Television series

Devious Maids

Name: Devious Maids
Genre: Drama, Crime, Mystery
Released: 2013
Cast: Dania Ramirez, Judy Reyes, Susan Lucci, Rebecca Wisocky, Grant Show

Drama

A gleeful melodrama about Beverly Hills maids navigating murder, blackmail, and their employers' spectacular moral collapses. It's trashy, twisty, and unapologetically fun—part soap opera, part whodunit, all camp. For anyone who wants their drama served with a wink and a poisoned cocktail.

TVMaze rating

3.8

If you liked this

Desperate Housewives2004

The DNA ancestor of this show: wealthy suburbanites with dark secrets, ensemble cast chemistry, and a narrator guiding you through increasingly bonkers plot turns. Devious Maids is its spiritual successor.

But Slower pacing in early seasons; the mystery box approach can feel drawn out if you prefer straightforward storytelling over serialized intrigue.

How to Get Away with Murder2014

Same addictive structure—a tight ensemble cast committing and concealing crimes, each episode peeling back layers of motive and guilt. Violla Davis is magnetic, and the twists hit hard.

But Darker and more serious in tone; less camp, more genuine darkness. If you want lightness with your melodrama, this swings too far the other way.

Scandal2012

Rapid-fire dialogue, byzantine plotting, and a protagonist who's brilliantly complicit in her own chaos. Every episode ends on a cliffhanger that makes you hit play immediately.

But Moves so fast it can feel exhausting; plot logic sometimes takes a backseat to shock value. Seasons wear on the core premise.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Devious Maids

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Nurse Jackie2009

Both center on marginalized workers—maids, nurses—whose labor and scheming keeps powerful systems running. But Nurse Jackie strips away the wink and looks directly at what exploitation actually costs.

Flips the servant dynamic: Jackie is brilliant, drug-addicted, and morally compromised in ways that fascinate rather than repel. It's darkly funny about class, addiction, and the people we exploit to prop up institutions.

But The humour is bleak and sometimes suffocating; if you want escapism, watching Jackie's slow self-destruction in a hospital basement office will feel punishing rather than fun.

Revenge2011

Wealthy people with secrets, a protagonist playing a long game, and a satisfying blend of glamour and moral ambiguity. Emily VanCamp is ice-cold compelling.

But The revenge fantasy gets repetitive; some seasons lean too heavily on soap opera tropes that wear thin after prolonged exposure.

Tyler Perry's The Haves and the Have Nots2013

Tyler Perry's soapy mansion drama with murder, betrayal, and secrets stacked like plates. It commits fully to melodrama without apology—there's something refreshing about that commitment.

But Writing can be heavy-handed; the pacing meanders, and some plot threads feel abandoned. It's less slick than Devious Maids.

Tyler Perry's The Haves and the Have Nots poster

Mistresses2013

A group of female friends entangled in infidelity, murder, and lies. Taut, soapy, and focused on how secrets corrode relationships rather than just being secrets for shock value.

But Some seasons lost narrative momentum; it could feel like it was spinning its wheels rather than building toward something.

The Fosters2013

A multi-generational drama with a found family at its center, complex moral questions, and characters you genuinely root for despite their flaws.

But Shifts between crime thriller and teen drama; tonal inconsistency means it rarely lands with the same punch twice.

Army Wives2007

Six seasons of ensemble cast chemistry, character-driven drama, and genuine stakes. No supernatural elements—just human complications and loyalty tested.

But Military setting may not appeal if you want pure glamorous melodrama; slower burn than you might expect.

Parasite2019

Surface similarity: servants in mansions. Deep difference: Parasite sees the maids' scheming as an act of desperation, not deviousness. It's what Devious Maids would be if you removed the camp and added moral weight.

A masterclass in class warfare told as a darkly comic thriller. A family infiltrates a wealthy household, and every frame vibrates with resentment, performance, and the precarious balance between survival and exposure.

But Genuinely brutal; the lightness you want from Devious Maids evaporates. It's also a full-throated indictment, not entertainment. One viewing sits with you for days.