Despite an errant Starbucks cup and a finale that has since been described by its director as “rushed”, when Game of Thrones (GoT) ended its eight-season run in May this year it was the biggest television show in the world. Now, though, it seems there could be another HBO show on its way to TV’s big league: the bolshy yet biting thriller Succession, which follows a string of morally misguided media scions somewhere between the Trumps, the Murdochs and Tatler.
The show is full of 2019 hallmarks, from fake news and corruption to “stealth wealth” dressing. With a second season that notched the tension up week on week – and was sealed with a twist in a finale that aired in the UK on Monday – the show has gained serious ground, and looks as though it could be the next “event TV” hit.
Although its ratings aren’t on a par with those afforded to Jon Snow and co, Jesse Armstrong’s series is steadily building its fanbase, with 1.2 million viewers tuning into its season two premiere in the US, a 32% rise since its season one finale. That is some way off the 11.6 million viewers season two of GoT was averaging an episode across all platforms, but Succession is clearly on the up: like GoT, it received two Emmys for its second season (albeit with slightly fewer nominations).
The Succession team took home gongs for outstanding writing and for the show’s theme music, by the composer Nicholas Britell (another reason to take note: it has racked up 400,000 plays and counting on YouTube, launched umpteen memes and prompted an official remix by the rapper Pusha T). Compared with GoT, it is a clear win; the first celeb collaboration in Westeros was the Snow Patrol singer Gary Lightbody.
Yet the main quality that gives Succession big GoT potential is its brilliance. The second season finale – which saw loose ends made looser, family loyalties tested and Logan Roy (Brian Cox) choose a “blood sacrifice” – was perhaps the equivalent of GoT’s Red Wedding, a high-point for drama but also maybe the last time to get on the bandwagon before this show goes into overdrive. With season three already commissioned, let’s just hope Logan doesn’t invite Ed Sheeran on his next yacht trip.
