The Succession Content Economy
Logan Roy put it best, everything is a market.
Welcome:
Today we’re talking Succession. Let’s go!
One Big Trend: We’re back baby!
Photo by Danielle Cerullo on Unsplash
Monoculture is fading away. It’s very rare that everyone watches the same thing anymore. Long gone are the days of a show like M*A*S*H being able to pull tens of millions of viewers every week.
In some ways, that has been great for society. Far more creators of all kinds are now able to tell their stories and show the world their experience. There’s plenty out there to enjoy and differentiated tastes are celebrated. In other ways, though, it has led to our society growing apart a bit. When American football seems to be the only consistent ratings machine, we lose some of our connective tissue.
Some shows are able to cut through the sea of available content and shine, though. Yellowstone and its spin offs are one example, with the core show bringing in audiences of over 10 million. Succession, which just began its last season with 2.3 million viewers, is another. All due respect to the popularity of Yellowstone, but I don’t watch it. Succession, meanwhile, is probably my favorite prestige show ever, and so I’d like to dive deeper into what makes it so much fun.
A critical piece is definitely the collective cultural experience that comes with it. I watched Succession Sunday night and have since then listened to 3 different hour long podcast episodes about it. I’ve chatted with friends and coworkers about it. Now I’m writing an article about it, and I’m willing to bet that many of you will understand many of my references. That makes it more fun!
But of course, it’s also the source material. Media loves to gaze into the mirror, that’s why so many creators watch Succession and share their thoughts about it, and I’m sure not above that. The show does a great job of showcasing the absurdity of the powerful owning so much content and distribution and the difference between toiling on the floor and taking meetings in the corner office.
The influence that is wielded by one old man and his family, along with a small group of skilled but eager to acquiesce hangers-on, is totally ridiculous. And yet, this is the world we live in. Succession also demonstrates how silly it is to say “the media” to mean one thing, particularly because the old families running the various media giants generally do not get along with each other or share similar views beyond “money is good and we should have more of it”. And while the powerful buy and sell and change their minds and pick the winners, the folks working for them run around in a panic and try to make their dreams come true.
Lastly, Succession knows what it is and embraces that. The writers work hard to honor the characters and give them life, meaning they’re not all serious all the time. They have mixed feelings about one another. They want to know where they fit in. They’re quick witted and funny, but they also do some awfully stupid things. Tom jokes with Greg while battling a Shiv-induced depression and bumbles through a negotiation to keep his place at Logan’s side. Roman belittles his siblings while also making the call to keep some billionaires waiting so Shiv can have a moment to emotionally recover. Logan isolates himself from his kids and then all he wants is for them to be with him, most likely so he can fight with them and feel something.
I’m excited to see where the show goes and how it ends in its final season. Creator Jesse Armstrong has indicated that there will be a lowercase s succession to end the show, but at this point that could mean almost anything. To me, it’s hard to imagine anyone in the family actually leading whatever company remains when the dust settles. Tom seems most likely, if only because he seems able to adapt in a way that the others cannot, and Greg seems to genuinely love him enough to be counted on as an asset. Whatever happens, this is peak TV. It should be a fun ride!
Why should you care?: What monoculture remains can be really fun, creating economies of content around something as silly as an hour long TV show. I look forward to embracing it this season.
Recommended Reading:
Out of all the pods about Succession, the official version with Kara Swisher is my favorite. “Official” might denote some overly friendly analysis and kid gloves, but the truth is that Succession is really good to begin with and Kara doesn’t pull any punches. She is an entertaining host with great access to guests and exceptional expertise. Listen to the first episode and follow the pod for the whole season.
Wrestling Fact of the Week:
WrestleMania week is here. I cannot believe it! For the first time in a bit, most of the matches seem to have pretty high stakes and long term storytelling. The exceptions have something else to look forward to, whether that be 2 physically enormous competitors facing off in what’s almost sure to be a spectacle or just competitors who stand to put on an incredible match. Some predictions for the weekend from me, Cody Rhodes takes the titles from Roman Reigns, Logan Paul pulls off a surprise win over Seth Rollins, and Stone Cold shows up to give someone a stunner, only to be one-upped by Rock coming out to announce he’ll be performing at next year’s Mania. Here’s to an incredible show.
Have a great rest of your week.