Hollywood Finally Made a Show Hollywood Deserves

Entertainment this week feels like a buffet assembled by a committee: glossy prestige, algorithmic sludge, and one genuinely funny show hiding behind a subscription paywall. Fortunately, The Studio has arrived to remind us that the movie business is still powered by panic, ego, and men saying “IP” like they’ve just discovered fire.

Benny’s Picks

The Studio — Apple TV+
Strong opinion: this is the funniest Hollywood show since 30 Rock, and it may be even meaner. Seth Rogen plays a newly promoted studio chief who spends every episode trying to make movies while being emotionally mugged by actors, executives, directors, and his own need to be liked. Watch the episode “The Oner” for a single unbroken nervous breakdown that should be shown in business schools as a warning.

Hacks — Max
Jean Smart remains one of television’s great natural disasters, and Deborah Vance is her perfect weather system. The show has gotten more heartfelt, but it hasn’t lost its teeth: every compliment comes with a knife hidden inside it. It’s popular because it’s good, which is a refreshing change from popular because everyone’s cousin posted a clip.

Adolescence — Netflix
This is not “fun,” unless your definition of fun includes being slowly crushed by a piano made of social media, masculinity, and parental denial. The one-shot episodes are an impressive technical stunt, but the real achievement is how the show makes every adult conversation feel like it’s happening three seconds too late. Watch it when you’re emotionally prepared to stare at the ceiling afterward.

“Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan — everywhere music plays
Yes, it’s been everywhere. No, that does not make it overrated. The song is pure theatrical escape: huge chorus, glitter cannon energy, and the very specific feeling of leaving your hometown before it can turn you into someone boring.

Skip It

The Electric State — Netflix
It looks expensive enough to have its own weather system, yet somehow feels like a screensaver with dialogue. Millie Bobby Brown deserves better than wandering through a beautifully rendered wasteland while the movie searches for a pulse.

Sleeper Pick

Somebody Somewhere — Max
Quiet, funny, and allergic to inspirational speeches, this is a show about people trying to be decent without turning their lives into a brand. Bridget Everett is magnificent, and the series understands that sometimes the most dramatic thing a person can do is sing badly with friends and mean every word.