Why am I feeling sorry for rich nepo babies? Next Gen NYC achieves the impossible

In this column, we deliver hot (and cold) takes on pop culture, judging whether a subject is overrated or underrated.September 12, 2026 — 5:30amBravo’s newish addition to the reality TV pantheon manages the near-impossible: Next Gen NYC makes one feel sympathy for that most maligned of creatures, the nepo baby (and their spiritual cousin, the trust fund baby).Launched in 2025, the series kicked off following a bevy of twenty-somethings, many spawned from famous Real Housewives cast members, as they ran around the Big Apple partying and bickering. The titular next generation’s lofty ambitions include such totally relatable goals as being an influencer, model, DJ, fashion designer, influencer, nightclub impresario, cleaning supplies entrepreneur and influencer.Next Gen NYC, Bravo’s most-watched series premiere ever, is wildly enjoyable (and slightly tragic) viewing. Next Gen NYC was an instant success upon launching, becoming Bravo’s most-watched series premiere ever. It is both wildly stupid and wildly enjoyable viewing.The four Real Housewives children might have come to the show already famous (at least in the Bravo-verse) but the series does show an insight into the downsides of being a reality TV nepo baby. They had to grow up on camera when they were too young to consent to it or truly know what it would entail. Their most awkward moments are forever immortalised on television to later be dissected on Reddit forums.It’s especially hard not to feel sorry for Next Gen NYC face Ariana Biermann, daughter of The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kim Zolciak, who in the first season alleges that money she earned from social media deals (she had her first brand deal at 14 years old) was taken by her parents.The show has smartly cast a few youngsters from non-famous families as foils to the Housewives progeny – there’s even an heir to a billion-dollar fried chicken fortune! (I swear I am not making this up.)Georgia McCann, the intellectual of Next Gen NYC, with Brooks Marks, son of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Meredith Marks.Charles Sykes/BravoThe greatest of these is loveable kook Georgia McCann, who is basically the intellectual of the crew; she’s even written her own book of poetry. McCann endearingly and constantly mentions her love of the 1989 romcom When Harry Met Sally on a show where having even a passing knowledge of any cultural artefact released prior to one’s birth is akin to being a Tolstoy scholar.To give a clearer idea of how comically clueless this Gen Z crew is, in an episode where they all attend a Rocky Horror Picture Show-themed party, rather than just watching the 1975 camp classic, they instead suggest to one another seeing Glee’s 2010 tribute episode to familiarise themselves with the movie.The daughter of Brooke Shields was cast in the second season, and anyone born in the 1980s or earlier will be aghast to hear her contribution to pop culture constantly being described as … being “Hannah Montana’s mother”. Poor, beautiful Brooke.It’s interesting to see how their young ambitions play out among the cast. The non-nepo babies seem to have an easier time of it; if they fail, they will presumably just have to move back in with their (still mostly rich) families. Meanwhile, decades of internet criticism seem to have made the Housewives kids scared to take any real risks on their various ventures and postpone doing anything besides posting on their social media channels.And if you’re not watching Next Gen NYC, you are missing out on possibly the greatest “villain” of modern-day reality television: Charlie Zakkour. He’s the 31-year-old son of a wealthy banking executive, and cast members say he gets an allowance from his father – though he bills himself as a cryptocurrency trader.Charlie is a chaos merchant who loves to meddle in relationships and try to pull power plays on the others. He goads Georgia that she is only on the show because she was his friend, as if the fact that he was first cast for being from wealth, while she was then cast for being interesting, is some sort of flex.In the first season Charlie is shown as yearningly desperate for the approval of his father but seemingly unwilling to do the main thing that would earn his dad’s respect: stop his hard-partying ways and get a proper job.He would almost be a figure of deep tragedy, prevented from ever properly growing up in his trust fund gilded cage, except for the inexcusable fact that he is constantly spewing sexist, racist, transphobic nonsense to his friends. He then follows up with the weakest apologies where he vaguely requests forgiveness for his statements, saying he meant them with no malice, before repeating the cycle all over again.While Next Gen NYC is an escapist delight to binge, it makes one thing clear. Being a trust fund baby? You couldn’t pay me.Next Gen NYC streams on Hayu.Want more Verdicts?Jeopardy!: The best thing on TV right now is a quiz show hosted by a Mormon brainiacFemme fatale: Why killer women are better than boring alpha menNice guys finish first: Why this film is criminally underratedBinge-watching: Short seasons are ruining TV; bring back the 22-episode seasonKiller ballerinas: Why is Hollywood so obsessed with them?More:The VerdictOpinionReality TVStreamingSpectrumSpectrumFrom our partners