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Shows Like · Succession (162)

Best Shows Like Succession, Ranked by IQ Score

Wealth, power, and family-as-corporate-asset — the architecture Succession refined. Here are the closest matches in the database. Ranked by IQ Score.

Succession (IQ 162, Masterclass) is Jesse Armstrong's four-season study of a media-conglomerate family as a single corrupt organism. The show's structural innovation is treating institutional intelligence as the actual subject — Logan Roy's gravitational pull across the seasons is the show's central cognitive material.

Closest matches: Mad Men (171) is the closest tonal cousin — wealth, power, and identity under capitalism, rendered with patient seriousness. Industry is the post-Succession finance-and-family contemporary. The Crown is the non-corporate parallel — same family-as-institution architecture, applied to a literal monarchy. Billions and The Diplomat represent the contemporary power-and-strategy register.

12 titles · ranked by IQ Score

  1. 1
    Six Feet Under poster — IQ Score 189/200 — Masterclass tier

    Six Feet Under

    Masterclass drama, comedy

    Profound exploration of mortality and family dysfunction, widely considered one of TV's greatest examinations of the human condition.

    189/200
  2. 2
    The Americans poster — IQ Score 181/200 — Masterclass tier

    The Americans

    Masterclass spy, drama

    Two Soviet KGB officers pose as an American couple during the Cold War. Educational about the Cold War and espionage. Cognitive engagement from the psychological toll of living a lie. Entertainment from the spy thriller…

    181/200
  3. 3
    The Sopranos poster — IQ Score 176/200 — Masterclass tier

    The Sopranos

    Masterclass crime, drama

    Tony Soprano sits in Dr. Melfi's office and talks while ordering hits. The show's cognitive achievement is depicting the interior life of a violent man without absolving him. Educational value from its portrayal of anxie…

    176/200
  4. 4
    Boardwalk Empire poster — IQ Score 173/200 — Masterclass tier

    Boardwalk Empire

    Masterclass crime, drama, historical

    Demands viewers track intricate power structures across Prohibition-era Atlantic City, evaluating competing moral frameworks among gangsters, politicians, and federal agents while processing dense historical context.

    173/200
  5. 5
    Better Call Saul poster — IQ Score 171/200 — Masterclass tier

    Better Call Saul

    Masterclass crime, drama

    Jimmy McGill's transformation from con man to lawyer mirrors the moral compromises required to succeed legally. The show's cognitive achievement is depicting how institutional systems can corrupt even good intentions. Ed…

    171/200
  6. 6
    Mad Men poster — IQ Score 171/200 — Masterclass tier

    Mad Men

    Masterclass drama

    Set in Manhattan's Sterling Cooper advertising agency, the show charts how Don Draper's constructed identity mirrors America's advertising culture. Cognitive engagement from understanding how the 1960s social upheaval di…

    171/200
  7. 7
    House of Cards poster — IQ Score 165/200 — Masterclass tier

    House of Cards

    Masterclass drama, political, thriller

    Multiple Emmy nominations and the show that launched Netflix original programming. Kevin Spacey as a ruthless congressman who manipulates his way to the presidency. High cognitive demands from the Machiavellian scheming…

    165/200
  8. 8
    The Crown poster — IQ Score 157/200 — Stimulating tier

    The Crown

    Stimulating historical, drama

    A dramatization of Queen Elizabeth II's reign where the monarchy is depicted as an institution requiring emotional self-abnegation. Cognitive engagement from understanding the political and personal costs of duty. Educat…

    157/200
  9. 9
    The Diplomat poster — IQ Score 157/200 — Stimulating tier

    The Diplomat

    Stimulating political, drama

    An American ambassador navigates diplomatic crises in Europe. Educational about diplomacy and international politics. Cognitive engagement from the political maneuvering. Entertainment from the political thriller.

    157/200
  10. 10
    Slow Horses poster — IQ Score 155/200 — Stimulating tier

    Slow Horses

    Stimulating spy, drama

    MI5 agents stationed in a dumping ground department investigate a conspiracy. Educational about British intelligence. Cognitive engagement from the political intrigue. Entertainment from the spy thriller.

    155/200
  11. 11
    Industry poster — IQ Score 145/200 — Stimulating tier

    Industry

    Stimulating drama

    Follows graduate trainees in London investment banking where institutional pressure fractures ethics and personal relationships across seasons.

    145/200
  12. 12
    Billions poster — IQ Score 136/200 — Stimulating tier

    Billions

    Stimulating drama

    Layers financial markets, political leverage, and psychological warfare through rapid-fire dialogue and competing alpha figures, requiring viewers to track complex schemes and power reversals.

    136/200

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