Genre: Comedy
Actor: Aya Cash, Billy Magnussen, Daniel Brühl, Darren Goldstein, Himesh Patel, Isaac Powell, Jessica Hynes, Lolly Adefope, Richard E. Grant
The Franchise is a funny enough spoof attacking the oversized production and interest surrounding big-budget movies and their never-ending sequels. Marvel is the most obvious target (the studio in the show is named Maximum), but it more generally aims at an industry that puts profit and exploitation before art and wellness. In that regard, it doesn’t feel as sharp or fresh as it should be. Many other shows, from The Comeback to Episodes, have already given us their darkly funny behind-the-scenes take on Hollywood with much more depth and nuance. And making fun of Marvel, at this point, feels overdone—everyone, even the most rabid fan, is in superhero fatigue mode. Still, The Franchise makes for an entertaining watch. Daniel Brühl, playing the eccentric auteur Eric, and Billy Magnussen, playing the airhead lead Tecto, are especially funny, while Patel and Adefope are the easiest to follow and relate to. It’s never laugh-out-loud hilarious or profoundly thought-provoking. But it is an accurate and amusing spoof, one that could (and hopefully) grow into itself in the following seasons.