The Ba***ds of Bollywood just landed on Netflix, dragging viewers straight into the chaos of ambition, betrayal and glitz in India’s most infamous industry. Meanwhile, The Studio walked away with a stack of Emmys for turning the cutthroat world of Hollywood execs into prestige comedy. Clearly, we can’t resist watching shows about people who make shows. Call it art imitating life, or maybe just a guilty pleasure in watching fictional actors spiral harder than the real ones.
14 Must-Watch Shows About Hollywood, Bollywood And The Film Industry To Watch On Netflix, Prime Video, JioHotstar And More
The Ba*ds of Bollywood
Where to watch: Netflix
A small-town outsider claws his way through the labyrinth of Bollywood, where glittering dreams are usually stitched with betrayal. It’s glossy, messy and uncomfortably close to reality.
Showtime
Where to watch: JioHotstar
Bollywood’s off-camera battles, power plays and petty egos get the spotlight. If you thought the red carpet was savage, wait till you see the boardrooms.
Jubilee
Where to watch: Prime Video
A sweeping period drama about India’s golden age of cinema, packed with gamblers, dreamers and opportunists who’ll risk everything for their shot at immortality.
Entourage
Where to watch: JioHotstar
Vincent Chase and his boys live out every wannabe’s Hollywood fantasy, complete with cars, parties and Ari Gold’s verbal assaults. A time capsule of excess that still hits.
The Studio
Where to watch: AppleTV+
A freshly minted studio head tries to juggle movie magic with shareholder meetings. The Emmy hoard makes sense — it’s both viciously funny and painfully accurate.
30 Rock
Where to watch: JioHotstar
Liz Lemon just wants to make TV while wrangling insane stars and her sociopathic boss. Proof that showbiz comedy works best when the writers are basically roasting themselves.
Barry
Where to watch: JioHotstar
A hitman discovers acting class and decides he’d rather chase applause than body counts. Dark, violent and somehow still hilarious — the best midlife crisis TV ever made.
Extras
Where to watch: BBC Player
Ricky Gervais plays the eternal background actor praying for a speaking line. Celeb cameos and cringe-worthy ambition make this as painful as it is brilliant.
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Where to watch: JioHotstar
Larry David, playing Larry David, spends entire seasons annoying celebrities and producers. No show skewers the vanity of Hollywood with such petty, awkward precision.
The Offer
Where to watch: JioHotstar
Behind every masterpiece is a producer losing his mind. This one follows Albert S. Ruddy battling mob bosses, execs and egos while making The Godfather.
The Comeback
Where to watch: JioHotstar
Lisa Kudrow is devastating as Valerie Cherish, a washed-up sitcom star humiliating herself for relevance. It’s brutal, bleak and decades ahead of its time.
The Franchise
Where to watch: JioHotstar
A comedy about the chaos behind superhero blockbusters. Think less spandex, more cynical writers arguing about CGI budgets. Every flop gets its origin story.
Hacks
Where to watch: JioHotstar/Netflix
A sharp young writer teams up with an ageing comedy queen fighting irrelevance. It’s a vicious generational clash that also happens to be laugh-out-loud funny.
Episodes
Where to watch: TBD
A British couple bring their hit sitcom to Hollywood, only to watch it be mangled beyond recognition. The satire bites, but the real punch is in the marriage falling apart.
