7 satirical comedy shows to watch if you liked The Studio
The Studio (2025-) melds satire into the world of film to give fans a Seth Rogen delight. This ongoing show features a star-studded cast (Catherine O'Hara, Kathryn Hahn, Ike Barinholtz) true to its premise in flashy Hollywood. Who can forget Martin Scorsese's iconic guest appearance in the pilot?
Matthew "Matt" Remick (Seth Rogen) is a newly appointed studio executive at Continental Studios. His giddiness about his sudden rise to fame gets derailed when his first order of business is to approve a movie about the Kool-Aid beverage mascot, the Kool-Aid man. Matt is torn between contributing positively to the film industry and its money-hungry studio setup.
Fans of sneaky, satirical storylines like Apple TV's The Studio can also check out these shows as they wait for the next episode!
Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong solely to the writer.
30 Rock, Silicon Valley, and other satire shows to watch if you like The Studio
1) 30 Rock (2006-2013)
Imagine The Studio, but instead of a film production company, it's a television studio, and instead of Matt, it is the iconic Liz Lemon (Tina Fey). That's how you get 30 Rock, a satirical comedy series about the behind-the-scenes at the NBC sketch-comedy series TGS with Tracy Jordan.
In its 7-season run, the show explores workplace friendships, comedic sketches gone terribly wrong, and all the goof-ups that lead to running a successful TV program.
The witty banter between Lemon and Alec Baldwin's Jack fuels most of the show's brilliance, but the script's ability to subtly parody every sitcom trope and go beyond the traditional sitcom experience makes it truly special.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
2) Silicon Valley (2014-2019)
Richard Hendricks (Thomas Middleditch) is set to take San Francisco's Silicon Valley by storm with his new app "Pied Piper". For six seasons, the show follows Richard and his geeky tech friends and the ups and downs of their start-up life. Silicon Valley feels like one big inside joke for techies across the world.
This sitcom is a satirical lens into the tech world, with blink-and-you 'll-miss-it quips and a memorable character-driven set-up. The show parodies the tech world's boiling need to "change the world", and can laugh at itself in serious moments. The Studio fans will enjoy its take on office life.
Where to watch: HBO
3) Community (2009-2015)
A meta-narrative that often breaks the fourth wall to hilarious lengths, Community is a classic in the satire genre. Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) is the self-dubbed hot-shot lawyer who gets kicked to the curb after his law firm finds out he lied about his Columbia degree.
To fix his life, he enrolls at Greendale Community College and runs into a bunch of oddballs who form a study group.
Though the show had ups and downs, it garnered a fervent following for its satirical take on sitcoms, friendships, and life itself. Fans of The Studio will enjoy how it surpasses the traditional sitcom setup, often entering extremely hypothetical situations (Remember when Dictator Chang takes over the college?).
Where to watch: Peacock
4) The Office (2005-2013)
In this genius mockumentary-style sitcom, Michael Scott (Steve Carell) is the branch manager of a paper company amok with quirky personalities, interpersonal strife, and storylines that cleverly toe the line between hilarious and cringeworthy.
The Studio fans will enjoy the show's seamless blend of heartwarming moments and razor-sharp comedic timing within an office setting. Whether it's Michael showing up for Pam's art show or Dwight and Jim's reciprocal pranks, the writing and performances are extremely memorable.
Where to watch: Peacock
5) Schitt's Creek (2015-2020)
Fans of Catherine O'Hara's brand of dramatic humor will love Schitt's Creek, a sitcom that follows a rich, bumbling family of four who relocate to a small town after a business audit seizes everything they own. There, they rebuild their lives and assimilate with the town's eccentric personalities.
Schitt's Creek is a satirical outlook on rich families and their non-understanding of everyday life. The Levy duo's clever writing weaves unique character growth into laugh-out-loud situations that the Schitt family inevitably finds itself in. Years after the series finale, the show is still fondly remembered by fans everywhere.
Where to watch: Netflix
6) Hacks (2021-)
An unlikely friendship forms between a septuagenarian standup comedian, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), and a young show writer, Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), when Deborah hires Ava as a last-ditch attempt to save both their careers.
This is not a generic "girl power-female-friendship-women empowerment" sitcom. The sharp writing shows women as complicated and flawed humans.
From the trailer of The Studio, viewers understand that Matt feels like he has to bear the world's weight on his shoulders.
"Everyone wants something different from me, and I can't give it to them," he says.
This emotion, in its vulnerable complexities and smart humor, emulates exactly what Hacks is all about.
Where to watch: HBO
7) Seinfeld (1989-1998)
Seinfeld's simple brilliance lies in its ability to weave comedy out of nothing. This satirical view of 90s New York City follows Jerry Seinfeld (himself), George Costanza (Jason Alexander), Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Kramer (Michael Richards), as they go about their inconsequential lives.
If The Studio comments on life on the West Coast, Seinfeld takes the East Coast by storm. Fans will enjoy its deadpan humor in all its relatable glory, told from Jerry's perspective as a standup comic narrating his life's events.
Where to watch: Netflix
Fans of The Studio's brand of humor can also check out Freaks and Geeks (from writer and actor Rogen) and Arrested Development for uniquely memorable TV characters and moments!
