Succession

Succession is a critically-acclaimed TV series that dives into the intricated world of wealth, power and family dynamics. Created by Jessie Armstrong, the show premiered in 2018 and has since captivated audiences.

Set in the high-stakes corporate world, Succession follows the lives of the Roy family, the owners of Waystar Royco, one of the world’s largest media and entertainment conglomerates. The series centres around the power struggle within the family as Logan Roy, head of Waystar Royco and patriarch of the family, battles with declining health and each of his four grown children follow a personal agenda to seek control of the company.

The Roy family is characterised by their immense wealth, influence and ambition. Logan, played by Brian Cox, is a ruthless businessman who will stop at nothing to protect his empire. His four adult children: Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), Roman (Kieran Culkin), and Connor (Alan Ruck), compete for their father’s approval and to become the successor of the company.

Kendall appears ambitious but as the heir apparent, he struggles with addiction and the weight of his father’s expectations. Shiv, the only daughter, is a career-driven political consultant who wants to make her mark in the male-dominated world of business. Roman, the youngest son, is unpredictable and has a crass demeanour which renders him an unsuitable candidate at first glance. Connor, Logan’s eldest son from his first marriage, is an idealist who lives a detached life, largely removed from the family business.

Throughout the series, we follow the Roy family as the power struggle intensifies, alliances are created and broken, and the characters’ true motivations are revealed.

Where can I watch Succession?

Succession is exclusively available on Sky Atlantic, with all four seasons available to watch now. The fourth and final series ended in May 2023, and can be watched on demand now. Succession is not available to watch on Netflix and can only be watched on Sky in the UK.

Will there be a Season 5?

In short, no. There will not be a season five of Succession. The show runner, Jesse Armstrong, announced last year that all of those involved in the series feel that now is the right time for the saga of the Roy family to end.

In an interview with The New Yorker ahead of the premiere of Succession season four, Jessie Armstrong said:

“You know, there’s a promise in the title of “Succession.” I’ve never thought this could go on forever. The end has always been kind of present in my mind. From Season 2, I’ve been trying to think: Is it the next one, or the one after that, or is it the one after that? I got together with a few of my fellow-writers before we started the writing of Season 4, in about November, December, 2021, and I sort of said, “Look, I think this maybe should be it. But what do you think?”

And we played out various scenarios: We could do a couple of short seasons, or two more seasons. Or we could go on for ages and turn the show into something rather different, and be a more rangy, freewheeling kind of fun show, where there would be good weeks and bad weeks. Or we could do something a bit more muscular and complete, and go out sort of strong. And that was definitely always my preference.”

Award wins

To date, Succession has won 103 awards and received 185 nominations. From Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series (2020, 2022) to the BAFTA for Best International Series (2019), the show has picked up a lot of trophies over the years.

Could Succession secure a major awards sweep for its fourth and final season? We’ll have to wait and see!

What is the age rating?

Succession is suitable only for 15 years and over, due to the use of profanity, sexual references and scenes of a sensitive nature.

How many episodes are there?

In total, there are 39 episodes of Succession. Season one and two were both 10 episodes long, with season three being slighter shorter with only nine episodes. Season four spans 10 episodes.