''Hacks'' is an American

dark comedy Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

television series created by

Lucia Aniello Lucia Aniello (born 1983) is an Italian-born American director, writer, and producer best known for her work on '' Hacks'', for which she won multiple Emmy Awards, and ''Broad City.'' She has directed and written episodes of both shows, as well a ...

, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky that premiered on May 13, 2021, on

HBO Max Max (known in other countries as, and soon to be reverted globally to HBO Max) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming on behalf of Home Box Of ...

. Starring

Jean Smart Jean Elizabeth Smart (born September 13, 1951) is an American actress. Jean Smart filmography, Her work includes both comedy and drama, and List of awards and nominations received by Jean Smart, her accolades include six Primetime Emmy Awards a ...

, Hannah Einbinder, and Carl Clemons-Hopkins, the series centers on the professional relationship between a young comedy writer and a legendary stand-up comedian. In June 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on May 12, 2022. In June 2022, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on May 2, 2024. In May 2024, the series was renewed for a fourth season, which premiered on April 10, 2025. In May 2025, the series was renewed for a fifth season. The series has received critical acclaim and won accolades including

Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

for Outstanding Comedy Series, three times Outstanding Lead Actress (for Smart), two times Outstanding Writing, and Outstanding Directing. It also won the

Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy The Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series– Musical or Comedy is one of the annual Golden Globe Awards, given to the best comedy television series. From 1962 to 1968, the category was Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series, and grou ...

for its first and third seasons.

Premise

Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas-based stand-up comedian, needs to reinvent her aging act to avoid losing her residency at the Palmetto Casino. Ava Daniels is a young comedy writer who is unable to find work due to an insensitive tweet and her reputation for being self-centered and arrogant. When Ava's agent sends her to work as Deborah's new head writer, the two slowly bond as Ava pushes her new boss to take more risks and Deborah, in turn, helps Ava start to work through her personal problems.

Cast and characters

Main

as Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas stand-up comedian * Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels, a down-on-her-luck comedy writer * Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Marcus, COO of Deborah's management company and her closest advisor * Megan Stalter as Kayla Schaefer, who works as Jimmy's assistant and later his co-manager (season 3–present; recurring seasons 1–2) * Paul W. Downs as Jimmy LuSaque Jr., Deborah and Ava's manager (season 3–present; recurring seasons 1–2) *

Rose Abdoo Rose Marie Abdoo (born November 28, 1962) is an American actress and comedian, known for her roles as Stars Hollow's local mechanic, Gypsy, on ''Gilmore Girls'' and as Spanish teacher Señorita Rodriguez on ''That's So Raven''. Life and career ...

as Josefina, Deborah's estate manager (season 3–present; recurring seasons 1–2) *

Mark Indelicato Mark Indelicato (born July 16, 1994) is an American actor, singer, fashion blogger, and photographer best known for his role in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC comedy series ''Ugly Betty'', as Justin Suarez, the fashion-obsessed nephew o ...

as Damien, Deborah's personal assistant (season 3–present; recurring seasons 1–2)

Recurring

Kaitlin Olson Kaitlin Willow Olson McElhenney (born August 18, 1975) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her role as Deandra "Sweet Dee" Reynolds in the FX comedy series ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' (2005–present). She curr ...

as Deborah "DJ" Vance Jr., Deborah's daughter *

Christopher McDonald Christopher McDonald (born February 15, 1955) is an American actor. McDonald is best known for playing the villainous professional golfer Shooter McGavin in the 1996 comedy '' Happy Gilmore'', a role he’d later reprise in 2025’s sequel '' H ...

as Marty Ghilain,

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

of the Palmetto Casino *

Poppy Liu Poppy Liu ( zh, c=柳波, p=Liǔ Bō) is a Chinese-American actress known for her roles in '' Sunnyside'', '' Hacks'', ''iCarly'', and '' Dead Ringers''. Early life and education Liu was born in Xi'an, China. Her family moved to Minnesota whe ...

as Kiki, Deborah's personal blackjack dealer * Johnny Sibilly as Wilson, a water inspector who gets entangled with Marcus *

Angela Elayne Gibbs Angela Elayne Gibbs (born 1955) is an American actress. She has acted professionally since the 1970s in films such as '' Cleopatra Jones'', ''The Healers'', and '' The Naked Cage''. She later went on to act in films including '' Drumline'', '' Th ...

as Robin, Marcus' mother * Jane Adams as Nina Daniels, Ava's mother *

Lorenza Izzo Lorenza Francesca Izzo Parsons (; ; born September 19, 1989) is a Chilean actress and model. She has appeared in films, including ''Aftershock'' (2012), '' The Green Inferno'' (2013), '' Knock Knock'' (2015), and Quentin Tarantino's ''Once Upo ...

as Ruby, an actress and Ava's girlfriend *

Luenell Luenell Campbell (born March 12, 1959), known mononymously as Luenell, is an American comedian and actress. Career In the early-1990s, Luenell appeared regularly on ''Soul Beat TV'' on the Oakland, California cable station KSBT, along with promi ...

as Miss Loretta, Robin's best friend *

Joe Mande Joseph Mande (born March 16, 1983) is an American comedian and script writer. Early life Mande was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Louis Mande, a lawyer, and Deborah Mande, a judge. He moved to St. Paul, Minnesota at the age of ten and gradu ...

as Ray, a hotel clerk for the Palmetto * Lauren Weedman as Madam Mayor Pezzimenti, mayor of Las Vegas *

Helen Hunt Helen Elizabeth Hunt (born June 15, 1963) is an American actress. Her accolades include an Academy Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Hunt rose to fame portraying newlywed Jamie Buchman in the sitcom '' Mad Abou ...

as Winnie Landell, a network executive (season 3–present) * Dan Bucatinsky as Rob, the executive producer of ''Late Night with Deborah Vance'' (season 3–present) *

Michaela Watkins Michaela Watkins (born December 14, 1971) is an American actress and comedian. After several years performing with the Los Angeles comedy troupe The Groundlings, Watkins achieved widespread attention for her brief stint as a featured player on th ...

as Stacey, the HR representative at the TV studio (season 4) * Robby Hoffman as Randi, the new assistant for Jimmy and Kayla (season 4)

Guest

Cameos

A number of comedians and celebrities guest-star or make cameo appearances as themselves throughout the series:

Episodes

Season 1 (2021)

Season 2 (2022)

Season 3 (2024)

Season 4 (2025)

Production

In May 2020,

announced that it had picked up the series and that

would star. Additional casting was announced in February 2021. Because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, actors held table reads over

Zoom Zoom may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * ''Zoom'' (2006 film), starring Tim Allen * ''Zoom'' (2015 film), a Canada-Brazil film by Pedro Morelli * ''Zoom'' (2016 Kannada film), a Kannada film * ''Zoom'' (2016 Sinhala film), a Sr ...

, there were no cast parties during production, and stars Smart and Clemons-Hopkins did not even meet each other in person until minutes before the pilot was filmed. In June 2021, HBO Max renewed the series for a second season, and the cast added

Laurie Metcalf Laura Elizabeth "Laurie" Metcalf (born June 16, 1955) is an American actress and comedian. Known for her complex and versatile roles across the stage and screen, she has received various accolades throughout a career spanning more than four d ...

, Martha Kelly, and

Ming-Na Wen Ming-Na Wen (; born November 20, 1963) is an American actress and model. She has won multiple awards throughout her career, including an Annie Award and a Saturn Award, in addition to a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award. She was honore ...

in recurring roles and

Margaret Cho Margaret Moran Cho (born December 5, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian, actress and musician. In her Stand-up comedy, stand-up routines she critiques social and political problems, especially about race and sexuality. She starred in the Ame ...

as a guest star. In June 2022, HBO Max renewed the series for a third season. In September 2022, the showrunners revealed that a time jump would take place between the second and third season. Production began for the third season in November 2022, but paused near the end of February 2023 for a few weeks before resuming in March due to Smart recovering from a "successful heart procedure". Production shut down in May 2023 due to the

2023 Writers Guild of America strike From May 2 to September 27, 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA)—representing 11,500 screenwriters—went on Strike action, strike over a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Lasting 148 days, ...

. Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs were promoted to series regulars in the third season after having recurring roles since the first season. In February 2024, it was announced

Christina Hendricks Christina Rene Hendricks (born May 3, 1975) is an American actress and former model. With an extensive career on screen and stage, she has received various accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Critics' Choice Awards, as ...

Christopher Lloyd Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and television shows since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future (franchise), ''B ...

, Dan Bucatinsky,

George Wallace George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who was the 45th and longest-serving governor of Alabama (1963–1967; 1971–1979; 1983–1987), and the List of longest-serving governors of U.S. s ...

and

Tony Goldwyn Anthony Howard Goldwyn (born May 20, 1960) is an American actor, singer, producer, director, and political activist. He made his debut appearing as Darren in the slasher film '' Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives'' (1986), and had his breakthr ...

would guest star in the third season. In March and April 2024,

Aristotle Athari Aristotle Athari (born 1991), also known as Aristotle Athiras, is an American comedian and actor. Athari was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' during its 47th season between 2021 and 2022. Career After sta ...

and J. Smith-Cameron were respectively announced to guest star in the third season. In May 2024, Max renewed the series for a fourth season. The fourth season began filming in October 2024 and wrapped in January 2025. In May 2025, Max renewed the series for a fifth season.

Release

''Hacks'' premiered on May 13, 2021, with a two-episode release. Two episodes were released on a weekly basis through June 10, 2021, for the remainder of the 10-episode first season. The second season premiered on May 12, 2022, with a two-episode release weekly. The second season of ''Hacks'' premiered on

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2022. The third season premiered on May 2, 2024. Two episodes were released weekly through May 30.

Reception

Critical response

All four seasons of ''Hacks'' have received critical acclaim. On the

review aggregation A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...

website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

, the overall series holds a 98% rating. Meanwhile, on

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, which uses a weighted average, the overall series received a score of 87 out of 100.

Season 1

The review aggregator

reported an approval rating for the first season of 100% based on 74 critic reviews, with an average rating of 8.3/10. The website's critical consensus states, "A prickling debut that pulls few punches, ''Hacks'' deftly balances its sharp critiques of the comedy world with more intimate moments, all the while giving the incomparable

a role worthy of her talents – and an excellent partner in Hannah Einbinder."

calculated a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 based on 25 critics.

Season 2

On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season also received an approval rating of 100% based on 54 critic reviews, with an average rating of 8.6/10. The website's critics consensus states, "''Hacks'' hits the road, but Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder remain very much at home with each other in a sterling sophomore season that finds novel ways to deepen the central pair's lovable friendship." Metacritic calculated a weighted average score of 88 out of 100 based on 24 critics.

Season 3

The third season received an approval rating of 98% based on 48 critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The website's critics consensus states, "Reuniting never felt so good – ''Hacks'' roars back with a fresh set and a persuasive argument for its own longevity." Metacritic calculated a weighted average score of 90 out of 100 based on 22 critics.

Season 4

The fourth season received an approval rating of 97% based on 39 critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. The website's critics consensus states, "Pitting Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder's dynamic duo against each other on the mountaintop of success, ''Hacks'' finds fresh ways to mine comedic gold from one of television's most compelling relationships." Metacritic calculated a weighted average score of 90 out of 100 based on 18 critics.

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

* * *
Official season 2 finale screenplay
{{Max (streaming service) 2020s American comedy-drama television series 2020s American LGBTQ-related comedy television series 2020s American LGBTQ-related drama television series 2021 American television series debuts American English-language television shows Bisexuality-related television series GLAAD Media Award–winning shows HBO Max original programming Primetime Emmy Award–winning television series Television series about comedians Television series about television Television series by 3 Arts Entertainment Television series by Fremulon Television series by Universal Television Television shows set in Las Vegas Television shows set in Los Angeles