10 Shows To Watch If You Like Billions

Billions is one of those shows full of characters that fans love to hate. From Axe to “Wags,” Wendy to Chuck, they are greedy, materialistic, self-serving, and often mean, while also being flawed humans reacting the only way they know how. It’s a setup that has been used in many shows of all kinds, from dramas to comedies.

With a focus on the stock market and trading, Billions also touches on various other elements of business, including the law, politics, influence, and even corruption. For those who revel in every exciting episode, there are other shows of the same vein that might be worth considering as well.

Succession (2018-Present) – HBO

Greed, extreme wealth, and the pursuit of power are at the center of both these shows. While Succession follows Logan Roy and his path to finding a worthy successor for his media business empire, choosing among his four children, Billions follows the stock trading industry and billionaire Bobby Axelrod who is still in his prime.

In both cases, the men at the top have done, and continue to do, things that cross lines to maintain their positions. And both arrogantly believe they are invincible. Just like Axe, Logan Roy from Succession is sometimes a genius and sometimes not, behaving in a reactionary versus rational manner when their egos get the best of them.

Ray Donovan (2013-2020) – Showtime

With Ray Donovan: The Movie tying up loose ends from the show following its cancellation, fans got some closure for the character. Like Billions, Ray Donovan centers around a man from the wrong side of the tracks who has managed to become successful, leaving his poverty-stricken past behind him.

Both main characters also have tumultuous relationships with their estranged fathers. The story with Ray and his father is at the center of Ray Donovan, and Ray spends his time in the pursuit of vengeance more so than wealth. Both men share gritty traits with one another that make them both compelling to watch.

Suits (2011-2019) – USA Network

The same struggle between the legal side of the equation and those trying to skirt the law is present in Suits, which is about a team of lawyers at a high-end corporate law firm representing their wealthy clients.

Like Bobby Axelrod, Harvey Specter will do just about anything to win and be the top dog and he is constantly competing with others to maintain his reputation. He is, in fact, the very type of lawyer Axe would hire to represent Axe Capital if the two shows were to cross over.

City On A Hill (2019-Present) – Showtime

Similar to Billions, City on a Hill sees two unlikely individuals team up to fight crime, or at least get their way. In the case of City on a Hill, it’s a corrupt FBI agent and the Assistant District Attorney, while on Billions, it’s the Attorney General of New York and a billionaire hedge fund owner.

The situation takes gritty twists and turns in both shows, with both telling unique stories. City on a Hill is one of many new shows set in the ’90s, so it also offers an interesting perspective different from Billions‘ present-day storylines.

Ozark (2017-2022) – Netflix

Ozark travels much deeper into dark storylines that involve mobsters, the illegal drug trade, violence, and murder. While the violence on Billions is at a minimum – it’s more about wars of words and financial ruin on the latter – both feature similar characters.

Mob bosses like Omar Navarro, for example, are not much different from Axe in that he worked hard to be the best at what he does. Meanwhile, Marty Byrde has the kind of financial-related skills, including being able to launder money in such a way that it comes out squeaky clean, that would be the envy of someone like Axe.

Ballers (2015-2019) – Showtime

With the same focus of reckless ambition as Billions, sports fans especially will love Ballers, which mixes the concept of financial management with football. Spencer (Dwayne Johnson) has retired from the NFL and decided to manage the finances of current players.

While Ballers includes more comedic elements than Billions, which is by and large a dramatic show, the pursuit of success is a theme that’s central to both stories.

Silicon Valley (2014-2019) – HBO

For fans who might have wished Axe made more investments in tech start-ups, Silicon Valley offers a comedic take on the complicated world of a haven for the tech space in California. Fans who like Billions characters like Ben Kim, Tuk Lal, and Will Roland, will love the humor in Silicon Valley. But just like on Billions, the main characters on Silicon Valley are all fiercely intelligent.

Meanwhile, Billions characters like Wags beautifully represent the arrogant venture capitalists the main characters from Silicon Valley often came across. The two shows offer very different styles, but there’s enough overlap in terms of the material covered that liking one could mean enjoying the other.

Black Monday (2019-2021) – Showtime

The tone is very different on Black Monday, which is dubbed a historical dark comedy. But the focus on Wall Street and the financial arena may make this worth watching for those who love Billions.

Set in the late ’80s, the story follows employees at a second-tier trading firm during the period leading up to a time known as Black Monday, when the international stock markets crashed. While it’s set in 1987, the show is an interesting look at how a second-rate firm managed to take down some of the biggest financial firms on Wall Street.

House Of Lies (2012-2016) – Showtime

Not surprisingly, House of Lies is one of many shows like Billions that airs on the same network, Showtime. Instead of traders, however, the main characters are management consultants that work with wealthy clients. But like Billions, which bases its stories on real-life events, there is some real-life inspiration with House of Lies in that the main character Marty Kaan (Don Cheadle) is based on a real person, according to Fortune.

Like Billions, the show focuses on the upper echelon of society, and corporate entrepreneurs doing whatever they can for the almighty buck. Marty is similar to Axe in that, in the end, all he cares about is winning, being the best, and making money. Fans will love, however, how he often breaks the fourth wall often through the series, addressing viewers directly with his thoughts.

Mad Men (2007-2015) – AMC

Even though the time period is very different, with Mad Men set in the ’60s while Billions is in the present day, the focus on egotistical males running an organization – advertising agency in Mad Men and hedge fund in Billions – is similar in both shows.

The tone and direction of both shows share a lot in common, with characters that parallel one another in some ways, whether attitude, storyline, or both, like Don Draper and Mike “Wags” Wagner, Joan Holloway and Wendy Rhoades, or Peggy Olson and Bonnie.

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