For years, TV shows about Hollywood’s inner workings have been a niche fascination, often criticized for being too detached from reality — or, ironically, too real.
In 2025, the latter critique has taken center stage, with industry insiders laughing through their PTSD while watching shows that hit painfully close to home.
According to a Variety article, series like Hacks, The Studio, and Only Murders in the Building have struck a nerve, capturing the absurdities and indignities of the entertainment world with such precision that they’ve become the year’s top Emmy contenders in comedy categories.
Historically, Hollywood satire has struggled to resonate beyond the industry bubble. Classics like Sunset Boulevard (1950) set the stage, but subsequent attempts often flopped with broader audiences.
Shows like Action (1999) were canceled quickly despite critical acclaim, and even 30 Rock, which won three consecutive Emmys, never became a mainstream hit. So, what’s changed in 2025?
The answer lies in a perfect storm of sharp writing, star power, and streaming platforms willing to take risks.
Hacks (HBO/Max) dives into the world of Deborah Vance, a veteran comedian navigating her new talk show, with scenes shot at iconic TV City that evoke nostalgia for industry vets. The Studio (Apple TV+), created by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, is a biting parody inspired by their own Hollywood experiences, particularly the infamous Sony hack following
The Interview (2014). It features cameos from Martin Scorsese to Zoë Kravitz, blending insider references with absurd humor—like a Kool-Aid Man origin story as a studio project. Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) took a Hollywood detour this season, weaving industry satire into its murder-mystery format, resonating with both critics and viewers.
What sets these shows apart is their ability to balance insider satire with universal appeal. Streaming giants like Apple TV+ and Hulu have poured resources into securing A-list talent and fearless writers, ensuring the shows aren’t just industry navel-gazing.
The Studio, for instance, uses self-contained episodes to deliver sharp, 40-minute farces—think a meta one-take episode or a neo-noir detective story—making it accessible even to those unfamiliar with Hollywood’s quirks. Hacks and Only Murders similarly blend humor with relatable human struggles, from aging in the spotlight to community dynamics.
The result? Audiences outside Hollywood are finally getting the jokes—and loving them. The 2025 Emmy nominations reflect this shift, with The Studio pegged as a frontrunner, followed closely by Hacks (last year’s winner) and Only Murders.
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Posts on X echo this sentiment, noting how these shows “come a little too close for comfort” but still manage to entertain widely.
Streaming platforms deserve credit for betting big on this trend, proving that Hollywood’s dirty laundry, when aired with wit and star power, can captivate everyone—not just the industry crowd.
