“The Franchise” (Sky Comedy, Now), piercingly satirises the ceaseless production of superhero films by Hollywood, much like the biting wit seen in HBO/Sky hits such as Succession or Veep. The show boasts incisive writing by showrunner Jon Brown, previously of Succession fame, and a stellar cast including Richard E Grant as an actor lowered to playing overdramatic villains and Daniel Brühl as a clueless filmmaker, all contribute with enthusiasm.
However, the show’s biting critique necessitates an existing disdain for superhero cinema. What though, if you appreciate these movies, potentially seeing films like Avengers: Endgame or Captain America: Civil War as the pinnacle of blockbuster entertainment? If that’s the case, The Franchise may not appeal and could even be seen as a wider criticism of geek culture. The show doesn’t simply lampoon geekiness, it seems to scorn and dismiss it.
Despite this, if you can overlook the contempt for nerd culture, the programme does have a certain charm. Himesh Patel exemplifies the hectic nature of film producing as Daniel, a stressed assistant director endeavouring to manage an Avengers-type spectacle, primarily by shouting into his walkie-talkie. Brühl, on the other hand, plays a snobbish director, too pompous to appreciate the genre, piling on airs and graces in excess.
Life behind the scenes is a constant whirlwind of problems. In the first episode, Brühl’s character Eric must add more lighting on the set due to studio complaints, but the subsequently increased brightness results in temporary blindness for his leading actors, including Grant’s Magneto-like character. Hard times continue for Daniel when the amiable producer is dismissed by a dictatorial studio newcomer, determined to keep spending to a minimum. Meanwhile, Aya Cash’s character Anita, who shares a troubled history with Daniel, arrives to mitigate the chaos, bringing experience from her lauded satirical role in The Boys.
In summary, despite its razor-edged wit and brisk pace, The Franchise’s parody of superhero cinema falls short.
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The TV series, The Franchise, introduces a dynamic vibe, however, the show features elements of script-lead Armando Iannucci’s misinterpreted take on the USSR, epitomized in his film, The Death of Stalin. This movie, depicting the fall of Moscow following Stalin’s reign of terror and purges, illustrates it as a comical spectacle rather than the chilling narrative it truly was – an evident overlook by Iannucci of the core subject and a repeated oversight with a series that struggles to satirize the behind-the-scenes making of superhero flicks, with an unbending disdain for the genre.
Satirising a subject requires a degree of partial understanding and appreciation of it – a feat Quentin Tarantino integrates through his jesting take on 1950’s American Western TV shows in his movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. With a comprehension of the obsolete and absurd aspects of these shows, Tarantino has an innate love for them. In stark contrast, the makers of The Franchise clearly view superhero movies as a disgrace to cinema. The end-product is a parody that is clueless about handling its theme or even interacting with it effectively.