The ultra-rich are taking a bit of a beating at the moment. As the wealth gap turns from a rift into more of a gaping chasm, wildly successful shows like HBO series White Lotus, Succession, and independent hit film Triangle of Sadness, which satirise the ludicrous lives of the super wealthy, are on the rise.
So from the title and premise of ITVX’s new family drama Riches, you might think the genre has welcomed a glossy new addition to the oeuvre. The brainchild of writer and director Abby Ajayi (How to Get Away With Murder), the show tells the story of the Richards, a self-made British-Nigerian family who have built their fortunes from black hair empire Flair and Glory.
Set in a London which seems to enjoy a permanent Instagram filter, the death of the family’s patriarch and the company’s CEO Stephen (Hugh Quarshie) – not a spoiler, it happens in the first ten minutes – prompts an inevitable explosion when it becomes clear that he has left his business to his estranged children from his first marriage, in America, rather than his British family. Of course, the two sides go to war for control of the multi-million pound enterprise.
Like that of HBO’s Succession, to which the show has drawn much comparison, the premise of Riches is a tried-and-tested winner. Fleshing out the way money and blood mix in a combustible way with plenty of high-stakes feuds, sex, flawless outfits, late-night whiskey drinking and dramatic high-heeled strutting, makes for captivating television.
However, whether Riches ever goes so far as to outright critique the opulence of its central characters remains slightly ambiguous. Rather than an parody of the rich, this is more an aspirational demonstration of what immigrant grit and work ethic can achieve, alongside the juicy drama. Which is not a problem per se, it just feels at times like there is a slight lack of self awareness in the objective ridiculousness of the lives of the central characters.
Saying that, Riches is in many ways a breath of fresh air. Despite coming in a long line of family dramas – Dallas, Dynasty, Succession – the show feels genuinely new and exciting. The Richards are a wealthy, black-British family, and this alone is refreshing to see, as are the dark-skinned, often natural-haired black actresses who make up the bulk of the protagonists. Seeing black people and the everyday detail of black lives as the default – the bonnets; the tittering and teeth-kissing Nigerian aunties – is still an on-screen rarity.
There are some self-conscious points made about race: one of the Richards’ sons, for example, gets pulled over and interrogated by a policeman because he is a young black man driving an expensive car. The enterprise at the heart of the show is a black hair brand, prompting (much-needed) discussion about the way profits from this industry rarely fall into black hands. However, in many ways it is also a family drama like any other – the focus is still on that tension, it’s pacey and full of unfolding twists.
It’s also cast to perfection; both the chemistry and animosity between the characters feel genuine and palpable. Emmy-nominated Sarah Niles delivers a thundering performance as Claudia, the British family’s matriarch, embracing the role of a table-flipping and door-slamming villain with electricity and ease. Deborah Ayorinde shines as Nina, Claudia’s American step-daughter and adversary, at all times oozing natural elegance and poise.
Nneka Okoye and Adeyinka Akinrinade also do an excellent job as Wanda and Alesha, the younger Richards daughters, but are let down at times by slightly cringey writing which at moments smacks of millennial-writes-Gen Z but-is-stuck-in-2012 – Wanda’s sigh of “not today, Satan” in the first episode is a particularly grim example.
The standout performance, however, comes from Emmanual Imani as Simon, Nina’s flamboyant younger brother. Adding levity to the high-stakes drama, Imani lights up the screen, instantly stealing every scene he is in with the impeccable comedic finesse.
Despite a few clunky script moments, Riches is ultimately highly enjoyable and effortlessly watchable; every minute is jam-packed full of action, propelling the plot to unpredictable and captivating heights. Cringey or not, you’ll be scrabbling to hit play on the next episode.
