How much of Netflix’s new series House of Guinness is based on true events? Details revealed

Stephen Knight's new series, House of Guinness, brings a chapter from 19th-century Ireland to Netflix that feels like a mix of Succession meeting Knight's hit show, Peaky Blinders.

As the title suggests, the series is inspired by the true events that happened in the life of the titular family that was behind the cherished brewing company. However, Knight's adaptation isn't entirely truthful, nor is it purely fictional. It offers a blend of facts and fictional narration, according to Esquire, to offer a family drama in a period setting.

The show follows the Guinnesses shortly after the death of family patriarch Benjamin Guinness, which leaves their two children, Arthur (Anthony Boyle) and Edward (Louis Partridge), in charge of the operations, leaving Anne (Emily Fairn) and Benjamin (Fionn O’Shea) fuming over their part of the cultural or monetary inheritance, at least in the series.

In a conversation with Netflix's Tudum, Knight revealed what the series is about. He said,

“It’s the extraordinary story of a family who happens to be the inheritors of the biggest brewery in the world. They’re young and are given the task of taking on this incredibly successful brand. The first priority is: Don’t screw it up. And the second priority is to make Guinness even bigger.”

Let's unpack the details that are more truthful than others.

Here's what we know about the true story behind House of Guinness

Steven Knight has mastered the art of addictive storytelling, and his work in television, especially Peaky Blinders, is a testament to the same. He knows how to invest you in the lives of his characters and get you all wrapped up in their emotional affairs, inspired by truth. House of Guinness offers a similar blend of fact and storytelling.

One might ask: what inspired Knight to bring this wealthy family's life to the screens at a time when satirical dramas against the rich are probably at an all-time high? Well, the answer is: he was inspired to tell the tale from his meeting with an actual Guinness family member, Ivana Lowell.

In a conversation with Esquire magazine, the House of Guinness writer-creator spoke about the emotional hook from this meeting:

“From her, I got more than you would ever get from reading research. It was the personality of the family, the joy of it, the drama, the blasé way of dealing with huge events and huge celebrities. It’s this authority that’s also scurrilous.”

In House of Guinness, currently at an 87% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Knight shows where they were placed in the class structure, besides their inclination toward the British rule over Ireland, according to Esquire. The magazine also reveals how this positioning made sense for the Guinnesses from a business perspective, since, despite their riches, they were not fully accepted as aristocrats.

Knight turns their story into a Succession-like race for the throne, but it may not have the satirical edge of the former. Instead, it may be more in line with the slickness of Peaky Blinders. His project may not be as critical or biting, but similarly exhilarating. Esquire notes that the family was wealthy, but it paid workers better than others.

Knight addressed it, saying,

“You could say it was forced upon them in that the senior members wanted titles and they wanted recognition, but there was no need for the family to go as far as it did. It changed the nature of housing for the poor in London and in Dublin, and across the world.”

House of Guinness, the eight-part series, is now streaming on Netflix.

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Also read: 5 moments where Netflix’s House of Guinness deviated from reality

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