Riches
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Riches
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Riches is a British soap opera-type drama that features lots of mature themes. The death of a patriarch is central to the series, and murder is a theme. There's also lots of threats, yelling, and screaming. There's strong innuendo, including simulated sex scenes, cursing, and drinking. Systemic racism and anti-immigrant behavior are also themes.
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What's the Story?
RICHES is a British drama about an extended family's attempts to control a Black hair care empire. When British-Nigerian Flair & Glory owner Stephen Richards (Hugh Quarshie) dies suddenly, he unexpectedly leaves the entirety of the company's shares to Nina (Deborah Ayorinde) and Simon (Emmanuel Imani), his estranged children from his marriage to Oyin (Jumoke Ashola). Believing that F&G is rightfully theirs, his second wife Claudia (Sarah Niles) and their spoiled children, Alesha (Adeyinka Akinrinade), Gus (Ola Orebiyi), and Wanda (Nneka Okoye) are left to figure out how they're going to regain control of the company. But Nina, who's built her own corporate career in the United States, suspects that there's something more going on behind the scenes of F&G, and that their father's death was really a murder.
Is It Any Good?
This series mixes family rivalry, corporate warfare, and plenty of secrets and backstabbing to create a soapy melodrama. But in between the formulaic plot lines about loyalty, greed, and power, Riches attempts a conversation about racism, especially as it relates to immigrants and Black communities. But despite obvious remarks and flashbacks highlighting the different ways characters have experienced racial discrimination, which is often contextualized as the motivation behind their individual antics, most of this narrative gets buried in shallow storylines. As a result, Riches fails to offer significant social commentary about systematic racism, and the many other challenges immigrants face when trying to advance in an unequal playing field. Nonetheless, Riches still delivers a satisfyingly indulgent chronicle of greed and power.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the popularity of soap operas. The plot lines across TV shows in this genre are very similar, so why do people still enjoy them?
Does Riches address issues pertaining to racism fully throughout the series? What about the immigrant experience? Should it be expected to address these topics in depth, given that it's produced to be entertaining?
TV Details
- Premiere date: December 2, 2022
- Cast: Deborah Ayorinde, Sarah Niles, Ola Orebiyi
- Network: Amazon Prime Video
- Genre: Drama
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: December 22, 2022
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