"Succession" and Co.: These series sets are legendary - and embody outrageous luxury

On the Sky launch of season 3 of "Succession": why the HBO series feels so outrageously luxurious.

The third season of "Succession" can be seen in Germany on Sky Ticket. Photo: David M. Russell/HBO ©2020 HBO. All Rights Reserved

Legendary series sets that perfectly embody their time of origin.

"Succession" is just entering its third round on Sky: the series about fictional U.S. media and entertainment mogul Logan Roy and his heirs, stirs deep emotions and a lot of escapism. As the Roy siblings manipulate each other for control of their media empire, it's tempting to just marvel at the sumptuous surroundings and let your inner voice guide you: "I've never seen a country estate furnished with such elegant furniture; Kendall Roy doesn't even appreciate the magnificent spiral staircase in his ex-wife's Upper East Side apartment; I wonder if Bobby Axelrod from Billions would have lived in these Four Seasons Private Residences. He had a thing for panoramic views of the city!"

Basically, that's how we all feel. Our favorite characters from series and movies are apparently wealthier than ever, at least that's how they live. In the last two years alone, as the pandemic forced us to stay home and stare at our screens more than ever, "The Undoing" (HBO), "Little Fires Everywhere" (Hulu), "Big Little Lies" (HBO), the reboot of "Gossip Girl" (HBO Max) along with "Succession" (HBO), "The Crown" (Netflix) and "Billions" (Showtime) set the cultural zeitgeist with a potent mix of amazing plots and stunning set pieces.

As the New York Times noted in a 2019 article, it's no coincidence that the Happy Few at the center of these series have plenty of skeletons in their oversized walk-in closets, even in times of financial instability. Axelrod may have lived in a Tribeca penthouse with a rooftop terrace and light-filled living room, but as last seen in the finale of "Billions," the government did get him financially in the end. Kendall Roy once accidentally killed a man, and we rooted along with voyeuristic delight. Lynn Spigel, a professor of radio and television at Northwestern University and author of the 2008 book "TV by Design: Modern Art and the Rise of Network Television," calls it an ambivalent phenomenon: "It's natural for us to dream of such riches and the homes to match," she revealed to AD, "but the script usually tries to make sure these ultra-rich people have a million problems at the same time."

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