Honestly, Olivia Pope ruined us. Before Kerry Washington donned that iconic white trench coat and started "fixing" the sins of the Beltway, political dramas were... well, they were a bit dry. They were mostly rooms full of men in gray suits talking about policy. Then Shonda Rhimes dropped Scandal in 2012, and suddenly, the West Wing was a place of high-stakes longing, wine-soaked monologues, and enough "Gladiators" to fill a stadium. It changed the vibe of television. People didn't just want to watch the news anymore; they wanted to see the messy, dark, glamorous underbelly of power.
Finding tv shows like Scandal isn't just about finding another show with a politician in it. It’s about finding that specific cocktail of high-octane pacing, impossible romance, and characters who are morally gray but somehow still the heroes of their own stories. You want the drama. You want the sharp dialogue. You want that feeling of "I can't believe they just did that" right before the credits roll.
The Shondaland DNA: Why We Can't Stop Watching
What made Scandal work wasn't just the affair between Olivia and Fitz. It was the pace. The show moved at a breakneck speed that made a forty-minute episode feel like ten minutes. If you’re looking for that same kinetic energy, you have to look at How to Get Away with Murder.
Annalise Keating, played by the incomparable Viola Davis, is essentially the spiritual sister to Olivia Pope. While Olivia was fixing the White House, Annalise was fixing the legal system—or breaking it, depending on the day. The show uses a non-linear timeline that forces you to pay attention. It’s stressful. It’s chaotic. It’s perfect. If you haven't seen it, you're missing out on some of the most visceral acting ever put on network TV. The scene where Annalise removes her wig and makeup is still cited by critics at The Hollywood Reporter as a landmark moment for representation and raw storytelling.
But maybe you don't want law. Maybe you want the "power" part.
House of Cards (the American version on Netflix) is the cynical, colder cousin of Scandal. Where Olivia Pope wanted to be a "good person" despite her flaws, Frank Underwood just wanted the crown. It lacks the romance of Shondaland, but it doubles down on the tactical maneuvering. It’s chess, whereas Scandal was more like high-speed poker.
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The "Fixer" Trope and the Rise of the Anti-Heroine
We love a fixer. There is something deeply satisfying about watching a woman enter a room, survey a disaster, and dictate exactly how it’s going to go away.
The Good Wife is often overlooked by Scandal fans because it started as a procedural, but by season 4, it transformed into a political juggernaut. Alicia Florrick’s evolution from the "betrayed wife" to a power player in her own right mirrors the agency we saw in Olivia. The show dives deep into the Chicago political machine. It’s smart. It’s actually surprisingly funny sometimes. The legal cases are real, but the backroom deals are where the show earns its keep.
Then there’s Damages. If you want a show that feels like a fever dream of betrayal and high-stakes litigation, this is it. Glenn Close plays Patty Hewes, a high-stakes litigator who makes Olivia Pope look like a Girl Scout. It’s darker. It’s grittier. It’s the kind of show where you genuinely don't know who to root for, and that’s the point.
The British Invasion: Short, Sharp, and Lethal
Sometimes the Americans draw things out too long. The UK has mastered the "limited series" version of tv shows like Scandal that get in, blow your mind, and leave.
- Bodyguard: This show on Netflix stars Richard Madden. It’s about a war veteran working as a specialist protection officer for the Home Secretary. The tension is unbearable. It’s less about the "fixing" and more about the immediate threat of violence and political conspiracy.
- The Diplomat: Keri Russell is a powerhouse here. It’s faster, quirkier, and more focused on international relations, but it carries that same "smartest person in the room" energy that Olivia Pope pioneered.
- Anatomy of a Scandal: It’s right there in the name. This Sienna Miller-led series focuses on a different kind of scandal—a privileged politician accused of a crime and the fallout within his marriage and the court of public opinion.
The Misconception About Political Thrillers
A lot of people think these shows have to be about the President. They don't.
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Succession is a political show, even though it’s about a media conglomerate. The maneuvering, the betrayal, the "who is up and who is down" of the Roy family is exactly the same energy as the OPA office. It’s about power. It’s about how power corrupts the people who want it most.
If you want something that feels a bit more "boots on the ground," check out The West Wing. I know, I know—it’s old. But Aaron Sorkin’s dialogue is the blueprint. Without the fast-talking "walk and talks" of The West Wing, we wouldn't have the rapid-fire delivery of Scandal. It’s more optimistic, sure, but the intellectual rigor is there. It’s like a warm hug for people who actually believe government can work, whereas Scandal is for the people who know it usually doesn't.
Why We Keep Coming Back to Olivia Pope
There’s a specific psychological hook in Scandal that’s hard to replicate: the "White Hat."
Even when Olivia was doing objectively terrible things—rigging elections, covering up murders—she always talked about the "White Hat." She wanted to be the hero. Most tv shows like Scandal grapple with this same ego. We want to believe that the people in charge are doing the wrong things for the right reasons.
Look at Madam Secretary. It’s much "cleaner" than Scandal. Elizabeth McCord is generally a good person trying to solve global crises. It lacks the soap-opera steaminess, but it satisfies that itch for someone who can walk into a room and command the attention of world leaders. It’s aspirational.
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On the flip side, Empire took the Scandal formula—high drama, incredible fashion, Shakespearean family dynamics—and moved it to the music industry. It’s not "political" in the D.C. sense, but the power struggles are identical. Cookie Lyon and Olivia Pope would probably either be best friends or try to destroy each other within five minutes of meeting.
The Deep Cuts: Shows You Might Have Missed
If you’ve already binged the big names, you need to dig a little deeper.
- The Catch: Another Shondaland production. It’s about a high-end private investigator who gets conned by her fiancé. It’s slick, stylish, and has that same "case of the week" combined with an overarching mystery.
- Designated Survivor: The premise is wild—the entire government is blown up, and the one guy left (Kiefer Sutherland) becomes President. The first season is a fantastic conspiracy thriller.
- State of Affairs: It only lasted one season, but Katherine Heigl plays a CIA analyst who briefs the President. It’s very much in the Scandal vein of "secret government operations meeting personal drama."
- Borgen: If you don't mind subtitles, this Danish series is widely considered one of the best political dramas ever made. It’s grounded, realistic, and incredibly compelling.
The Evolution of the Genre in 2026
We're seeing a shift now. The "glamour" of the D.C. fixer is being replaced by something a bit more cynical and tech-focused. Shows are starting to look at how algorithms and social media influence power, rather than just backroom cigars and stolen ballots.
But the core remains. We want to see people in high-stress environments making impossible choices. We want to see the cracks in the armor. Whether it's a lawyer in Chicago, a diplomat in London, or a fixer in D.C., the appeal of tv shows like Scandal is the fantasy of competence. We want to believe that even when the world is on fire, there’s someone like Olivia Pope who can stand in the middle of it and say, "It’s handled."
What to Watch Next: Your Actionable Watchlist
If you're staring at your Netflix or Max home screen and can't decide, follow this roadmap based on what you loved most about Scandal:
- If you loved the "Fixer" vibes: Watch Ray Donovan (Showtime/Paramount+). It’s the gritty, masculine version of Olivia Pope. Ray "fixes" problems for the rich and famous in LA, usually with a baseball bat instead of a monologue.
- If you loved the D.C. Intrigue: Watch The Diplomat (Netflix). It’s fast-paced, smart, and captures the frantic energy of international crisis management.
- If you loved the "Team" dynamic: Watch How to Get Away with Murder (Netflix/ABC). The "Keating Five" are basically the younger, more traumatized version of the OPA Gladiators.
- If you want something smarter and slower: Watch The Good Fight (Paramount+). It’s the spin-off of The Good Wife and it is absolutely bonkers in the best way possible. It tackled the surrealism of modern politics better than almost any other show.
The "fixer" era of television didn't end when Scandal aired its finale in 2018. It just evolved. We’re still looking for those gladiators; they’re just wearing different suits now. Stop scrolling and pick one of these. You’ve got a lot of "handling" to do.