New series on Apple TV+ studio It could be one of the best comedies of the decade, if not the best. The show follows Mattremic (Sesslogen), the newly promoted head of fictional film giant Continental Studios. It is a sharp, hilarious window into the heart of Hollywood, capturing both the confusion and passion that comes with making a film. It is also a revolving door for A-list appearances, with actors and directors appearing in every episode. In many respects, studio It’s not just Hollywood, it’s Hollywood.
Nexus Point News sits with creators, co-showrunners, executive producers and writers Alex Gregory To talk about how the series came to life, the inspiration behind it, and what it really means to him.
Demet: studio It’s the first to dive into Hollywood’s chaotic and often ridiculous worlds, and it feels both painful and real and totally indifferent. What was the original spark in the series? Have you had any particular moments or industry experiences that made you think, “Yeah, this should be a show”?
Yes, Seth [Rogen] And Evan [Goldberg] After giving lots of notes, I was meeting an executive who said, “I’ve been in this business.” And I think they thought it was very moving and they made a note of it. It’s a really interesting character in a really interesting situation. The comedy came from pain, and the man seemed to be in an internal struggle.
I know Seth and Evan watch Larry Sanders in Covid, but they were wondering. Is there a way to do an insider show version about the film business, as opposed to late-night talk show business? I was working on Peter Hueyke and Larry Sanders so they contacted us about doing their version Larry Sanders’ Showit lies in the world of film. They thought that the man, the movie is about ruining the movie, would become the perfect hero. That’s how it became everything.
The show is clearly entertaining in the industry, but it feels like it comes from people who really love it. How do you approach the balance between critics and affection?
If you really hate Hollywood, can you do a good version of Hollywood? I think it has to be done with affection to understand why people are in this business. And I think you want to spend time with people when they love what they really love.
The thing about the show is that there are no bad guys, there are no bad guys. Everyone is just trying their best to do a good job, but the ego and agenda get in the way. This really is most of what happens in Hollywood. When the writer was on strike, my lawyer said, “I think what the writers are assuming is something like some kind of ominous conspiracy in some of the studio executives. It’s not like an evil machine. [that] Everyone was just scrambling all the time, and I thought it was really interesting.
So, yeah…we didn’t want to be like, “Oh, this is a savage takedown” because it’s not our experience. We’ve had really good experiences working in business, and at the same time, you experience levels of frustration that you can’t explain to others, as much of your soul and ego is invested in what you’re doing. [even] The smallest one.
You will introduce it often studio. I felt for the studio head, the actors, the managers and the public relations staff… everything came together so neatly and I was like, “Oops, it’s so confusing.”
Yes, that’s amazing. It’s an incredible magic trick. On the surface, it gives off a very rich man. He has these amazing clothes. It’s not a small feat, so I’m very pleased that it worked.
I would like to talk about one of my favorite episodes, The Pediatric Oncologist episode. It was wonderful, interesting and deeply constricting. How did you come up with that storyline? Were there any particular kind of film enthusiasts or industry figures that influenced it?
The truth is, we were talking about dating someone he didn’t think what he did was important. That was what it was. And I blurted out the “pediatric oncologist.” I have had a lot of experience with doctors. I’m not the reason, but I always felt that when I was talking to them I was – they do such an important job and what I do seems very trivial in comparison.
And such concepts were fused with Seth’s real-life experience. He said, “I’ve been to a lot of these medical banquets and fundraisers, but at least the doctor seems to want me to take it out and let me know that what I’m doing isn’t important.” So, these two things: If it was something like pediatric oncology, Seth’s experience with doctors just came together in this very disgusting episode.
Yes, it was painful to watch.
When did you start to know that you’re off the rail? “Oh, do you know where this is heading?”
I think it was when they were in bed. It was okay that she didn’t know much about, but I was like, “OK, this doesn’t finish well.” They are very incompatible. She is a doctor and he is that…
Ah, amazing. (laughs) I’m so glad you liked it.
The pacing is also wild. It barely gives your brain to process the absurdity of what is said. That’s great. Was Speed something you had planned from the start to match the turmoil of Hollywood?
Yes, we wanted people to feel like they were fly on the Hollywood wall. When things are going on, or when there’s a deadline and people are going crazy, it feels very confusing. [then] There’s a frenzy. So, within this business, things happen in seconds before a certain deadline. We wanted to capture that frenzy from the start. That was the mission. And by deciding not to have only B or C stories and A stories and filming them in Oner style, you actually lead it to visceral panic when you’re there. It’s all very important by design.
studio It’s streamed on Apple TV+.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
