A string of Hollywood hits have been addressing succession planning with settings starting from a New York high-rise to a Montana ranch and from pews of a megachurch to workplaces in hip-hop leisure.
Though the featured companies and storylines fluctuate, all of them have one factor in widespread—characters who make one unhealthy transfer after one other in succession planning. Their missteps are many, however listed here are just a few examples of what to not do, courtesy of intelligent TV plotlines, together with some skilled recommendation for every scenario supplied by Texas lawyer Barry Inexperienced.
It’s uncertain the fictional characters would take Inexperienced’s ideas—they do, in any case, thrive on drama—however with just a few proactive steps, you’ll be able to keep away from making the identical errors.
The Righteous Gems
World-famous televangelist Eli Gemstone and his household love God, however the almighty greenback can be close to and pricey to their hearts. Eli and his grown kids—Jesse, Judy and Kelvin—are mourning the lack of matriarch Aimee-Leigh and determining find out how to navigate life and their ministries with out her. Vying for his or her father’s approval and a chunk of the Gemstone legacy, the immature trio makes all of the fallacious strikes, leaning into debauchery and crime.
Dangerous transfer: Jesse Gemstone is blackmailed with a video of him and his church mates partying with prostitutes and snorting cocaine within the first episode. The blackmailers demand $1 million, which Jesse doesn’t have as a result of “Daddy limits [his] spending.” However little sister Judy involves the rescue with the chilly laborious money she embezzled and hid within the air con vent of a Sunday faculty classroom.
Skilled recommendation: Was Nancy Reagan’s “Simply Say No” marketing campaign all for naught? Your personal time is your personal time, however you’ll be able to’t reside your life so full throttle that your decisions, if made public, may derail even one of the best made succession plans. Certain, Child Billy is likely to be impressed by your wild methods, however the board of administrators gained’t be. And like Eli virtually actually tried to show Jesse, “nothing good occurs after midnight.” Even one of the best laid plans can’t survive a seedy video that turns into trending.
How you can watch: Initially aired 2019 to 2025 on HBO Max. Now accessible on a number of streaming platforms.
Succession
Brusque patriarch Logan Roy helms Waystar Royco, one of many largest media and leisure corporations on this planet, whereas his kids scheme find out how to achieve management of the “household enterprise.” The Roy siblings—Kendall, Shiv, Roman and Connor—love their father, however the relationships are twisted, based mostly on energy performs with Logan as puppet grasp, fairly than doting dad.
Dangerous transfer: Kendall is poised to take over Waystar from his getting older father within the first episode, however Logan has a last-minute change of coronary heart, saying at his birthday lunch that he’s determined to remain. A shocked Kendall asks—“And undo 18 months of company technique?”
In the identical scene, it’s additionally revealed that Logan tricked Kendall into signing a revised doc including Marcia, Logan’s third spouse, to the household belief and giving her Logan’s board seat when he dies, doubling her votes.
Skilled recommendation: Kendall, if you wish to preserve entry to the helicopters, jet and the yacht, you’re going to should be nimble. At all times have contingency plans that embrace worst-case eventualities. That approach, when your hopes and goals to be named CEO are postponed, you’re ready to both be an excellent soldier, launch a competing firm with Roman and Shiv or simply hand over and bail to the Hamptons (like several non-serious individual would do). In any other case, you’ll simply find yourself expressing concern for “losing 18 months of company technique,” which is able to solely get you a giant sigh from Logan—and deservedly so.
How you can watch: Initially aired 2018 to 2023 on HBO Max. Now accessible on a number of streaming platforms.
Empire
Hip-hop mogul Lucious Lyon is identified with ALS and should determine which son will take over as CEO of Empire Leisure upon his loss of life. The brothers are a trio of expertise—Empire CFO Andre, R&B singer-songwriter Jamal and rapper Hakeem—and Lucious pits them in opposition to one another. Ex-wife Cookie is launched from jail in time to not solely take a stab at reclaiming her share of the enterprise but additionally reconnect along with her boys.
Dangerous transfer: Lucious calls the boys collectively within the pilot episode and publicizes his successor might be chosen in an arbitrary approach. “It gained’t occur right now or tomorrow, however I’ll begin grooming somebody quickly, and it might solely be considered one of you,” he says. The dialog has ominous overtones, as he notes with disgust that none of them seem like ready to take over. Shocked by his dad’s methodology, Jamal in contrast the scenario to a Shakespearean tragedy.
Skilled recommendation: Lucious, the place did you learn that your successor should come from a pool of restricted decisions? That is Empire, not Survivor. If you need the children taken care of, that doesn’t imply it’s a must to gamble the corporate’s very existence by placing it in any of their incapable fingers. Begin trying exterior the group for a potential successor who’s a extra appropriate choice. And your heirs can nonetheless be arrange with an possession/monetary curiosity with out with the ability to management, and probably destroy, what you have got constructed. The lesson: Don’t restrict your self by imaginary constraints. Oh, and because you’re a former drug vendor, I’d stay away from that Jesse character from Gems.
How you can watch: Initially aired 2015 to 2020 on Fox. Now accessible on a number of streaming platforms.
Yellowstone
Fifth-generation rancher John Dutton and his household personal the biggest cattle ranch in Montana: the Yellowstone. Over 5 seasons, he and his kids—Lee, Beth, Kayce and Jamie—together with favored ranch hand Rip, battle builders, neighboring Native Individuals and sometimes one another to maintain the household land intact, albeit with murderous penalties.
Dangerous transfer: In season 2, stoic John Dutton ignores physician’s orders to follow-up when a CT scan reveals a mass in his stomach. It seems to be an ulcer, and he collapses within the area when it bursts. The one medical skilled close by—the ranch vet—cuts open his abdomen and cauterizes the artery, saving his life and stabilizing him earlier than a helicopter trip to the hospital. As soon as within the air he mutters that he can’t die: “I’ve a lot to do.”
Skilled recommendation: In case you are within the place at hand over the proverbial (and literal) reins to the ranch, outline now the small print of how that’s going to occur. Nobody is assured the subsequent day, so have your succession paperwork in place simply in case that day doesn’t arrive for you. Does that sound darkish? Sure. Nevertheless it’s not as disagreeable as having these unpredictable relations jeopardizing the entire ranch as they jockey on your vacated saddle below the Montana sky. It is best to assure the succession plans are in existence—even when it advantages the very individuals who in all probability gave you that ulcer within the first place.
How you can watch: Initially aired 2018 to 2024 on the Paramount Community. Now accessible to stream on Peacock.
This text initially appeared within the July 2025 concern of SUCCESS+ digital journal. Photograph courtesy of ©Paramount Community.