The warm and wildly funny Hollywood satire The Studio has been named the fourth best television show of 2025, cementing its status as a critical darling and a favourite among viewers. The Emmy-winning comedy, created by and starring Seth Rogen, offers an exquisitely excruciating yet deeply affectionate look inside the madness of the movie business.
A Hollywood Nightmare, Played for Laughs
Co-created by Rogen and his long-term writing partner Evan Goldberg, the series follows the hapless Matt Remick (played by Rogen). Matt is an idealistic film executive who, after 22 years of service, is unexpectedly promoted to head of Continental Studios. His dream of ushering in an era of intelligent, auteur-driven blockbusters is immediately crushed by the reality of the industry.
His new boss, the oleaginous CEO Griffin Mill (Bryan Cranston), swiftly corrects Matt's artistic aspirations. "At Continental, we don't make films. We make movies. MOOOOVIEEEEES that people wanna PAY to see," Mill explains, setting the tone for Matt's soul-crushing journey. Over ten brilliantly painful episodes, Matt's hopes are systematically destroyed by a system terrified of anything that isn't a guaranteed financial hit.
Perfect Casting and Cringe Comedy
Rogen's performance as the well-meaning coward Matt is widely praised. The actor perfectly captures a man clinging to his job by his fingertips, desperate to be liked by celebrities while his best intentions are constantly thwarted. The supporting cast shines brightly, particularly Kathryn Hahn as the perpetually furious marketing head Maya Mason and Cranston's deliciously seedy studio chief.
The series is packed with cringe-worthy highlights that have defined its success:
- Matt being chased off a set by an incensed crew after accidentally ruining Sarah Polley's movie while shouting, "I'm trying to support women!"
- His desperate attempts to lie to Ron Howard about liking the director's three-hour epic.
- The unforgettable moment he makes Martin Scorsese cry and another where he shouts at his own penis for not weeing fast enough.
Antonio Sanchez's frantic, jazz-infused score perfectly complements the on-screen panic.
Affection Over Acid
Some critics have suggested the show lacks a truly scathing satirical edge. However, The Studio deliberately chooses warmth over withering critique. It recognises Hollywood's flaws and hypocrisies but retains a deep, unironic love for cinema itself. This affection powers the comedy, even when the plot revolves around Continental's questionable blockbusters like Duhpocalypse, a satire about zombies with diarrhoea.
While featuring celebrity cameos from the likes of Zac Efron and Charlize Theron, the show's genius lies in its beautifully calibrated farce and unapologetically niche in-jokes. It may not reinvent the wheel, but its specific blend of panic-stricken executives, disastrous pitch meetings, and emotional filmmakers has proven to be more fun than almost anything else on television.
For its perfect mix of heart and humour, and its spot-on portrayal of Hollywood chaos, The Studio rightly earns its place as one of the year's defining television triumphs.
