 11, 2021, and June 14, 2023. If you enjoyed the emotional highs and lows of Netflix's Superstar, here are seven dramas that capture similar themes of ambition, vulnerability, and the price of fame. Set in glamorous resorts, backstage arenas, and exclusive schools, these stories feature intense emotions and complex characters.
Whether you like reality music shows or layered psychological thrillers, this curated list mirrors the emotional pace of Superstar. Dive into these intriguing tales where acting meets personal authenticity.
Please note: This article is based solely on the writer's opinion. Reader discretion is advised.
Here is the list of the 7 shows if you loved Netflix’s Superstar:
7. Elite (2018)

Elite is a Spanish teen drama set at Las Encinas, an elite school. Three working-class scholarship recipients are drawn into a world of secrets, power, and rumors. Following a girl's death at a school party, suspicion, passion, treachery, and murder ensue when everything goes wrong. Students fight because of class, love, and loyalty.
Elite has one flash-forward scene of a police interview of students at a murder scene. This corresponds to a tense Superstar moment. In Superstar, the final of a competition is a race, where the hidden ambition of a contestant bursts. The two instances mark the transition between emotional collapse and life. In Elite, murder is predetermined in the interrogation.
The cost of fame exposes the Superstar's degrading nature. They both generate suspense and emotional depth. Celebrity enthusiasts will love Elite because of the dramatic disclosure and social tension. Elite's youth, mystery, and high stakes provide the complexity of plot and emotional payoff that superstar fans need.
6. Big Little Lies (2017)

Big Little Lies is a drama set in sunny California and Monterey. It explores the lives of three mothers (Madeline, Celeste, and Jane), who all appear to lead perfect lives but are filled with lies, abuse, and grief. The story behind a murder at a school event reveals painful truths. The show combines suspense, emotion, and social pressures among wealthy families.
One of the climaxes occurs when Jane finally sees her attacker at a party, signaling to Madeline and Celeste with a glance. They respond silently, much like a moment in the show Superstar, where a simple glance conveys understanding and tension without words. Big Little Lies will appeal to fans of Superstar with its emotional depth and complex characters.
Both shows highlight the roles women play in supporting and reacting to each other in difficult situations, as well as how truth emerges through subtle glances and revealing confessions. If you enjoyed Superstar, you'll find the same emotional impact here.
5. GLOW (2017)

GLOW is a bright comedy-drama in which women become participants in the wrestling show called Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling of the eighties. Ruth Wilder, an unemployed actress, joins a bunch of oddballs after auditioning and joining a diverse group of losers. They play theatrical wrestling roles in neon costumes and wrestle and fight backstage. They get friendship and a sense of purpose through all the spectacle.
A memorable scenario occurs while the cast is rehearsing for a wrestling competition, and things go wrong during the actual performance. The performers are put on trial in the live moments in both shows. In GLOW, errors turn into openings for true feeling in the ring. When the singer loses at the end of their live performance in Superstar, people's hearts are trembling, but they bounce back.
GLOW will appeal to Superstar lovers since it shows how artists deal with pressure in front of an audience. Both shows are a tribute to resilience, art, and sheer talent. If you're a fan of Superstar, you'll adore GLOW, which combines song, performance, and passion on stage.
4. The White Lotus (2021)

The White Lotus is a dark comedy-drama set in a luxury resort in Hawaii. Although the suspense builds until a dead body is seen at the start of a plane, the show follows a variety of visitors and staff members throughout a week-long holiday. We go back in time to see how class, loneliness, money, and hidden strife whirl under happy exteriors.
A scene that is reminiscent of Superstar appears in episode one. In that episode, a couple of tourists accuse a man of murder in the resort during the credits. That scene switches between serenity and appalling. Even in Superstar, in the ending stage breakdown, when a performer breaks down in the middle of the performance, the tone changes as well. The two scenes depict a crisis in the ordinary.
The White Lotus presents viewers with powerful emotional shifts that occur beneath its polished exterior. The series builds suspense through its aesthetic appeal and reveals silent discoveries that contribute to a larger drama. The narrative mirrors the rise-and-fall pattern characteristic of Superstar stage stories, featuring hidden secrets, double-layered characters, and moments of poignant emotional weight. The show's structure reflects scenarios in which everything escalates unexpectedly.
3. Sirens (2025)

Sirens is a powerful, dark comedy drama, a Netflix limited series. It traces the story of Devon (Meghann Fahy), who comes to a wealthy beach home and saves her sister Simone (Milly Alcock) when she is trapped by his boss, Michaela Kiki Kell (Julianne Moore). In a single, rousing weekend, Devon finds herself in a world of indulgent wealth, power play, cultish domination and mind control to her emotional exploitation.
The scene when Superstar, in the uniform of pastel colors, walks in perfect unity with other assistants at the gala of Kiki is one of the mighty ones. In the Superstar, a similar synchronized movement occurs when the contestants are lined up on the stage, moving around one another without talking. Visual rhythm is employed in both scenes to demonstrate power, strained tension, and suppressed ambition.
Superstar fans will love Sirens because it also explores the emotional cost of maintaining a faultless image and performing under duress. In both series, personal disintegration and rebellion are concealed by ambition, attractiveness, and control. For fans of Superstar and its emotionally relevant portrayals in a performance world, the skillfully designed images, powerful performance, and class-driven drama will speak directly to them.
2. Sky Rojo (2021)

Sky Rojo is a high-tempo Spanish drama series concerning the three women, namely Coral, Wendy, and Gina, who manage to flee from a brutal pimp and his followers. The performance, set in Tenerife, tells the story of their wild escape to freedom, fusing survival, camaraderie, and dangerous situations in an incredibly realistic way. Despite the brief duration, each episode contains tragic moments and dark humor. The show explores themes of empowerment, survival, and oppression.
One of the scenes in Sky Rojo is Coral and her companions leaving a brothel after destroying the pimp. It is messy, sentimental, and filled with tension. This scenario recalls an occurrence in Superstar in which Tamara escapes the media circus where she was a slave. In both cases, the women battle for their lives.
Sky Rojo features strong, rebellious female characters, making it a must-see for fans of Superstar, which also showcases female protagonists. Both celebrate those who refuse to be silenced and bravely fight back.
1. Building the Band (2025)

Building the Band is a reality music show where bands are formed through singers who do not see each other. They sing in soundproof rooms and select band members solely by sound and chemistry. AJ McLean, who hosts the show, and Nickel Scherzinger, Kelly Rowland, and Liam Payne, who are the judges, make the show emotional, fresh, and surprising. It all revolves around connections, creativity, and musical talent.
In one scene, we see a group called Sweet Seduction perform the song "Emotions" after meeting for the first time. Their connection is immediate, and their performance is passionately personal. This scene reminds me of Tamara’s first major TV performance in Superstar, where she cries out her song despite being criticized.
In both scenes, artists showcase their talent but aren’t necessarily considered good-looking. Building the Band will likely be a hit with superstar fans because of its focus on authenticity, emotional performances, and the journey toward becoming a real star. It's a celebration of individuality, voice, and earning your place in the spotlight.
In one way or another, these seven shows tried to capture the spirit of Superstar in some memorable and distinguished manner. They all had a remarkable combination of passion, aspiration, and a conflict within the shadow. Each performance had something that the supporters of the superstars liked, whether it was the quiet look, the live breakdown, or the coordinated moment of rebellion.
In the tense times, the audience was able to feel the realization that performance is about more than just skill; it's also about identity, sacrifice, and truth. These narratives reminded the audience that there is a human story behind every action, and it is usually not clean and touching. Eventually, they gave a toast to what Superstar did best: displaying the beauty of vulnerability.