10 shows to fill the ‘Succession’ shaped hole in your life

As Succession comes to a dramatic conclusion, millions of fans of the HBO drama comedy about the dysfunctional, ultra-rich Roy family will be left floundering on Sunday evenings, wondering what to watch. While nothing can quite replace the exact brand of awe and awkwardness that Jesse Armstrong’s series inspires, there are plenty of great shows you can use to wean yourself off of Logan and co. From other intense HBO dramas about rich, messed up families, to twenty-two minute comedies about the idiocy of those in power, here’s 10 shows to fill the Succession shaped hole in your life.

Mad Men 

This critically acclaimed show about a top agency during the golden age of advertising is more drama than comedy, but still has its funny moments and deals with similar themes to Succession. It follows a whole cast of characters led by the charismatic yet brooding Don Draper (Jon Hamm), who begins the series as the creative director at New York ad firm Sterling Cooper. Throughout Mad Men, we see personal and business mixing, and lots of highly charged, important meetings between powerful people. Then there’s the backstabbing, drama, and great character arcs that make you love someone one minute and despise them the next. A brilliant series that won plenty of justified awards, there’s no doubt fans of Succession will find something to love about Mad Men.

Billions

Terrible rich people doing bad things? Check. Often illegal business moves? Check. Billions certainly ticks a lot of the Succession boxes, although it’s lacking the laugh out loud moments and awkward banter of the latter. It follows a New York attorney named Chuck Roades (Paul Giamatti) who goes after a famous hedge fund manager and philanthropist named Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Damian Lewis), a man with little regard for the rules. This high stakes battle of wits has characters that are much more competent than the Roys and their ilk, but both shows are excellent at creating a real sense of tension, and the subject matters often overlap. Billions has already had a six season run, and there’s a seventh on the way, so there’s a lot more to burn through – perfect if you’re missing the Roys.

The White Lotus

This dark comedy anthology series takes aim at the ultra wealthy and class disparity in a way that echoes some of Succession’s themes, while also blending drama and humor in a similar way. There have been two seasons of this show about a chain of ultra luxurious hotels called “The White Lotus,” with the first being set in Hawaii and the second in Sicily (only Jennifer Coolidge returned, which makes sense as she’s amazing). Fans of Succession will also enjoy White Lotus’s unbelievably beautiful scenery and phenomenal aesthetic, which in itself makes the show worth staring at. However, while Succession feels very high stakes, White Lotus, because it’s in a holiday setting, feels more contained and less epic – even with all the ostentatious wealth on display. Still a great show, though.

Peep Show 

The show that made Jesse Armstrong famous in his native Britain but hasn’t quite made it to America, this sitcom is known for having the same incredibly stilted, awkward humor and cut-to-the-bone realness of Succession, although thanks to its setting and characters, can never be as high stakes. Peep Show follows the lives of Mark (David Mitchell) and Jez (Robert Webb), university friends who live together in Croydon, a commuting suburb of London. Mark is buttoned up and repressed, while Jez is a free spirit and freeloader, and their odd couple dynamic combined with a brilliant supporting cast (Oscar winner Olivia Coleman is a series regular) makes this comedy truly hilarious. The name of the show comes from the fact we’re almost always seeing the action from a character’s perspective, and sometimes that means awkward kisses and sexual escapades. Cringey, funny, brilliant: if you can deal with Kendall rapping at Logan’s birthday, you might just love Peep Show.

Veep 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus stars as the vice (and eventual) president in this brilliant, foul-mouthed political comedy. It makes sense that Veep might remind people of Succession because of the potty humor, but also because Jesse Armstrong previously worked with Veep’s creator Armando Iannucci on the British comedy series The Thick of It. Armstrong even helped to write the first episode of Veep, but aside from that connection and the swearing the two shows have a lot more in common. There’s the ridiculousness and pomp of power, and the general incompetence of those who wield it. With that said, Veep is a pure comedy, missing the heavy, tear-inducing drama that’s present in Succession. But if you want to laugh so hard you’ll cry, you’ll love this series.

The Sopranos 

One thing people often forget about The Sopranos is just how damn funny it is. Amidst the brutality there’s slapstick, wordplay, and situational humor. And, all the while, some violence that will shock you to your core. So, in that sense, The Sopranos and Succession have that ability to veer effortlessly between comedy and drama in common. We’re not the only people who see these as two shows in a television pod, either: Matthew MacFadyen has pointed out how similar this iconic HBO series about a mob boss who goes to therapy and Succession are, because both, at their heart, are about family dysfunction. With that said, Tony and his mob men, for the occasional laugh we get out of them, are genuinely terrifying, whereas the refined business leaders of Succession don’t quite carry the same menace – except for maybe Logan.

Yellowstone 

A powerful family trying to maintain control over their vast empire as petty squabbles threaten to tear it all apart? No, we’re not talking about Succession, but Yellowstone, the series about the Dutton family who own the vast Dutton Ranch (the largest in Montana), which lies right in the heart of Broken Rock Indian Reservation. The show follows their attempts to navigate various conflicts with those surrounding their land, including property developers and the Native population, all while weaving us through the twisted Dutton family history. While there’s lots of high stakes and tension, laughs are a little hard to come by (but not completely missing) in this compelling family drama. 

Empire 

This show about a New York-based hip hop mogul and his family has all the intrigue and scheming of Succession, as well as showing off the trappings of the absurdly wealthy like the series about the Roy family does. It follows Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard), the CEO of Empire Entertainment who is told that he has ALS, and doesn’t have that long to live. As a result, Lucious has to decide which of his kin will end up controlling his vast entertainment company once he passes. To make things more interesting, his ex-wife Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson) is released from prison and uses her sons to try and gain control of the company for herself. A truly engaging watch with engrossing plots and great acting, it’s not quite as funny as Succession, but will suck you in all the same.

Club de Cuervos

A lot of these lists mention La Casa de las Flores as similar to Succession, but we think its fellow Mexican show Club de Cuervos deserves the comparison instead. Cuervos follows the Iglesias family of Nuevo Toledo after the patriarch dies, leaving his young, brash son in charge of a football club and various other business interests. His much more competent half-sister is left trying to mediate the damage he does, all while their father’s much younger widow claims she’s pregnant with the deceased’s child. It leans into its humor a lot, but there are also more intense moments, and the messed up, rich family dynamic will strike a chord with Succession viewers.

The Righteous Gemstones

This dark comedy about a family of huckster preachers and megachurch owners very much scratches the Succession itch. With constant laughs alongside intriguing plots and plenty of drama, The Righteous Gemstones also gets to the heart of one of America’s biggest scams – no, not capitalism, but the prosperity gospel. A wider tale of American greed set around one family: there’s a reason why fans of Succession will see a lot of good in this show.