Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s new Apple TV+ show The Studio could so easily have fallen its face like [redacted cameo] after one too many magic mushrooms. It could have been a dime-a-dozen attempt at satire that ends up in the same ignominious grave dug for HBO’s ostensibly ‘prestige comedy’ The Franchise (naturally, its ultimate fate is yet to be determined). And yet, akin to the beleaguered Matt Remick (Rogen) himself, this show constantly defies expectation. It is not a tired satire, navel-gazing cameo-palooza or a frat-boy comedy for which Rogen is most associated with - but a remarkable televisual accomplishment that emerges greater than the sum of its parts.
The 10-episode series follows Remick as he is elevated to the role of studio head at the fictional Continental Studios as it enters a new era in the face of numerous threats. Each episode, Remick and his team - including Ike Barinholtz as veteran producer Sal, Chase Sui Wonders as the ambitious young climber Quinn and Kathryn Hahn as hyperactive marketing guru Maya - face a new trial, threats to their livelihood, sanity and morality. His overarching quest, however, is to develop a feature-length theatrical film based off the Kool-Aid Man (mascot of the American flavoured drink mix, for those unacquainted, like myself). Suffice to say, this show is often far from subtle - but it knows as much so does not shy away from the fact, instead swinging for the fences wherever it can.
“I’m the motherf**king Kool-Aid Man!”
In most self-referential TV shows, when a line of dialogue mentions a real-life actor or director, the instinctive reaction is to dismiss it as an amusing reference nothing more (cf. Christopher Nolan being name-dropped The Franchise). But in this show, if a celebrity is name-dropped, you can guarantee that minutes later, we see them… and not merely for one scene. Oh no. Rogen, Goldberg and crew have clearly taken full advantage of a formidable rolodex of bona fide Hollywood contacts - sweetened, one strongly suspects by Apple’s practically boundless coffers. In fact, just like the world that it depicts, this show oozes money - and it is money that they should consider well-spent when it comes to the final product. Although I anticipate that many out there will be understandably preoccupied by its seemingly endless stream of cameos, they are merely the icing on the cake of a show that stands on the strength of its calibrated humour, visuals (suitably cinematic), character collisions (Sal vs Quinn in Episode 5 is a delight) and refreshing lack of cynicism.
“Just because I hate movies with subtitles, it doesn’t mean I have nothing to teach you.”
![Matt Remick and his motley crew despair at the third act of [redacted]'s new film. © Apple](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29d01d_81aa33e7b0be41be8717fe94ed847523~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_79,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_avif,quality_auto/29d01d_81aa33e7b0be41be8717fe94ed847523~mv2.jpg)
Rogen and Goldberg mark an especially creative milestone with The Studio, crafting a deftly paced and frenetic show with the work of editor Eric Kissack. If anything, the 10 episodes were nowhere near enough for me - I could happily sit and watch 20-plus episodes of a show of this standard (although such a creative feat would obviously be unfeasible by the very nature of this production). Cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra (The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Euphoria, Blink Twice) delivers an array of remarkably sophisticated shots, some of which I could not help but rewind just to marvel at their extravagance. The biggest masterstroke, though, has to be the fact that every single scene in this show is shot in one take (or at least, seamlessly appears to be, as in the case of Iñárritu’s Birdman). These sweepings vistas, along with the often breakneck pace of this show, brought most to mind Babylon, Damien Chazelle’s unfairly maligned opus of golden-age Hollywood (if you do not consider this a compliment, well then, you should). Special mention to composer Antonio Sánchez for crafting an absolutely stupendous score, as fittingly quirky, dynamic and anxiety-inducing as the scenes it envelops.
The show is consistently playful, walking the delicate tightrope between commentary and comedy, with a satisfying degree of bite without falling into pretentiousness (although your mileage on that may vary depending upon your appetite for self-referential art). Nonetheless, just as the Apple TV+ marketing team produced multiple posters homaging classic films (its key poster pays tribute to Paul Newman’s 70s caper The Sting), make no mistake: The Studio is in love with Hollywood. It should go without saying that any show full of Hollywood stars, suitably bankrolled by big players and no doubt reviewed by a cornucopia of legal teams and publicists along the way can only go so far in being capable of self-criticism. Nonetheless, there are a fair share of swings taken that I was at least somewhat taken aback by at times, which I will not hasten to spoil, lest I ruin the fun (Episodes 8-10 really threw me for a loop).
The Studio contains multitudes, flirting with various genres and tropes whilst being better than it arguably had any right to be considering how easily things could have gone wrong. Rogen, Goldberg and team deliver a blockbuster of a comedy-drama (and yes, I would consider the travails depicted as drama) which deserves to stand proudly amongst the pantheon of its genre.
Rating: ★★★★★
Episodes 1 and 2 of The Studio premiere March 26 on Apple TV+, with subsequent episodes releasing weekly.
About The Studio
Premiere Date: 26 March 2025
Episode Count: 10
Directors: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg
Executive Producers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Alex McAtee, Josh Fagen, Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck
Writers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Alex Gregory, Peter Heck, Frida Perez
Production: Perfectly Pleasant Productions, Point Grey Pictures, Lionsgate Television
Distribution: Apple
Cast: Seth Rogen, Catherine O'Hara, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, Kathryn Hahn
Synopsis: In “The Studio,” Seth Rogen stars as Matt Remick, the newly appointed head of embattled Continental Studios. As movies struggle to stay alive and relevant, Matt and his core team of infighting executives battle their insecurities as they wrangle narcissistic artists and craven corporate overlords in the ever-elusive pursuit of making great films. With their power suits masking their never-ending sense of panic, every party, set visit, casting decision, marketing meeting and award show presents them with an opportunity for glittering success or career-ending catastrophe. As someone who eats, sleeps and breathes movies, it’s the job Matt’s been pursuing his whole life, and it may very well destroy him.