The acclaimed and zeitgeisty television drama Industry returns for a highly anticipated fourth season, promising to be more expansive and electrifying than ever. Created by university friends Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, the series has evolved from a niche chronicle of City banking into a transatlantic hit celebrated for its merciless study of money, status, and power.
From Cult Hit to Transatlantic Phenomenon
Since its debut in 2020, the BBC-HBO co-production has garnered a hardcore cult following and critical acclaim. The New Yorker hailed it as "the most thrilling offering currently on TV" in 2024. The show's creators hypothesise that its insider portrayal of British society resonates strongly with US audiences, who numbered 1.6 million per episode by series three, precisely because they find it intriguingly opaque.
Beyond its gripping plots, Industry has proven to be a significant star-maker. Marisa Abela, who won a BAFTA for her role as Yasmin Kara-Hanani, was cast straight from drama school and has since led the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black. Myha'la, who plays Harper Stern, notes that in Hollywood meetings, "this is the thing that people talk about." Former cast members like David Jonsson and Harry Lawtey are now making waves in major film projects.
A Fresh Start and Global Canvas for Season Four
The new season represents a fresh start after the closure of Pierpoint & Co's London offices. The narrative now revolves around a dubious payment processing firm called Tender, which both Harper and Yasmin see as their ticket into finance's new wild west. This premise allows the show to ricochet between locations including Paris, Ghana, New York, Sunderland, an Austrian castle, and a London council estate.
New cast members joining the fray include Max Minghella, Kiernan Shipka, Charlie Heaton, and Toheeb Jimoh. The season will grapple with themes of fraud, rising populism in Europe, investigative journalism, and the Labour party's current predicament. Kay describes their ambition for this season as creating "the best version of Industry", akin to a Tony Gilroy script directed by Michael Mann.
The Uncompromising Vision Behind the Scenes
At the heart of Industry's success are creators Down and Kay, whose last major gig was writing for the 2015 David Hasselhoff mockumentary Hoff the Record. They credit their HBO break to a combination of luck, grit, and perfect timing, entering producer Jane Tranter's orbit when there was an appetite for risky new programming. They buck modern streaming trends by avoiding big-name stars and existing IP, crafting a fast-paced, elliptical show that demands viewer concentration.
The pair foster a collaborative environment on set. Actor Sagar Radia, who plays trader Rishi Ramdani, says with them it's "always best idea wins." This season, Rishi faces the aftermath of his wife's murder, grappling with whether he can repair himself or is broken forever. Meanwhile, Yasmin navigates a transactional marriage to Kit Harington's Henry Muck, leading her into murky moral territory that even Abela found challenging to fathom.
Ultimately, the show has become a nuanced story about two young women in finance—Harper and Yasmin—and their twisted, mutually envious relationship. It effectively dramatises the insidiousness of patriarchy and explores what happens when the transactional logic of finance bleeds into every aspect of human connection. For Down and Kay, the show is the product of a lifelong friendship and a shared, uncompromising vision, offering a potent hit of entertainment in an era of bloated television.
Industry series four is available on BBC iPlayer from 12 January and airs on BBC One at 10.35pm on the same date.
