You know, those guilt trips you get at the end of the day after you realize that you have spent the better part of your day binging on web series and shows. And you sorely wish you had picked up some book on the management of personal finance or financial independence, which would have improved your financial literacy and money matters. When you wish, binging TV Shows comes with some value, like saving money. But only some books on these subjects are boring? So fret not; we have come up with a great solution!
Some fictional and some reality tv shows, all of these series deal with the financial history of the business world and give you a working knowledge about the stock market and financial crisis. You look at how people manage their own money, grow their struggling businesses, and maintain successful business empires. All while getting entertained!
7 TV shows to help you manage your finances
1. Mad Money with Jim Cramer
- Presenter: Jim Cramer
- Guests: Jensen Huang, Howard Schultz, Marc Benioff, Nancy Pelosi
- IMDb rating: 5.3
- Streaming on: Netflix
Plot/Objective:
The show Mad Money aims to level the playing field for ordinary people in investment. Cramer educates his viewers about the stock market, its financial topics, and how to make prudent decisions about personal finance.
What works:
Jim Cramer’s charming and flamboyant personality hooks the audience’s attention. There are a lot of daily segments to make the show format interesting, like ‘Sell Block’, ‘Lightening round’, ‘Mad Mail’, etc.
Trivia:
There is also a podcast version of this TV Show about saving money available on Amazon Prime Music, Spotify, etc., which you can tune in to on the go.
2. Shark Tank
- Director: Craig Sparko, Ken Fuchs
- Cast: Kevin O’Leary, Mark Cuban, Robert Herjavec
- IMDb rating: 7.7
- Streaming on: Netflix, Youtube, and Amazon Prime Video
Plot/Objective:
Entrepreneurs come with their innovative business ideas to a panel of rich investors who decide if they are worth any money. The investors are the ‘sharks’ in the title!
What works:
This is one of the TV shows that help entrepreneurs make better financial decisions and train them on what kind of business pitch works and how to better their idea.
Trivia:
On the screen, we see the pitch lasting only for about ten minutes, but, off-screen, the pitchers get 1 hour to make their presentation.
3. Black Monday
- Director: Jordan Kahan, David Caspe
- Cast: Don Cheadle, Andrew Rannells
- IMDb rating: 7.4
- Streaming on: Netflix
Plot/Objective:
It is a dark comedy series that deals with the precarious situation of the stock market and Wall Street and how a group of people tries to take advantage of it. It is also a social commentary focusing on the obnoxious greed of a section of society.
What works:
Fans love the witty and sharp writing of the show and the fact that it progresses quickly. Its ‘Wolf of Wall Street feels has hooked the people.
Trivia:
Did you notice that with each passing episode, the end credits sequence of the show is visibly slowed down?
4. Succession
- Director: Jesse Armstrong
- Cast: Nicholas Braun, Peter Friedman
- IMDb rating: 8.8
- Streaming on: HBO Max, Disney Plus
Plot/Objective:
This show centers around the family drama of the Roy family when the patriarch and Media mogul retires. It shows the fraught sibling relationships and the ambition of the rich to become richer. The politics and manipulations seep from office life into their private lives.
What works:
This TV Show about saving money is a dark and sad version of the famous and funny sitcom of the early 2000s – Arrested Development. The cast is mind-blowing in the acting and skillfully assisted by the poignant and paced writing. All three seasons have won Emmys for Best Drama till now.
Trivia:
The show has the flavors of the Shakespeare tragedy King Lear.
5. Squawk Box
- Director: Mark Haines
- News anchors: Becky Quick, Joe Kernen, Andrew Ross Sorkin
- IMDb rating: 6.1
- Streaming on: CNBC Channel
Plot/Objective:
This news program cum talk show gives news about the financial market and the economy. The show gives people financial advice on personal finance and investing money in companies. Financial experts like Quick, Kernan and Ross Serkin sit in a round table format while discussing the economy.
What works:
It is one of the tv shows where the fields of politics and finance get intertwined. People understand how the changes in the political sphere can make the economy volatile.
Trivia:
People like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have graced the hot seat at this ultimate pre-market CNBC show.
6. The Suze Orman Show
- Creator: Suze Orman
- Cast: Suze Orman, Angela Marie
- IMDb rating: 7.0
- Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video
Plot/Objective:
Personal finance expert Suze Orman used to do a podcast show for solving the finance-related everyday problems of common Americans. This is a weekly tv special where America’s Matriarch of Money advises her callers and guests on their financial decisions.
What works:
The viewers like her easy-breezy style, where Orman uses layman terms to explain hard financial concepts to people. In her show, Orman also incorporates fun segments like “Can I afford it”.
Trivia:
Despite having a huge net worth, author and financial guru Suze Orman started from a humble home. She belonged to a working-class family. Her father worked in the chicken factory as a deli manager while her mother was a secretary.
7. The Profit
- Director: Marcus Lemonis
- Cast: Marcus Lemonis, Michael James Emanuele
- IMDb rating: 7.1
- Streaming on: Peacock
Plot/Objective:
Millionaire Lemonis started this tv show in a documentary style where he met people with small businesses like food joints or auto dealerships. Like Shark Tank, in this show, he decides whether their company is worth investing in at the early stages in exchange for an ownership stake. He also gives them financial advice.
What works:
The TV Shows about saving money gear to save businesses and help them make more money. The balance between entertainment and business management appeals to the viewers.
Trivia
Did you know Marcus invested in the company of the now-popular Sweet Pete’s Candy Shop chain in America?
We have had a lot of movies in the genre of the financial crisis, wall street, stock market, etc., like The Wolf of Wall Street, The Big Short, etc., but web series and tv shows about managing your finance is not that easy to find. These are the best of the tv shows on this subject. Take a pen and notepad and settle for a productive binge session!
