Cardiff, January 11, 2024
‘Industry’ Season 4 Promises Expansion, Scandal, and a Fresh Start
Table of Contents
The HBO-BBC drama, celebrated for its unflinching portrayal of finance and its knack for launching careers, is gearing up for a fourth season that promises to be its most expansive yet.
- The upcoming season of “Industry” will span locations from Paris to Ghana, introducing a new cast alongside returning stars.
- Creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay aim to blend genres, drawing inspiration from filmmakers like Michael Mann and Tony Gilroy.
- The show has become a launching pad for young actors, with several cast members landing prominent roles in film and television.
- “Industry” distinguishes itself by its uncompromising vision and refusal to conform to typical streaming trends.
For fans craving a dose of high-stakes drama, the fourth season of “Industry” is poised to deliver. The critically acclaimed HBO-BBC co-production, since its 2020 debut, has evolved into a captivating study of money, power, and status in the UK, earning praise—including a 2024 New Yorker label as “the most thrilling offering currently on TV”—and a dedicated following, evidenced by its active subreddit, IndustryOnHBO. The show’s creators, Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, insist the new installment will be bigger and bolder than ever.
A Star-Making Vehicle
“I don’t know where I would be without Industry,” says Marisa Abela, who won a Bafta last year for her performance as Yasmin Kara-Hanani. Abela, 29, was cast directly from drama school and has since appeared in Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Amy Winehouse biopic and Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag. The show’s impact extends to other former cast members like David Jonsson (a Bafta rising star award winner, featured in Alien: Romulus) and Harry Lawtey (Joker: Folie à Deux, and the upcoming Billion Dollar Spy alongside Russell Crowe).
Myha’la, 29, who plays the daring trader Harper Stern, agrees. “If I go to LA and take a bunch of meetings, this is the thing that people talk about.” The show’s success, Down and Kay suggest, may stem from its insidery look at British society, which resonates with American viewers precisely because it’s often difficult to fully grasp.
Behind the Scenes: A Unique Vision
Down, 36, and Kay, 37, met at Oxford University and briefly worked in banking themselves. They bring a distinctive self-assurance and jargon-filled style to their work, qualities noted by cast members like Sagar Radia, who describes them as “incredibly intelligent” and “massively high achievers.” The pair were interviewed on a July evening at a studio complex outside Cardiff, where the fourth series is being filmed.
A Fresh Narrative Landscape
Series four marks a turning point for “Industry,” as the London offices of Pierpoint & Co have been shuttered following a sale to Middle-Eastern investors. To maintain the dynamic between protagonists Harper and Yasmin, Down and Kay introduced Tender, a dubious payment processing company that both women see as a path to success in the evolving financial landscape.
This setup allows the show to jump between locations—Paris, Ghana, New York, Sunderland, an Austrian castle, and a London council estate—and introduce new cast members including Max Minghella, Kiernan Shipka, Charlie Heaton, and Toheeb Jimoh. The season will explore themes of fraud, fascism, investigative journalism, and the current state of the Labour party. Kay likened the ideal version of the show to a Tony Gilroy script directed by Michael Mann.
From Mockumentary to HBO Success
Down and Kay’s journey to creating “Industry” is a testament to timing and perseverance. Their previous work included writing for the 2015 David Hasselhoff mockumentary, Hoff the Record. They credit luck and “a lot of grit” for landing the show, capitalizing on a period when streamers were investing in risky programming. They connected with British producer Jane Tranter at a crucial moment, securing a deal with HBO for a show about young people in the City.
“Industry” stands out for its fast pace, complex subject matter, and refusal to be background noise. Kay contrasted it with the “saggy comedies and bloated dramas” that often populate streaming platforms, emphasizing their commitment to concise, impactful storytelling. The show offers “a real hit of proper entertainment” at a time when “the discipline of writing hour-long TV has fallen away.”
Genre-Bending and Uncompromising
The show defies easy categorization, drawing comparisons to HBO’s Succession, though Kay dismisses the similarity, calling Succession “like an hour-long sitcom made on a very high production value.” He cites The Sopranos as a model for genre-bending television. Series four will blend elements of neo-period drama, satire, slapstick comedy, espionage thriller, and even “dry procedural deconstruction of finance regulation in the UK.”
Down and Kay foster a collaborative environment with their actors. Marisa Abela recounted a scene where she challenged their direction, prompting a discussion about her character’s motivations. Sagar Radia echoed this sentiment, praising their openness to input.
The fourth season also presents a challenge in navigating the aftermath of Rishi’s tumultuous arc, which culminated in his wife being shot. Down described the question of whether Rishi can be redeemed or is irrevocably broken as central to his storyline.
At its core, “Industry” explores the corrosive effects of transactional relationships. “If you reduce everything to the quid pro quo of market logic…then what happens to your own humanity?” Kay asked. The show’s creators emphasize their dedication to the project, viewing it as a product of their long-standing friendship and creative partnership.
Series four of Industry is on iPlayer from 12 January, and BBC One, 12 January, 10.35pm.
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