There’s an often-referenced theory that TV shows about TV don’t work with audiences.
While there are the hits –The Mary Tyler-Moore Show, 30 Rock, Murphy Brown, Frontline– there are others with moderate success –The Morning Show, Episodes, The Larry Sanders Show, The Newsroom, Extras, UnREAL– and others that failed –Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Grosse Pointe.
The Franchise skewers the film industry, rather than television, but delves so deep into industry lingo and behaviour its appeal may be niche. Just as The Idol dissected the machinations of the music industry (to disappointing reception), The Franchise spills on the superhero movie-making. But at least it is framed as a dark comedy.
Which is just as well because these people are variously egomaniacal, selfish, neurotic, paranoid workaholics which, when added to the desperate, pressure-tank world of movie-making, is a recipe for disaster.
No wonder Sam Mendes (1917, Skyfall), Armando Iannucci (Veep), and Jon Brown (Succession) wanted to rip it a new one.
The hero of their universe is long-suffering First Assistant Director Daniel Kumar (Himesh Patel) who has the task of running the floor on Day 34 of upcoming movie Tecto.
The recreation of a film studio set is as real as it gets. There’s a lot of standing around, grabbing coffees, waiting for lighting, upset actors, demands from execs, schedules running late, union restrictions. Daniel is the go-to person for everybody from the Director to Crew to Talent. So demanding is the role that he refers to himself as “the everything man… the world’s most thankless suerhero.”
He is joined by new 3rd AD Dag (Lolly Adefope) who has less time for keeping everybody happy and is assertive, if less powerful.
Directing Tecto is the gifted Eric (Daniel Brühl) “I’m strange and I’m serious,” who has his hands full with the artistic side of the film and keeping stars Adam (Billy Magnussen) and veteran Peter (Richard E. Grant) in check.
Adam has the title role of B-grade hero Tecto alongside Peter, a thespian begrudging his villain role in their vacuous sequel. These two despise each other, approach with different methodologies and have uncontrollable egos.
Meanwhile the studio has sent its executive Pat (Darren Goldstein) to the floor and he is ready to cut costs or staff.
All Daniel wants is to get the shot in the can to avoid falling further behind schedule. Corralling all the manpower and technical elements is a major headache, all of which is later distilled into the private pleasures of vaping alone in his car -until the next phone call lands with another spot fire for him to douse.
Himesh Patel manages the stress of art / work with all the authenticity I’ve ever witnessed on set. The lines come thick and fast, full of cynicism and devoid of humanity. Much like UnREAL‘s contestant producer Rachel, he constantly saves the day when it is about to come crashing down.
Richard E. Grant is tailor-made for the veteran actor resenting having landed in some stupid superhero sequel. He gets all the best lines including one about who is packing the biggest penis on set.
There are also more then a few references to safety and post-MeToo in an industry constantly evolving and checking its conduct. In these half hour episodes there’s plenty of time to highlight such and the compromises that follow.
Like VEEP, these are not a particularly warm bunch of characters, but if you’re interested in the machine of movie-making it is about as real as it gets.
The Franchise screens Monday on Binge (8.30pm Oct 10 on FOX8).
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