Privileged, the new offering from the CW, leads the barrage of shows premiering (or returning) this fall that is set against a very affluent backdrop and features storylines depicting how the filthy rich and famous live. This new showfollows Yale-educated Megan Smith as she loses her job at a tabloid magazine and ends up being tutor for the two grandchildren of a cosmetics mogul (Anne Archer).

Together with the reboot of the '90s icon 90210, Gossip Girl, Dirty Sexy Money, Lipstick Jungle, and Do Not Disturb, Privileged is, according to experts, part of a wave of shows that reflect people's fascination with opulent mansions, preppy New York private schools, posh hotels, big business, and just filthy rich families.  In fact, according to Privileged executive producer Rina Mimoun, she grew up watching hit TV show Dallas, which leaned more or less toward the same descriptions.

With the prohibitive cost of fuel and overall hard times, however, some can't help but question if these show do more than provide escapist entertainment to viewers.

"They know their friends and family; they don't know the super-rich.  Some of this is curiosity.  Some of it is envy.  Some of it is jealousy.  Some of it is snarkiness,” says Chuck Kleinhans, a professor at Northwestern University.

For Mimoun, she has definitely thought about it when doing Privileged. “You want to make sure that you're not alienating a lot of viewers across the country who might be in tough financial situations."

She says Privileged is “lighter” than Gossip Girl.

"Tonally, we want it to be more like Clueless and The Devil Wears Prada," she says.  "It's a wish-fulfillment comedy. We want to keep it fun and upbeat."

And in the end, according to Mimoun, the satisfaction for the viewer comes in knowing that despite these characters having immense wealth and being very comfortable, they still encounter the same problems as anyone “normal” would.


-Glenn L. Diaz, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Chron.com
(Image Courtesy of The CW)