HBO's Succession is proof that HBO likes telling stories about rich people's problems

The Washington Post

The depressing corporate-family drama from Adam McKay reaffirms one thing, at least, says Hank Stuever: "This is a network that lives to tell intense stories about rich people’s problems more than anyone else’s. Even on imaginary medieval continents or within amusement acres overrun by revolutionary robots, HBO, with a few memorable exceptions, seems most concerned with the feelings and failures of the wealthy. Moral lapses are laid bare, yet the message remains clear: The rich are just more interesting than the rest of us. Succession, which is underwhelming in both execution and intent, arrives at a time when the make-believe of TV has been more effective at eliminating the working middle class than any domestic or economic policy could be. We turn on a show and simply accept that luxury is affordable."

ALSO:

• Succession feels like it was created by Aaron Sorkin's evil twin brother, with a cast of despicable characters
• It doesn’t feel great right now to be extending any kind of sympathy to the overseers and beneficiaries of a fake version of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp
• Succession is like Billions, but "reinterpreted through HBO’s prestige-y filter"
• Succession is its own disappointing creation, imbalancing awful broad comedy with awful mawkish drama
• There's a knowing sense of humor that would make the show much better if it was cut down to a half-hour comedy
• Producer Adam McKay: "People like to think of comedy and drama and horror as all these very different things, but they’re really not"