Shows like “Succession,” “Billions,” “Working Moms” and “New Amsterdam” invite business students into the world of finance, marketing and business administration applications.
If you like boardroom drama or team conflict solutions, watch “Succession.”
The show follows the Roy family, a billionaire family that runs the media conglomerate Waystar RoyCo. The father, Logan Roy, has experienced a decline in health, resulting in the opportunity for one of his children to become CEO.
His four children, Connor, Kendall, Roman and Siobhan, have to compete for their father’s trust and a place at the company’s top. There is also Siobhan’s husband Tom and cousin Greg that tag along with the family drama.
For season three, which is currently streaming on HBO Max, the funniest character is Roman. He has an odd sense of humor that will make you laugh and be disgusted at the same time. When it comes to the best relationship, we have to give it to cousin Greg and Tom.
In the first season, Tom has taken Greg in as a mentor and a boss. Since that time, Tom bullies Greg into doing anything he wants, giving the audience exciting chemistry.
Business students can quickly learn various lessons from this show, such as how to win in a corporate world, what it’s like being in a family-run company, becoming a CEO and surviving a public relations disaster.
Although this show has great family drama, there is a lot of negativity and unethical situations that could be both good and bad for students to learn from. Regardless, students will know that being at the top requires sacrifices. This show highlights that quite well.
For finance students, “Billions” is a show for you. It follows U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Chuck Rhoades and CEO of a hedge fund firm Bobby “Axe” Axelrod to push each other over the cliff. For most of the seasons, Axe made many enemies that he and his team take down strategically.
Other important characters include Wendy, an HR employee of the firm, Mike “Wags” Wagner, COO of the firm and Taylor Mason, a talented financial analyst that tries to find their place in the financial world.
This show is interesting due to its nature of relying on the toxic environment of the financial world. Most of the characters are male, and they communicate rudely to each other much like real-life floor traders.
Still, the show provides insight on factors that will bring a company down or make it successful, whether it’s different channels of revenues or rising stock prices.
Finance students will fall in love with this show as it mimics the actual experience of being a hedge fund manager.
For future marketing professionals, “Working Moms” is a secret gem. The show follows a group of moms as they balance their professional and personal lives simultaneously. The lead characters and best friends, Kate and Anne, help each other on their working mom journeys.
Kate is the CEO of her marketing firm and works with various brands such as cannabis beer, airlines and children’s fiction throughout the show. Aside from professionalism, the show explores the balance between personal and professional lives.
As a freshman in the Sawyer Business School, it is required to take SBS101 or ENT101 Business Fundamentals. For assignments, teams of students have to think about different solutions that satisfy the collective problem specific to their client.
“New Amsterdam” is perfect for that scenario. It follows a man named Max, a new chief of the hospital, New Amsterdam. He has many new ideas and strategies on how to make the hospital better by focusing on the patients instead of the politics of medicine.
The show truly highlights the quality of a good leader, and the importance of resilience. Everything is a high stakes scenario, especially when it comes to healthcare administration. Even though the setting is in a hospital, the show explores the depth of customers’ wants and needs.
To be a successful business professional, you should be trying to learn new things. Watching television and movies can be one of the ways to do it. They will open up your mind and your heart.
“Succession” is on HBO MAX. “Billions” is on Hulu. “Working Moms” is on Netflix and “New Amsterdam” is on Hulu and on Peacock.
Follow Thomas on Twitter @Tpholnikorn.
