MAY 2023:
Trade You a Roy for a Murdoch…
Succession, created by Jesse Armstrong, has captivated audiences since its debut on HBO. The show revolves around the dysfunctional Roy family, owners of a media conglomerate, as they vie for control of their empire. Many viewers and critics have drawn parallels between the fictional Roy’s and the real-life Murdoch family, media moguls with a vast empire that includes Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and more.
**The Parallels between the Roys and the Murdochs:**
1. **Media Empire**: The most obvious connection is the shared premise of a powerful family controlling a massive media empire. The Roy family owns Waystar RoyCo, while the Murdoch family control News Corporation (now News Corp) and 21st Century Fox (now part of Disney).
![News Corporation, stylized as News Corp,[3] is a mass media and publishing company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was formed on June 28, 2013, following a spin-off of the media outlets of the original News Corporation as 21st Century Fox (21CF). Operating across digital real estate information, news media, book publishing, and cable television, News Corp's notable assets include Dow Jones & Company (publisher of The Wall Street Journal), News UK (publisher of The Sun and The Times), News Corp Australia, REA Group (operator of realestate.com.au), Realtor.com, and book publisher HarperCollins. It is one of two companies that succeeded the original News Corp., alongside 21st Century Fox—which consisted of broadcasting and media properties such as Fox Entertainment Group. The spin-out was structured so that 21CF was the legal continuation of the original News Corp., with the new News Corp being a new company formed by a stock split. Since March 19, 2019, Fox Corporation (which holds 21CF's national broadcasting, news and sports assets due to 21CF's sale to Disney the next day) is the sister company of News Corp under the Murdoch family's control. In September 2023, Rupert Murdoch announced he was stepping down as News Corp's chairman, effective November 2023. Photo Credit: Google Images](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/News-Corp-.png?resize=525%2C295&ssl=1)
2. **Family Dynamics**: Both families are characterized by complex, often toxic, family dynamics. The struggle for succession within both families is a central theme. In the Murdoch’s, Rupert Murdoch‘s children, especially James and Lachlan, have vied for leadership positions, much like the Roy siblings.
3. **Ruthless Ambition**: The Roy children, like their Murdoch counterparts, are willing to betray and manipulate each other to achieve their personal ambitions and gain favor with their patriarch. The show portrays this ruthlessness with dark humor and drama.
4. **Scandals and Controversies**: The Murdochs have faced numerous scandals and controversies over the years, including phone hacking scandals at News of the World and allegations of biased reporting on Fox News. Succession also explores these themes, often mirroring real-world events.
![The Final Issue of "News of the World' From the nineties until the newspaper’s demise in 2011, reporters at the paper used private investigators to illegally gain access to hundreds of mobile phone voicemail accounts held by a variety of people of interest to the newspaper. In 2007 the paper's royal correspondent, Clive Goodman, pleaded guilty to illegal interception of personal communication and was jailed for four months; the paper's editor, Andy Coulson, had resigned two weeks earlier. In 2009/2010, further revelations emerged on the extent of the phone hacking, and how it was common knowledge within the News of the World and its News International parent. According to a former reporter at the paper, "Everyone knew. The office cat knew", about the illegal activities used to scoop stories. On 17 January 2011, The Guardian reported that Glenn Mulcaire, a private investigator paid by the paper, testified that he had been asked by the newspaper's leadership to hack voicemail accounts on its behalf. In April 2011, attorneys for the victims alleged that as many as 7,000 people had their phones hacked by the News of the World;[51] it was further revealed that the paper's owner, Rupert Murdoch, had attempted to pressure Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Labour Party MPs to "back away" from investigating the scandal. Three journalists on the newspaper were initially arrested: Ian Edmondson and Neville Thurlbeck on 5 April and James Weatherup on 14 April. The newspaper "unreservedly" apologised for its phone hacking activities during April 2011. On 4 July 2011, it was disclosed that potential evidence had been deleted in spring 2002 from the hacked voicemail account of Milly Dowler, then missing, but later found to have been murdered. Photo Credit: Google Images](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/News-pf-the-World-.webp?ssl=1)
**Cast Comparisons:**
1. **Logan Roy (Brian Cox) and Rupert Murdoch**: Brian Cox’s portrayal of Logan Roy draws parallels to Rupert Murdoch. Both are patriarchs known for their iron grip on their media empires. They are shrewd,unyielding, and willing to make ruthless decisions to maintain control.
2. **Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) and James Murdoch**: Jeremy Strong’s Kendall Roy shares similarities with James Murdoch. Both are sons who, at various points, were groomed to succeed their fathers but faced internal and external challenges. They grapple with issues of identity, loyalty, and personal ambition.
3. **Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) and Lachlan Murdoch**: Kieran Culkin’s Roman Roy and Lachlan Murdoch both embody a sense of rebellion and playfulness. They often seem less interested in the family business and more focused on personal pursuits. However, they still play significant roles in the corporate drama.
4. **Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook) and Elisabeth Murdoch**: Sarah Snook’s character, Shiv Roy, is often compared to Elisabeth Murdoch, who has been involved in various media ventures outside her father’s empire. Both women navigate the challenges of being ambitious within male-dominated industries.
5. **Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) and Various Executives**: While Tom isn’t directly modeled after a Murdoch executive, his character represents the corporate culture of sycophantic loyalty found in many large media organizations. His journey from outsider to a more prominent role mirrors the experiences of executives in media dynasties.
**Conclusion:**
Succession serves as a captivating exploration of power, family, and corporate intrigue, drawing inspiration from real-life media dynasties like the Murdochs. The show cleverly weaves parallels between the fictional Roy family and their real-world counterparts while providing a darkly comedic and dramatic lens through which to view the complexities of media conglomerates and family dynamics.
In the end, Succession is not a direct replica of the Murdoch family saga but rather a work of fiction that uses real-world inspirations to create a gripping narrative. The cast’s performances, particularly the nuanced portrayals of the Roy family members, add depth to the show’s exploration of ambition, betrayal, and the high-stakes world of media empires. It’s a testament to the series’ writing and acting that viewers find themselves drawn into the world of the Roys, even as they see echoes of the Murdochs and other media dynasties in the story.
Succession is available now to stream on HBO…