📺 TV Showdown: Sweet 16 Bracket + Reviews of The Studio & The Residence
Reviews of 'The Studio' (Apple TV+) and 'The Residence' (Netflix), plus some TV-style March Madness.
Hey so, March Madness isn’t just for basketball—we’re bringing the bracket showdown to TV! Along with our usual reviews of two brand-new series, we pulled together 16 of the buzziest shows from the past few months for our own Silly Little Sweet 16: TV Edition. Now, it’s up to you to decide the ultimate champion. Vote in our Instagram Stories throughout the week as shows go head-to-head, and we’ll crown the winner in next week’s newsletter.
In today’s edition:
Weekly Watchlist
March Madness: Our TV Sweet 16
The Studio (Apple TV+)
The Residence (Netflix)
— Jenni Cullen and Jess Spoll
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Below is a selection of new shows and movies premiering this week on streaming. Our unabridged list of March releases, including 5 movies premiering in theaters and 1 more returning TV show this week, is available for premium subscribers. Premium subscribers will also get the full preview of April releases next week.
Holland (Movie) — A woman (Nicole Kidman) in a small midwestern town suspects her husband of living a double life, but things may be worse than she initially imagined.
Watch on Prime Video: March 27A Complete Unknown* (Movie) — Timothée Chalamet stars in this biographical drama about Bob Dylan that follows his journey through the 1960s folk scene, his transition to rock, and his complex public persona.
Watch on Hulu: March 27 (*Streaming Premiere)Queer* (Movie) — Luca Guadagnino directs this adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ novel, starring Daniel Craig as an American expatriate searching for connection in 1950s Mexico City.
Watch on Max: March 28 (*Streaming Premiere)The Life List (Movie) — In this romantic comedy-drama, a young woman’s (Sofia Carson) pursuit to cross things off her lifelong to-do list takes her on a surprising journey.
Watch on Netflix: March 28Survival of the Thickest (Season 2) — Michelle Buteau’s feel-good comedy returns, following Mavis as she navigates love, career, and self-discovery with humor and heart.
Watch on Netflix: March 27 (all 8 episodes)Mid-Century Modern (Season 1) — This multi-cam sitcom follows three gay men who decide to spend their golden years living together in Palm Springs. Nathan Lane and Matt Bomer star.
Watch on Hulu: March 28 (all 10 episodes)MobLand (Season 1) — From the creator of Top Boy and Day of the Jackal comes this crime drama about two warring mob families. Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren, and Pierce Brosnan star.
Watch on Paramount+: March 30 (weekly)
Our thoughts on brand new streaming content, and where you can watch.
The Studio
Keywords: comedy, satire, Hollywood
Watch if you like: The Franchise, Mythic Quest, The Other Two
Jess’s Rating: A
Hollywood has always loved making fun of itself, but with streaming wars, superhero overload, and a relentless existing-IP obsession, it’s never been more deserving of a comedic takedown. Enter Apple TV+’s new comedy, The Studio, in which Seth Rogen stars as a newly appointed studio head who is determined to create art but is stuck producing a “Kool-Aid” movie.
Whatever your personal feelings about Rogen, he is undeniably perfectly cast as an affable buffoon at the top, wielding his trademark comedic charm to balance cluelessness with likability. But it’s the ensemble cast that truly shines: Kathryn Hahn steals scenes as a hyper-trendy Gen-Z-appropriating marketing executive, Catherine O’Hara brilliantly portrays the chaotic passion of the recently-ousted studio boss, and Chase Sui Wonders is a grounded counterpoint to the broad personalities around her. An endless parade of A-list cameos—including Martin Scorsese, Greta Lee, Bryan Cranston, Steve Buscemi, and Charlize Theron—adds to the immersive Hollywood-insider feel. The show’s ambitious visual style is another standout feature. It strings together extended, single-take sequences that make you feel like you’re on a whirlwind Hollywood backlot tour led by Rogen himself.
The Studio is more of a love letter to Hollywood than an indictment; its satire leans affectionate rather than sharply critical. Created by insiders (Rogen and Evan Goldberg), it charmingly explores Tinseltown’s eternal paradox: can you make money and art at the same time? Funny, breezy, and clever, The Studio is a welcome addition to Apple TV’s lineup (especially in a post-Severance slump), and an easy recommendation for anyone who spends too much time watching and thinking about TV shows and movies.
— Jess
Length: ~30-min runtime, 1 Season / 10 episodes (2 available now, new on Wednesdays)
Watch on: Apple TV+
The Residence
Keywords: comedy-drama, murder mystery, lighthearted
Watch if you like: Knives Out, Only Murders in the Building, Agatha Christie
Jenni’s Rating: C
Shondaland’s new cozy murder mystery has the ingredients for broad success, but its tendency toward heavy-handed repetition makes it feel like a strange bid at Ambient TV.
The Residence follows Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba), an eccentric detective with a love for birding who is brought in to investigate a murder at the White House during a state dinner. The blend of political drama and comedic whodunnit makes for an inviting premise, but the show’s excessive exposition dampens the intrigue.
It’s disappointing because the cast is extremely strong—alongside Aduba are industry favorites and other familiar faces like Giancarlo Esposito, Randall Park, Kylie Minogue, Al Franken, and Ken Marino. The characters are distinctive, the energy is high, and the show has all the makings of a fun, escapist mystery. But The Residence dulls its own shine with dialogue and event details rehashed to the point of tedium. Instead of trusting the audience, it regathers and over-explains every clue and plot line—perhaps a result of Netflix’s catering toward viewers half-watching while multitasking.
The show often leans into birding metaphors to explain Cordelia’s investigative process, which could be a charming quirk, but instead, feels like another layer of unnecessary hand-holding. Even the series’s structure—framing the mystery through a congressional hearing about an investigation about a murder—adds unnecessary layers, with constant timeline jumps reinforcing details we already know.
For some, this level of clarity won’t be a drawback, especially if they’re indulging in the aforementioned background viewing. But with this much talent and potential, The Residence should be more than just ambiance. I love the people involved in this project and the concept behind it—I just don’t love the execution.
— Jenni
Length: 50-min runtime, 1 season / 8 episodes
Watch on: Netflix
We compiled 16 of the buzziest shows from the last few months and made our own Sweet 16 March Madness Bracket: TV edition. Vote to determine the champion on the Double Take Instagram Stories this week.
Check out our list of buzziest recent shows below and vote on the best of the bunch on the Double Take Instagram Stories throughout the week. Plus, we’ll break down the matchups (and any shocking upsets) on this week’s podcast. Will a breakout sleeper surprise us all, or is Severance about to sweep the competition? Time to find out—March Madness: Double Take Edition starts now!
Thrilling
Severance (Apple TV+) — This mysterious sci-fi workplace drama was a shoe-in for this year’s tournament for obvious reasons. If we were seeding this bracket, it might take the #1 spot overall. (editor’s note: it would. —Jess)
Paradise (Hulu) – A political thriller with more twists than a rollercoaster. If you love suspense with a side of dystopia, this one’s a top contender.
The Day of the Jackal (Peacock) – This tense, stylish reimagining of the classic assassin thriller, bolstered by a chilling Eddie Redmayne performance came in surprisingly hot in the popularity rankings.
Black Doves (Netflix) – Dark and twisty, Black Doves has a way of keeping you on the edge of your seat. Will this Keira Knightley comeback pull off an upset?
Dramatic
The White Lotus (HBO/Max) – Luxury, dysfunction, and a whole lot of drama. The White Lotus has been a powerhouse for years—does Season 3 have enough bite to survive this bracket?
Adolescence (Netflix) – A tense, one-take crime drama that shattered viewership records. With its raw performances and real-time intensity, could it be the bracket’s breakout star?
The Pitt (Max) – A recent standout in the medical drama genre, The Pitt combines gripping hospital politics with personal stakes. Will it rise above the rest?
Say Nothing (Hulu) – A provocative and suspenseful thriller that’s as gripping as it is controversial. Will it rally enough support, or remain too niche to go the distance?
Comedic
St. Denis Medical (Peacock) – St. Denis Medical is a new medical comedy with offbeat humor and a heart. It may be an underdog, but don’t count it out just yet.
Running Point (Netflix) – A star-studded comedy with some laughs but no slam-dunks. As the only basketball-themed show in the bracket, will its home-court advantage carry it forward?
Abbott Elementary (ABC/Hulu) – Philadelphia is fresh off of a winning streak. Can Abbott’s mix of heart and humor help it keep the crown?
The Righteous Gemstones (HBO/Max) – Mega-rich, mega-dysfunctional, and mega-hilarious. This family’s antics are always outrageous—but can Gemstones hold its own against the dramatic heavy hitters?
Genre TV
Squid Game (Netflix) – The game’s not over yet. With its global dominance, can Squid Game outlast the competition once again?
Silo (Apple TV+) – A gripping dystopian mystery with layers of secrets. Will Silo’s tension and intrigue be enough to knock out the heavyweights?
Interior Chinatown (Hulu) – Genre-bending and smart, Interior Chinatown offers a fresh take on the TV landscape. Will this unique series break through and challenge the top seeds?
Landman (Paramount+) — A gritty drama set in the world of West Texas oil booms. With Taylor Sheridan at the helm, Landman could be a dark horse.
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Aww man - almost worth reactivating my IG for this. Fun!