11 Essential Drama Series to Stream on HBO Max This August 2025

When Logan Roy (Brian Cox), the head of a prominent media empire, faces a significant health crisis, his four children and a number of his employees start vying for the CEO position. Unfortunately for them, the Roy siblings, as Logan eventually remarks, are “not serious people,” having been alternately spoiled, pampered, and mistreated by their affluent upbringing. Connor (Alan Ruck), Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Siobhan (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) will continually surprise you with their knack for betrayal and deceit, often even to themselves.

Yet, amid the high-stakes tension, the writing in Succession offers some of the darkest humor you’ll ever encounter. Siobhan’s husband Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) and the ever-manipulative Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) are as deceitful as they are cunning. It’s endlessly amusing to observe these dysfunctional heirs bicker over billions, with little regard for the real-world ramifications of their actions.

Succession garnered multiple Emmy awards during its run, and for good reason. The plot twists are exhilarating, the performances exceptional, and the commentary on the lives of the wealthy elite is both insightful and startling.