12 Best TV Shows Like HBO's Succession

HBO's "Succession" walks a fine line between multiple genres. Regardless of whether it's classified as a drama, black comedy, or corporate satire, the central story is a power struggle for control of the Waystar RoyCo empire. When Logan Roy's (Brian Cox) health takes a nosedive, the floodgates of opportunity open for his family members who clamor to become the top dog of the global conglomerate. Some of his relatives fight the temptation to join the boardroom battle at first, but the allure of power proves to be too strong in the end, as they turn on each other for personal and professional glory.

"Succession" traps its viewers in its web of intrigue due to the ruthlessness and selfishness of its characters. Now, these aren't simply professional rivals competing for a top job; they're family who are ready to risk it all for their own insatiable greed and ambition. In the end, they'll look at each other and say, "It's just business. It isn't personal," though they ensure their attacks come fully loaded with deeply intimate and sharp insults to cut extra deep. Seriously, "Succession" features some of the worst people ever.

Since the series only ran for four seasons, viewers should breeze through the episodes fairly quickly. What then? Well, if you enjoy the dysfunctional Roys and their backstabbing antics, here are 12 other TV shows like "Succession."

Over six seasons, "Empire" showcases a power struggle that wouldn't feel out of place on "Succession." Instead of Waystar Royco, the company here is Empire Entertainment, which is run by music mogul Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard). The show begins with Lucious receiving an ALS diagnosis, which means that he has only a few years to live. So Lucious turns to his three sons — Andre Lyon (Trai Byers), Jamal (Jussie Smollett), and Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray) — to see who will be fit to run the company and continue his legacy after he's gone. Matters become further complicated after Lucious' wife, Cookie (Taraji P. Henson), is released from prison after serving a 17-year sentence and lays her own claim to the throne.

Lucious from "Empire" shares a lot of qualities with Logan Roy from "Succession." Both are narcissists who view themselves as the only people fit to run their empire. In addition, they find no shame in pitting their children against each other in an effort to prove who is hungrier and more determined to lead the company. While they might believe this is a perfect example of survival of the fittest, which is fundamental in the cutthroat world of business, it's also the quickest way to destroy a family from within.

"Game of Thrones" sees a number of houses fighting for who is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne and control of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Each house harbors its own ambition and claim, but others work behind the scenes to influence their desired outcomes and peddle disinformation and dissent. Needless to say, there exists a lot of treachery and double-crossing in this HBO show across eight seasons, as the appeal of absolute power corrupts all those who dream of attaining it.

If you take away the dragons, White Walkers, and questionable romantic relationships between siblings, "Succession" is basically the boardroom version of "Game of Thrones." No one can be trusted on this show, as every person possesses suspicious motives and demonstrates the lengths they're prepared to go to in order to get what they want.

Look at Matthew Macfadyen's Tom Wambsgans, for instance. This sycophantic bootlicker loves to warm up to those in power and whisper in various ears, maneuvering in the shadows to look after himself and to build his own castle. As a matter of fact, he's a lot like the manipulative Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen), aka Littlefinger, from "Game of Thrones." The only difference is that Littlefinger gets his comeuppance, while Tom actually turns out to be the biggest winner at the end of "Succession."

Look, the Gemstone children aren't quite as nefarious and sociopathic as the Roys. Jesse (Danny McBride), Kelvin (Adam DeVine), and Judy (Edi Patterson) are selfish, petulant, and highly immature, but there's still a lot of love between them and for their father, Eli (John Goodman), in their own unique way. Whereas on "Succession"... well, let's say those knives are always sharpened to stick in as many backs as possible.

Told through a comedic lens, "The Righteous Gemstones" centers around the world of televangelism. The Gemstones hold a firm grasp on the market due to the national popularity of their megachurch and ever-expanding business operations. The Gemstone children seem happy to let Eli take the lead and be the central figure — just as long as they're able to reap the financial rewards and clout that come with being Gemstones.

Like the Roys, though, the Gemstones possess a complicated family history. Throughout the show's four seasons, revelations surface of how the Gemstones came to achieve prominence as preachers. While the Roys grow further apart as "Succession" continues, the opposite is true of the Gemstones. By the end of "The Righteous Gemstones," the family finds itself in a better situation than when viewers first encountered them.

"Succession" doesn't spend a lot of time inside Logan Roy's head. Instead, the audience finds out more about the patriarch of the family through his actions (and outbursts), but who the real Logan is — the actual man beneath the bluff and bluster — remains an enigma. James Gandolfini's Tony Soprano chooses to be more open about the struggles he experiences, both personally and professionally. Perhaps it's something that Logan could have learned a thing or two about, rather than carry all that anger and resentment inside of him. Sure, Tony isn't a traditional CEO; he's a mobster — but the lifestyle still takes a toll on him and his family. And this is the journey that the audience takes with the character, uncovering more about what makes Tony tick, his relationship with his family, and the pitfalls of his controversial career choice.

Much like "Succession," "The Sopranos" boasts exquisite writing that develops its characters beyond the surface level or merely servicing the plot progression. Even the auxiliary characters receive their own development that furthers the audience's understanding of them. In turn, this transforms the six seasons of the show into a rich and rewarding viewing experience. Unsurprisingly, the Writers Guild named "The Sopranos" the best-written TV show of all time.

In the '60s, the world of advertising was much different than what it is now. Madison Avenue in Manhattan, New York, was the pinnacle of creativity, as advertising agencies kickstarted a revolution that every creative wanted to be a part of. In "Mad Men," Sterling Cooper is the bustling Manhattan-based agency where the dreams of people, such as Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), and Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), either come true or are shattered.

"Mad Men" isn't short on betrayals and power plays, as people's ambitions outweigh their sense of morality. Across seven seasons, numerous professional and personal lives are ruined due to the actions of characters demanding more for themselves at the cost of others. Case in point: Pete, who might be a strong contender for the worst office colleague of all time, but an absolutely stellar management stooge who'd slot right into any modern corporate structure.

While the backstabbing in "Succession" comes across as much more personal due to the characters being related to each other, "Mad Men" knows how to infuriate the viewer and have them screaming at the TV because of someone's actions. How many times can someone watch a show and say, "I expected better from you, Don"?

To put it bluntly, "Sons of Anarchy" is a family drama centered around a motorcycle gang. Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) serves as one of the members of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original (SAMCRO), an organization founded by his late father. Now, it's run by Jax's stepfather, Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman), with whom Jax has a good relationship until he starts to disagree with Clay about what SAMCRO stands for and the business it conducts. As a new father, Jax struggles with the loyalty to his motorcycle family and living a better life for his son and building a relationship with his high school sweetheart, Tara Knowles (Maggie Siff). Thrown into the mix is Jax's complicated relationship with his mother, Gemma (Katey Sagal), whose desire for control upends Jax's entire life.

The level of betrayal in "Sons of Anarchy" might even outstrip what happens in "Succession." The Roys are devious and conniving, but it's nothing like the extremes that someone like Gemma goes to in order to prevent her son from leaving SAMCRO or making his own decisions without her. Be warned, though: "Sons of Anarchy" is a show that will break a viewer's heart, because there reaches a point in this seven-season run that everyone knows a happy ending is impossible here.

While there are two iterations of "Dynasty," the one that's more like HBO's "Succession" is the 2017 reboot. Although the modern series shares many narrative threads with the original from the '80s, this one possesses more of a playful tone that's reminiscent of "Succession" — both programs aren't afraid to embrace the natural humor that arises from these ridiculous circumstances.

In "Dynasty," Fallon (Elizabeth Gillies) and Steven Carrington (James Mackay) discover that their billionaire father, Blake (Grant Show), is set to marry an employee from the family business Carrington Atlantic, Cristal (Nathalie Kelley). Fallon doesn't like this twist in the tale, since she had her sights set on taking the reins of the business and now sees Cristal as a rival. Of course, drama and spectacle unfold, with multiple family members getting sucked into this mess. Then there's still the Colby family — the Carringtons' main business rivals — to consider.

If the unabashed family politics of "Succession" get the blood pumping and conversations flowing, then "Dynasty" will have a similar effect. The series may not possess the high-quality writing and performances of "Succession," but it's a deliciously decadent TV show that's packed with glitz and glamour, as well as many despicable and immoral characters.

In this Paramount Network hit, John Dutton III (Kevin Costner) lives with his four children on their cattle ranch, Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. They need to deal with outside elements as they hold specific interests in the ranch, or the land in which it's situated. However, this isn't the only problem the Duttons need to grapple with, as the family has their own issues within the ranch that they need to address.

Are the Duttons as dodgy as the Roys? Uh, definitely not. Their issues prove to be far more complex and layered. Yet it's impossible to deny that "Yellowstone" and "Succession" share certain similarities, because of how absorbing both shows turn out to be. The rich character depth, engrossing storylines, and superb cinematography pull you right into the meat of the matter, making a viewer feel as if they know these people and are active participants in what's happening on screen. The good news is that if you like "Yellowstone" and get through all five seasons of the show, there are other spin-offs and prequels to enjoy.

On paper, "Ray Donovan" doesn't appear to be a show like "Succession." After all, Ray Donovan (Liev Schreiber) is a fixer who takes his high-profile clients' problems and makes them all go away. Basically, he's the guy whom the Roys would call if they find themselves in a pickle and don't want the cops to come sniffing around — and maybe they could have used his services more than a few times on the series.

However, Ray's personal life isn't quite as clean and orderly as his professional endeavors. In fact, Ray's family life is a total mess, and he has a complicated relationship with his brothers because of their father, Mickey (Jon Voight), who is attracted to trouble as if it's a firefly.

While not as rich and influential as Logan Roy, Mickey plays a major role in his children's respective paths. Instead of turning over a new leaf when he gets released from prison, it's almost full steam ahead as he continues to ruin his kids' lives.

"Succession" pulls no punches in its depiction of the business world. It's dog-eat-dog, and those who aren't willing to be ruthless will find themselves left outside in the cold. There's another HBO series that also captures the same sentiment: "Industry."

The show kicks off with university graduates feeling out of their depth at the London investment bank Pierpoint & Co. They quickly learn that it's an adapt-or-die situation, as there are too many sharks swimming around in the banking industry. Consequently, they need to decide: Will they be predators or prey here? More importantly, what lines are they willing to cross?

What's remarkable about "Industry" is how it's a series that continues to grow in stature with each passing season. The third season holds an outstanding 98% critical approval and 88% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety called it "deliciously deplorable," adding that "what has emerged is a series about the erosion of relationships, why certain people will always choose themselves and why others thrive under a cycle of cruelty and malice."

Writer-director Mike Flanagan took Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Fall of the House of Usher" and put his own spin on it for an eight-episode miniseries on Netflix. Alternating between the past and present, the horror-tinged show explores Roderick Usher (Zach Gilford/Bruce Greenwood) and his sister Madeline's (Willa Fitzgerald/Mary McDonnell) rise to power as the head honchos of the controversial Fortunato Pharmaceuticals. In the present, Roderick's spoiled and despicable children all start to die one after the other in the most brutal ways imaginable, as the ghost of Roderick and Madeline's past comes back for a pound of flesh.

Masterfully crafted and delicately executed, "The Fall of the House of Usher" demonstrates how there are consequences for the rich and powerful who believe in achieving wealth and glory by any means necessary. One day, there will be retribution — and it'll be violent. It isn't too difficult to imagine the Roys substituting for the Ushers in this story. They're equally as corrupt and greedy, putting their own interests above those of everyone else. Maybe on "Succession," they simply haven't encountered their own version of Verna (Carla Gugino) yet.

Without question, the Roys took notes from "Dallas" in terms of how to conduct themselves on "Succession." The long-running primetime soap opera, which aired from 1978 to 1991, centers around the Ewing family and their oil company. Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) does the unthinkable and marries Pamela (Victoria Principal), who's a relative of the Ewings' rivals, the Barneses. This show isn't only a "Romeo & Juliet" in Texas tale, though, as the Ewings' own family drama unravels here — largely thanks to the actions of Bobby's older brother J.R. (Larry Hagman), who's easily one of the best and most iconic bad guys in TV history.

The shenanigans never stop on "Dallas," as J.R. plots and schemes new and innovative ways to get ahead in business and stick it to his family. Consequently, every episode turns into must-watch TV, since no one knows what twist or turn the series will take next. After all, who can ever forget how 350 million people around the world tuned in to find out who shot J.R. during the series' original run? That's the power and influence of "Dallas," where its family drama and scandals surpass anything the Roys have done — and that's saying something.