Comedy, as it turns out, is quite subjective. Folks have some strong opinions about what does and does not make them laugh. Thankfully, strong opinions are exactly what we’re looking for.
The 21st century has been particularly kind to comedy on TV, so we wanted to honor that with not one but two lists of the best comedy TV shows of 2000s. Below you can find our choices for the best American shows (and a Canadian show or two popular enough with American audiences to be considered eligible). You can find our choices for the best British TV comedy shows over here.
Bear in mind that only shows that premiered in the year 2000 or later are included, which explains why some popular shows that began in the ’90s but lingered into the aughts aren’t here. Now let us know your strong comedic opinions in the comments.
Note: This...
The 21st century has been particularly kind to comedy on TV, so we wanted to honor that with not one but two lists of the best comedy TV shows of 2000s. Below you can find our choices for the best American shows (and a Canadian show or two popular enough with American audiences to be considered eligible). You can find our choices for the best British TV comedy shows over here.
Bear in mind that only shows that premiered in the year 2000 or later are included, which explains why some popular shows that began in the ’90s but lingered into the aughts aren’t here. Now let us know your strong comedic opinions in the comments.
Note: This...
- 9/1/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Exclusive (Updated with Jen Statsky’s comments): Filming on Season 3 of HBO Max/Universal TV hit comedy series Hacks, starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, has been halted due of the writers strike, Deadline has learned. According to sources, production will be on pause for the duration of the work stoppage.
It is hard for any scripted series to shoot without writing showrunners on set. This is especially true for Hacks as writing is at the heart of the show — it centers on an aging comedian Deborah Vance (Smart) and an up-and-coming writer Ava Daniels (Einbinder) who are writing together. Hacks was created by Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky, who serve as showrunners. According to WGA rules, members cannot provide any writing services, including script revisions during filming, while a strike is going on.
Update: Statsky, who won an Emmy alongside Downs and Aniello for writing the Hacks pilot episode,...
It is hard for any scripted series to shoot without writing showrunners on set. This is especially true for Hacks as writing is at the heart of the show — it centers on an aging comedian Deborah Vance (Smart) and an up-and-coming writer Ava Daniels (Einbinder) who are writing together. Hacks was created by Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky, who serve as showrunners. According to WGA rules, members cannot provide any writing services, including script revisions during filming, while a strike is going on.
Update: Statsky, who won an Emmy alongside Downs and Aniello for writing the Hacks pilot episode,...
- 5/5/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Production on Season 3 of HBO Max’s Emmy-winning comedy series “Hacks” has paused while star Jean Smart recovers from a heart procedure, Variety reports. Smart announced on Instagram Thursday that she has already undergone the procedure and it went well.
“February is American Heart Month — a time when the nation spotlights heart health, so it feels important to share with all of you that I am recovering from a recent, successful heart procedure,” Smart wrote. “I am fortunate to have excellent professional care and support from family and friends while I continue to recuperate. Please listen to your body and talk to your doctor — I’m very glad I did!”
In the comments, “Hacks” co-creators Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky offered their support to their star, as did her co-stars Kaitlin Olson, Johnny Sibelly, and Mark Indelicato.
In a joint statement provided to Variety, HBO Max and studio Universal Television sent Smart well-wishes.
“February is American Heart Month — a time when the nation spotlights heart health, so it feels important to share with all of you that I am recovering from a recent, successful heart procedure,” Smart wrote. “I am fortunate to have excellent professional care and support from family and friends while I continue to recuperate. Please listen to your body and talk to your doctor — I’m very glad I did!”
In the comments, “Hacks” co-creators Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky offered their support to their star, as did her co-stars Kaitlin Olson, Johnny Sibelly, and Mark Indelicato.
In a joint statement provided to Variety, HBO Max and studio Universal Television sent Smart well-wishes.
- 2/23/2023
- by Liam Mathews
- Gold Derby
Production on Season 3 of HBO Max’s Emmy-winning comedy “Hacks” has paused as star Jean Smart recovers from a heart procedure. Smart revealed on Thursday that she had successfully undergone the procedure and was doing well.
“February is American Heart Month — a time when the nation spotlights heart health, so it feels important to share with all of you that I am recovering from a recent, successful heart procedure,” Smart wrote on her Instagram account. “I am fortunate to have excellent professional care and support from family and friends while I continue to recuperate. Please listen to your body and talk to your doctor — I’m very glad I did!”
In a joint statement, HBO Max and Universal Television (which produces “Hacks”) gave their support to the star: ” We are so happy that our beloved Jean Smart’s heart procedure was successful and she’s on the mend. HBO Max...
“February is American Heart Month — a time when the nation spotlights heart health, so it feels important to share with all of you that I am recovering from a recent, successful heart procedure,” Smart wrote on her Instagram account. “I am fortunate to have excellent professional care and support from family and friends while I continue to recuperate. Please listen to your body and talk to your doctor — I’m very glad I did!”
In a joint statement, HBO Max and Universal Television (which produces “Hacks”) gave their support to the star: ” We are so happy that our beloved Jean Smart’s heart procedure was successful and she’s on the mend. HBO Max...
- 2/23/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
The 2023 Screen Actors Guild Award nominations were announced on January 11 in film and television, as voted on by members of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. Who will prevail in the category of Best Comedy Actress during Netflix’s YouTube ceremony on Sunday, February 26? This year’s five nominees are Christina Applegate (“Dead to Me”), Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”), Jenna Ortega (“Wednesday”) and Jean Smart (“Hacks”).
Scroll down to see Gold Derby’s 2023 SAG Awards TV Predictions for Best Comedy Actress, listed in order of their racetrack odds. Our SAG Awards odds are based on the combined forecasts of thousands of readers, including Experts we’ve polled from major media outlets, Editors who cover awards year-round for this website, Top 24 Users who did the best predicting the winners last time, All-Star Users who had the best prediction scores over the last two years, and the mass of...
Scroll down to see Gold Derby’s 2023 SAG Awards TV Predictions for Best Comedy Actress, listed in order of their racetrack odds. Our SAG Awards odds are based on the combined forecasts of thousands of readers, including Experts we’ve polled from major media outlets, Editors who cover awards year-round for this website, Top 24 Users who did the best predicting the winners last time, All-Star Users who had the best prediction scores over the last two years, and the mass of...
- 2/22/2023
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
My guest this week is the SAG-nominated ‘Hacks’ co-creator, showrunner, director and star, Paul W. Downs.
In the HBO Max comedy series, Downs plays Jimmy, a put-upon agent representing comedienne Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her reluctant protégé Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder). At the end of last season, Jimmy has a ‘Jerry Maguire moment’ and leaves his agency, while Deborah and Ava decide to part ways. And—drumroll—during this podcast chat, Downs reveals what we can expect next from Hacks‘ cast of characters, plus some “bucket list” guest stars to look forward to.
Downs is SAG-nominated with the show’s ensemble cast, while Smart is SAG-nominated for Best Female Actor in a Comedy Series.
Jean Smart and Paul W. Downs at the HBO post-Emmy Awards reception in 2022.
Plus, we also get to hear about what inspires him and fellow co-creator-director-showrunners Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky, and the...
In the HBO Max comedy series, Downs plays Jimmy, a put-upon agent representing comedienne Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her reluctant protégé Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder). At the end of last season, Jimmy has a ‘Jerry Maguire moment’ and leaves his agency, while Deborah and Ava decide to part ways. And—drumroll—during this podcast chat, Downs reveals what we can expect next from Hacks‘ cast of characters, plus some “bucket list” guest stars to look forward to.
Downs is SAG-nominated with the show’s ensemble cast, while Smart is SAG-nominated for Best Female Actor in a Comedy Series.
Jean Smart and Paul W. Downs at the HBO post-Emmy Awards reception in 2022.
Plus, we also get to hear about what inspires him and fellow co-creator-director-showrunners Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky, and the...
- 2/21/2023
- by Antonia Blyth
- Deadline Film + TV
“We’re very aware in writing it that we should know this better than anyone, we should know how these characters speak and act, because it is our lives as well,” says “Hacks” co-creator and writer Jen Statsky about the pressure of being a comedy writer who’s writing a show about comedy writing. We talked to Statsky as part of our “Meet the Experts” Writers Guild Award nominees pale. Watch our exclusive video interview above.
Seepga Awards nominees roundtable: ‘All That Breathes,’ ‘Hacks,’ ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
“Hacks” follows the professional partnership and unlikely friendship between veteran comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and young writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder). Season two of the HBO series sent them out on the road as Deborah sought to refine her new act. Writing for characters in the business is unique, because “it’s nice to know that they can kind of...
Seepga Awards nominees roundtable: ‘All That Breathes,’ ‘Hacks,’ ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
“Hacks” follows the professional partnership and unlikely friendship between veteran comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and young writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder). Season two of the HBO series sent them out on the road as Deborah sought to refine her new act. Writing for characters in the business is unique, because “it’s nice to know that they can kind of...
- 2/10/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
The 2023 Screen Actors Guild Award nominations were announced on January 11 in film and television, as voted on by members of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. Who will prevail in the category of Best Comedy Ensemble during Netflix’s YouTube ceremony on Sunday, February 26? This year’s five nominated casts are: “Abbott Elementary,” “Barry,” “The Bear,” “Hacks” and “Only Murders in the Building.”
Scroll down to see Gold Derby’s 2023 SAG Awards TV Predictions for Best Comedy Ensemble, listed in order of their racetrack odds. Our SAG Awards odds are based on the combined forecasts of thousands of readers, including Experts we’ve polled from major media outlets, Editors who cover awards year-round for this website, Top 24 Users who did the best predicting the winners last time, All-Star Users who had the best prediction scores over the last two years, and the mass of Users who make up our biggest predictions bloc.
Scroll down to see Gold Derby’s 2023 SAG Awards TV Predictions for Best Comedy Ensemble, listed in order of their racetrack odds. Our SAG Awards odds are based on the combined forecasts of thousands of readers, including Experts we’ve polled from major media outlets, Editors who cover awards year-round for this website, Top 24 Users who did the best predicting the winners last time, All-Star Users who had the best prediction scores over the last two years, and the mass of Users who make up our biggest predictions bloc.
- 1/26/2023
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
The 2023 Golden Globes nominations were announced on December 12 in film and television, as voted on by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Who will prevail in the category of Best Comedy Actress during NBC’s ceremony on Tuesday, January 10? This year’s five nominees are: Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”), Kaley Cuoco (“The Flight Attendant”), Selena Gomez (“Only Murders in the Building”), Jenna Ortega (“Wednesday”) and Jean Smart (“Hacks”).
Scroll down to see Gold Derby’s 2023 Golden Globes TV Predictions for Best Comedy Actress, listed in order of their racetrack odds. Our Golden Globe odds are based on the combined forecasts of thousands of readers, including Experts we’ve polled from major media outlets, Editors who cover awards year-round for this website, Top 24 Users who did the best predicting the winners last time, All-Star Users who had the best prediction scores over the last two years, and the mass of...
Scroll down to see Gold Derby’s 2023 Golden Globes TV Predictions for Best Comedy Actress, listed in order of their racetrack odds. Our Golden Globe odds are based on the combined forecasts of thousands of readers, including Experts we’ve polled from major media outlets, Editors who cover awards year-round for this website, Top 24 Users who did the best predicting the winners last time, All-Star Users who had the best prediction scores over the last two years, and the mass of...
- 1/10/2023
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
The 2023 Golden Globes nominations were announced on December 12 in film and television, as voted on by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. What will prevail in the category of Best Comedy Series during NBC’s ceremony on Tuesday, January 10? This year’s five nominees are: ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” FX’s “The Bear,” HBO Max’s “Hacks,” Netflix’s “Wednesday” and Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building.”
Scroll down to see Gold Derby’s 2023 Golden Globes TV Predictions for Best Comedy Series, listed in order of their racetrack odds. Our Golden Globe odds are based on the combined forecasts of thousands of readers, including Experts we’ve polled from major media outlets, Editors who cover awards year-round for this website, Top 24 Users who did the best predicting the winners last time, All-Star Users who had the best prediction scores over the last two years, and the mass of...
Scroll down to see Gold Derby’s 2023 Golden Globes TV Predictions for Best Comedy Series, listed in order of their racetrack odds. Our Golden Globe odds are based on the combined forecasts of thousands of readers, including Experts we’ve polled from major media outlets, Editors who cover awards year-round for this website, Top 24 Users who did the best predicting the winners last time, All-Star Users who had the best prediction scores over the last two years, and the mass of...
- 1/6/2023
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Like dozens of shows before it, “Hacks” is presently in the running for a second consecutive Best Comedy Series Golden Globe win. In addition to once again having to fend off Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building,” the hit HBO Max sitcom faces challenges from new series “Abbott Elementary” (ABC), “The Bear” (FX on Hulu) and “Wednesday” (Netflix), which have taken the spots of 2022 contenders “The Great,” “Reservation Dogs” and “Ted Lasso.” A case can be made for any of these five shows to triumph in this category, but which one do you think is truly the year’s best comedy program? Vote in our Best Comedy Series Golden Globe poll below and then sound off in the comments and in our forums.
“Abbott Elementary” stands alone as the series with the most 2023 Golden Globe nominations (five), and is the only broadcast network program recognized in any of the 13 TV categories this year.
“Abbott Elementary” stands alone as the series with the most 2023 Golden Globe nominations (five), and is the only broadcast network program recognized in any of the 13 TV categories this year.
- 12/31/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
At the first Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony in 1995, the cast of “Seinfeld” took the stage as the inaugural Best TV Comedy Ensemble recipients. The series, which starred stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld as a fictionalized version of himself, was one of several shows about the entertainment industry nominated for the group prize that year, with “Frasier” and “Murphy Brown” having been respectively centered on the radio and news media subsectors. Over the last quarter century, the casts of many other comedies about show business have competed and sometimes won here, and now the stars of “Hacks” are hoping to make good on their second try.
Like “Seinfeld,” “Hacks” is centered on the stand-up comedy profession, but the similarities end there. The HBO Max show’s main character is septuagenarian female comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), who is entirely fictional and primarily performs in the American West, as opposed to New York.
Like “Seinfeld,” “Hacks” is centered on the stand-up comedy profession, but the similarities end there. The HBO Max show’s main character is septuagenarian female comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), who is entirely fictional and primarily performs in the American West, as opposed to New York.
- 10/24/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
FX’s “The Bear” has seemingly emerged as a potential awards season juggernaut that is poised to begin its campaign at the 2023 Golden Globes. Released on June 23, the comedy stars Jeremy Allen White of ”Shameless” fame, as his character Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto struggles to run his late brother’s Chicago beef shop. The natural chaos that one would expect to accompany a fast paced-restaurant and its day to day operations comes through in blazes, but it’s the juxtaposition of the ardor and earnest growth that the characters show that has critics and audiences singing the series’ praises.
Glen Weldon, NPR Arts Desk writer, calls the show “smart, funny, raw, tense, warm but not sentimental and, most of all, real” and goes on to say it “knows exactly what it’s doing, and does it exceedingly well.” This is the comprehensive opinion surrounding the series, which has allowed “The Bear...
Glen Weldon, NPR Arts Desk writer, calls the show “smart, funny, raw, tense, warm but not sentimental and, most of all, real” and goes on to say it “knows exactly what it’s doing, and does it exceedingly well.” This is the comprehensive opinion surrounding the series, which has allowed “The Bear...
- 10/21/2022
- by Hunter K. Taylor
- Gold Derby
The Emmy Awards are always full of fun fashion and surprises.
Did the right people win? Were there any surprises?
Squid Game already made history this year: will they win any of the top prizes?
So many talented people get nominated, and this year is no different.
Check out the winners of the Primetime Emmys below!
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Dopesick: Michael Keaton as Dr. Samuel Finnix -- Winner
The Staircase: Colin Firth as Michael Peterson
Under The Banner Of Heaven: Andrew Garfield as Detective Jeb Pyre
Scenes From A Marriage: Oscar Isaac as Jonathan
Station Eleven: Himesh Patel as Jeevan Chaudhary
Pam & Tommy: Sebastian Stan as Tommy Lee
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
The White Lotus: Murray Bartlett as Armond -- Winner
The White Lotus: Jake Lacy as Shane Patton
Dopesick: Will Poulter...
Did the right people win? Were there any surprises?
Squid Game already made history this year: will they win any of the top prizes?
So many talented people get nominated, and this year is no different.
Check out the winners of the Primetime Emmys below!
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Dopesick: Michael Keaton as Dr. Samuel Finnix -- Winner
The Staircase: Colin Firth as Michael Peterson
Under The Banner Of Heaven: Andrew Garfield as Detective Jeb Pyre
Scenes From A Marriage: Oscar Isaac as Jonathan
Station Eleven: Himesh Patel as Jeevan Chaudhary
Pam & Tommy: Sebastian Stan as Tommy Lee
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
The White Lotus: Murray Bartlett as Armond -- Winner
The White Lotus: Jake Lacy as Shane Patton
Dopesick: Will Poulter...
- 9/13/2022
- by Michael T. Stack
- TVfanatic
Season 3 of HBO comedy series Hacks will have a surprising pause in the action, the shows’ creators revealed on the Emmys red carpet Monday.
Downs, who also stars as agent Jimmy LuSaque in the show, told Deadline, “We’re in the middle of Season 3 right now, writing it, so we’re still really figuring it out. We do start a year after we left our girls. So there’s a jump in time. A lot has happened.”
Given that the first two seasons’ timelines were chronologically back-to-back, this is bound to leave fans wondering what happened during the time gap between the show’s two lead characters, Vegas stand-up comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her protégé Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder).
Hacks has followed Deborah and Ava as they navigate a comeback and coming up in the industry respectively, and in the Season 2 finale, Deborah told an emotional Ava it...
Downs, who also stars as agent Jimmy LuSaque in the show, told Deadline, “We’re in the middle of Season 3 right now, writing it, so we’re still really figuring it out. We do start a year after we left our girls. So there’s a jump in time. A lot has happened.”
Given that the first two seasons’ timelines were chronologically back-to-back, this is bound to leave fans wondering what happened during the time gap between the show’s two lead characters, Vegas stand-up comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her protégé Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder).
Hacks has followed Deborah and Ava as they navigate a comeback and coming up in the industry respectively, and in the Season 2 finale, Deborah told an emotional Ava it...
- 9/13/2022
- by Antonia Blyth
- Deadline Film + TV
Will one of Ted Lasso‘s ladies score again at this year’s Emmys? Or will an Abbott Elementary actress teach them a lesson?
Those two comedies account for five of this year’s eight nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, dominating the category. Leading the pack is Ted Lasso‘s Hannah Waddingham, who won this award last year as prickly team owner Rebecca Welton. A pair of her costars are in the mix as well: Juno Temple, back for the second straight year as bubbly PR guru Keeley Jones; and Sarah Niles, earning her first nod as team therapist Dr.
Those two comedies account for five of this year’s eight nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, dominating the category. Leading the pack is Ted Lasso‘s Hannah Waddingham, who won this award last year as prickly team owner Rebecca Welton. A pair of her costars are in the mix as well: Juno Temple, back for the second straight year as bubbly PR guru Keeley Jones; and Sarah Niles, earning her first nod as team therapist Dr.
- 8/25/2022
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official awards predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis; Awards Circuit Column, a weekly analysis dissecting the trends and contenders by television editor Michael Schneider (for Emmys) and Davis (for Oscars); Awards Circuit Podcast, a weekly interview series with talent and an expert roundtable discussion; and Awards Circuit Video analyzes various categories and contenders by Variety's leading awards pundits. Variety's unmatched coverage gives its readership unbeatable exposure in print and online, as well as provides inside reports on all the contenders in this year's awards season races.
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Emmys Collective
Visit each category, per the individual awards show from The Emmys Hub
To see old predictions and commentary,...
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Emmys Collective
Visit each category, per the individual awards show from The Emmys Hub
To see old predictions and commentary,...
- 8/19/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Hacks was first born on a road trip to a Monster Jam rally back in 2015. It was during the drive that couple Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello and their close friend Jen Statsky discussed the relative invisibility of female comedians compared to their male counterparts. Having bonded as co-writers, producers, and in the case of Aniello and Downs, directors and actors on the Comedy Central series Broad City, together the trio cooked up HBO Max’s Hacks. In its first season, which also stars Downs as agent Jimmy LuSaque, the show’s depiction of female comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her protégé Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) won Emmys for writing and directing, and acting for Smart. Now, its second season boasts 17 nominations, among them, Outstanding Comedy Series. It has also been renewed for a third season.
In conversation with Deadline, the three creators discuss their decision to take...
In conversation with Deadline, the three creators discuss their decision to take...
- 8/11/2022
- by Stevie Wong
- Deadline Film + TV
A version of this story about Hannah Einbinder and “Hacks” first appeared in the Down to the Wire: Comedy issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Hannah Einbinder checked in from the road, where she’d been touring as a standup comic between seasons of her HBO show “Hacks.” She’d played the night before in Boston and had just arrived in Philadelphia, and the question was irresistible to anybody who’d seen the second season of the show: Did she make the trip in a fancy tour bus with her initials emblazoned on the side, the way the legendary standup comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) does in the show?
“No, no,” Einbinder said, laughing. “I’m in a Kia sedan.”
So her real life on the road as Hannah Einbinder, 27-year-old comic from Los Angeles, is perhaps less glamorous, but also considerably less stormy, than her on-screen life on the road as Ava Daniels,...
Hannah Einbinder checked in from the road, where she’d been touring as a standup comic between seasons of her HBO show “Hacks.” She’d played the night before in Boston and had just arrived in Philadelphia, and the question was irresistible to anybody who’d seen the second season of the show: Did she make the trip in a fancy tour bus with her initials emblazoned on the side, the way the legendary standup comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) does in the show?
“No, no,” Einbinder said, laughing. “I’m in a Kia sedan.”
So her real life on the road as Hannah Einbinder, 27-year-old comic from Los Angeles, is perhaps less glamorous, but also considerably less stormy, than her on-screen life on the road as Ava Daniels,...
- 8/10/2022
- by BY STEVE POND | PHOTOGRAPHED BY CORINA MARIE
- The Wrap
In less than two years, two seasons of “Hacks” have completely changed Hannah Einbinder’s life. The star of the now Peabody Award-winning dramedy was making her way as a stand-up comedian before she was cast as the struggling television writer Ava Daniels. Now, thanks to her newfound notoriety, she’s selling out comedy shows around the country.
Read More: “Hacks,” “Sort of” and “Philly D.A.” win 2022 Peabody Awards
Over the course of “Hacks” second season, Ava finds herself growing closer to her boss, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) as they work on a comeback comedy set for the legendary comedienne.
Continue reading Hannah Einbinder: ‘Hacks’ “Changed My Life Totally & Completely” [Interview] at The Playlist.
Read More: “Hacks,” “Sort of” and “Philly D.A.” win 2022 Peabody Awards
Over the course of “Hacks” second season, Ava finds herself growing closer to her boss, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) as they work on a comeback comedy set for the legendary comedienne.
Continue reading Hannah Einbinder: ‘Hacks’ “Changed My Life Totally & Completely” [Interview] at The Playlist.
- 6/24/2022
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
HBO Max’s Hacks earned 15 Emmy nominations and three wins in its debut season including Outstanding Lead Actress for Jean Smart and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for its creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky. In Season 2, the comedy starring Smart and Hannah Einbinder took the show on the road.
The Season 2 finale, “The One, The Only,” is the latest installment of It Starts on the Page, Deadline’s annual series that highlights the scripts that serve as the creative backbones of the buzzy shows that will define the TV awards season. The scripts in our series are all being submitted for Emmy Awards consideration this year and have been selected by Deadline using criteria that includes critical acclaim, selecting from a wide range of networks and platforms and a mix of established and lesser-known shows.
Hacks centers on the relationship between legendary Las Vegas comedian...
The Season 2 finale, “The One, The Only,” is the latest installment of It Starts on the Page, Deadline’s annual series that highlights the scripts that serve as the creative backbones of the buzzy shows that will define the TV awards season. The scripts in our series are all being submitted for Emmy Awards consideration this year and have been selected by Deadline using criteria that includes critical acclaim, selecting from a wide range of networks and platforms and a mix of established and lesser-known shows.
Hacks centers on the relationship between legendary Las Vegas comedian...
- 6/21/2022
- by Ryan Fleming
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Deadline has a pair of exclusive tracks from composer Carlos Rafael Rivera’s Season 1 soundtrack for HBO Max’s Peabody and multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy series Hacks, which is set for digital release tomorrow via Lakeshore Records.
Renewed for a third season just this morning, the series explores the evolving, dark mentorship between legendary Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her young, entitled writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder).
Rivera’s evocatively melodic score for Hacks revolves around its character themes for Ava and Deborah, also heard in Season 2. “Other than having the privilege to score themes for the amazing Hacks duo that is Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels, played respectively by the incredibly talented Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, it is great to collaborate with one of the best comedy writing teams in Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello, and Paul W. Downs,” says the composer of his experience on the series.
Renewed for a third season just this morning, the series explores the evolving, dark mentorship between legendary Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her young, entitled writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder).
Rivera’s evocatively melodic score for Hacks revolves around its character themes for Ava and Deborah, also heard in Season 2. “Other than having the privilege to score themes for the amazing Hacks duo that is Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels, played respectively by the incredibly talented Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, it is great to collaborate with one of the best comedy writing teams in Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello, and Paul W. Downs,” says the composer of his experience on the series.
- 6/16/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels may have parted ways professionally, but they won’t be separated for very long: HBO Max has renewed Hacks for Season 3, the streamer announced Thursday.
“We congratulate Hacks‘ extraordinarily gifted executive producers and cast, and our partners at Universal Television,” Sarah Aubrey, HBO Max’s Head of Original Content, said in a statement. “We are overjoyed at the audience and press response to the new season, and glad to give viewers more of this gorgeous, hilarious, moving show.”
More from TVLineHacks Season 2 Finale Recap: [Spoiler] Gets Fired, as Deborah's Special Finally Gets Off the Ground — Grade It!
“We congratulate Hacks‘ extraordinarily gifted executive producers and cast, and our partners at Universal Television,” Sarah Aubrey, HBO Max’s Head of Original Content, said in a statement. “We are overjoyed at the audience and press response to the new season, and glad to give viewers more of this gorgeous, hilarious, moving show.”
More from TVLineHacks Season 2 Finale Recap: [Spoiler] Gets Fired, as Deborah's Special Finally Gets Off the Ground — Grade It!
- 6/16/2022
- by Nick Caruso
- TVLine.com
Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels will be back for more stand-up stories after HBO Max renewed Hacks for a third season.
The move comes less than two weeks after the critically acclaimed comedy series ended its second season on the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned streamer.
Jean Smart’s Vance, a Las Vegas comedian who takes a new routing on the road in season two, [Spoiler] leaves Hannah Einbinder’s Daniels at the end of the sophomore run by firing her as her co-writer, following a successful stand-up special that she backed herself and initially sold via QVC, so that her young protégé could strike out on her own.
Cancellations/Renewals Scorecard: TV Shows Ended Or Continuing In 2021-22 Season
The series, which was created by Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky, who serve as showrunners, also stars Carl Clemons-Hopkins and Jane Adams as well as Christopher McDonald, Kaitlin Olson,...
The move comes less than two weeks after the critically acclaimed comedy series ended its second season on the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned streamer.
Jean Smart’s Vance, a Las Vegas comedian who takes a new routing on the road in season two, [Spoiler] leaves Hannah Einbinder’s Daniels at the end of the sophomore run by firing her as her co-writer, following a successful stand-up special that she backed herself and initially sold via QVC, so that her young protégé could strike out on her own.
Cancellations/Renewals Scorecard: TV Shows Ended Or Continuing In 2021-22 Season
The series, which was created by Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky, who serve as showrunners, also stars Carl Clemons-Hopkins and Jane Adams as well as Christopher McDonald, Kaitlin Olson,...
- 6/16/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Warning: contains spoilers for Hacks season 1 & 2.
In the first episode of Hacks, 20-something L.A. comedy writer Ava orders takeout and has a one night stand with the delivery man.. The next morning, Ava waves the guy away without a thought and gets back to the self-involved business of being her.
In the show’s penultimate season two episode, Ava has a one-night stand with her sub-letter who gives her the exact same brush-off the following day. This time, Ava’s hurt. The sub-letter is rude and mean! What is wrong with people, thinks Ava.
People haven’t changed; Ava has. After being immune to it her whole life, she’s finally learned the power of human connection. Closeness, vulnerability and trust are all – by the end of season two – part of Ava’s emotional vocabulary. She learnt them by meeting herself 45 years in the future. After a fashion.
Hacks,...
In the first episode of Hacks, 20-something L.A. comedy writer Ava orders takeout and has a one night stand with the delivery man.. The next morning, Ava waves the guy away without a thought and gets back to the self-involved business of being her.
In the show’s penultimate season two episode, Ava has a one-night stand with her sub-letter who gives her the exact same brush-off the following day. This time, Ava’s hurt. The sub-letter is rude and mean! What is wrong with people, thinks Ava.
People haven’t changed; Ava has. After being immune to it her whole life, she’s finally learned the power of human connection. Closeness, vulnerability and trust are all – by the end of season two – part of Ava’s emotional vocabulary. She learnt them by meeting herself 45 years in the future. After a fashion.
Hacks,...
- 6/15/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
The sophomore slump is, as history has shown, a real thing. The first season of “Hacks” earned an Emmy for Jean Smart and a nom for Hannah Einbinder — so the new season had to step it up. And that’s exactly what the writers did, kicking things into high gear — literally — as Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels hit the road on a larger-than-life tour bus.
“Season 1 was a tough act to follow. I definitely put a lot of pressure on myself this season, at least in the beginning,” Einbinder tells Variety. “I didn’t want to let everyone down. But then once I got back into the swing of filming, and we all kind of got in our groove, it just felt so right. ‘The gang’s back together!’ And it’s this cohesive, well-oiled machine that runs really well.”
Smart adds: “You’re always having to prove yourself, especially...
“Season 1 was a tough act to follow. I definitely put a lot of pressure on myself this season, at least in the beginning,” Einbinder tells Variety. “I didn’t want to let everyone down. But then once I got back into the swing of filming, and we all kind of got in our groove, it just felt so right. ‘The gang’s back together!’ And it’s this cohesive, well-oiled machine that runs really well.”
Smart adds: “You’re always having to prove yourself, especially...
- 6/13/2022
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Actress and comedian Hannah Einbinder was the breakout star of HBO Max’s comedy series Hacks, earning an Emmy nomination for playing Ava Daniels, an aimless, bisexual young comedy writer who provides jokes for the no-nonsense and brash Las Vegas stand-up comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart). With the success of the Emmy-winning comedy (it picked up three trophies in the fall, including one for Smart), the Los Angeles native, 27, suddenly found herself in unfamiliar territory: on the red carpet.
Working with stylist Kevin Michael Ericson, Einbinder has elevated her everyday look — vintage T-shirts, jeans, black Doc Martens — into A-lister style, more often appearing in suits and tuxes. “I have been so lucky to work with an all-queer team [Ericson, Molly Greenwald and Brian Fisher] for glam and styling, and as a result, I have always felt incredibly seen and heard when it has...
Actress and comedian Hannah Einbinder was the breakout star of HBO Max’s comedy series Hacks, earning an Emmy nomination for playing Ava Daniels, an aimless, bisexual young comedy writer who provides jokes for the no-nonsense and brash Las Vegas stand-up comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart). With the success of the Emmy-winning comedy (it picked up three trophies in the fall, including one for Smart), the Los Angeles native, 27, suddenly found herself in unfamiliar territory: on the red carpet.
Working with stylist Kevin Michael Ericson, Einbinder has elevated her everyday look — vintage T-shirts, jeans, black Doc Martens — into A-lister style, more often appearing in suits and tuxes. “I have been so lucky to work with an all-queer team [Ericson, Molly Greenwald and Brian Fisher] for glam and styling, and as a result, I have always felt incredibly seen and heard when it has...
- 6/11/2022
- by Tyler Coates
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Updated with final winners: The Oscar-winning documentary Summer of Soul, Bo Burnham’s Emmy-winning musical comedy special Inside, Barry Jenkins’ The Underground Railroad and Raoul Peck’s Exterminate All the Brutes are among the final list of winners of 2022 Peabody Awards.
The Peabodys, in their 82nd year, honor the year’s most powerful content across the fields of entertainment, documentary, news, podcast/radio, arts, children’s and youth, and public service programming. The organization based at the Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia wrapped up a a weeklong rollout of all 30 winners Thursday.
This year’s awards were presented by the likes of Melissa McCarthy, Morgan Freeman, John Legend, Kevin Bacon, H.E.R., Ethan Hawke, Jon Stewart, Hasan Minhaj, Riz Ahmed, LeVar Burton, Jenny Slate, Malcolm Gladwell and Adam Scott.
Newsman Dan Rather and Fresh Air‘s Terry Gross have already won this year’s Career Achievement Award and Institutional Award,...
The Peabodys, in their 82nd year, honor the year’s most powerful content across the fields of entertainment, documentary, news, podcast/radio, arts, children’s and youth, and public service programming. The organization based at the Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia wrapped up a a weeklong rollout of all 30 winners Thursday.
This year’s awards were presented by the likes of Melissa McCarthy, Morgan Freeman, John Legend, Kevin Bacon, H.E.R., Ethan Hawke, Jon Stewart, Hasan Minhaj, Riz Ahmed, LeVar Burton, Jenny Slate, Malcolm Gladwell and Adam Scott.
Newsman Dan Rather and Fresh Air‘s Terry Gross have already won this year’s Career Achievement Award and Institutional Award,...
- 6/9/2022
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
The 2022 Peabody Awards have announced the second round of winners, which includes My Name is Pauli Murray in the documentary category and Hacks in the entertainment category.
The New York Times’ Day of Rage: How Trump Supporters Took the U.S. Capitol won in the news category alongside PBS NewsHour’s January 6th Reporting.
Other winners include Philly D.A., presented by Kevin Bacon; Sort Of, presented by Tan France; and NBC Bay Area: The Moms of Magnolia Street & No Man’s Land: Fighting for Fatherhood in a Broken System, presented by H.E.R.
The remaining awards will be presented virtually Wednesday through Thursday. A full list of nominees can be found here, and the first round of winners is here.
A total of 30 winners will be chosen from the nominees and revealed this week with celebs announcing each recipient via a short video...
The 2022 Peabody Awards have announced the second round of winners, which includes My Name is Pauli Murray in the documentary category and Hacks in the entertainment category.
The New York Times’ Day of Rage: How Trump Supporters Took the U.S. Capitol won in the news category alongside PBS NewsHour’s January 6th Reporting.
Other winners include Philly D.A., presented by Kevin Bacon; Sort Of, presented by Tan France; and NBC Bay Area: The Moms of Magnolia Street & No Man’s Land: Fighting for Fatherhood in a Broken System, presented by H.E.R.
The remaining awards will be presented virtually Wednesday through Thursday. A full list of nominees can be found here, and the first round of winners is here.
A total of 30 winners will be chosen from the nominees and revealed this week with celebs announcing each recipient via a short video...
- 6/7/2022
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
HBO Max’s “Hacks” is the latest entertainment series to be honored by the Peabody Awards, which announced the win on Tuesday morning.
“When they’re together taking on all things comedy and feminism, ‘Hacks’ crackles with wit and truly sings,” Melissa McCarthy said in her presentation to the show.
Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment, are behind the show.
“HBO Max’s Hacks became a word-of-mouth hit thanks to the brilliantly funny intergenerational pairing of Jean Smart as standup legend Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels, the desperate young comedy writer sent to freshen up Deborah’s act,” the org said in its statement honoring the show. “Created by ‘Broad City’ writers Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, the series follows Deborah and Ava as they try to revive their...
“When they’re together taking on all things comedy and feminism, ‘Hacks’ crackles with wit and truly sings,” Melissa McCarthy said in her presentation to the show.
Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment, are behind the show.
“HBO Max’s Hacks became a word-of-mouth hit thanks to the brilliantly funny intergenerational pairing of Jean Smart as standup legend Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels, the desperate young comedy writer sent to freshen up Deborah’s act,” the org said in its statement honoring the show. “Created by ‘Broad City’ writers Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, the series follows Deborah and Ava as they try to revive their...
- 6/7/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
The Performers | Kaley Cuoco and Sharon Stone
The Show | The Flight Attendant
More from TVLineTony Awards 2023: Some Like It Hot, Leopoldstadt and Kimberly Akimbo Win Big - View Complete Winners ListTony Awards 2023: How to Stream Broadway's Biggest Night OnlineRatings: Sheldon Dominates Finale-Filled Thursday, CSI: Vegas Eyes Lows
The Episode | “Brothers & Sisters” (May 12, 2022)
The Performance | Whereas last week’s episode was heartbreaking, given Cassie’s fall(s) off of the wagon, this week’s trip back home was devastating, as Cassie and her estranged mother endured a very unexpected, contentious reunion.
Ahead of said reunion, Cuoco had already delivered a raw,...
The Show | The Flight Attendant
More from TVLineTony Awards 2023: Some Like It Hot, Leopoldstadt and Kimberly Akimbo Win Big - View Complete Winners ListTony Awards 2023: How to Stream Broadway's Biggest Night OnlineRatings: Sheldon Dominates Finale-Filled Thursday, CSI: Vegas Eyes Lows
The Episode | “Brothers & Sisters” (May 12, 2022)
The Performance | Whereas last week’s episode was heartbreaking, given Cassie’s fall(s) off of the wagon, this week’s trip back home was devastating, as Cassie and her estranged mother endured a very unexpected, contentious reunion.
Ahead of said reunion, Cuoco had already delivered a raw,...
- 5/14/2022
- by Team TVLine
- TVLine.com
Season 2 of the HBO Max comedy Hacks, which follows the unlikely working relationship between legendary comedian Deborah Vance (played with gusto by the legendary Jean Smart) and impulsive comedy writer Ava Daniels (future legend Hannah Einbinder), kicks off just after the events of the first season. To recap, Deborah bombed her new stage material and Ava, frustrated with her boss and also heavily inebriated, sent a scathing email to TV show writers sharing much-too-much about Deborah. In the new episodes, Deborah is surprisingly energized by tanking her show and decides to hit the road to try new material. Ava, on the other hand, is trying desperately to squash her email and its contents before Deborah finds out and sends her to the unemployment line. “In a way, because they feel a little bit more comfortable around each other, in a way it gives Deborah at least more freedom to even...
- 5/12/2022
- TV Insider
Just a few weeks after HBO Max gave us our first look at season 2 of the Emmy-winning comedy "Hacks," the streamer has delivered another trailer that provides even more insight as to what we can expect from the show's return.
Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder are back as Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels, the unlikely comedic odd couple who are saying farewell to Vance's Las Vegas residency and hello to the open road of a comedy tour. Created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, "Hacks" is about the fall from glory of a legendary comedian who...
The post Hacks Season 2 Trailer: To Go Out On Top, You Gotta Climb the Mountain appeared first on /Film.
Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder are back as Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels, the unlikely comedic odd couple who are saying farewell to Vance's Las Vegas residency and hello to the open road of a comedy tour. Created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, "Hacks" is about the fall from glory of a legendary comedian who...
The post Hacks Season 2 Trailer: To Go Out On Top, You Gotta Climb the Mountain appeared first on /Film.
- 4/26/2022
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Hacks‘ Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels are going on tour, and in the new Season 2 teaser released Thursday, we finally get our first peek at what’s in store.
When the critically acclaimed comedy returns to HBO Max Thursday, May 12 (its eight-episode run will roll out two episodes weekly), “The dark mentorship between legendary Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her young, entitled writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) continues to evolve as the two travel across the country workshopping Deborah’s new stand-up act,” according to the official logline.
More from TVLineHacks: 7 Things We Want to See In Season...
When the critically acclaimed comedy returns to HBO Max Thursday, May 12 (its eight-episode run will roll out two episodes weekly), “The dark mentorship between legendary Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her young, entitled writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) continues to evolve as the two travel across the country workshopping Deborah’s new stand-up act,” according to the official logline.
More from TVLineHacks: 7 Things We Want to See In Season...
- 4/14/2022
- by Nick Caruso
- TVLine.com
Currently at Gold Derby, the majority of our Critics Choice Awards Experts think “Ted Lasso” will win Best Comedy Series for the second year in a row. The Apple TV+ comedy is also coming off major victories at the Primetime Emmys, winning for series and three actors. However, one pundit (Christopher Rosen of Gold Derby) predicts “Hacks” will win at Critics Choice, while another (Eric Deggans of NPR) thinks “Only Murders in the Building” will prevail. Could either of these laffers pull off an awards upset?
See Critics Choice Awards: Complete list of film and TV nominations
HBO Max’s “Hacks” stars Jean Smart as Deborah Vance, a legendary stand-up comedian who currently stars in her own Las Vegas show. When her career begins to stall, her agent hires an up-and-coming young writer named Ava Daniels (Critics Choice nominee Hannah Einbinder) to help her rekindle her comedy magic. The series...
See Critics Choice Awards: Complete list of film and TV nominations
HBO Max’s “Hacks” stars Jean Smart as Deborah Vance, a legendary stand-up comedian who currently stars in her own Las Vegas show. When her career begins to stall, her agent hires an up-and-coming young writer named Ava Daniels (Critics Choice nominee Hannah Einbinder) to help her rekindle her comedy magic. The series...
- 1/2/2022
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
The comedy series “Hacks” made quite the splash at this year’s Emmys, earning 15 total nominations including acting bids for stars Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder and Carl Clemons-Hopkins. Along with Smart’s Best Comedy Actress win, the show also upset Emmy juggernaut “Ted Lasso” in both the Best Comedy Writing and Directing categories. Now, HBO Max has revealed to Gold Derby that nine actors are eligible for the ensemble prize at the 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards (see the list below).
SEEGood news, ‘Hacks’: SAG Awards love shows about showbiz
“Hacks” stars Smart as Deborah Vance, veteran stand-up comic in Las Vegas, who is forced to find ways to freshen up her act. She reluctantly hires Ava (Einbinder), a young comedy writer facing her own professional struggles. The two form a begrudging partnership as Deborah learns to respect her young employee while Ava begins to admire both her employer’s talent and her longevity.
SEEGood news, ‘Hacks’: SAG Awards love shows about showbiz
“Hacks” stars Smart as Deborah Vance, veteran stand-up comic in Las Vegas, who is forced to find ways to freshen up her act. She reluctantly hires Ava (Einbinder), a young comedy writer facing her own professional struggles. The two form a begrudging partnership as Deborah learns to respect her young employee while Ava begins to admire both her employer’s talent and her longevity.
- 12/30/2021
- by Tony Ruiz
- Gold Derby
At the first Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony in 1995, the cast of “Seinfeld” took the stage as the inaugural Best TV Comedy Ensemble recipients. The series, which starred stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld as a fictionalized version of himself, was one of several shows about the entertainment industry nominated for the top prize that year. Seinfeld and his castmates defeated actors from programs centered on a range of show business sub-sectors, from radio (“Frasier”) to news media (“Murphy Brown”). In the quarter century since, the casts of many other comedies about show business have competed and sometimes won here, and now the stars of “Hacks” are hoping to be next on the list.
Like “Seinfeld,” “Hacks” is centered on the profession of stand-up comedy, but the similarities end there. The HBO Max show’s main character is female comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), who is entirely fictional, decades older than the Seinfeld character was,...
Like “Seinfeld,” “Hacks” is centered on the profession of stand-up comedy, but the similarities end there. The HBO Max show’s main character is female comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), who is entirely fictional, decades older than the Seinfeld character was,...
- 11/30/2021
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Immediately after she was named the best comedic TV actress of 2020 by the Screen Actors Guild, Catherine O’Hara praised her “Schitt’s Creek” costar Annie Murphy as “a beautiful soul” and stated, “I share this with [her].” The on-screen mother-daughter duo were placed in direct competition here less than seven months after they both triumphed at the Emmys, where O’Hara was deemed a lead while Murphy was classified as supporting. Since SAG does not separate TV performers by role size, showdowns like this are fairly common. Indeed, there has been at least one instance in this category ever year since 2017, and Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart of “Hacks” are now looking to continue the tradition.
HBO Max’s “Hacks,” the first season of which concluded in June, focuses on struggling Las Vegas stand-up comedian Deborah Vance (Smart) and her new writing partner Ava Daniels (Einbinder) as they navigate their working relationship and personal lives.
HBO Max’s “Hacks,” the first season of which concluded in June, focuses on struggling Las Vegas stand-up comedian Deborah Vance (Smart) and her new writing partner Ava Daniels (Einbinder) as they navigate their working relationship and personal lives.
- 11/29/2021
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
The final weeks of the year are upon us and daylight is fading fast. It’s a hectic time, with parties and plans and dinners and desserts, and simultaneously more large chunks of free time than many people have had all year. And while hanging out with friends and family, particularly after two-ish years of a global pandemic is sure to be delightful, it’s safe to say that people are going to need a way to decompress after 37 rounds of Apples to Apples.
If TV is your game, it’s important to spend your viewing time wisely, keeping on top of the best that the medium has to offer and take in a little quality alongside your quantity. In that spirit, we’ve chosen five shows, potential awards contenders, no less, that you should try to sneak in while everyone else slips into a tryptophan-fueled slumber. All five series are new this year,...
If TV is your game, it’s important to spend your viewing time wisely, keeping on top of the best that the medium has to offer and take in a little quality alongside your quantity. In that spirit, we’ve chosen five shows, potential awards contenders, no less, that you should try to sneak in while everyone else slips into a tryptophan-fueled slumber. All five series are new this year,...
- 11/24/2021
- by Libby Hill
- Indiewire
“Hacks” co-creators Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs have signed a multiyear overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group (Wbtvg). Financial terms of the Warner Bros. deal with the duo’s production company, Paulilu Productions, were not disclosed.
Under the exclusive deal, Warner Bros. TV Group will serve as Paulilu’s home for all new television ventures. Aniello and Downs will develop original television programming for all of WB’s platforms, including WarnerMedia’s HBO Max as well as cable and broadcast channels, and external streaming services.
Jen Statsky, who co-created the Jean Smart comedy with the Paulilu pair, is not included in this agreement. She’s with Universal TV.
Season 1 of “Hacks” was nominated for 15 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series. Aniello, Downs and Statsky are also nominated for their writing, and Aniello landed a directing nod as well.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the team at Wbtvg,...
Under the exclusive deal, Warner Bros. TV Group will serve as Paulilu’s home for all new television ventures. Aniello and Downs will develop original television programming for all of WB’s platforms, including WarnerMedia’s HBO Max as well as cable and broadcast channels, and external streaming services.
Jen Statsky, who co-created the Jean Smart comedy with the Paulilu pair, is not included in this agreement. She’s with Universal TV.
Season 1 of “Hacks” was nominated for 15 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series. Aniello, Downs and Statsky are also nominated for their writing, and Aniello landed a directing nod as well.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the team at Wbtvg,...
- 8/30/2021
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
As the number of streaming platforms has grown over the past two years, it has taken no time for their programming to make a splash, including 11 Emmy writing nominations this year coming from services less than 2 years old.
“I love being part of things that are new, because I think it’s all potential,” says “Girls5eva” creator Meredith Scardino. “Being on a new streamer is cool because [a show is] not going to get lost; they’re going to put all of their weight behind it because they believe in it.”
As newer streamers including Peacock, Disney Plus and HBO Max have sought to make a name for themselves, they’ve allowed their creators to take risks to stand out — and draw in potential viewers. Marvel Studios’ first outing with Disney Plus immediately played with the unexpected, for example.
“It was an early discovery [in the writing process] that the climax of the pilot would be this man choking,...
“I love being part of things that are new, because I think it’s all potential,” says “Girls5eva” creator Meredith Scardino. “Being on a new streamer is cool because [a show is] not going to get lost; they’re going to put all of their weight behind it because they believe in it.”
As newer streamers including Peacock, Disney Plus and HBO Max have sought to make a name for themselves, they’ve allowed their creators to take risks to stand out — and draw in potential viewers. Marvel Studios’ first outing with Disney Plus immediately played with the unexpected, for example.
“It was an early discovery [in the writing process] that the climax of the pilot would be this man choking,...
- 8/18/2021
- by Marisa Roffman
- Variety Film + TV
“Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder is preparing for the show’s second season and still processing its slew of Emmy nominations, but told TheWrap that taping her own stand-up special is a dream she hopes to make a reality sometime soon.
With her drop-dead funny performance in “Hacks” as as Ava Daniels — the brash 25-year-old assistant to aging Las Vegas comedienne Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) — and her ongoing career as a standup comic, it’s surprising Einbinder hasn’t had her pick of streaming services offering her specials.
“Hacks” is Einbinder’s first major on-screen role. The daughter of “Saturday Night Live” inaugural cast member Laraine Newman broke out during the 2019 Just for Laughs comedy festival, and both Vulture and NPR called her one of the top standout performers. In May, Einbinder set a record as the youngest comic to do a stand-up routine on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
With her drop-dead funny performance in “Hacks” as as Ava Daniels — the brash 25-year-old assistant to aging Las Vegas comedienne Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) — and her ongoing career as a standup comic, it’s surprising Einbinder hasn’t had her pick of streaming services offering her specials.
“Hacks” is Einbinder’s first major on-screen role. The daughter of “Saturday Night Live” inaugural cast member Laraine Newman broke out during the 2019 Just for Laughs comedy festival, and both Vulture and NPR called her one of the top standout performers. In May, Einbinder set a record as the youngest comic to do a stand-up routine on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
- 8/2/2021
- by Samson Amore
- The Wrap
Netting 15 Emmy nominations including for Outstanding Comedy Series, HBO Max’s Hacks has been a hit since its premiere in May. The show centers on the relationship between legendary Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and struggling and entitled young comedy writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder). Both Smart and Einbinder have received nominations for their roles.
The pilot episode, titled “There Is No Line,” a nominee in the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, introduces the audience to Deborah as she finds out that her weekend time slots are being cut to make room for new talent. Then we meet Ava, struggling to get work after she was fired due to an insensitive tweet. The episode follows their individual stories and culminates in an intense meeting between the two that sparks an uncomfortable working relationship.
Here, the Emmy-nominated writers of the script — Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky...
The pilot episode, titled “There Is No Line,” a nominee in the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, introduces the audience to Deborah as she finds out that her weekend time slots are being cut to make room for new talent. Then we meet Ava, struggling to get work after she was fired due to an insensitive tweet. The episode follows their individual stories and culminates in an intense meeting between the two that sparks an uncomfortable working relationship.
Here, the Emmy-nominated writers of the script — Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky...
- 8/2/2021
- by Ryan Fleming
- Deadline Film + TV
Four of this year’s eight Emmy nominees for Best Comedy Series are freshman shows: “Ted Lasso,” “Hacks,” “The Flight Attendant” and “Emily in Paris.” If one of them pulls off a win on Emmy night, they’d be the first laffer since “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” three years ago to prevail for Season 1. This phenomenon actually happens less than you think. Indeed, only four freshman shows this century have claimed the top comedy category: “Mrs. Maisel” (2018), “Modern Family” (2010), “30 Rock” (2007) and “Arrested Development” (2004) — see the complete list below.
“Ted Lasso” is the overwhelming front-runner to take home the Emmy Award, particularly as it’s coming off big victories at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice and SAG Awards. Jason Sudeikis won Best Comedy Actor at all three kudos, with the critics also honoring the Apple TV Plus show as Best Comedy Series and Hannah Waddingham as Best Comedy Supporting Actress.
“Ted Lasso” is the overwhelming front-runner to take home the Emmy Award, particularly as it’s coming off big victories at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice and SAG Awards. Jason Sudeikis won Best Comedy Actor at all three kudos, with the critics also honoring the Apple TV Plus show as Best Comedy Series and Hannah Waddingham as Best Comedy Supporting Actress.
- 7/26/2021
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
There is a heartbreaking scene near the end of episode three of HBO Max’s acclaimed comedy series “Hacks.” Young writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbender), who has been hired to create new material for veteran stand-up comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), is watching an old VHS tape of a young Deborah’s unaired TV pilot for a late-night talk show. She is fresh-faced, funny and hopeful. She thanks her husband, her sister and her young daughter.
If the show had succeeded, Deborah would have been the first woman to headline late-night. But it didn’t happen. Her ex-husband ran off with her sister and she has a less than wonderful relationship with her daughter. Instead of challenging herself, she has had a longtime residency at a Las Vegas casino. But she’s been told that her dates are being cut back to make way for new talent.
Despite the fact...
If the show had succeeded, Deborah would have been the first woman to headline late-night. But it didn’t happen. Her ex-husband ran off with her sister and she has a less than wonderful relationship with her daughter. Instead of challenging herself, she has had a longtime residency at a Las Vegas casino. But she’s been told that her dates are being cut back to make way for new talent.
Despite the fact...
- 7/16/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
“Hacks” scene-stealer Jean Smart is one of the front-runners to win this year’s Emmy Award for Best Comedy Actress — she’s behind only Kaley Cuoco (“The Flight Attendant”) in our predictions. It would be the veteran actress’ fourth Emmy triumph after previously winning twice for “Frasier” (2000 and ’01) and once for “Samantha Who” (2008). But which other “Hacks” cast members have been submitted for consideration at the 2021 Emmys for the HBO Max comedy? See the breakdown below.
For those who haven’t seen the show yet, Smart takes on the role of Deborah Vance, an aging Las Vegas stand-up comedian whose career is stalling. Deborah’s agent tasks a down-on-her-luck writer, Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), to help rekindle her material, but the two women clash from the moment they meet. “Hacks” gives Smart a chance to really sink her teeth into a complex, three-dimensional character, as Deborah is a selfish diva on the outside,...
For those who haven’t seen the show yet, Smart takes on the role of Deborah Vance, an aging Las Vegas stand-up comedian whose career is stalling. Deborah’s agent tasks a down-on-her-luck writer, Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), to help rekindle her material, but the two women clash from the moment they meet. “Hacks” gives Smart a chance to really sink her teeth into a complex, three-dimensional character, as Deborah is a selfish diva on the outside,...
- 6/29/2021
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
This story about Hana Einbinder, Maya Erskine, Charlotte Nicdao and Punam Patel first appeared in the Comedy & Drama Series issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
The last 16 months have found people everywhere holed up in their homes and turning to television for the entertainment that can get them through times of isolation and turmoil. And those months have seen the emergence of a bumper crop of fresh voices, some of whom were doing great work before the pandemic and some who seemed to break out as the world shut down.
We picked four of our favorites for a photo shoot and a conversation that ranged from the changes wrought by the pandemic to the challenges of cancel culture to sex scenes.
$bp("Brid_23958712", {"id":"21259","width":"936","height":"527","video":"806481"});
The participants:
Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”
A stand-up comedian and writer from Los Angeles, Einbinder goes head to head with...
The last 16 months have found people everywhere holed up in their homes and turning to television for the entertainment that can get them through times of isolation and turmoil. And those months have seen the emergence of a bumper crop of fresh voices, some of whom were doing great work before the pandemic and some who seemed to break out as the world shut down.
We picked four of our favorites for a photo shoot and a conversation that ranged from the changes wrought by the pandemic to the challenges of cancel culture to sex scenes.
$bp("Brid_23958712", {"id":"21259","width":"936","height":"527","video":"806481"});
The participants:
Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”
A stand-up comedian and writer from Los Angeles, Einbinder goes head to head with...
- 6/18/2021
- by Steve Pond • Photography By Corina Marie
- The Wrap
“Hacks” is as pure a two-hander as I’ve seen on television in recent years — a comedy buoyed by the prickly, slow-to-develop relationship between two characters with utterly different approaches to comedy, but similar stumbling blocks. Both Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) are carefully-written, elegantly played characters; each one fuels the show’s action through stubborn commitment to her own perspective, along with, gradually, some growth.
But while Smart has, justly, been hailed for her work on the series, Einbinder’s work, like her character, feels relatively unheralded. This is surprising to a viewer who sees the show as a well-balanced depiction of two complicated people, and should have been expected by anyone who recalls the strangely intense pitch of conversation around “Girls” and its protagonist, Hannah Horvath. There is something about common human traits embodied by a young person that seems to rankle viewers. To wit: Ava,...
But while Smart has, justly, been hailed for her work on the series, Einbinder’s work, like her character, feels relatively unheralded. This is surprising to a viewer who sees the show as a well-balanced depiction of two complicated people, and should have been expected by anyone who recalls the strangely intense pitch of conversation around “Girls” and its protagonist, Hannah Horvath. There is something about common human traits embodied by a young person that seems to rankle viewers. To wit: Ava,...
- 6/15/2021
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
[Editor’s note: This article contains spoilers for “Hacks” Season 1.]
There’s something invigorating about talking to the creators of a new, delightful TV series, so it should come as no surprise that talking with Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, creators of HBO Max’s “Hacks” was a joy unto itself.
It’s also unsurprising that the trio were thrilled to discuss the series, their stars, and what the show looks like after the Season 1 finale set its dynamic duo on an assuredly fraught new path.
Centered around Deborah Vance (a never better Jean Smart) and Ava Daniels (dynamic upstart Hannah Einbinder), “Hacks” is a marvel from the first. Deborah is a slightly long-in -the-tooth stand-up comedian, whose career was not what it could have been thanks to systemic injustices. She nevertheless became the comedy queen of Las Vegas. Ava is a Gen Z comedy upstart, who found her meteoric rise derailed by a few...
There’s something invigorating about talking to the creators of a new, delightful TV series, so it should come as no surprise that talking with Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, creators of HBO Max’s “Hacks” was a joy unto itself.
It’s also unsurprising that the trio were thrilled to discuss the series, their stars, and what the show looks like after the Season 1 finale set its dynamic duo on an assuredly fraught new path.
Centered around Deborah Vance (a never better Jean Smart) and Ava Daniels (dynamic upstart Hannah Einbinder), “Hacks” is a marvel from the first. Deborah is a slightly long-in -the-tooth stand-up comedian, whose career was not what it could have been thanks to systemic injustices. She nevertheless became the comedy queen of Las Vegas. Ava is a Gen Z comedy upstart, who found her meteoric rise derailed by a few...
- 6/14/2021
- by Libby Hill
- Indiewire
Hacks is getting the encore it deserves. On Tuesday, June 8, HBO Max announced the news people have been waiting to hear: Hacks is renewed for a second season. In other words, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) is preparing for her redemption act with Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) by her side. Of course, there's one potential problem that could rear its ugly head on tour: that email. Season one left things on quite the cliffhanger, as Jimmy (Paul W. Downs) was understandably upset at Ava because of the scathing email she sent to the British producers about Deborah. The comedienne is entirely unaware of what happened though, and that's probably for the best since it took a...
- 6/11/2021
- E! Online
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