The Franchise Review: HBO Comedy Falls Flat

The state of big-budget movie studio production is obviously not as consequential as the state of a dysfunctional, selfish, and often deeply ridiculous U.S. government. But for those who obsessively follow the former, it’s probably more compelling, as the fandom of superhero films and the like brings with it a bizarre overlay of sports-style interests. It follows that “Veep” and “Succession” writer Jon Brown created the satirical sitcom “The Franchise” with a similar eye for the oblivious hubris of an unstoppable but utterly ruinable machine. Fittingly, “Veep” and “The Thick of It” mastermind Armando Iannucci is on hand as executive producer.

Similar to “Veep,” the new series’ mix of gloating toward a cursed system and reluctant sympathy for its various cogs (at least the less openly purchasable ones) is there. It becomes clear early on that it would probably be better for the artistic health of the film industry if a film like “Tecto,” a seemingly “Aquaman”-like sequel to a very Marvel-esque cinematic universe from, er, Maximum Studios, just crashed and burned. Still, Daniel (Himesh Patel), the film’s beleaguered first assistant director, is a sensible guy who’s just trying to do his job well and help the slightly nervous and sometimes indecisive director Eric (Daniel Brühl) keep his vision within the ever-changing changing parameters by the blatant manager idiot Pat (Darren Goldstein), portrayed as a kind of representative of a Kevin Feige type. Pat delegates some of this enforcement to producer Anita (Aya Cash), who—in a development that never feels entirely convincing or productive—also happens to be Daniel’s ex.

It takes a while for Anita to actually appear in the story, which causes The Franchise to get a little muddled in its own perspective early on. Daniel is likable but not particularly funny, and at first glance it looks like the audience’s entry point will be Dag (Lolly Adefope), a third-party director who learns the ropes from Daniel at the start of the show and it allows viewers to be informed alongside them. But Dag’s character remains amazing throughout the season. Sometimes she makes dry comments on the absurdities that surround her. At times she comes across as a cringe-comedy pretender, repeatedly and awkwardly trying to get out of the job she barely seems to know how to do. In some scenes she despairs about the state of the film industry; in others, she seems to have no interest at all, and her personal ambitions (leaving the set early for a party or becoming a high-powered producer?) seem to change from episode to episode. Taken together, the character seems to be in two or three different orbits at once, and Adefope spends a lot of time standing around with her hands in her pockets and wearing a droll, leering expression, as if she’s waiting for her “Fleabag” moment to come on who she can turn to is the camera.

It’s probably not Adefope’s fault; While “The Franchise” can be quite cutting, it leans a little more toward the workplace sitcom cliché than “Veep,” meaning it’s sometimes more whimsical than nasty. “Franchise” also shares with Iannucci’s work a tendency to become tedious through sheer repetition in circles, which probably reflects the experience of making a superhero movie almost too closely. Anyway, Eric getting nervous hiccups during stressful times doesn’t get any funnier in his third or fourth appearance.

Ironically, one of the best parts of The Franchise is its own approach to big-budget sophistication. Executive producer Sam Mendes also directed the first episode and contributed an elaborate tracking shot that skillfully portrays the setting and challenges of the series. The whole season seems to be full of behind-the-scenes details and a panicked but cynical atmosphere; Even if they’re fake (and the producers claimed they did their research), they’re pretty cleverly fake. The series particularly enjoys exploring the insecurities of second-rate lead Adam (Billy Magnussen) and the annoying lack of insecurities of his veteran co-star Peter (Richard E. Grant).

To be clear, “The Franchise” is often quite funny as it satirically skewers the views of major studios (there’s an incredibly superficial attempt to quickly solve the studio’s “women problem”, which then of course incurs the ire of internet fans). draws attention to itself despite being utterly ineffective), observations of superhero (and therefore cultural) decline, and depiction of the enormous resources and effort put into a film that still ends up looking and sounding good at best. But the machinery that threatens to comically overwhelm the characters also threatens to overwhelm the show itself. Despite Brown’s continued appreciation for the crew that makes these films possible, it’s hard not to wonder if a more focused show would focus on Cash’s Anita, who more clearly embodies the industry at large in both her ruthlessness and confidence. Disgust.

Expanded into an ensemble, “The Franchise,” like “Tecto,” sometimes seems too big to either fail or completely succeed, trapped in perpetual motion hell.

“The Franchise” premieres Sunday, October 6th on HBO.