The hit series satirising a billionaire media family is toned-down compared with the true stories of the Murdochs and Redstones
As HBO’s acclaimed satire Succession begins its fourth and final season this week, fans will be asking: “How will it all end?” The story of the machiavellian media mogul Logan Roy, played so menacingly by Brian Cox, and his power-hungry children has been must-see viewing for anyone interested in the machinations of high-profile billionaires and their damaged families.
Said to be inspired by the dramas of media dynasties like the Murdochs and the Redstones, Succession has been justly lionised for its biting wit and savage characterisations. But what has been more overlooked is that the show’s creators, led by Briton Jesse Armstrong, have envisioned a credible world of superrich movers and shakers by scaling down the action from the operatic behaviour of real-world counterparts.
