26 shows similar to Game of Thrones to watch next
By Daniel Roman
25. Succession
Editor Dan Selcke popping in here to write a slide about Succession, because there’s no way we can have an article about shows similar to Game of Thrones without mentioning HBO’s highest profile current hit.
At first, Succession may not look like it has much in common with Game of Thrones beyond the fact that it’s on the same network. The milieu is certainly different; GoT was set in a fictionalized version of medieval times whereas Succession is up to the minute, exploring the boardrooms and luxury estates of the superrich as they try to gain and keep power.
But that’s where you start to see the parallels. Game of Thrones was about a group of powerful people trying to bite and crawl grasp to stay on top, and Succession is about the exact same thing; they’ve just traded out gowns and doublets for slinky dresses and three-piece suits. Game of Thrones worked as a metaphor for our current age, with gilded monarchs playing their lofty games while the people on the ground suffered. Succession depicts the real thing.
Admittedly, it doesn’t have the sprawl of Game of Thrones. While that show covered various characters spread out over vast distances, Succession focuses mainly on the Roy family, who operate the Fox News-like Waystar Royco media empire. Patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox) is giving signs that he’s stepping down, and everyone wants to inherit his throne. The conflicts get very real and very ugly very fast, as we see how the combination of unbridled privilege and Logan’s questionable parenting has warped his children, who may lust for power because they want it, because they’ve been conditioned to, or maybe just to please daddy. It’s kind of like Game of Thrones if it focused purely on the Lannister household, and maybe it should’ve, since they were always the best part anyway.
The show also has that familiar HBO coat of polish. The writing is sharp, the performances are nuanced, and the production values are excellent. The first two seasons are available to watch on HBO and HBO Max, and a third is currently airing.