Hacks
A dark comedy about a legendary comedian and her young writer.
Hacks, a dark comedy-drama from creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, debuted on HBO Max in May 2021. The show follows veteran stand-up Deborah Vance and her young writer Ava Daniels as they manage their evolving work and personal lives. It ran for five seasons and 47 episodes, ending in May 2026. The series earned widespread praise and many major awards, including an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series for its third season. Jean Smart won four consecutive Emmys for her lead performance, while Hannah Einbinder received five supporting actress nominations, winning in 2025.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Comedy drama; Dark comedy
- Creator
- Lucia Aniello
- Paul W. Downs
- Jen Statsky
- Starring
- Jean Smart
- Hannah Einbinder
- Carl Clemons-Hopkins
- Megan Stalter
- Paul W. Downs
- Rose Abdoo
- Mark Indelicato
- Composer
- Carlos Rafael Rivera; David Stal
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 5
- Episodes
- 47
Facts from the source article.
Premise
Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas stand-up comedian, must reinvent her aging act to keep her residency at the Palmetto Casino. Ava Daniels, a young comedy writer unable to find work due to an insensitive tweet and her reputation, is sent by her agent to be Deborah's new head writer. The two slowly bond as Ava pushes Deborah to take risks and Deborah helps Ava work through personal problems.
Production
In May 2020, HBO Max announced the series pickup and Jean Smart's starring role, with additional casting announced in February 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, table reads were held over Zoom, no cast parties occurred, and Smart and Carl Clemons-Hopkins did not meet in person until minutes before filming the pilot. HBO Max renewed the series for a second season in June 2021, adding Laurie Metcalf, Martha Kelly, and Ming-Na Wen in recurring roles and Margaret Cho as a guest star. A third season was ordered in June 2022, with showrunners revealing a time jump between the second and third seasons. Production began in November 2022 but paused in late February 2023 for a few weeks due to Smart recovering from a successful heart procedure, then shut down in May 2023 because of the Writers Guild of America strike. Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs were promoted to series regulars for the third season. Guest stars for the third season included Helen Hunt, Christina Hendricks, Christopher Lloyd, Dan Bucatinsky, George Wallace, Tony Goldwyn, Aristotle Athari, and J. Smith-Cameron. A fourth season was ordered in May 2024, filming from October 2024 to January 2025. A fifth and final season was announced in May 2025 and confirmed at the 2025 Emmy Awards.
Release
Hacks premiered on May 13, 2021, with two episodes released weekly through June 10, 2021, for the 10-episode first season. The second season premiered on May 12, 2022, with a two-episode weekly release, and debuted on Amazon Prime Video in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2022. The third season premiered on May 2, 2024, with two episodes released weekly through May 30. The first season was released on Blu-ray on June 14, 2022. In May 2026, the creators expressed plans for a complete series physical media release, and in August 2026, a complete series Blu-ray was announced for later that year.
Reception
All five seasons of Hacks received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the overall series holds a 98% rating, and on Metacritic, it received a score of 87 out of 100. The first season earned a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 74 critic reviews, with a consensus praising its sharp critiques and Jean Smart's performance, and a Metacritic score of 82 out of 100 from 25 critics. The second season also received 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from 54 reviews, with critics noting the deepening friendship between the leads, and a Metacritic score of 88 out of 100 from 24 critics. The third season scored 98% on Rotten Tomatoes from 50 reviews, with a consensus calling it a strong return, and a Metacritic score of 90 out of 100 from 22 critics. The fourth season received 98% on Rotten Tomatoes from 42 reviews, highlighting the comedic gold from the central relationship, and a Metacritic score of 91 out of 100 from 20 critics. The fifth and final season earned 97% on Rotten Tomatoes from 35 reviews, with a consensus describing it as a triumphant farewell, and a Metacritic score of 87 out of 100 from 14 critics.
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