The Studio on Apple TV+ took me a minute to get into. That’s because this chaos-filled roasting of Hollywood and its self-obsessed denizens is essentially a 10-episode comedy of errors — many, many errors, the majority of which revolve around newly installed studio chief Matt Remick (Seth Rogen) making one dumb mistake after another. I succumbed, eventually, thanks to the general oddball charm of the main cast and the breezy, half-hour pace of each episode, and today’s Emmy nominations make clear that a critical mass of Emmy voters more or less went the same way.
On Tuesday, The Studio racked up 23 Emmy nominations, officially beating the freshman-season record previously held by another beloved Apple TV+ comedy, Ted Lasso. That breakout hit scored 20 nominations when it debuted in 2021, and it went on to win seven Emmys — including best comedy series. But with The Studio now standing as the most-nominated freshman comedy in Emmy history, a new bar has been set.
Created by Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, Frida Perez and Rogen — who directed, wrote, and stars — The Studio follows Remick’s slow-motion unraveling as he tries to run a major film studio without letting it destroy his soul. The show manages to be both a takedown of corporate Hollywood and an ode to the kind of idealism that gets movies made in the first place. As I put it in my review: “The show is both a brutal critique and a heartfelt love letter to the creative process. Rogen’s portrayal of a well-meaning, idealistic man caught in the web of Hollywood’s dysfunctional business is hilarious and painfully relatable.”
The record Emmy nominations for The Studio, by the way, is not just a win for the show, but also for the continued ascent of Apple’s streamer as a prestige TV powerhouse. With a cast that includes Catherine O’Hara, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, and Kathryn Hahn, The Studio landed nominations in several major categories, and Rogen himself is up for four individual awards: Lead actor, writing, directing, and outstanding comedy series. Should he win all four, he’ll tie the all-time record for most Emmys won by a single individual in one night, joining Dan Levy (for Schitt’s Creek) and Amy Sherman-Palladino (for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel).
The 77th Emmy Awards will be hosted by Nate Bargatze and air live on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, in addition to also streaming on Paramount+. Bottom line: With Apple TV+ now laying claim to the top two most-nominated freshman comedies in Emmy history, the streamer is making its comedy slate feel just as essential as its dramas.
