If you’ve become well acquainted with the wildly dysfunctional families of Succession and Peaky Blinders and need another helping of chaotic family drama, Netflix has answered all of our prayers and has officially confirmed the return of the Guinness dynasty. Here’s a peek inside the longed-for new series of House Of Guinness, with its superb cast and enough family feuds, power struggles and forbidden romances that make it even better than Succession.
For those who don’t know, the first series takes us to 19th-century Dublin, introducing us to one of the world’s most famous lineages: the Guinness family. The drama begins with the death of Sir Benjamin Guinness, leaving his four very different children to inherit the hugely profitable brewery. But with series 1 ending on an explosive cliffhanger, creator Steven Knight has promised that change is afoot…
With the second series announced, here’s everything you need to know about House Of Guinness, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is House Of Guinness about?
The first series, which first aired in 2025, takes us to Dublin in 1868 and begins with the death of family patriarch Sir Benjamin Guinness (Graham Ashworth). His four adult children, Arthur (Anthony Boyle), Edward (Louis Patridge), Anne (Emily Fairn) and Benjamin (Fionn O’Shea), are left to navigate the complexities of his will and somehow protect the family empire of black gold – but the inheritance is far from equal.
Edward is extremely ambitious and wants to expand the business internationally, while Arthur becomes caught up in an election scandal while trying to pursue a political career. Anna struggles with a mysterious illness and Benjamin is self-destructive and numbs his problems through vices including drinking and gambling.
What’s more, the problems encompass both business and pleasure. Arthur enters a marriage of convenience to Olivia (Danielle Galligan), who’s having an affair with Sean Rafferty (James Norton). Meanwhile, Edward is having a forbidden romance with Fenian activist Ellen Cochrane (Niamh McCormack), despite the huge political divide between their worlds. Danger closes in on the wealthy Protestant family and threats from the Catholic Fenian brotherhood become impossible to outmanoeuvre.
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At the finale, the fractured Guinness siblings finally come together to support Arthur's latest campaign. But Ellen’s brother, Patrick Cochrane (Seamus O'Hara), shows up to his rally with deadly intent. The series cuts with the sound of a gunshot.
What will House Of Guinness series 2 be about?
The second chapter will pick up from that explosive cliffhanger. And the first question to answer: who, if anyone, was hit by Patrick’s bullet? Beyond answering the much-awaited question, series 2 will continue the turbulent story of the siblings as they grow older and try to navigate the empire alongside their spouses, lovers, foes and friends, including family fixer Sean Rafferty (James Norton).
Steven Knight (the brain behind Peaky Blinders) shared what fans can look forward to in the next series. ‘There’s so much more to find out about them,’ Knight tells Netflix. ‘We’ll see how they grow up, because House Of Guinness is about a family growing up together. Even in season 1, they change quite a bit. In season 2, it will be interesting to see what changes and what stays the same,’ he adds.
‘In every generation, there’s an amazing story – more than one. There are loads of amazing stories,’ he says. ‘The family remains eccentric, wild, brilliant, interesting, compelling – all the way through to now,’ he says.
Who’s in the cast of House Of Guinness series 2?
With production underway, Netflix has not yet announced new cast members for House Of Guinness series 2, but here are the returning faces we can expect to see.
The cast of House Of Guinness includes:
- Anthony Boyle (Say Nothing) as Arthur
- Louis Patridge (Disclaimer, Pride And Prejudice) as Edward
- Emily Fairn (The Responder) as Anne
- Fionn O’Shea (Dating Amber) as Benjamin
- James Norton (Grantchester, Happy Valley) as Sean
- Seamus O’Hara (An Irish Goodbye) as Patrick
- Niamh McCormack (Everything Now) as Ellen
Is House Of Guinness any good?
Yes – it’s a fascinating look back in time at the family behind one of the world’s most famous drinks and the controversial dynasty behind the black label. It’s a family saga just as enthralling and addictive as Succession, with every sibling wanting something different from their family fortune. James Norton delivers a standout performance as the complicated Sean, a Catholic outsider working for the wealthy Protestant family he's loyal to but feels growing resentment towards. Add in his dangerous relationship with Olivia, and Edward’s Romeo And Juliet-esque entanglement with Ellen, and it’s impossible to press pause on the drama.
Is there a trailer for House Of Guinness series 2?
While we wait for a trailer for House of Guinness series 2, you can get a flavour of the action in series 1 from the trailer below.
How can I watch House Of Guinness series 2?
All episodes will be available to stream on Netflix; while we don’t know the official release date yet, you can catch up on the entire first series now on Netflix. We will keep you posted here as soon as the official release date lands.
What other period dramas can I watch now?
For a glimpse into London’s 1960s gritty underworld, we’d recommend BBC’s The Long Firm, which follows the charismatic and complicated gangster Harry Starks (Mark Strong). Across four episodes, the drama charts his rise and fall through the eyes of four very different characters in his orbit. The Long Firm is available to watch now on U. For a lighter look back at a different historical era, we’d suggest Cable Girls. The series is a powerful tale of friendship set in 1920s Spain, where four women from very different walks of life start working as telephone operators. Together, they come up against dramatic social change with the civil war and the rise of dictator Franco’s authoritarian ideology. Cable Girls is available to watch now on Netflix.
