Normally, one could call a show like Apple TV+’s The Studio a massive surprise hitter from this year’s show lineups so far. An original show like this having the level of quality and popularity that it isn’t typically heard of in today’s age of Hollywood, full of sequels, reboots, and adaptations. What doesn’t make it much of a shock, however, is the fact that its a Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg project. When the two work together, they rarely miss, and even if they do, they still manage to provide extremely entertaining projects nonetheless. Audiences have gotten so lucky with The Studio, and it provides a perfect example of the kind of care that needs to be put into more content in the future, because it so clearly pays off. Th
If you’re not watching The Studio, you’re simply missing out on one of the best shows of the year. Following Rogen’s character, Matt Remick, the newly promoted head of movie studio, Continental Studios, as he tries to find a way to bring indie arthouse filmmaking to Hollywood while pleasing the slop-loving executives. There are so many reasons to give this show a watch before the next season makes its way to screens in 2026.
6
The Cameos
They got WHO?!
Being in the industry as long as he has, it’s no surprise that Seth Rogen can get some heavy hitters to step into each episode of the series for each new conflict and provide a good cameo. Whether it be Zac Efron, Zoë Kravitz, or Bryan Cranston, The Studio is always bringing some of Hollywood’s best to help bring these episodes to life. They not only make the entries more fun, but they also find a way to enhance the stories, too.
These cameos aren’t just fun and games for the sake of having them. Each guest star helps make this show as awesome as it is—feeling like it truly does exist in the modern day and the true Hollywood industry. Being a commentary on it, Rogen and Goldberg do what they can to make this industry within the show feel legit. Not to mention, they’re a ton of fun to see when they appear and get viewers excited to see such familiar faces playing themselves (most of the time)—something most never do outside of a show like this.
5
The Performances
Rogen always manages to deliver.
As stated, the writing/directing duo know some of the industry’s best, so it only makes sense that the people they bring onto the series—big celebrities or not—would be some incredibly talented performers. Each episode’s writing is enhanced tenfold by the people on screen bringing it to life. Every performer pretty much blows it out of the park. Not to mention, chemistry is very important for any cast to have, as people’s interactions on screen feeling genuine or not, can destroy an audience’s immersion, and thankfully, The Studio brings forth actors who truly know what they’re doing and have true chemistry with one another.
A show with pacing and tension like this—the pacing and tension that it truly needs—has got to have some great actors to step into the ring.
The way this cast mixes and matches its talent is wonderful, and everyone steps into their roles perfectly. A show with pacing and tension like this—the pacing and tension that it truly needs—has got to have some great actors to step into the ring. Boy, oh boy, does The Studio do exactly that. In each episode, the performances by Rogen, Ike Barinholtz, and Chase Sui Wonders, especially, brought their A-games, and you can tell. They’re truly one of the most lovable casts on television at the moment, and that’s not for no good reason.
4
Pacing
It’s almost as fast as ‘The Bear’!
The Studio is right alongside the hit series, The Bear, with how fast-paced it is. The show is always moving at breakneck speeds and keeps viewers engaged throughout the entire runtime of each episode. The conflicts are always thrilling and exciting as the plot consistently moves from one to another with grace. Pacing is so abundantly important with a film/TV project of any kind. Good or bad pacing can genuinely make or break a project, and the fact that The Studio manages to handle this so perfectly is amazing and a testament to the show’s quality.
… the show still manages to slow down when it matters, keeping the fast pacing from feeling too fast.
Apple TV+ always manages to deliver some astounding content with every project they produce and/or distribute because of how much effort they put into each one. The pacing in The Studio is very well-executed and had kept audiences entertained for the entire season. But the show still manages to slow down when it matters, keeping the fast pacing from feeling too fast.
Let’s be real, Hollywood is a ridiculous place.
The film industry can be both pretty dang ridiculous and brutal at the same time. Being made by two people who have been in said industry for a very long time, Goldberg and Rogen both use The Studio to provide commentary on these… interesting parts of Hollywood. One of the best examples is in the show’s pilot episode, when they absolutely screw overMartin Scorsese over the Kool-Aid movie. It’s so brutal, but also so real and a perfect commentary on the basic ins and outs of this industry, and gives audiences a new insight into the inner workings behind headlines that include phrases like “creative differences” when they cancel a film or a filmmaker leaves one.
… Goldberg and Rogen both use The Studio to provide commentary on these… interesting parts of Hollywood.
It’s a pretty well-known fact in the general public by now that Hollywood is quite a mess, but seeing people like this dynamic duo give viewers a deeper look into that is incredibly interesting. It allows the show to feel incredibly real, raw, and genuine. This, in proxy, makes the conflict feel even more engaging and thrilling to watch unfold. It’s one of the most special things about the show and is a huge part of why people stuck with it through the whole season. It’s like chasing a high with each episode release.
2
The Tension
We’re always biting our nails, aren’t we?
If there’s one thing that Goldberg and Rogen do exceptionally with their writing, it’s creating extreme tension for the characters, which keeps the viewers on the edge of their seats. The fast pacing and rushing performance from the cast make the scenes in each episode—the one-shots especially—beyond thrilling to watch. Hearts are racing, toes are curling, and legs are bouncing from anxiety through every conflict these characters face.
Stakes are always high, whether it be personal stakes for the characters or stakes for the company as a whole…
Stakes are always high, whether it be personal stakes for the characters or stakes for the company as a whole (ex: Continental Studios potentially being sold to Amazon in the finale), said stakes are exhilarating. Keeping people engaged, especially on television, is super important and, therefore, just as hard—The Studio manages to do it perfectly. People truly cared about what was happening to these characters (even if to see how badly they’d fail out of curiosity) and it kept them watching through every second of every episode.
1
The Filmmaking
It’s absolute cinema.
The Studio has some of the best filmmakers behind it, and it is increasingly clear in every single episode that hits screens. Every single episode, there are multiple “one-take” shots that enhance the raw and real feeling of the show. They make one feel like they’re truly there and experiencing all of this with the characters in real-time. It makes the stress more stressful, the stakes feel higher, the pacing feels faster, and everything overall feels more genuine.
No matter what the story is, how tense it is, how great the performances are—the one thing that will always be true is that the filmmaking behind the show is phenomenal. Whether it be the one-shots or excellent camera work all-around, the creative and technical team behind this show is what helps make it so special. It truly cannot be replaced by any sort of other aspect of the series, and as long as they keep at least most of the creative team from Season One in Season Two, viewers are going to be more than okay, and Season Two is going to be at least very close to being as good as the debut one.
