Screen Queen TV reviews: The Franchise, Disclaimer, Teenage Boss and Sweetpea

The Franchise

Monday, streaming on Binge

I’ve been to dozens of TV sets over the years: I’ve taken trips to Erinsborough to hang with the Neighbours, had tea on Wisteria Lane with the Desperate Housewives, been banged up at the Wentworth Correctional Facility — heck, I’ve even found myself marooned on an island (Hawaii — not a bad place to be) with the castaways from Lost.

And here’s the thing: all these sets were very, very different, but they all had one thing in common: they were very, very insane places to be.

I say insane, but I don’t mean this in a bad way. It’s just that there’s a certain kind of manic energy to these places. People are rushing about, actors are muttering lines, rewrites are being done on the trot, they’re always running at least three hours behind schedule — and wait, is that person with a headset on about to cry? Maybe. I can’t quite tell — someone’s always thrusting me into a director’s chair and begging me to listen to a scene ‘on the cans’.

Yep, TV sets, and film sets too (though I’ve frequented them less), are seriously bonkers places — and now everyone can witness the crazy via this new comedy series, from Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes, Veep creator Armando Ianucci and Succession’s Jon Brown.

Essentially, it’s a fly-on-the wall look at what’s going down behind the scenes of a big-budget movie franchise — think Marvel, or DCU — the action centring around the director, producer, the First and Third ADs, actors and studio big-wigs. They’re all the types of people I’ve met a hundred times over on sets everywhere — their world is ripe for a satirical take-down.

Extras meets Call My Agent meets The Thick of It — yes, please!

A word of warning though: if you’re that person I saw crying with a headset on, you may want to give this a wide berth.

Disclaimer

Thursday, streaming on Apple TV Plus

I’m starting to lose track of the number of book-to-TV adaptations doing the rounds — this one, starring Academy Award winners Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline (and directed by Alfonso Cuarón), is the latest.

Based on Renée Knight’s addictive page-turner, it tells the story of a successful documentary maker and journalist (Blanchett) who is delivered a mysterious novel to her home and discovers the plot is actually a detailed account of events that played out in her world two decades earlier, and that she thought she’d kept hidden.

This addictive slow-burn will keep you guessing.

Question Everything

Wednesday, 8.30pm, ABC

Jan Fran and Wil Anderson are back, taking the media industry to task. And colleagues: take cover. Joining them each week are a selection of panellists — they’re taking no prisoners.

Sweetpea

Wednesday, streaming on Binge

Yellowjackets’ Ella Purnell stars in this “twisted coming of ‘rage’ story” about a forgettable young woman who decides to step into her power — with murderous consequences. This is from the producers of Slow Horses and Heartstopper — can’t wait.

Teenage Boss: Next Level

Saturday, 7.30pm, ABC Family

Wait, what? Hand over the household budget to my teen and get him to manage our finances for the month? Insanity! But that’s exactly what families are doing in this great show, which now boasts ex-Wiggle Emma Watkins at the helm. Worth a look.