From 'Billions' to 'The White Lotus', these shows are equally as dramatic.
15 Addictive TV Shows to Watch Now That ’Succession’ Is Over
From 'Billions' to 'The White Lotus', these shows are equally as dramatic.
There’s something addictive about Succession, isn’t there? The lifestyles of the (super) rich and the (in)famous make for such a fascinating television show. Over the years we’ve become truly obsessed with watching The Roys – a truly awful family, but that’s what makes them so intriguing to watch on-screen.
To our dismay, the Succession series has come to an end. If like us, you’re searching for more series with a similar vibe, we have a few suggestions for you!
1. Billions
Where to watch: Stan
This is an obvious one, and yet, a good place to start. There have been six seasons of this bougie, sexy finance drama about two Wall Street tycoons locked in a battle with each other to be top dog. Starring Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis, it’s eminently watchable and has the same slick energy as Succession.
2. Industry
Where to watch: Binge
The cutthroat element of Succession is at play in Industry, an HBO miniseries about a group of graduates all fighting for a job at one of London’s top investment banks. And just like Succession, there is a dark vein to the storylines, which makes this more than just a glossy workplace drama.
3. Yellowstone
Where to watch: Stan
We’ve said it once, we’ll say it again: Yellowstone is just Succession but on a ranch. Like Billions, there are a couple of seasons of this series to sink your teeth into, all following the Dutton family as they fend off enemies looking to take over their prestigious Yellowstone ranch. Kevin Costner leads a stellar cast in this juicy series.
4. The Loudest Voice
Where to watch: Stan
Succession is reportedly based on the Murdoch family, led by media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, who presides over a newspaper and television empire that includes Fox News. The latter is the focus of The Loudest Voice, a miniseries about the true story of Roger Ailes, founder of the network who was later accused of sexual harassment. And this show has a pretty amazing cast: Russell Crowe, Sienna Miller, Naomi Watts, Annabelle Wallis, Josh Charles, and more.
5. Ozark
Where to watch: Netflix
For three seasons, and with a fourth coming in January 2022, Ozark has followed the fortunes of a financial advisor exiled to the Ozarks and asked to launder half a billion dollars in order to satisfy a mob boss. Jason Bateman, Laura Linney and Julia Garner star in this series, which has a similar tone to Succession, balancing bleakness with moments of comedy.
6. The Great
Where to watch: Stan
If you were drawn into the power struggle element of Succession, you might want to try The Great. The series was created by the Australian screenwriter of The Favourite and follows a young Catherine the Great (Elle Fanning) as she attempts to wrestle the crown from her feckless husband Peter (Nichols Hoult). It’s funny, too, and with a second season coming to Stan this month, you’ll have plenty of episodes to binge.
7. Bloodline
Where to watch: Netflix
Bloodline remains one of Netflix’s most prestigious shows, an early original that helped launch the streaming platform into the realm of serious television players. Starring Kyle Chandler and Ben Mendelsohn, the series followed a prodigal son who returned to his respected family, determined to expose the secrets within their past. Juicy stuff for those who love the sibling drama of Succession.
8. The Morning Show
Where to watch: AppleTV+
Sometimes it’s easy to forget, what with all the family feuding and big money on display, that Succession is also a television show about the news business. Some of the most fascinating scenes from over the years have involved the media antics of Waystar Royco: the buying of Vaulter, the tousles with the Pearce family, their rivals in the newspaper business, the behind-the-scenes window into ATN, their television network. You get all of that and more in Morning Wars, AppleTV+’s seriously star-studded vehicle, led by Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, as news anchors steering a rocky ship.
9. The White Lotus
Where to watch: Binge
Nastiness is part and parcel of Succession’s schtick, and if the awful antics of rich people are what you can’t get enough of with this show, try The White Lotus. It’s basically Succession on vacation, except the focus is both on the very wealthy at play in Hawaii and Siciliy, and the service industry workers drafted in to keep them happy. It’s a chillingly precise satire that will make you cringe and laugh in equal measures.
10. Inventing Anna
Where can I watch it? On Netflix
Netflix’s adaptation of the Anna Delvey scandal – the grifter heiress who swindled hotels in New York, and her friends, out of their money and was exposed by an article in New York magazine – is the perfect follow up to Succession. Both operate in the same high society worlds and both offer a glimpse into how the other half lives. But just like Cousin Greg, who always feels like he’s on the outside looking in to the Roy family, Anna isn’t quite as part of the world as she thinks she is, and it makes for compelling viewing.
11. Arrested Development
Where can I watch it? On Disney+
If you love Succession for the family dynamics and the interactions between brothers and sisters and their parents, you need to watch Arrested Development. There is some class and wealth discussion in this series too, which makes for interesting post-Succession viewing, but what people are really drawn to is the comedy by creator Mitchell Hurwitz. The biting one liners give off big Succession energy. It’s some of the best family bickering we’ve ever seen.
12. Veep
Where can I watch it? On Binge
For seven seasons, Veep was one of the best shows on television, charting the sometimes ridiculous and always entertaining political career of Vice President Selina Meyer, played to perfection by Julia Louis Dreyfuss. The show is a satire of the halls of power that has the same comedic timing and pace as Succession and no wonder, given one of the key writers on Veep was Georgia Pritchett, who is also a writer and producer on Succession. Enjoy.
13. The Crown
Where can I watch it? On Netflix
A dynasty looking for its successor. Family relationships that are broken down. Wealth, class and money colliding. If you think we’re talking about Succession, you’d be right. But we’re also talking about The Crown. Yes, that’s correct, The Crown and Succession are more similar than you think. Both are about a toxic family looking to secure its dynastical position in a world that is increasingly viewing their kind as dinosaurs. The stakes in both shows are high: a billion dollar fortune and media power in Succession, the entire United Kingdom in The Crown. And especially in the more recent seasons, The Crown starts to cover notions of media intrusion and privacy that gel quite well with some of the themes in Succession.
14. The Newsroom
Where can I watch it? Binge
The fast-talking media world comedy of Succession is amplified in The Newsroom, an award-winning drama from legendary screenwriter Aaron Sorkin set inside the high octane world of a cable news outlet. This fictional news show, hosted by an anchor played by Jeff Daniels, is less like Succession’s Fox News stand-in ATN – the network presided over in the show by Matthew McFadyen’s Tom – and more like CNN, but there is a lot to gain from a comparison between the two and how they approach the notion of reporting the news to the public. With three season and a cast including Emily Mortimer, Olivia Munn, Dev Patel and more, it’s well worth a watch.
15. Peep Show
Where can I watch it? On ABC iView
If you love Succession but haven’t seen creator Jesse Armstrong’s original show, the awkward British buddy comedy Peep Show, now is your chance. All episodes are available on ABC iView and make for the same kind of squirmingly uncomfortable comedic viewing as Succession. This is the show where Armstrong, a satirical genius, really honed his voice and became the hilarious, yet challenging, writer that he is today. And though Peep Show is more about the relationships between two friends and roommates than it is about a sprawling media mogul empire, you’ll recognise more than a few similarities between the two, especially in the characters of Cousin Greg and Tom Wambsgams. Plus, it’s one of Olivia Colman’s earliest roles, so a chance to see her before she became the beloved Oscar-winning superstar she is now.
