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 Emmy voters feel 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/5 p.m. PT on CBS, and will also stream 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.
