Netflix has never shied away from ambition. From The Crown to Peaky Blinders, the streamer has mastered the art of turning history into gripping, binge-worthy television. But its newest gamble—an epic 8-part series inspired by the Guinness family dynasty—is already being hailed as the boldest yet. Early whispers from critics are calling it a “Crown meets Succession with a dash of Downton Abbey,” a lavish period piece with enough grit and intrigue to rival anything Netflix has ever released.

And at the center of it all? Happy Valley star James Norton, stepping into one of the most ruthless and magnetic roles of his career.

A Dynasty Built on Dark Secrets

The series opens in 1868 Dublin, on the somber note of Sir Benjamin Guinness’s funeral. A visionary brewer, politician, and philanthropist, Benjamin’s death leaves behind not just an empire of stout but a family fractured by ambition. His heirs are suddenly thrust into the unforgiving glare of power, wealth, and the cutthroat politics of Victorian Ireland and New York.

But this is no quaint costume drama. Under the guiding hand of Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, the Guinness saga is painted in sharp contrasts—lavish ballrooms and shadowy taverns, brutal industrial realities and intoxicating luxury. Every pint poured comes at a cost, and every toast hides a betrayal.

The Guinness name may be synonymous with tradition and prosperity, but behind the froth lies a family empire where loyalty can shift in an instant, and success is measured not just in barrels brewed but in rivals crushed.

James Norton Takes Center Stage

For James Norton, who stunned audiences as the dangerous Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley, this role marks a new evolution. He plays Edward Guinness, a man caught between duty to his family legacy and his own ruthless ambition. Charismatic, calculating, and haunted by his father’s shadow, Edward is a figure who embodies both the intoxicating allure of power and its devastating toll.

Early buzz from insiders suggests Norton delivers a performance that could redefine his career—at once charming and terrifying, noble and monstrous. Much like Cillian Murphy’s Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders, Edward Guinness is a man audiences won’t be able to look away from, no matter how dark his path becomes.

The Creative Power Behind the Curtain

Steven Knight has proven time and again that he knows how to weave history into high-stakes drama. With Peaky Blinders, he transformed Birmingham gangsters into international icons. Now, with the Guinness dynasty, he sets his sights on something even more potent: a story that fuses family legacy, political intrigue, and the intoxicating rise of an empire whose product became a global obsession.

What makes this series stand out, however, is its dual setting. Knight doesn’t confine the narrative to Dublin’s cobblestone streets. As the Guinness empire expands, the drama stretches across the Atlantic to 1860s New York—a city teeming with immigrants, corruption, and explosive ambition. This transatlantic scope gives the series the sweeping grandeur of The Crown while anchoring it in the dangerous grit of Gangs of New York.

The Next “Unmissable” Netflix Obsession

Already, industry insiders are calling the Guinness saga Netflix’s most “utterly unmissable” drama since The Crown. The comparisons are easy to see. Both revolve around dynasties whose power shapes nations, both pull back the velvet curtains of privilege to reveal the fractures within, and both balance spectacle with raw emotional devastation.

But the Guinness series adds something else—a darker, almost Shakespearean edge. This is not just a tale of kings and queens but of businessmen, politicians, and families clawing their way to dominance in a world where a single misstep can lead to ruin. The stakes feel more primal, more cutthroat. And unlike the carefully composed royals of Buckingham Palace, the Guinness heirs play dirty.

A Legacy Brewed in Blood and Ambition

What makes the series resonate, even before its release, is its exploration of legacy. The Guinness name is still etched into modern culture, instantly recognizable on taps and bottles around the world. But few know the personal battles, the betrayals, and the sacrifices behind that legacy.

Steven Knight’s vision doesn’t sanitize history—it exposes its rawness. The Guinness heirs aren’t heroes or villains, but flawed humans locked in a cycle of ambition, addiction, and desire. Their triumphs are intoxicating, their downfalls heartbreaking, their story a reminder that even empires built on beer can leave behind the bitter aftertaste of blood.

Final Pour

If Netflix’s aim was to brew up the next global obsession, this Guinness family saga may be its strongest drink yet. It has all the ingredients: the grandeur of Downton Abbey, the grit of Peaky Blinders, the emotional wreckage of Succession. And with James Norton leading the charge under Steven Knight’s masterful hand, the result is shaping up to be a historical thriller audiences won’t just watch—they’ll devour.

Raise a glass. The next Netflix epic is about to be poured, and it promises to be intoxicating.