An upcoming Channel 4 reality show, which will see players compete in challenges that have been set by someone claimed to be dead, has been teased as “part Knives Out, part Succession”.
The Inheritance, made by the production company behind the hit BBC series The Traitors and Netflix show Squid Game: The Challenge, will see 12 contestants living at a grand English country estate.
They will work together so they can “inherit a chunk of a vast fortune”, that the show claims belongs to a “glamorous benefactor known only as The Deceased”, who has left video messages for the players from beyond the grave.
To earn the money, across 12 episodes, the players must do a series of challenges.
The game can be won by persuading others “that only they should be entrusted with the money”.
Steve Handley, Channel 4’s head of reality and entertainment, said: “The Inheritance isn’t just a battle of strategy, alliances and inevitable betrayals – it’s a cocktail of drama, jeopardy and outright mischief that Reality fans love.
“I can’t wait to see how our players handle the challenges, the twists and a few sneaky surprises.”
The programme is made by Studio Lambert, who has made three series of the Scottish-based series The Traitors presented by Claudia Winkleman and the reality spin-off dark Netflix show Squid Game: The Challenge, with GroupM Motion Entertainment, who have made dating series Love Island.
Tim Harcourt, Studio Lambert’s chief creative officer said: “We often work together in life and yet some team members seem to get so much more than others.
“This incredible game – part Knives Out, part Succession – can finally show us why this happens… and what better way to explore the notions of fairness and entitlement than through the delicious prism of a fight over a will.”
Hit HBO show Succession, about a media mogul deciding which one of his children should inherit his company, ended in 2023 after four seasons with critical praise for the actors playing the backstabbing family.
The Netflix film franchise Knives Out stars Daniel Craig as detective Benoit Blanc, who solves the murders of the wealthy in different locations.
Martin Oxley, head of formats and entertainment (UK) and executive producer for GroupM Motion Entertainment, said: “With The Inheritance, the team at Studio Lambert have devised a truly ingenious new reality game.
“Its stunning backdrop will ring bells for fans of noble stories and stately settings, and alarm bells for those who have had the misfortune of dividing up a family estate.
“We can’t wait to see who can turn the key and unlock their own small fortune from the deceased’s vast wealth.”
The Inheritance will air later this year on Channel 4.
