The Guinness family legacy is anything but simple. Just ask Ivana Lowell, an heir to the famed brewing dynasty and the creative force behind Netflix’s latest drama, “House of Guinness.” The series, dubbed “‘Succession’ with beer and brutality” by The Times of London, features stars like James Norton and Louis Partridge. It kicks off with the death of the 19th-century patriarch, Sir Benjamin Guinness—then Ireland’s wealthiest man—and plunges into the fierce battle among his four children for control of the stout empire. The concept for the show sparked in Ms. Lowell’s mind over a decade ago during a Christmas gathering with her cousin, Desmond Guinness, at his ancestral 12th-century castle in County Kildare. “We were casually watching ‘Downton Abbey,’ and it struck me,” the 59-year-old shared from London, “Our family stories are far more intriguing and eccentric!”
Upon returning to Sag Harbor, New York, Ms. Lowell began developing a narrative, detailing the origins of the iconic beer by Arthur Guinness (the very man pictured on the bottle) and charting the family’s rise to Sir Benjamin, who oversaw Europe’s largest brewery. After six years in development, Ms. Lowell joined forces with Steven Knight, the acclaimed creator of “Peaky Blinders.” Together, they propelled “House of Guinness” from concept to production, bringing the rich history to life. The series showcases James Norton as the foreman Sean Rafferty, a character Ms. Lowell admits she envisioned with a particular aesthetic: “I wanted a sexy foreman who took off his shirt a lot,” she quipped. (Image: James Norton as the foreman Sean Rafferty in “House of Guinness.”)
“Steven’s brilliant idea was to kick off the show with the reading of Benjamin’s will,” Ms. Lowell explained. “Benjamin leaves his entire brewing fortune to his two sons, setting them on a collision course for power.” Set against the tumultuous backdrop of 19th-century Dublin—though filmed in Northern England—a city grappling with a revolutionary quest for independence from British rule, “House of Guinness” sharply deviates from the refined elegance of its “Downton Abbey” inspiration.
“This isn’t ‘Downton Abbey’—it’s raw and gritty,” Ms. Lowell stated, admitting a hint of apprehension about her family’s reaction. Yet, she likely has little to fear. The sprawling Guinness clan is famously dramatic, eccentric, and possesses a robust sense of humor, often making headlines. “My family is known for being incredibly dramatic, eccentric, and having a fantastic sense of humor,” she elaborated. “These are the tales I’ve always grown up hearing. But it’s important to remember this is a drama, not a historical documentary, so Steven had the creative freedom to invent elements.” One fictitious addition was strictly Ms. Lowell’s own: “I wanted a sexy foreman who took off his shirt a lot,” she said of the character portrayed by Mr. Norton.
“House of Guinness” isn’t Ms. Lowell’s first dive into her family’s storied (and often scandalous) past. In her 2010 memoir, “Why Not Say What Happened?”, she shared a remarkably composed account of her traumatic childhood. Raised in a dilapidated English manor by parents and guardians best described as profoundly negligent, her early life was marked by hardship. At just six years old, she suffered sexual abuse from her nanny’s husband. A severe kettle accident left her with third-degree burns and permanent scars. The man she believed to be her father, pianist Israel Citkowitz (her mother Caroline Blackwood’s second husband), was later revealed to be unrelated. She discovered her biological father was screenwriter Ivan Moffatt, one of her mother’s many lovers. Tragically, her sister Natayla died from a heroin overdose at the tender age of 18. “I truly don’t know how I made it through,” Ms. Lowell reflected. “I suppose because I knew no different, no worse. Being burned, raped, and abused—that was simply my reality. When you’re unaware of alternatives, you assume it’s normal. The distinct Guinness dark humor certainly helped.”
The family’s trademark dark humor often manifested in an adage they invoked during tough times: “This is bad, even for us.” (Image: Ms. Lowell wrote about her family in the 2010 memoir “Why Not Say What Happened?”) As she collaborated on the series, Ms. Lowell drew inspiration from the vivid stories of her grandmother, Maureen Guinness, and her mother, Lady Caroline Blackwood—a brilliant, sharp-tongued writer who struggled with alcoholism, married figures like painter Lucian Freud and poet Robert Lowell. “My grandmother Maureen and her sisters, Aileen and Oonagh, famously known as the ‘Glorious Guinness Girls,’ could easily fill an entire series with their scandalous escapades,” Ms. Lowell asserted. “That generation was undeniably privileged, indulged, and seemingly allowed to get away with absolutely anything they desired.”