HBO’s Succession has been on the air for just two seasons but is already gathering acclaim at award shows and a cult following. Revolving around the aging business mogul Logan Roy (played by Brian Cox at his career-best), the show deals with the internal conflicts, business deals, and last-minute twists amongst the rest of his family, all of whom are vying to seek his throne. A modern-day family drama of Shakespearean proportions, Succession presents an alarming yet witty look at the privileged 1%, often mocking business conglomerate families like the Trumps and the Murdochs.
If Succession is a show that goes right down your alley, here are a few other series that would almost certainly hold your interest.
Updated December 26th, 2020 by Kristen Palamara: Although there have only been two short seasons of Succession and there’s no clear release date for the third season, it’s become a fan-favorite for its biting satirical drama, family dysfunction within the Roy dynasty, terrible work environments, and creative dialogue. It’s an engaging Shakespearean drama and there’s nothing quite similar to it on television today, but here are a few shows fans can catch up on while waiting for the third season to be released.
This Is Us
Although the Pearsons aren’t a family dynasty and a lot of the show is emotional and heartfelt, there’s also a lot of dysfunction hiding beneath the happy surface. The three kids; Kevin, Kate, and Randall, try to live their lives the best they can as the show shifts back and forth between their present lives, their past growing up with their father, and their futures.
Almost every aspect of their lives has been affected by their father, Jack, who died when they were teenagers. The strong influence of their father and the ongoing drama in their lives make this show surprisingly similar to Succession.
The Righteous Gemstones
The Righteous Gemstones centers on a world-famous televangelist family that creates a facade of a good Christian family, but it’s quickly revealed that the Gemstone family is full of corruption.
It’s a dark comedy that looks at the intersection of a dynasty family with children who only care about the money their father has amounted over time and religion. The similarities to the Gemstone family and the Roy family are easy to spot, plus the show has a lot of creative cussing and insults just like Succession.
Big Little Lies
Big Little Lies is a drama-filled mini-series that follows the lives of five women in an affluent Californian town and centers on someone getting murdered at a school function. Although the show doesn’t center on a family, it does center on these women who have a shared experience and have to try to keep the secret of what truly happened the night of the murder.
Each woman also has to make sure everyone else is keeping the secret or they could all find themselves in trouble. There are lies and deception and drama throughout, which makes it a great show for a Succession fan.
Bloodline
Bloodline centers on the Rayburn family who, at first, seem like a typical contemporary and close-knit family, but it’s quickly revealed that there are a lot of secrets and demons within the Rayburn family.
The family tends to take sides and make alliances, similar to Succession, and as the lies build up the seemingly good characters are forced to do terrible things. The Rayburns might not be well-known everywhere, but they’re a pillar in their Floridian community and have to keep up appearances as their family is slowly destroyed under the surface.
House Of Lies
House of Lies follows a close-knit group of corporate consultants who pride themselves on playing their clients and getting the biggest paycheck they can.
The show has characters almost completely devoid of any morality or ethics and although a dynasty family might not be the center of it, the group themselves is somewhat of a family and everyone wants to impress the boss (Don Cheadle). It’s a quick-witted show with a lot of cursing, insults, and characters that would fit into the world of Succession.
Billions
As the title suggests, the show deals with money and the people chasing it. Its characters undergo turbulent trials just like the increasingly turbulent financial market it’s set against.
Billions stars Paul Giamatti as a US attorney who’s determined to bring down an ambitious hedge fund manager (Damian Lewis) who often secures high returns through aggressive (and borderline illegal) methods. There is a lot of melodrama and third-act maneuvers to keep viewers hooked while mirroring real-life prosecutions by federal agencies on similar financial crimes.
Empire
Make Succession soapier and add a musical angle to it (both literally and thematically) and you’ll get Empire. While the recent seasons seem to be losing track, the show that boosted Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson’s career is still a very engaging and entertaining look into family politics.
In this case, a music industry tycoon pits each of his sons against each other to fight for his so-called ‘empire’. To raise the stakes, his ex-wife also enters the scene, planning to reclaim the empire for herself.
Arrested Development
A classic sitcom from the 2000s, Arrest Development made use of mockumentary gags and clichés way before shows like The Office. Jason Bateman stars as Michael Bluth, the loyal, warm-hearted son of a wealthy family that really needs lessons in financing.
To save his bankrupt family and balance his gullible, simpleton siblings, he embarks on various misadventures. Even for family sitcom standards, Arrested Development is a cut above the rest that makes use of satire, physical comedy, a brilliant voice-over narration by Ron Howard, and some really meta-elements. The tone does shift a little later, but the first three seasons make for essential viewing.
Ozark
Jason Bateman embarks in financial and family troubles yet again in this dark Netflix drama that deals with a family dragged in a perpetual web of money laundering and alliances with criminals while living in the shady town at the Ozarks.
Viewers would argue that the character of Ruth is the heart of Ozark. While the free-spirited teen character does stand out, Bateman and Laura Linney’s as a troubled couple add more depth in this slow-burning drama. The husband-wife duo engages in financial crimes together while trying their best to be good role models for their children as in the end, they’re just a bunch of good people.
The Crown
It’s obvious that in the pantheon of family dramas, The Crown will find its place. The show chronicles the early rise and struggles of Queen Elizabeth II until the modern day. As the United Kingdom’s monarchical nature changes, so do the perception of the Queen. Along with diplomatic tussles, she has to tolerate the royal drama at Buckingham.
Rather than over-glorifying its lead character, Peter Morgan’s show tries to be as accurate as possible giving an inside look into the Queen’s life as a human rather than a head of state. Her personal politics and relationships are also given enough room without making it all forced.
The Loudest Voice
A major plot point in Succession involves a case of sexual harassment in Logan Roy’s business empire that’s kept under wraps to protect business interests. It goes on to show the extent to which powerful individuals go to shush cases of blatant harassment.
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, several such cases came to light. Roger Ailes, an executive who was monumental in the rise of Fox News, similarly turned out to be a serial harasser. Russell Crowe stars in this Showtime miniseries describing the rise and fall of this media mogul.
Dynasty
Dynasty does share similarities with Succession, but rather than focusing on just one uber-rich family, it features two. The competitive clash of Carringtons and Colbys is a reboot of the show of the same name from the 80s.
Told from the perspectives of two women from the opposite sides, Dynasty leaves no stone unturned in displaying the glitz and the glam of the wealthy families while also exposing the corruption that goes into building these riches. And then in the manner of a reality show, Dynasty also has its fair share of guilty pleasures, such as romantic entanglements and family betrayals.
The Sopranos
Renowned as one of the finest shows ever made, The Sopranos explores familiar themes from classic gangster films but dissects them with more finesse and detail. The anti-hero is Tony Soprano, the patriarch of the titular Italian-American gangster family who opens up to his therapist about the struggles of balancing his life as a mafioso and a family man.
In its six seasons, it transforms into a journey of violence and then self-reflection, and guilt that accompanies it. The Sopranos makes for a perfect recommendation for audiences that crave more substance than style in the gangster genre.
Downton Abbey
Set in a fictional British estate during the 1910s and 20s, Downton Abbey depicts the life of an aristocratic family and their servants. As the world around them undergoes drastic historical changes, their own way of life also gets affected.
Apart from the historical story, the show benefits from a terrific ensemble led by stalwarts like Maggie Smith and Hugh Bonneville. A recent film of the same name accompanies the narrative and is equally good.
Mad Men
Another show that serves as a period drama, as well as a look inside the media agency, is the Jon Hamm-starred Mad Men. The highly-acclaimed series describes the trials and tribulations that advertising executive Don Draper faces in an American timeline stretching from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Mad Men has ended its run but the show is still highly recommended to date, having ushered in a neo-Golden Age of Television in the 21st century. Despite its title, the show has also been lauded by some for its non-tokenistic feminism.
