It’s been less than a week since Severance finished its wildly acclaimed second season, and Apple TV+ already has another show stepping in to fill the void. The Studio, which is a modern-day Hollywood satire, has a 97% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and seems like yet another hit from the streamer.
The series, which stars Seth Rogen as newly appointed studio head who must keep the approval of celebrities, even as he tries to balance his own creative desires with the financial needs of the studio. Ironically, The Studio is a series very much about the modern state of moviemaking, and it features a slew of celebrity cameos that all feel justified and motivated.
The Studio is obviously like catnip for critics who spend all their time thinking about the world of Hollywood, but what’s most amazing about the series is that it manages to be cynical about Hollywood without being cynical about the people who work there. Rogen is at the center holding it down, but the cast is smartly curated so that there are plenty of celebrities showing up not playing themselves as well.
The critical success of The Studio is part of a hot streak for Apple TV+, which is not just coming off of Severance but has maintained a pretty high quality for its original shows overall. As used to be the case for HBO, the streamer doesn’t feel the need to flood its audience with content. Instead, it seems focused on curating a smaller group of shows and movies that people will actually want to watch. The Studio is just one small piece in that broader trend.
