Art seems to imitate life with new HBO series The Franchise – the satirical comedy about life on a superhero movie set is getting mixed reviews.
Following the ups and downs (but mostly, it seems, the downs) behind the scenes of the fictional franchise movie Tecto: Eye of the Storm, the show sees first assistant director Daniel (Himesh Patel) and his production team plagued by fires, insecure actors, and the wrath of studio bosses – as well as personal problems, in the case of Daniel's impending divorce. The cast also includes Daniel Brühl, Aya Cash, Lolly Adefope, Billy Magnussen, and Richard E. Grant. Veep and The Thick of It creator Armando Iannucci, Skyfall director Sam Mendes, and Succession writer Jon Brown are involved behind the camera.
This stellar line-up wasn't enough for The Hollywood Reporter, though. "There are too many extraordinarily talented people involved with The Franchise, on both sides of the camera, for it not to be occasionally scathing in funny and well-constructed ways, at least for a few episodes," the publication's review reads. "By the second half of the season, though, it becomes less and less focused, less and less narratively interesting and more and more satirically banal."
"Though The Franchise can be quite cutting, it skews a bit more stereotypically workplace-sitcom than Veep, meaning it sometimes errs on the side of quirky rather than nasty," echoes The Wrap. "Franchise also shares with Iannucci’s work a tendency to become exhausting through sheer running-in-circles repetition, something that probably reflects the experience of making a superhero movie almost too accurately."
Meanwhile, Time writes, "Smartly scripted, amusingly acted, and believably realized, The Franchise is no failure. It’s never less than mildly entertaining – but rarely more, either, " but Collider is much more positive, writing, "Armando Iannucci, Jon Brown, and Sam Mendes have crafted an unforgettable and endlessly entertaining series that is filled to the brim with wry, dark humor, unfortunate truths, and an exceptional cast that knows exactly how to deliver what this show aims to be."
