The Studio

I have stated multiple times in the past that Apple TV+ is currently the best place to find quality television shows on a streamer. The larger budgets, the clearer creative visions, the ability to give each project the time it needs to be ready, and the fact that the best stars and biggest names want to be involved with the platform all culminate in a portfolio that rarely misses a beat in a TV format. Sure, its movies are a bit more hit and miss, but there has never been a major reason to doubt Apple TV+'s television productions, and Seth Rogen's The Studio further supports that.

This series is a satirical parody of modern day Hollywood, an industry where creativity and original and artsy productions seems to be at an all-time low. It follows Rogen's Matt Remick, the new head of the production company Continental Studios, who must now navigate a world where corporate demands and the pressure that comes with potentially being acquired by a bigger fish is only pushed aside with success, not just critically but in the box office. This means that Matt, and his executive friends, face the dilemma of green lighting and making the memorable and actually creative projects they want and the box office juggernauts that the board of directors and owner prefers at the same time.

It's a great mirror of modern Hollywood, one where production giants continue to tap IP as the way to make money. Instead of video games and toy brands, as seems to be the trend in reality, The Studio instead sees Continental trapped between making award-winning arthouse movies and also a live-action Kool Aid film too, and this split dynamic serves as the perfect springboard to take fans behind the scenes of moviemaking and into some of the ridiculous dilemmas that production companies face today, be it self-inflicted or not.

The humour and tone of this show is by far one of its strongest factors. The Studio is a truly hilarious series, one that will have you laughing out loud with witty and smart humour, but also typical slapstick and more crude comedy along the way. It's very Rogen in nature in that regard, with a top balance of physical and cerebral comedy throughout. Granted, this is in part down to the excellent cast, with Rogen, Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Hahn, Catherine O'Hara, and Chase Sui Waters all standing out for their respective roles and presenting quality caricatures of entertainment executives. The cameos add to this in a really lovely and fitting way too, with The Studio featuring a stacked array of additional stars that have either quite significant roles (be it Anthony Mackie, Zac Efron, Adam Scott, Martin Scorsese, Zoe Kravitz, or Dave Franco) or even just simple one-liners, with Charlize Theron's appearance being particularly fantastic.

The pacing is also excellent too. Episodes typically last around 35 minutes in duration, and in that time you get the stress of the entertainment executive lifestyle, plenty of humour, a dash of awkwardness, and even the occasional spot of sadness. Emotionally, The Studio can put you through the paces, even if laughter is the primary response it is trying to coax out of it.

As is the case with many Apple TV+ series, The Studio is also so beautifully filmed that you tend to take it for granted. It's not until you reflect on the episode do you realise that many scenes are almost seamless and presented in one continuous stream. There's movie magic involved of course, as was the case with 1917 and Birdman, but it's less noticeable here, and this structure allows you to become incredibly immersed and engaged with the overall narrative of each episode. The set designs, the costumes, the lighting... Everything else that goes into making a production stunning stands out here too, making this comedy series one of the more impressively filmed series I have seen in a while.

There are times where the slapstick nature of the show can perhaps feel a bit overdone, for example with the Johnny Knoxville trailer narrative arc, which is perhaps only humorous to five-year-olds. The on-the-nose jabs at Hollywood can feel a tad overdone too, with some of the Kool Aid behind-the-scenes production ideas not landing as intended. But, the overall comedy and setup stands out, and the last few episodes are absolutely incredible, with Dave Franco and Zoe Kravitz being two cameos that you simply do not want to miss.

But overall, The Studio is a brilliant series that is lovingly and stunningly shot and hilarious at almost every turn. It's a comedy series that is perfect for film and TV fans, with a behind-the-scenes setup that is interesting and fresh, and the cast all stand out giving amazing performances, especially Barinholtz's Sal Saperstein, who is an instant favourite.

Apple TV+ doesn't usually disappoint and it hasn't here either, so if you were on the fence about trading Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Paramount+, or whatever else for this streamer, all I would say is do it. You won't regret it.