Succession is a satirical black comedy-drama that follows the Roy family, the owners of Waystar RoyCo., who vie for control of the company after learning that they might be losing their patriarch.
On his 80th Birthday, the CEO of Waystar Co., Logan Roy suffers from a massive stroke. While he recovers, his kids are left to speculate who should run the company when he is not around.
Succession, as a show, brings an ultimate dysfunction in a wealthy family backed by sick characters and a strong cast. Comprised of similar family dynamics, power struggles, and hunger for wealth, here are 8 shows like Succession you should watch.
1. Yellowstone (2018 – 2023)
Available on: Prime Video
Cast: Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Gil Birmingham
Yellowstone follows the lives of the Dutton Family, the owners of the largest ranch in Montana, the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, and the drama that ensues among themselves and with those across the borders of the ranch.
The ranch is constantly under attack either by land developers or a community called the Broken Rock Reservation, which is against the borders created.
The dynamics of the Roy family and the Dutton family are quite similar, the only difference is that the Dutton family owns a ranch that provides for them.
2. Billions (2016 – Present)
Available on: Showtime
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis, Maggie Siff, Wendy Rhoades, Malin Åkerman
Billions chronicles the clash between hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod and United States Attorney Chuck Rhoades in the world of finance.
Axelrod’s urge to earn as much as he can often lead him to use illegal ways to accumulate wealth. Rhoades, who is yet to lose a case, takes note of Axelrod’s career and vows to send him behind the bars.
The only difference between Billions and Succession is that there are no wealthy families over here. The show takes place in New York, just like Succession, and is comprised of characters that are wealthy, but they battle in the world of finance.
3. The Righteous Gemstones (2019 – Present)
Available on: HBO Max
Cast: Danny McBride, John Goodman, Edi Patterson, Adam DeVine, Cassidy Freeman, Tony Cavalero, Tim Baltz, Skyler Gisondo, and Walton Goggins.
The Righteous Gemstones follows a family of televangelists comprised of the family patriarch Eli Gemstone and his three children, Jesse, Judy, and Kelvin. The family enjoys a luxurious life thanks to church donations from their megachurches, which they wish to expand.
Internationally, they are beloved and appear as an ideal Christian family, but behind the scenes, they are involved in power struggles, internal strife, and scandals.
4. Empire (2015 – 2020)
Available on: Hulu
Cast: Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, Bryshere Y. Gray, Jussie Smollett, Trai Byers
When Lucious Lyon, the CEO of Empire Entertainment, a Hip-Hop record label, learns about his imminent early death from ALS, he starts taking desperate decisions regarding his company, including who will succeed him from among his three sons.
In order to figure out the same, he pits his sons, Empire CFO Andre, singer-songwriter Jamal, and rapper Hakeem against each other. The wild card is his ex-wife, who also seeks to take over the company.
Much like Succession, Empire also carries the drama of who will succeed the family patriarch. Empire comes out as a soap opera that is packed with strong performances, music, immense character development, and an intriguing plot.
5. Dynasty (2017 – 2022)
Available on: Netflix
Cast: Elizabeth Gillies, Grant Show, Nathalie Kelley, James Mackay, Robert Christopher Riley, Sam Adegoke, Rafael de la Fuente, Alan Dale
Dynasty is a modern reboot of the 1980s classic soap-opera drama of the same name. It follows the wealthy Carrington family and their struggles to attain fortune one way or another, which sees them betraying and fighting with each other.
The drama begins when Fallon and Steven learn that their billionaire father Blake is engaged to Cristal, an employee of their family company. The arrival of more members of the Carrington family, each with their own agenda, disrupts the peace within the family.
Dynasty can be dubbed a guilty pleasure owing to how soapy it is, but one can’t deny that it retains the family drama that resembles the one that is in Succession, and the show is just funny in a more awkward but enjoyable way.
6. Bloodline (2015 – 2017)
Available on: Netflix
Cast: Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn, Linda Cardellini, Norbert Leo Butz, Jacinda Barrett, Jamie McShane, Enrique Murciano, Sam Shepard, Sissy Spacek, Katie Finneran, John Leguizamo, Andrea Riseborough, Chloë Sevigny
Bloodline follows the story of the Rayburns, whose lives fall apart when the black sheep of their family, Danny, returns for the 45th anniversary of their parents’ seaside hotel, the Rayburn House.
Robert, the father of Danny and his siblings, is reluctant to have him back, but he leaves this decision in the hands of his kids and Danny’s younger siblings, John, Kevin, and Meg, who agree not to let Danny back into their lives.
A family tragedy allows Danny to find his place at home, and dark secrets surrounding the family also start to unravel gradually.
7. The White Lotus (2021 – 2023)
Available on: HBO Max
Cast: Murray Bartlett, Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Fred Hechinger, Jake Lacy, Brittany O’Grady, Natasha Rothwell, Molly Shannon, Sydney Sweeney, Steve Zahn
The White Lotus follows different groups of eccentric and affluent characters that go on vacation to different White Lotus resorts during the two seasons of the show.
The relaxed vacation promises to reveal the dark truths of the guests, the staff, and the locale by the end of the weekend. Originally, The White Lotus was considered a six-episode mini-series. The show’s success saw HBO renewing the show for a second consecutive season.
8. House of the Dragon (2022 – 2023)
Available on: HBO Max
Cast: Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Milly Alcock, Olivia Cooke, Emily Carey
King Viserys I Targaryen loses his wife, Queen Aemma, during childbirth and also the hopes of having a male heir to his throne. Traditionally, the throne goes to the King’s brother, but no one in the council trusts or sees Visersy’s notorious brother, Daemon, as fit to rule the kingdom.
King Viserys breaks centuries of tradition to name his daughter, Rhaenyra, as his heir. After being told that the crown is vulnerable with no male heir, King Viserys marries Rhaenyra’s friend, Alicent Hightower, to bear a son.
The decision affects Rhaenyra’s morale and, at the same time, sows seeds for an event that the world will later call the ‘Dance of the Dragons’, where Rhaenyra, Alicent, and Daemon all seek to sit on the Iron Throne.
House of the Dragon is a prequel to HBO’s fan-favorite series Game of Thrones and is set 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen.
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