Any movie or TV show about the business of making movies or TV shows is inevitably going to be quite self-indulgent. The question is, is the quality there to get away with that kind of self-indulgence? The Studio lays it on pretty thick from a stylistic standpoint right from the get-go, with loads of long takes and a Birdman-esque percussion-heavy, jazzy soundtrack. This very self-consciously cinematic style sits slightly at odds with the often quite broad comedy on display, but fundamentally, it’s got it where it counts, and this is a very funny TV show.

We follow the misadventures of Matt Rennick (Bryan Cranston, having the time of his life) wants him to make – a Kool-Aid Man flick.

The overarching plot, such as it is, isn’t really the focus here, however. In a streaming TV landscape so dominated by shows that are clearly movies tortuously stretched out to 10 hours, it’s a blessed relief that The Studio is perfectly content to actually be television. Apart from the (hilarious) two-part finale, every episode stands on its own, has its own plot and sub-plots, and you could easily watch them in isolation and be able to follow along perfectly happily. Much like how Agatha All Along was a breath of fresh air because it was a TV show that ed it was a TV show, this never lets the fact that it’s about films, and theatrically-released films specifically, derail the fact that it is a TV show.

The jabs at streaming TV do come across as a little weird in that context, however, and it’s particularly noteworthy that none of them are at Apple’s expense. There are plenty of jokes poking fun at Netflix and Amazon, but the only mention of Apple is one of blatant corporate glad-handing, and one wonders if it’s an attempt by the creators to appease their bosses on this show.

All this being said, what really matters with a show like this is simply whether it’s funny or not. Inevitably, not all of the jokes land, with the silly pratfalls sitting uncomfortably next to the sharp, insightful jibes about the current state of the film industry; and Rennick transforms from being a well-meaning, slightly naïve but competent exec to a blundering moron in the space of about two episodes. In the scope of the show, though, these are minor problems, because when it works, The Studio works like gangbusters.

The characters are funny without being caricatures, likeable enough to root for but also stupid and obnoxious enough to laugh at, and the core cast have fantastic chemistry together. Kathryn Hahn seems to be channelling Nessa from Gavin And Stacey, while Ike Barinholtz and Chase Sui Wonders have a terrifically entertaining war of one-upmanship in the episode where they get to share the spotlight. And the huge number of celebrity guest stars playing themselves are invariably great fun, with particular props going to Olivia Wilde, Dave Franco and Zoe Kravitz for being completely game for making absolute buffoons of themselves.

The Studio has its frustrations, without doubt, but it more than compensates for those by simply committing to being a funny, episodic sitcom. It dresses itself up like the movies it’s about, but when it comes down to it, it knows it’s a TV comedy – and it’s a damn good TV comedy.