House of Guinness is a historical drama television series created by Steven Knight, that focuses on the Guinness family during the 19th century. The series premiered on 25 September 2025 on Netflix. In June 2026, the show was renewed for a second series.
Contents
Premise
The series is about the family behind the Guinness brewing company in 19th-century Ireland and New York. It follows the consequences of the death of Sir Benjamin Guinness, 1st Baronet, the man responsible for the extraordinary success of the Guinness brewery, and the fates of his four adult children: Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Benjamin.
Cast and characters
Main
Anthony Boyle as Arthur Guinness, the eldest son of the Guinness family
Louis Partridge as Edward Guinness, the youngest son of the Guinness family
Emily Fairn as Anne Plunket née Guinness, the eldest sibling and only daughter of the Guinness family
Fionn O'Shea as Benjamin Lee Guinness II, the middle son of the Guinness family
Niamh McCormack as Ellen Cochrane, a local Fenian organiser who is committed to the Irish Republican cause
Seamus O'Hara as Patrick Cochrane, a local Fenian organiser and Ellen's brother
Michael McElhatton as John Potter, the Guinness family butler
David Wilmot as Bonnie Champion, a Guinness exporter and kingpin of local illicit businesses
Dervla Kirwan as Agnes Guinness, aunt to the Guinness siblings
James Norton as Sean Rafferty, the warehouse foreman and head of security for the Guinness Brewery
Jack Gleeson as Byron Hedges, a distant cousin and business partner of the Guinness siblings
Danielle Galligan as Lady Olivia Hedges-White, an aristocrat who agrees to marry Arthur
Ann Skelly as Adelaide Guinness, cousin of the Guinness siblings
Supporting
Michael Colgan as Reverend Henry Grattan, uncle to the Guinness siblings
Tim Creed as Reverend William Plunket, Anne's husband
Jessica Reynolds as Lady Christine O'Madden, Benjamin's closest friend
Cassian Bilton as Michael
Hilda Fay as Sultan, a nurse and resident of the Cloonboo estate
Elizabeth Dulau as Lady Henrietta St. Lawrence, Benjamin's wife
Nick Preston as Cahal Nelson
Moe Dunford as William Randall Roberts
Rob Houchen as Lord Arthur Clinton
Declan Conlon as Isaac Butt
Cúán Hosty-Blaney as Patrick
Production
The series was announced in March 2024 with the working title House of Guinness. It is produced for Netflix by Kudos. The eight-part series has Tom Shankland directing the first five episodes and Mounia Akl directing the final three. Knight and Shankland serve as executive producers alongside Karen Wilson, Elinor Day, Knight, Martin Haines and Ivana Lowell. Series producer is Cahal Bannon and Howard Burch is the producer.
Filming began in Cheshire in the summer of 2024. Filming locations also include Stockport, Liverpool, and Dublin.
On June 12, 2026, Netflix renewed the show for a second season, with filming set to begin in early 2027.
Release
The eight-episode series premiered on Netflix on 25 September 2025. The platform included Irish subtitles with the release, the first time they have been included on one of its titles.
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 90% approval rating based on 51 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Overflowing with dynastic intrigue and the rough-hewn grit that distinguished creator Steven Knight's previous historical dramas, House of Guinness goes down smooth like a silky pint." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gave a score of 72 out of 100 based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Although reviews from critics outside Ireland were generally positive that was not the case for reviews from Irish critics. Many critics compared it favorably to series like Downton Abbey and Succession.
Critical assessments of House of Guinness note clear instances of fictionalization. In particular, the series' depiction of Arthur Guinness's sexual identity is not supported by reliable historical or archival evidence and is therefore regarded by reviewers as speculative. Additionally, the character Sean Rafferty has no documented historical basis and is understood to be an invented figure created for dramatic purposes.
Anthony Boyle was nominated for Leading Actor – Male at the 2026 Royal Television Society Programme Awards.
