Just as we love to joke about Hollywood producers being obsessed with shows about themselves, stories that pull back the curtain on the entertainment industry never fail to captivate.
The season 1 finale of "The Studio" just aired, cementing it as one of the best comedies of the year so far. The Apple TV Plus satire wrapped up a compelling look at the chaos and drama behind the scenes of movie-making. Following Matt Remick (Seth Rogen), the new head of Continental Studios, the show offers a front row seat to the trials and tribulations of balancing creative vision with Hollywood’s business demands.
Remick is a rare breed — an idealistic studio man who truly believes in making interesting and inventive films, even when it puts him at odds with the industry’s usual priorities. With the season now complete and season 2 already in the works, it’s the perfect time to explore other shows like "The Studio" that capture the same Hollywood hustle.
'The Offer'
What’s more fun than watching Francis Ford Coppola’s seminal 1972 classic "The Godfather"? Watching a miniseries built around the making of "The Godfather," of course.
Miles Teller stars as Albert S. Ruddy, a producer who turns a fledgling novel by Mario Puzo (which was, interestingly enough, hated within the Italian-American community) into a feature film with major Hollywood power behind it. "The Offer" goes through the beleaguered production process of "The Godfather," which faced considerable challenges on the road to becoming one of the greatest films of the 20th century.
Watch on Paramount Plus
'Entourage'
![Entourage - Official Main Trailer [HD] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SGSE_XPF4_g/maxresdefault.jpg)
Hollywood tries to market itself as sparkly and glamorous, but don’t let the PR fool you: — there’s a fair amount of sleaze going on at all times in the entertainment industry, and nowhere is that more evident than in the HBO series "Entourage."
It revolves around Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), a hot young actor in Hollywood who brings along with him on his journey to stardom a group of problematic family members and old friends. With Chase’s growing fame serving as a foot in the door for the rest of his pals, they attempt to carve out a life for themselves in the world of entertainment, either by working directly for him or simply riding his coattails.
Watch on HBO Max
'Studio 60 on Sunset Strip'
"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" was one of the rare Aaron Sorkin television dramedies that didn’t end up being a major success.
And it’s a shame, really, because there’s nothing wrong with the show, except for the fact that it came out at the same time as "30 Rock." They were ultimately a little too similar for the market to sustain them both, and the fact that "30 Rock" is an all-time classic comedy series made "Studio 60" suffer in comparison.
The latter starred Bradley Whitford and Matthew Perry as the executive producers of "Saturday Night Live" a live sketch comedy show, and although "Studio 60" only lasted on the air for one season before being unceremoniously cancelled, it had a lot of potential that we wish we could have seen play out.
'30 Rock'
Created by and starring Tina Fey as Liz Lemon, the head writer of a live sketch comedy show loosely based on "Saturday Night Live," "30 Rock" has become a comedy institution.
Whether Liz is trying to rein in her unruly stars (played by Jane Krakowski and Tracy Morgan), going toe-to-toe with borderline sociopath and network executive Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) or simply grappling with her own quirks and flaws, life is chaos for Lemon.
"30 Rock" ran for seven seasons, and so many of its irreverent and satirical bits have become fully enmeshed in the pop culture zeitgeist. Like many modern comedies, it’s the kind of show that only gets better as you get to know the characters better, making it rewarding as both a first-time watch and a rewatch.
Watch on Peacock
'Hacks'
While "The Studio" approaches Hollywood drama from the perspective of the studio executives responsible for greenlighting and cobbling together films, "Hacks" focuses instead on the careers of creators desperately trying to stay afloat.
When Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) finds herself canceled after some misguided tweets, she’s essentially un-hireable in Los Angeles. In an effort to avoid further tailspin, she takes on a new job that she considers beneath her dignity: writing for a prickly over-the-hill Las Vegas comedian, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart).
Although the two initially butt heads over pretty much everything but especially their different takes on comedy, they eventually develop a begrudging respect for one another and even a certain amount of affection. In its first three seasons, "Hacks" was nominated for 17 Emmy Awards, with Jean Smart winning for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series three times.
Watch on HBO Max
'Episodes'
Three things in life are inevitable: death, taxes, and the fact that a British TV series achieving success will swiftly be followed by an often subpar American remake.
Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan star as a married comedy writing duo who are brought across the pond from Britain to the United States to remake their own popular TV series. But although the siren call of Hollywood is strong enough to convince them to take the deal, they have almost immediate misgivings when they face pressure to change … well, pretty much everything that was special about their show.
Naturally, the network is convinced they need to dumb down their sophisticated comedic stylings for American sensibilities. And to this end, they hire the wildly miscast Matt LeBlanc (as an exaggerated version of himself) for the lead role. Funny and razor sharp, "Episodes" received critical praise and ran for five seasons on Showtime.
Watch on Paramount Plus With Showtime
'Curb Your Enthusiasm'
Unlike "The Studio," which tackles Hollywood head-on, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is more what we might call industry-adjacent. The show devotes most of its attention to the personal life of "Seinfeld" creator Larry David, whose anarchic misadventures make him an exasperating but beloved villain in the lives of his friends.
But since most of his friends are in the industry, and Larry himself still dabbles in showrunning, there are plenty of episodes that dip their toes into the entertainment world with all of its hypocrisies and foibles. In a town known for being shallow and performative, Larry rages against all the inauthentic gestures he encounters from both friend and foe on a daily basis.
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" has been around for just this side of forever, airing its first episode all the way back in 1999. In the 25 years since then, 12 seasons have been released at a leisurely pace, tackling everything from faux-anonymous donations to voter intimidation.
Watch on HBO Max
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