If you’re like us (and pretty much everyone else), you’re itching for the next season of Succession, which is on the way from HBO with a release date set for Spring 2023. In the meantime, though, ITV and Prime Video are releasing a new show with a similar premise that has the potential to be another Succession. Riches is a British drama created by Abby Ajayi and focuses on the fight for control of a cosmetics empire and the lives of the owner’s family members.

Riches centres on the Richards family, whose wealth and power are largely derived from the business empire of Stephen Richards: a cosmetics company called Flair and Glory, which is one of the most successful beauty brands around. Richards is also a strong advocate for black-owned businesses, which has become key in the running of his empire. Unlike Succession, where Brian Cox’s business boss Logan Roy has so far remained alive and an integral part of the show, Stephen (played by Hugh Quarshie) dies from a heart attack at the start of the series, leaving a vacant spot at the head of Flair and Glory, and several family members feuding over who gets what.

Two of Stephen’s estranged children who’ve been living in America make their way back to the UK following his death, creating a rivalry with the rest of his family in Britain, both feel that they deserve the lion’s share of the will. The cast of characters that you’ll be watching battle it out for power and riches include Claudia (Sarah Niles), the second and current wife of Stephen, and Alesha (Adeyinka Akinrinade), Gus (Ola Orebiyi) and Wanda (Nneka Okoye), their children. All of them love and have become totally used to their expensive and extravagant lifestyle and aren’t keen on that being threatened. The American side of his family includes two children from Stephen’s previous marriage: Simon (Emmanuel Imani) and Nina (Deborah Ayorinde), who has been living in New York for the past few years and have themselves built up businesses. It’s their arrival that really sets the family dramas alight, with Stephen’s loyal PA as well as his legal counsel Gideon caught in the crossfire.

The show is certainly set to be the kind of thrilling family scuffle that makes Succession and other shows like Empire so much fun. The six-part series is however also a show that celebrates immigration and Black Britons: creator Ajayi commented that “I had so much fun writing it and it was so important for me to put Black Brits on screen and for the series to celebrate joy, fun and the immigrant grit… … it was really important for me to get into these characters and show their lives, failing, messing up, but with a sense of purpose and agency for them.”




Riches debuts in the UK on ITVX on 22 December
Or stream on Amazon Prime 2 December




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