Netflix miniseries binged for 35.7 million hours leaves viewers wanting more
'It's definitely one to get into'
Netflix fans are loving an 'addictive' new miniseries from the creator of Peaky Blinders.
Between 2013 and 2022, there was barely any corner of the internet you could turn to without seeing Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby.
Set in post-World War I Birmingham, UK, the wildly popular drama centred on the Shelby family as they built a criminal empire, entangled in gangland rivalry, politics, and family drama.
Peaky Blinders charted the Shelbys’ rise from local bookies to international power players, airing first on the BBC before joining Netflix internationally.
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And on Thursday (September 25), its creator, Steven Knight, returned with a highly anticipated show about yet another dysfunctional family.
Within three days of its release, the TV series was the third most-watched globally on Netflix, racking up 35.7 million hours watched. Ahead of it was the 'gripping' Jude Law miniseries Black Rabbit and Mae Martin thriller series, Wayward.
Set in Dublin, Ireland, the show explores the battle for ownership of the Guinness brewery across eight gripping episodes.
After the death of its patriarch, Sir Benjamin Lee, his adult children are thrown into turmoil.
Arthur Guinness (Anthony Boyle) struggles with the weight of leadership, while his ambitious brother Edward (Louis Partridge) and sidelined sister Anne Plunket (Emily Fairn) fight for influence, leaving youngest sibling Ben (Fionn O’Shea) caught in the middle.
The siblings then have scheming cousin Byron Hedges (Game of Thrones' Jack Gleeson) and commanding Aunt Agnes (Dervla Kirwan) to deal with, all while facing betrayal and political arrest that threatens to tear their dynasty apart.
The series in question is, of course, House of Guinness, which fans have admitted to binge-watching.
Over on Rotten Tomatoes, it was scored a solid 89 per cent by critics, while fans rated it just 62 per cent. Despite the lower score, viewers were quick to praise the show.
"I ended up binging this - that was not my intention," one person admitted. "The one complaint I have is that it's very annoying that series now always end in cliffhangers. I will be very annoyed if there's no season 2."
A second agreed: "Easy to watch, great set design and costumes. Love all characters. Season 2 would be very welcome in my household."
Another social media user wrote: "It's very addictive after the first episode, the script has some great lines, the story is authentic, excellent pacing and Anthony Boyle is a scene stealer as Arthur Guinness. It's definitely one to get into."
Not everyone agreed, though, as some complained of present-day music being used in the period drama, while others weren't huge fans of the 'cringey' dialogue.
Will there be a House of Guinness season two?
Despite lower ratings from fans, there's clearly a demand for a second season of House of Guinness.
At the moment, though, there's no word on any further seasons yet. And as the show is a miniseries, its chances of renewal are slim.
Previously, Knight hinted at continuing the Guinness family story, telling RadioTimes.com that he has 'obviously thought about where it can go and how far it can go.' He added: "You always have an ambition to take it all the way... but we will see."
He also told ScreenRant that 'in a perfect world' he would like to take House of Guinness 'all the way into the 20th century.'
"These things are not being announced, this is not decided," he added. "But if you look at even a cursory glance at the history of the Guinness family, they keep throwing up these dramas. They keep making these mistakes. They keep doing these wonderful things.
"So yeah, there’s enough material there to keep us going all the way."
House of Guinness is streaming now on Netflix.
Topics: Netflix, Streaming, Film and TV, Social Media, Rotten Tomatoes
Ellie Kemp