Succession season 1 explained

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Season Number:1
Showrunner:Jesse Armstrong
Num Episodes:10
Network:HBO
Episode List:List of Succession episodes

The first season of the American satirical comedy-drama television series Succession premiered on HBO on June 3, 2018. Series creator Jesse Armstrong serves as the showrunner for the season. The series centers on the Roy family, the owners of global media and entertainment conglomerate Waystar RoyCo, and their fight for control of the company amidst uncertainty about the health of the family's patriarch. The season features an ensemble cast of Hiam Abbass, Nicholas Braun, Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Peter Friedman, Natalie Gold, Matthew Macfadyen, Alan Ruck, Parker Sawyers, Sarah Snook, Jeremy Strong and Rob Yang.

In June 2016, HBO gave Succession a pilot order, to be written by Armstrong and directed by executive producer Adam McKay, and was filmed in late 2016. The series was greenlit for a season order in May 2017, which began filming in October 2017, and wrapped in early 2018. The season consists of ten episodes, and received critical acclaim. It was nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards, and won Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the episode "Nobody Is Ever Missing".

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Episodes

Production

Development

Showrunner Jesse Armstrong initially conceived the series as a feature film about the Murdoch family, but the script never went into production. Armstrong eventually expanded the scope of the story to include the larger landscape of Wall Street, which he felt better suited a television format. Armstrong wrote a new script centered on original characters loosely inspired by various powerful media families such as the Murdochs, the Redstones, the Maxwells, and the Sulzbergers.[1] [2] On June 6, 2016, it was announced that HBO had given the production a pilot order. The episode was written by Armstrong and directed by Adam McKay. Executive producers for the pilot include Armstrong, McKay, Will Ferrell, Frank Rich, and Kevin Messick.[3] [4] [5] On May 16, 2017, it was announced that HBO had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. The previously announced creative team continued their involvement as the series entered into production.

Casting

On October 6, 2016, it was announced that Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Nicholas Braun, and Matthew Macfadyen had been cast in lead roles in the series' pilot.[6] On November 4, 2016, it was announced that Hiam Abbass, Alan Ruck, Rob Yang, Parker Sawyers, and Peter Friedman had also joined the main cast of the pilot.[7] Sawyers only appears in the pilot. On January 24, 2018, it was reported that Ashley Zukerman had joined the series in a recurring role.[8]

Filming

The series was primarily filmed in Manhattan, and shot on 35 mm film.[9] The series is distinct for its predominantly handheld cinematography, which was inspired by the Dogme 95 movement and intended to embody the style of mockumentaries.[10] Cinematographer Patrick Capone characterized the series' camerawork as "voyeuristic" and "non-cinema[tic]", relying on natural light, close coverage and frequent zooms to evoke the feeling of "eavesdropping" upon the characters and their environments.[11]

Director Adam McKay filmed the pilot in late 2016,[12] while principal photography for the rest of the first season of the series began in October 2017.[13] Key locations included the American Irish Historical Society on Fifth Avenue as the location for Logan's apartment, 714 Broadway as the location of Shiv's season 1 apartment, and the Downtown Manhattan Heliport on the East River for scenes of the Roys departing on their helicopters. For scenes depicting the interiors of the Waystar RoyCo offices, the crew uses towers 4 and 7 of the World Trade Center, while 28 Liberty Street is used for exterior shots. Silvercup Studios in Queens houses many of the sets used for the series.[14]

Other filming locations for the first season included Bellevue Hospital (where the second episode took place), the Cunard Building on 25 Broadway (which houses Cipriani S.A., the venue for a gala in the fourth episode), the East New York Freight Tunnel (the entrance of a bachelor party in the eighth episode),[15] and the Financial District of Lower Manhattan.[16] From mid-to-end of January 2018, the production moved from New York to New Mexico for the episode "Austerlitz", which was primarily filmed in Santa Fe.[17] On February 22, 2018, filming took place in New Jersey, which required the closing of the Atlantic City-Brigantine tunnel.[18] [19] [20] On February 25, 2018, filming took place at Eastnor Castle near Ledbury in Herefordshire, England, which served as the setting for the last two episodes of the season.[21]

Release

On April 27, 2018, the season held its official world premiere during the Series Mania Festival in Lille, France, in which the pilot episode was screened.[22] On May 22, 2018, the season held its official US premiere at the Time Warner Center in New York City.[23] The season premiered on HBO on June 3, 2018.

Home media

HBO released the first season on DVD on August 6, 2018, which included special features;[24] a Blu-ray release was made available on November 6 of the same year.[25] [26]

Reception

Audience viewership

The series premiere drew 582,000 live viewers, down from the 1.39 million viewers that watched its lead-in, Westworld.[27]

Critical response

The first season was met with positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds an approval rating of 89% with an average rating of 7.9/10, based on 89 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Peppering its pathos with acid wit, Succession is a divine comedy of absolute power and dysfunction – brought to vivid life by a ferocious ensemble."[28] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 70 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[29]

Accolades

The first season received five nominations at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, and Jesse Armstrong won for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (for the episode "Nobody Is Ever Missing").[30] [31]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Armstrong . Jesse . May 27, 2023 . Jesse Armstrong on the roots of Succession: 'Would it have landed the same way without the mad bum-rush of Trump's presidency?' . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230528014547/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/may/27/jesse-armstrong-on-the-roots-of-succession-bum-rush-trump-presidency . May 28, 2023 . May 28, 2023 . The Guardian.
  2. Web site: Lee . Edmund . August 4, 2019 . HBO's 'Succession' Tries to Get the Merger-Mad Media Industry Right . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200917005749/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/04/business/media/hbo-succession-business.html . September 17, 2020 . September 15, 2020 . The New York Times.
  3. Web site: Andreeva . Nellie . June 6, 2016 . HBO Orders Drama Pilots From Adam McKay & Kathryn Bigelow . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180310074059/http://deadline.com/2016/06/hbo-drama-pilots-succession-adam-mckay-mogadishu-minnesota-kathryn-bigelow-1201768165/ . March 10, 2018 . March 9, 2018 . Deadline Hollywood.
  4. Web site: Goldberg . Lesley . June 6, 2016 . HBO Orders Tycoon Family Drama From Adam McKay, Jihadi Recruitment Project From Kathryn Bigelow . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180309191530/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/hbo-orders-tycoon-family-drama-900085 . March 9, 2018 . March 9, 2018 . The Hollywood Reporter . en.
  5. Web site: Chavez . Danette . June 7, 2016 . Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are also working on a drama pilot for HBO . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180310010310/https://news.avclub.com/will-ferrell-and-adam-mckay-are-also-working-on-a-drama-1798247990 . March 10, 2018 . March 9, 2018 . The A.V. Club.
  6. Web site: Andreeva . Nellie . October 6, 2016 . 'Succession': Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong & Kieran Culkin Lead Cast Of HBO Drama Pilot From Adam McKay . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180310074037/http://deadline.com/2016/10/succession-brian-cox-jeremy-strong-kieran-culkin-cast-hbo-drama-pilot-adam-mckay-1201832312/ . March 10, 2018 . March 9, 2018 . Deadline Hollywood.
  7. Web site: Petski . Denise . November 4, 2016 . 'Succession': Alan Ruck, Parker Sawyers & More Join Adam McKay's HBO Drama Pilot . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180310073948/http://deadline.com/2016/11/succession-alan-ruck-parker-sawyers-cast-hbo-drama-pilot-adam-mckay-1201848533/ . March 10, 2018 . March 9, 2018 . Deadline Hollywood.
  8. Web site: Petski . Denise . January 24, 2018 . 'Succession': Ashley Zukerman Set To Recur On Adam McKay's HBO Drama . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180310074121/http://deadline.com/2018/01/succession-ashley-zukerman-recur-adam-mckay-hbo-drama-1202268482/ . March 10, 2018 . March 9, 2018 . Deadline Hollywood.
  9. Web site: Dams . Tim . January 17, 2019 . Film stages digital fightback . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201031012910/https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/tech/film-stages-digital-fightback/5135915.article . October 31, 2020 . June 5, 2021 . Broadcast . en.
  10. Web site: Pennington . Adrian . Mitchell . Julian . November 28, 2021 . The Camera in 'Succession' Is a Player in the Game . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230507010353/https://amplify.nabshow.com/articles/the-camera-in-succession-is-a-player-in-the-game/ . May 7, 2023 . May 7, 2023 . NAB Amplify.
  11. Web site: Emmons . Seth . Patrick Capone, ASC on 'Succession': Shooting Billionaires with Summilux-C and Celluloid . May 7, 2023 . Leitz Cine.
  12. Web site: July 18, 2018 . Captured on Kodak 35mm film, HBO's 'Succession' delivers a dark, moreish comedy series . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211027083815/https://www.kodak.com/en/motion/blog-post/succession . October 27, 2021 . October 28, 2021 . Kodak.
  13. Web site: Deehan . Tom . January 16, 2018 . New HBO drama, Succession, heads for New Mexico . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180310074224/http://www.thelocationguide.com/2018/01/new-hbo-drama-succession-heads-for-new-mexico/ . March 10, 2018 . March 9, 2018 . The Location Guide.
  14. Web site: Medd . James . September 17, 2021 . Where was Succession filmed? . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211101013832/https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/succession-filming-locations . November 1, 2021 . October 28, 2021 . CN Traveller.
  15. Web site: Young . Michelle . October 18, 2021 . Filming Locations for Succession on HBO . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211025092425/https://untappedcities.com/2021/10/17/succession-filming-locations/?displayall=true . October 25, 2021 . October 29, 2021 . Untapped New York.
  16. Web site: Scott . Joshua . November 20, 2017 . Netflix's 'Luke Cage' Sets up Near Union Square + More NYC Projects Filming . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180310010339/https://www.backstage.com/news/netflixs-luke-cage-sets-near-union-square-more-nyc-projects-filming/ . March 10, 2018 . March 9, 2018 . Backstage.
  17. Multiple sources:
    • Web site: Stelnicki . Tripp . January 17, 2018 . Santa Fe ranked among best small cities for moviemaking . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180118053729/http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/santa-fe-ranked-among-best-small-cities-for-moviemaking/article_95cbba61-e631-592c-aa8b-ecdf2d0f89af.html . January 18, 2018 . March 9, 2018 . The Santa Fe New Mexican . en.
    • Web site: Cloutier . Benjamin . January 11, 2018 . The New Mexico Film Office Announces HBO's New Drama Series 'Succession' to film in New Mexico . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180310135651/http://www.nmfilm.com/uploads/PressRelease/b3d3607ac74e4ab79d3032138ece88d3/SUCCESSION.pdf . March 10, 2018 . March 9, 2018 . New Mexico Film Office.
    • Web site: Gomez . Adrian . January 11, 2018 . 'Better Call Saul' films fourth season in ABQ . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180613161147/https://www.abqjournal.com/1117916/better-call-saul-films-fourth-season-in-abq.html . June 13, 2018 . March 9, 2018 . Albuquerque Journal.
    • Web site: January 17, 2018 . HBO series 'Succession' filming in New Mexico . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200815020356/https://www.ruidosonews.com/story/news/local/community/2018/01/17/hbo-series-succession-filming-new-mexico/1040732001/ . August 15, 2020 . March 9, 2018 . Ruidoso News . en.
  18. Web site: Goldman . Jeff . February 22, 2018 . HBO filming to close part of Atlantic City-Brigantine tunnel Thursday . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180310074600/http://www.nj.com/atlantic/index.ssf/2018/02/hbo_filming_to_close_atlantic_city_tunnel_thursday.html . March 10, 2018 . March 9, 2018 . The Star-Ledger.
  19. Web site: February 22, 2018 . Atlantic City-Brigantine tunnel closed because of TV filming . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180310135700/http://6abc.com/traffic/atlantic-city-brigantine-tunnel-closed-because-of-tv-filming/3123348/ . March 10, 2018 . March 9, 2018 . 6abc Philadelphia.
  20. Web site: Reil . Maxwell . February 23, 2018 . HBO show shuts down tunnel to film in A.C. . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180310074239/http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/hbo-show-shuts-down-tunnel-to-film-in-a-c/article_956f93ee-e29c-59c9-8001-d92a4d517dbe.html . March 10, 2018 . March 9, 2018 . Press of Atlantic City . en.
  21. Web site: Goddard . Ben . February 25, 2018 . Film crews arrive at Eastnor Castle for filming of American drama series . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180310135619/http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/16046423.Film_crews_arrive_at_Eastnor_Castle_for_filming_of_American_drama_series/ . March 10, 2018 . March 9, 2018 . Hereford Times . en.
  22. Web site: Hopewell . John . April 28, 2018 . HBO's 'Succession' Opens 9th Series Mania to Applause . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180429202001/http://variety.com/2018/tv/news/hbo-succession-series-mania-jesse-armstrong-chris-brancato-1202791106/ . April 29, 2018 . April 28, 2018 . Variety.
  23. Web site: Tedder . Michael . May 23, 2018 . Why Brian Cox Says Wealthy Family Drama 'Succession' Is Both Timeless and Timely . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180523214536/http://variety.com/2018/scene/news/brian-cox-hbo-succession-premiere-1202819933/ . May 23, 2018 . May 23, 2018 . Variety.
  24. Web site: Lipka . Carolyn . August 7, 2018 . HBO Releases Season 1 Of 'Succession' With Bonus Features . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221027150500/https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolynlipka/2018/08/07/exclusive-hbo-releases-season-1-of-succession-with-bonus-features/ . October 27, 2022 . October 27, 2022 . Forbes . en.
  25. Web site: Succession: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Disc Details . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221027150501/https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/62676/successionseasonone.html . October 27, 2022 . October 27, 2022 . High-Def Digest.
  26. Web site: Potts . Ralph . November 27, 2018 . Succession: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Review . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221027150500/https://www.avsforum.com/threads/succession-the-complete-first-season-blu-ray-review.3029706/ . October 27, 2022 . October 27, 2022 . AVS Forum.
  27. Web site: Metcalf . Mitch . June 5, 2018 . Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.3.2018 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180614162632/http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-150-sunday-cable-originals-network-finals-6-3-2018.html . June 14, 2018 . June 5, 2018 . Showbuzz Daily.
  28. Web site: Succession: Season 1 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230706014643/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/succession/s01 . July 6, 2023 . May 22, 2023 . . Fandango.
  29. Web site: Succession: Season 1 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190801071224/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/succession/season-1 . August 1, 2019 . November 26, 2021 . Metacritic.
  30. Web site: Mitovich . Matt Webb . September 22, 2019 . Emmys 2019: Game of Thrones Ties Record and Leads TV Pack; Fleabag, Chernobyl and Mrs. Maisel Win Big . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200727222920/https://tvline.com/2019/09/22/emmys-2019-awards-winners-list/ . July 27, 2020 . September 24, 2019 . TVLine.
  31. Web site: Hill . Libby . September 14, 2019 . Complete Creative Arts Emmy Awards 2019 Winners List: 'Game of Thrones' Torches Competitors . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200614221342/https://www.indiewire.com/2019/09/2019-creative-arts-emmys-winners-list-1202173604/ . June 14, 2020 . September 24, 2019 . IndieWire.

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