‘Hacks’ will be back for season 2 as HBO Max renews the hit comedy

HBO Max announced today that it has renewed the Max Original series Hacks for a second season. The critically-acclaimed comedy has been a top performer on the platform since its debut, consistently ranking in the top ten most viewed titles out of all available content.

Season one, from creators Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky, explores a dark mentorship that forms between Deborah Vance (Emmy-winner Jean Smart), a legendary Las Vegas comedian, and an entitled, outcast 25-year-old (Hannah Einbinder). The season will conclude this Thursday, June 10 with the final two episodes.

New Yorker hailed the series as “bracingly fresh and wholly original” while Variety noted it was “destined to be a zeitgeist hit.” Chicago Sun-Times praised it as “instantly addictive, bitingly hilarious,” New York Times called it “a career best for Smart” and The Hollywood Reporter celebrated Smart, whose “starring role here allows her to finally showcase her wild versatility.” Entertainment Weekly wrote, “Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder kill as comedians at odds,” and Twitter fans have heralded Hacks as the pinnacle of the “Jeanaissance.”   

Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content for HBO Max said, “We knew immediately that Lucia, Paul and Jen brought us a winner. We couldn’t be happier about the tremendous response from our viewers and critics alike, and we salute the executive producers; Jean, Hannah and the rest of the brilliant cast; and our partners at Universal.”

“We have been blown away by the positive reception to Hacks — we owe this renewal to every single person who tuned into the show and then told a friend to watch. We are so grateful we get to continue, and want to thank our partners at HBO Max and Universal Television for supporting the show so fiercely, and our wonderful cast and crew for delivering on every level. Many years ago, we set out to tell a deeply important story that needed to be told — that of a handsome, charming talent manager and his two demanding female clients. We’re so glad that story resonated with audiences, and we can’t wait to get to work on season two. See you soon!” added co-creators and showrunners Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky.

Star Jean Smart added, “I am absolutely thrilled we are picked up for a second season and I told Hannah it’s ‘No more Miss Nice Guy; from now on it’s Bette and Joan! And guess who’s BETTE??!!’”

In addition to Smart and Einbinder, Hacks season one stars series regular Carl Clemons-Hopkins and recurring guest stars Kaitlin Olson, Christopher McDonald, Paul W. Downs, Mark Indelicato, Poppy Liu, Johnny Sibilly, Meg Stalter and Rose Abdoo. The series is created and showrun by Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky. Season one is executive produced by Downs and Aniello via their Paulilu banner, Statsky via First Thought Productions, as well as Emmy winners Michael Schur via Fremulon, David Miner for 3 Arts Entertainment and Morgan Sackett. The studio is Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Season one of Hacks is currently streaming HBO Max with the final two episodes of the season airing June 10.

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Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.

He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.

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