Need a laugh? ‘The Four Seasons' and ‘The Studio' are sure to do the trick

Los Angeles Times

02-05-2025

Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who is married, was married or has thought about getting married.
This week marks the arrival of 'The Four Seasons' — we're not talking equinoxes here. It's Netflix's new comedy that reimagines Alan Alda's '80s film, in which he co-starred with Carol Burnett, Rita Moreno, Sandy Dennis, Bess Armstrong, Len Cariou and Jack Weston — a veritable who's who of the stage and screen (Evidently, it will be available to stream on Netflix May 5). The latest iteration features an ensemble cast as well that includes Will Forte and Tina Fey, who co-created and co-wrote. TV critic Robert Lloyd calls it 'very watchable, breezy, bumpy,' making it the perfect weekend watch if your plans involve cuddling on the couch — perhaps with a significant other.
Also in Screen Gab No. 179, our experts recommend a TV show about food that makes you wish you could reach into the screen to taste it, and a comedy series about the Hollywood industry that highlights its accolades and its (many) pratfalls.
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Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times
'Chef's Table: Legends' (Netflix)
The latest iteration of television's prettiest and most contemplative food show profiles four celebrated but not mere celebrity chefs: Jamie Oliver, who grew up in a pub and whose 'The Naked Chef' injected Britpop energy into England's food scene (Tony Blair is one of his episode's talking heads); Thomas Keller, of French Laundry and Per Se fame, with his multiple Michelin stars; Alice Waters, who introduced American fine diners to the joys of a perfect simple salad, and at Berkeley's Chez Panisse, kicked off the farm to table movement; and José Andrés, feeding the people through his World Central Kitchen and a host of places where you have to make a reservation. Created by David Gelb ('Jiro Dreams of Sushi'), the series takes pains to be gorgeous — a feast for the eyes, as it were — but it's most inspiring tracing the food journeys of its subjects and describing how they move through and act upon the world. (Waters, Oliver and Andrés all have activism and education in their CVs.) You may never eat in their restaurants, but you will want to, and there's something delicious in that. — Robert Lloyd
'The Studio' (Apple TV+)
The state of the movie business is bleak enough these days that you've got to laugh to keep from crying. Audiences are shrinking, original ideas get steamrolled by brand extensions and the line between big-screen spectacle and streaming 'content' gets blurrier by the week. Enter 'The Studio,' Seth Rogen's sly, self-aware comedy about a lifelong cinephile turned studio chief (played by Rogen) trying to steer a crumbling Hollywood institution through the chaos. Co-created with longtime collaborator Evan Goldberg, the series blends biting industry commentary with Rogen's signature mix of stoner absurdism, pratfalls and extreme cringe. This week's episode tackles the minefield of casting, as execs melt down over the racial politics of casting their absurd Kool-Aid tentpole. Next week, the target is the Golden Globes — a perennial industry punching bag. Real-life directors like Martin Scorsese, Olivia Wilde and Ron Howard deliver surprisingly self-effacing turns, but it's the core ensemble — including Kathryn Hahn, Ike Barinholtz and Chase Sui Wonders — that gives the show its manic pulse. Rogen may be kicking the industry while it's down (for a streamer, no less), but underneath it all, he still believes in movies — and the flawed, messy people behind them. — Josh Rottenberg
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they're working on — and what they're watching
'The Four Seasons,' Netflix's eight-episode adaptation of Alan Alda's 1981 film of the same name, revolves around the longtime friendship of three couples — portrayed by Tina Fey, Will Forte, Steve Carell, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Colman Domingo and Marco Calvani — and tracks how their relationships shift each time they reconnect on vacation. In addition to starring, Fey co-created the series with fellow '30 Rock' writer-producers Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield. Fisher and Wigfield stopped by Screen Gab to discuss the key change they made to their adaptation, what they're watching and more. —Yvonne Villarreal
You both have experience depicting teenagers and relationships — Lang with 'Never Have I Ever' and Tracey with the 'Saved by the Bell' reboot. What do you enjoy about depicting relationships in midlife?
Fisher: I obviously loved doing YA rom-com stuff. But this felt very much deeper. There's something about celebrating these things that are not particularly glamorous. I don't want to say it's mundane, but lived-in relationships are sort of treated like it is when they're actually the most thrilling, most precious, most important and meaningful part of your life. The people that you are standing with when you're middle-aged, be it your spouse or your friends, that is the story of a life well-lived. There's something romantic about that.
Wigfield: For me, it was more satisfying because it's more personal to my life right now. I've been married for nine years. There are so many stories about falling in love. I can't think of many couples — I'm sure there are ones — who have been married for 20 years on TV that I was like, 'Ooh, that's sexy! I love that relationship. I want that.' Maybe the coach and Connie Britton on 'Friday Night Lights.'
The series departs from the source material in one major way — there's a death. That's the extent of the spoiler we'll give for those who haven't watched. But why did you make that change?
Fisher: We made that decision pretty early on. We want to place this show on planet Earth with real people, with real stakes. There's no murders, there's no aliens. Real-life stakes are high enough and they're terrifying. We wanted to make sure to run the gamut of what you might experience in midlife, and losing a friend in your 50s is not that weird. We wanted to see how this group could come together in crisis and how much they really did love each other and how they lean on each other. Even though it doesn't happen in the film, it felt right for us in terms of showing a complete arc for the season and for our characters, emotionally.
What have you watched recently that you're recommending to everyone you know?
Fisher: I love 'The Studio' [Apple TV+]. The scripts are so tight and so is the direction. And if you're someone who actually works in Hollywood, it's a nice treat to see a funny version of your job on screen.
Wigfield: 'Severance' [Apple TV+] — my husband [Adam Countee] wrote on it, so I'm biased, but it was the most impressive thing I've seen on TV this year.
What's your go-to comfort watch, the film or TV show you return to again and again?
Fisher: I'm pretty basic when it comes to comfort watch. I've seen 'Bridget Jones's Diary' [Max] 50 times. I think it's a perfect movie.
Wigfield: Maybe it's because I'm a comedy writer, but putting on an episode of an old show, even if it's one I love like 'The Office' [Peacock], isn't relaxing to me. However there is a woman on YouTube who reviews food at Disneyland (@disneyfoodblog) and her videos make me feel like I am in a warm, safe embrace.