10 Best Shows Like East of Eden to Watch Next
You have just watched a family pull itself apart over land, love and a father's approval, and you want more of that feeling. Netflix's seven-episode limited series East of Eden adapts John Steinbeck's 1952 novel, with Zoe Kazan as writer, Jeb Stuart as co-showrunner and Florence Pugh as Cathy Ames. All episodes arrived at the start of October 2026, so this is a good time to look for more long, character-led family drama.
This list gives you ten television series that share the same interest in inherited land, money, guilt and the damage that parents pass to their children. Each title was checked for its year, creator, premise and where it can be watched in the UK and US. Where a streaming service could not be confirmed, the entry says so, so you can check your own listings before you start.
The ranking is an editorial judgement based on four things: how many generations the story follows, how central inheritance is to the plot, how much the characters are driven by choices rather than twists, and how close the show comes to the novel's slow, serious tone. The countdown runs from number ten to number one, so the closest match arrives last.
Some picks are sharper or louder than Steinbeck, and some are more sentimental. That is deliberate. The aim is to show the range of family drama that East of Eden belongs to, not to find a perfect copy. If you have read the novel, you will notice how many of these shows share its central idea that a child's life is shaped by what a parent expects, withholds or gives.
Generational family drama has a particular pull. A single episode can carry a grudge that started forty years earlier, and one line of dialogue can reveal what a father never said to his son. The best shows in this space trust the audience to read silence, to notice what a character avoids saying, and to follow choices as they echo into later years. That is the feeling East of Eden leaves behind, and it is why this list favours shows that stay with one family over time rather than crime or mystery plots.
If you want a quick way to use this guide, read the premise and the ranking reason for each entry first, then check the "Where to watch" line. Each entry also includes a "Who should watch" note to help you choose the show that suits your mood. Some titles are long-running series with several seasons, while others are short miniseries that you can finish in a weekend.
Two details matter before you press play. Streaming rights move around, so the availability lines are a starting point rather than a guarantee. Several of these shows deal with adult themes, so check the rating before watching with younger viewers.
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10. Yellowstone
Yellowstone follows the Dutton family, who run the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in Montana, described as the largest cattle ranch in the state. The family has to hold onto that land while facing the neighbouring Broken Rock reservation, Yellowstone National Park and developers who want the property. The sharpest conflicts, though, come from within the family. The show premiered on Paramount Network on 20 June 2018 and concluded with its fifth season in December 2024.
The land is the obvious draw, but the real engine is the question of who will inherit it. That echoes East of Eden, where a father's favour decides a child's future. The Duttons turn inheritance into a daily battle, and family members often argue about power in the same breath as they argue about love.
The weakness is pace. Gunfights, land deals and wide Montana shots get most of the energy, while the quiet guilt and grief that give Steinbeck's novel its weight are often handled in a line or two. Readers who want slow character studies will find it blunter than the book, but fans of big family set pieces will find plenty to hold onto.
Why it ranks here: It opens the countdown because it is the weakest fit on the list. Its land and family feud match the novel's idea of inheritance as a fight over property, but its western genre pushes the human story into the background more often than the book does. Succession, the entry directly below it, has sharper family writing and a more controlled cast.
Who should watch: Viewers who want a high-stakes family drama with horses, land feuds and a strong western flavour.
Where to watch: US, Paramount Network, the original network. UK, Paramount+ for the fifth season; check your local listings for earlier seasons.
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9. Succession
Succession follows the Roy family, who own Waystar RoyCo, a global media and entertainment company based in New York City. As patriarch Logan Roy's health declines, his four children, Connor, Kendall, Roman and Shiv, compete for control of the company. The show premiered on HBO on 3 June 2018 and ended on 28 May 2023 after four seasons, created by Jesse Armstrong.
The show runs on the same engine as East of Eden: a father whose approval everyone wants and nobody can secure. Logan Roy decides who is worth something, and his children arrange their lives around his verdict. Love and cruelty arrive in the same sentence, which is the kind of tension Steinbeck built his family on.
The writing is sharp, and the cast makes every power play feel earned. The problem is scope. The show is about one generation at war with itself, not a family across time, so the sense of history that drives the novel is thinner here.
Why it ranks here: It ranks ahead of Yellowstone, directly above it on this countdown, because its family conflict is sharper and more controlled. It sits behind This Is Us because it covers one generation of a corporate family, while This Is Us tracks several generations through time jumps.
Who should watch: Viewers who like sharp, cutting family drama with a cast they love to hate.
Where to watch: US, HBO, the original network. UK, Sky Atlantic, which aired all four seasons. Check your local listings for current streaming options.
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8. This Is Us
This Is Us follows the Pearson family across several decades. In the present day, the story centres on the adult siblings Kevin, Kate and Randall. Flashbacks trace their childhood with their parents, Jack and Rebecca, often set in Pittsburgh around 1980. The show premiered on NBC on 20 September 2016 and ended on 24 May 2022 after six seasons, created by Dan Fogelman.
The strength is the structure. A decision made by Jack or Rebecca decades earlier returns in the adult lives of their children, and the audience sees the link before the characters do. That is the generational logic of East of Eden, where a father's choices reach the next generation whether anyone wants them to or not.
The problem is sentiment. The series leans on music, tearful reveals and big emotional speeches, and it often explains feelings aloud. The novel trusts readers to notice silence, so the restraint that makes Steinbeck's family feel real is largely missing here.
Why it ranks here: It ranks ahead of Succession, which sits directly above it, because its generational structure matches the novel more directly. It sits behind Shtisel, directly below it, because its emotional volume is higher and its family is less restrained.
Who should watch: Viewers who enjoy warm family drama across decades and do not mind a heavy dose of feeling.
Where to watch: US, Netflix, which began streaming the series on 8 January 2024 after its NBC run. UK, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video, as announced for the final season. Check your local listings to confirm.
Students can also check Discover Prime Student for the student option.
7. Shtisel
Shtisel follows a fictional Ashkenazi Haredi family in Geula, Jerusalem. The centre of the story is Shulem Shtisel, a rabbi and cheder teacher, and his relatives, whose lives follow strict religious customs in a community without internet access. When someone breaks those norms, the consequences spread through the whole family. The show premiered on the Israeli channel yes Oh on 29 June 2013, was created by Ori Elon and Yehonatan Indursky, and ran for three seasons and 33 episodes.
What makes Shtisel a useful companion to East of Eden is the way it treats family as a set of rules and silences. Fathers and sons want different things from the same faith and the same home, and the show lets the older generation's disappointment sit beside the younger generation's private wants. Like Steinbeck, it asks how much a parent can give and how much a child can carry.
The pace is patient, and the humour is dry. The show is built on the ordinary routines of study, work and family meals, which makes its bigger moments land harder. Outsiders may need time to grasp the community's customs, but the characters are rarely simple.
Why it ranks here: It ranks ahead of This Is Us, directly above it, because its family drama is quieter and less dependent on sentiment. It sits behind The Crown, directly below it, because its world is confined to one neighbourhood, while The Crown covers a dynasty across six decades.
Who should watch: Viewers who like patient, character-first family drama with dry humour and do not need fast plotting.
Where to watch: Netflix, which has distributed the series internationally since 2018. Check your local listings for current availability in the UK and US.
6. The Crown
The Crown follows Queen Elizabeth II from her 1947 wedding to Prince Philip into the early twenty-first century. Across six seasons, the show portrays the royal family's private struggles alongside the political events that shaped the monarchy. It premiered on Netflix on 4 November 2016 and ran until 2023 with 60 episodes, and Claire Foy, Olivia Colman and Imelda Staunton each played the Queen in turn.
The Crown is built on inheritance in its purest form. A crown passes by birth, and every character lives with duties no one chose. That links it to East of Eden, where the family name and the land come with expectations. The show's best scenes are often between parents and children, where the cost of being born into a role becomes personal.
The limit is that the royal family is a real institution, so the show must balance invention with the public record. Some episodes feel like dramatised history, and the personal stories sometimes give way to politics. Steinbeck's characters are free to be strange; these figures perform for history, which narrows the room for surprise.
Why it ranks here: It ranks ahead of Shtisel, directly above it, because its inheritance theme spans six decades within one dynasty. It sits behind The Thorn Birds, directly below it, because a real institution limits the freedom a family saga usually has.
Who should watch: Viewers who like polished period drama and multi-decade family history.
Where to watch: Netflix, the original platform. Check your local listings to confirm current availability in the UK and US.
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5. The Thorn Birds
The Thorn Birds follows the Cleary family from the 1920s to the 1960s. They move from New Zealand to the Australian outback to help run the ranch of their aunt, Mary Carson. The central story is a forbidden love between Meggie Cleary and Father Ralph de Bricassart, the family's priest. The four-episode miniseries was broadcast on ABC from 27 to 30 March 1983 and adapts Colleen McCullough's 1977 novel.
The land is the heart of The Thorn Birds, and the family's fortunes depend on who controls it. That is close to East of Eden, where a family's future is tied to property. The Cleary children grow up with the weight of a place they did not choose, and the series keeps returning to the cost of that inheritance.
The weakness is melodrama. The central romance pushes the family story to the margins, and the emotional stakes can feel theatrical. Steinbeck's novel is far less willing to flatter its characters' passions. Viewers who accept the heightened style will still find a sweeping, old-fashioned saga.
Why it ranks here: It ranks ahead of The Crown, directly above it, because it stays with one family's fate across decades on one piece of land. It sits behind Downton Abbey, directly below it, because its melodrama is heavier and its inheritance plot is less structured.
Who should watch: Viewers who enjoy old-fashioned, sweeping family sagas with strong romantic tension.
Where to watch: US, ABC, the original broadcaster. UK and current streaming options could not be verified, so check your local listings.
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4. Downton Abbey
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Downton Abbey is set on a Yorkshire estate between 1912 and 1925. It follows the aristocratic Crawley family, headed by the Earl and Countess of Grantham, and the servants who work below stairs. The estate is entailed to a male heir, but the Earl and Countess have three daughters, and that problem drives much of the story. The show premiered on ITV on 26 September 2010, was created by Julian Fellowes, and ended in 2015 after six series.
The entail is a clear inheritance machine. A house, a title and a fortune pass to a male cousin the family barely knows, and every character reacts to that injustice differently. East of Eden works in a similar way, with a family's shape decided by who is allowed to inherit and who is not.
The show is polished, warm and often witty, but it rarely goes as deep as Steinbeck. Its moral arguments are usually settled within the hour, and the servants' stories can feel like a counterweight rather than part of the family's pain. The result is comforting where the novel is uncomfortable.
Why it ranks here: It ranks ahead of The Thorn Birds, directly above it, because its inheritance problem is clearly built and drives every series. It sits behind The Forsyte Saga, directly below it, because its family conflicts are less literary and resolve more neatly.
Who should watch: Viewers who like period family drama with a strong sense of duty and class.
Where to watch: UK, ITV, the original broadcaster. US, PBS through its Masterpiece anthology, from 9 January 2011. Check your local listings for current streaming availability.
3. The Forsyte Saga
The Forsyte Saga follows three generations of the upper-middle-class Forsyte family from the 1870s to the 1920s. Its central story is Soames Forsyte's troubled marriage to Irene, her affair with the architect Philip Bosinney, and the family feuds that follow. The 2002 adaptation, produced by Granada Television, ran on ITV from 7 April 2002 to 15 June 2003 across two series and 10 episodes.
This is the closest literary cousin on the list. Galsworthy's saga is about property, marriage and the slow erosion of a family's pride, and that is the material East of Eden is built from. Soames wants to possess what he loves, which makes him a sharp mirror for the book's obsession with possession.
The drawback is the formal pacing of the adaptation. It is talky and occasionally slow, and some scenes stay in drawing rooms when the story needs air. The second series moves the focus to the next generation, which broadens the saga but thins the central drama. Patient viewers will find the quiet cruelties rewarding.
Why it ranks here: It ranks ahead of Downton Abbey, directly above it, because its conflicts are about desire, property and betrayal rather than household rules, which is closer to Steinbeck's concerns. It sits behind Roots, directly below it, because its scope stays within one family's social circle, while Roots covers a much wider historical canvas.
Who should watch: Viewers who want a literary, slow-burning saga about money, marriage and family pride.
Where to watch: UK, ITV, the original broadcaster. US, the series was released on DVD; check your local listings for current streaming availability.
2. Roots
Roots is a History miniseries, released in May 2016, that retells the story of a family's survival through American slavery. It is based on Alex Haley's 1976 novel. Malachi Kirby plays Kunta Kinte, a proud and educated man who is captured and sold into slavery, and the story follows his daughter Kizzy across the generations that come after him.
Roots understands inheritance as survival. Each generation passes on a name, a language and a story, and that memory becomes a form of resistance. The emotional force comes from watching the family line carry something precious through every generation, which echoes East of Eden's idea that a family's past is never quite finished.
The drawback is scale. Compressing centuries into a limited run means some generations are sketched rather than fully explored, and the emotional beats sometimes land with heavy weight. The show is essential viewing for its subject, but the intimate family rivalries that drive East of Eden get less room than the historical sweep.
Why it ranks here: It ranks ahead of The Forsyte Saga, directly above it, because it follows a single family line through generations of real historical pressure, which gives its inheritance theme more at stake. It sits behind Pachinko, directly below it, because its generational chain is less interwoven, and the choices of one generation rarely shape the next as tightly.
Who should watch: Viewers who want a historical family saga with a strong sense of lineage and resilience.
Where to watch: US, History, the original network, with a Fandango stream listed on Rotten Tomatoes. UK, no service could be verified, so check your local listings.
Laurence Fishburne plays Alex Haley in the series, a detail that adds a layer of self-reference to the story.
1. Pachinko
Pachinko follows four generations of a Korean family, beginning in 1931 when Sunja leaves Japanese-occupied Korea for Osaka, where Korean immigrants face discrimination. A parallel storyline in 1989 follows her grandson Solomon, a Korean-American businessman whose career takes him to Tokyo. The series is based on Min Jin Lee's 2017 novel and premiered on Apple TV+ on 25 March 2022.
Pachinko is the closest match to East of Eden on this list. Its family is a web of choices, and Sunja's move to Osaka sets off a chain of decisions that reaches her grandson in Tokyo decades later. That is the moral weight of Steinbeck's novel: one act of courage or cowardice travels down the family line.
The show is patient and careful with history, and its performances carry much of the weight. The drawback is that the series sometimes covers years in a jump, which can make a generation feel rushed. Readers of the novel will recognise the scope, while newcomers may need to pay close attention to the shifting timelines.
Why it ranks here: It is the strongest entry because it ranks ahead of Roots, the runner-up, on the strength of its tighter generational chain. Four generations are linked by one family's choices and their consequences, so each later decision carries the weight of the earlier one. Roots covers a wider historical span, but Pachinko keeps the chain tight, which is closer to how East of Eden makes inheritance personal.
Who should watch: Viewers who want a prestige, multigenerational family saga built on migration, identity and quiet resilience.
Where to watch: Apple TV+, the original platform, where season two premiered on 23 August 2024. Check your local listings for UK availability.
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Final Thoughts: Which Show Comes Closest to East of Eden?
The strongest picks share one habit: they follow a family over time and make the next generation live with choices they did not make. Pachinko does this most tightly, with four generations linked by one family's movement across borders and decades. Roots and The Forsyte Saga follow the same instinct on a wider historical canvas and a sharper literary edge, while The Thorn Birds keeps the land and the family's fate at the centre of its story.
The weaker picks are not poor television. Yellowstone and Succession are gripping, but both keep the family inside one generation's power struggle. This Is Us has the time-jumping structure of a generational saga, though its sentiment works against the restraint that East of Eden shows. These differences explain why the ranking runs the way it does.
What connects the strongest choices is the sense that the past is never finished. A father's approval, a title, a piece of land or a family name can shape a child's life long after the parent is gone. That is the thread East of Eden pulls, and it is why the shows at the top of this list feel like the closest companions to the novel.
If you have a favourite family saga that did not make the list, tell us which one you would rank first. A good debate about inheritance is exactly the kind of conversation this article hopes to start.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is East of Eden on Netflix?
Yes. East of Eden is a seven-episode limited series on Netflix, adapting John Steinbeck's 1952 novel. Zoe Kazan wrote the series, Jeb Stuart is co-showrunner, and Florence Pugh plays Cathy Ames. Garth Davis directed the first four episodes and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre directed the last three. All episodes were released at the start of October 2026, so the whole season can be watched in one sitting if you choose.
What is the best show like East of Eden?
The closest match on this list is Pachinko, the Apple TV+ series that follows four generations of a Korean family. Its chain of choices across decades gives inheritance more direct weight than most titles here. Roots and The Forsyte Saga are close behind, with Roots covering a wider historical canvas and The Forsyte Saga sharing the novel's interest in property and family pride. If you want one place to start, begin with Pachinko.
Are there shows like East of Eden on Netflix?
Two entries on this list have Netflix as their platform. The Crown follows Queen Elizabeth II across six seasons and 60 episodes, from her 1947 wedding into the early twenty-first century. Shtisel follows a fictional Haredi family in Jerusalem across three seasons. Both are character-led family dramas, but one is a royal dynasty and the other a close-knit community. Check Netflix directly for current availability in your region, because catalogues change.
Is Succession like East of Eden?
Succession shares East of Eden's interest in a father whose approval shapes his children. Logan Roy's four children compete for control of Waystar RoyCo across four seasons, and their rivalry is sharp and often cruel. The difference is scope. Succession is about one generation in a corporate family, while East of Eden tracks the long shadow of a bloodline. That is why it sits lower on this list, even though it is one of the most gripping dramas here.
What makes a generational family saga?
A generational family saga follows one family across several generations or decades, so the choices of parents keep affecting children long after they are made. Inheritance is usually central, whether it is land, a title, a business or a family name. East of Eden, Pachinko and The Forsyte Saga all show how a family's past is passed down, and the best examples make the audience feel that history in almost every scene.
Is Pachinko based on a book?
Yes. Pachinko is based on Min Jin Lee's 2017 novel. The series was created by Soo Hugh, who also serves as showrunner, writer and executive producer. It premiered on Apple TV+ on 25 March 2022, and season two premiered on 23 August 2024. Reading the novel first is optional, but it gives extra context for a family history that stretches from 1915 to 1989.
What is Roots about?
Roots is a History miniseries, released in May 2016, that retells the story of a family's survival through American slavery. It is based on Alex Haley's 1976 novel. Malachi Kirby plays Kunta Kinte, a proud and educated man who is captured and sold into slavery, and the story follows his daughter Kizzy. Laurence Fishburne plays Alex Haley in the series. It is a demanding watch, so check its content guidance before viewing.
Which show on this list is the shortest?
Among the titles with a confirmed episode count, The Thorn Birds is the shortest, with four episodes broadcast on ABC from 27 to 30 March 1983. It is a miniseries, so it can be finished in a weekend. The Forsyte Saga (2002) has 10 episodes across two series. The episode count for Roots was not confirmed in the sources checked, so it is not compared here.
Where can I watch Yellowstone in the UK?
In the UK, the fifth and final season moved to Paramount+. Check your local listings for earlier seasons, since availability can change between platforms and years. In the US, the series aired on Paramount Network, its original home. Subscription prices and regional availability change over time, so confirm the service before you sign up.
Are these shows suitable for teenagers?
Ratings vary by series, and several entries deal with adult themes, including violence, sexual content and strong language. Check the rating for each show in your region before watching with younger viewers. This list does not give age ratings, because the sources checked did not confirm them for every title. Official trailers and programme descriptions are a useful first check for parents.
More Places to Find Great Movies and TV Shows
IMDb lists cast details, episode guides and release dates for most of the series in this list, which helps when you are checking the order of seasons.
Rotten Tomatoes collects critic and audience scores, so you can compare how a show lands with different viewers.
Metacritic combines critic reviews into a single score, which is useful when you want a quick read on how prestige dramas were received.
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