‘The end of peak television’: Has the era of prestige TV ground to a halt?

Many of the biggest shows are coming to an end, cancellations are through the roof and miniseries are on the rise. Are the days of the all-conquering television drama numbered?

While Succession feels like it’s wearing the crown now, looking out across the landscape, there is a dearth of obvious heirs. 

Now that Succession has finally lived up to its writers’ most-loved phrase and decided to “f*** off” at the end of its fourth season, it leaves a big question for the TV world. It’s one befitting a show hinged on who was qualified to take over the Roy family business. So, who, or what, will succeed the biggest drama on TV?

For the past two and a half decades, the much-heralded prestige TV era, it has always seemed there is one series that reigns supreme at any given moment. There is no discernible science to the idea, but whoever could gather the winning combination (or at least some components) of critical acclaim, big ratings, award-show sweeps and, latterly, social media buzz, fits the bill.