House of Guinness: Prestige Drama Dark Horse That Nobody's Talking About
Here's the thing about timing. Netflix drops Black Rabbit on Wednesday and everyone's losing their minds over Jude Law and Jason Bateman being toxic brothers in a restaurant. Meanwhile, lurking just around the corner on September 25, there's House of Guinness—a show that might actually be the smarter bet.
Steven Knight knows how to make television. The Peaky Blinders mastermind has that rare gift for turning historical families into appointment viewing. Now he's doing it again with the Guinness dynasty, except this time everyone's too busy arguing about crime thrillers to notice.
The Succession Thing (But Make It Victorian)
Look, the Succession comparisons are inevitable. Dead patriarch? Check. Squabbling heirs? Double check. Corporate empire hanging in the balance? You get the picture.
But where Succession was all Manhattan glass towers and private jets, House of Guinness is 1860s Dublin—all coal smoke and political uprising. Benjamin Guinness just died, leaving behind four adult children and a brewery empire that's basically printing money. His will? A masterclass in posthumous manipulation.
The twist: Only two of his kids—Arthur (Anthony Boyle) and Edward (Louis Partridge)—get to run the business. Together. Or they lose everything.
Louis Partridge Is Having a Moment
Can we talk about Louis Partridge for a second? The kid went from playing Olivia Rodrigo's boyfriend to playing everyone's boyfriend in Enola Holmes. Now he's stepping into serious dramatic territory as Edward Guinness, the responsible brother trying to hold everything together.
Knight specifically cast him because "he's great at portraying someone who's very good at disguising himself." Which, honestly, sounds like exactly the kind of character work that gets people Emmy nominations.
Partridge spent months learning horse riding and perfecting a "posh Dublin" accent. He even visited the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin and ordered pints in character to test the accent. That's commitment.
The Anthony Boyle Factor
While Partridge handles the straight-laced business side, Anthony Boyle gets to play Arthur—the wayward politician brother with a drinking problem. Boyle's having his own moment after scene-stealing turns in Masters of the Air and that Tony-nominated stint as Scorpius Malfoy.
The dynamic between these two? Classic Knight territory. Brothers bound together by circumstance, torn apart by temperament. It's Peaky Blinders family toxicity with Succession corporate stakes.
Why This Could Be Netflix's Secret Weapon
Here's what's smart about House of Guinness: It's arriving when everyone's burned out on modern corporate dramas but still craving that family empire dysfunction. Knight's betting that viewers want the moral complexity of Succession wrapped in the visual grandeur of period drama.
The production values look insane. They transformed Liverpool's Stanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse into 1860s Dublin, complete with horses, coal furnaces, and actual beer production. Knight even hired former restaurant workers for authenticity—the same attention to detail that made Peaky Blinders feel lived-in rather than costumed.
Plus, there's built-in brand recognition. Everyone knows Guinness. Knight's just betting that nobody knows the family behind it was basically the Murdochs of Victorian Ireland.
The Netflix Advantage
Remember when everyone said The Crown would be too niche? Or when Bridgerton seemed like a period drama too many? Netflix has this weird ability to turn historical dramas into cultural phenomena.
House of Guinness has all the ingredients: gorgeous costumes, political intrigue, family secrets, and just enough historical distance to make the dysfunction entertaining rather than triggering. Plus, at eight episodes, it's the perfect binge length.
James Norton Brings the Chaos
The supporting cast is stacked. James Norton plays Sean Rafferty, described as the family's "ruthless fixer." Norton's been quietly building one of the best CVs in British television, and Knight writes the kind of morally ambiguous characters that let actors show their range.
The ensemble also includes Jack Gleeson (Game of Thrones), Dervla Kirwan (True Detective), and Emily Fairn as Anne, the overlooked sister who might be smarter than all her brothers combined.
The Historical Angle
Knight's not just making stuff up. The Guinness family really was one of the wealthiest dynasties in Europe. They owned massive estates, had serious political influence, and yes—Benjamin Guinness really did leave his brewery to just two of his four children.
The 1860s setting puts the show right in the middle of Irish political upheaval. The Fenians—Irish independence activists—are literally at war with families like the Guinnesses who represent British colonial power. It's not just family drama; it's historical powder keg stuff.
Why It Might Actually Matter
Here's the cynical take: Netflix needs prestige content that can compete at awards shows. House of Guinness has all the hallmarks of Emmy bait—period setting, acclaimed creator, serious themes wrapped in gorgeous production design.
The optimistic take: Knight's proven he can make historical family sagas that feel urgent and contemporary. Peaky Blinders worked because it used period detail to explore timeless themes about power, loyalty, and family dysfunction.
If House of Guinness hits the same notes, it could be the kind of show that starts slow and builds into a genuine cultural moment. The kind Netflix desperately needs after a year of expensive misfires.
The Verdict
House of Guinness premieres September 25 with zero fanfare and maximum potential. While everyone's debating Black Rabbit, this could be the show that actually deserves the conversation.
Knight's track record speaks for itself. The cast is hungry and talented. The historical material is rich enough to support multiple seasons. And Netflix needs a prestige drama that can anchor awards season.
