Heads up, “Peaky Blinders” fans. While awaiting creator Steven Knight’s upcoming “Peaky Blinders”-themed Netflix movie “The Immortal Man,” in which Cillian Murphy will reprise his role as Thomas Shelby, Knight has just dropped an all-new historical drama on the streaming giant that might tide you over for the time being — this new one blending the operatic family saga of “Succession” with the period stylings of Knight’s gangland series. “House of Guinness,” set in 19th-century Dublin and New York, introduces viewers to the real-life dynasty behind the brewing empire, in a series that kind of feels like “Succession” meets old-school, pint-filled pubs.
The series, which has already climbed to the #5 spot on Netflix’s U.S. Top 10 TV list, opens in the aftermath of the death of brewing magnate Sir Benjamin Guinness, which immediately throws into chaos the lives of his four heirs — Arthur, Anne, Ben, and Edward. “It’s the extraordinary story of a family who happens to be the inheritors of the biggest brewery in the world,” Knight says in an interview about “House of Guinness” with Netflix’s Tudum. “They’re young and are given the task of taking on this incredibly successful brand. The first priority is: Don’t screw it up. And the second priority is to make Guinness even bigger.”
House of Guinness is a story about power and legacy
In terms of the story itself, brothers Arthur (Anthony Boyle) and Edward (Louis Partridge) are essentially forced into joint stewardship of the brewery — their father’s deliberate final move to keep the empire intact. From there, “House of Guinness” explores everything from staggering wealth to romance to power struggles as the Guinness heirs wrap their arms around the family business. “The decisions these characters make about personal issues will have consequences for the future of Ireland, which is quite a burden,” Knight adds in his Tudum interview. “The pressure adds fuel and energy to all of those relationships.”
Currently, the show has an 89% Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score (based on 38 reviews) and a 62% audience score (based on more than 100 user ratings). “‘House of Guinness’ is full of intense confrontations and unexpected complications — and anyone who enjoyed ‘Peaky Blinders,’ or ‘Succession,’ or ‘The Gilded Age,’ should find ‘House of Guinness’ very satisfying to watch,” NPR raves.
And while you’re watching the series, here’s a fun fact I bet many people don’t know — the connection between the Guinness empire and a certain book of world records. That’s right; Guinness’ managing director in 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, came up with the idea for the Guinness Book of World Records as a way to settle — what else? — bar arguments, the sort of beer-fueled spat that might focus on the fastest this or the tallest that.
