Hacks (TV series)
Hacks is an American comedy-drama streaming television series created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky that premiered on May 13, 2021, on HBO Max. Starring Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, and Carl Clemons-Hopkins, the series centers on the professional relationship between a young comedy writer and a legendary stand-up comedienne. The series received critical acclaim and won accolades including Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Directing, and for Smart, Outstanding Lead Actress, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. In June 2021, the series  was renewed for a second season which is set to premiere on May 12, 2022. Premise. Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas stand-up comedy diva, needs to maintain relevance: the head of the casino where she performs wants to pare down her performance dates. Ava is a young comedy writer who is unable to find work due to being fired from her job over an insensitive tweet. The two reluctantly team up to freshen up Deborah's material and learn to respect each other's differences. Production. In May 2020, HBO Max announced that it had picked up the  series and that Jean Smart would star. Additional casting was announced in February 2021. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, actors held table reads over Zoom, there were no cast parties during production, and stars Smart and Clemons-Hopkins did not even meet each other in person until minutes before filming began. In June 2021, HBO Max renewed the series for a second season, and the cast added Laurie Metcalf, Martha Kelly, and Ming-Na Wen in recurring roles and Margaret Cho as a guest star. 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 is scheduled to premiere on May 12, 2022, with a two-episode release weekly. "Hacks" premiered on Amazon Prime in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2022. Reception. Critical response. For the series, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 100% based on 53 critic reviews, with an average rating of 8.40/10. The website's critics 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 Jean Smart a role worthy of her talents – and an excellent partner in Hannah Einbinder." Metacritic calculated a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".