Max wasted little time announcing that it’s bringing Hacks back for a fourth season, releasing the news on the same day it dropped the final episode of season three. With the finale leaving some of the characters teetering on the edge, if not exactly hanging off a cliff, the reassurance that there are more episodes on the way should come as welcome relief to fans who may be wondering whether the story will continue.
“We congratulate Hacks’ brilliant cast and crew, and our partners at Universal Television,” Sarah Aubrey, head of Max Original Programming, said in a statement. “Hacks is a masterfully crafted comedy delivering laughs and sharp insights about the vulnerability and joy of sharing a dream. The creative team behind this singular show is not only brilliant but also a joy to work with. We couldn’t be happier to give viewers another season with Deborah, Ava, and the rest of the Hacks family.”
Erin Underhill, president of Universal Television, also praised the series and thanked the network for its support. “We applaud our outstanding cast, who made it easy to fall in love with these flawed, hilarious and deeply human characters, and we thank everyone at Max for a terrific partnership over the first three seasons and counting. We can’t wait to deliver more Hacks to fans around the world!”
Season three saw Deborah basking in the success of her standup special and attempting to parlay it into a permanent job as the host of a late night talk show. Meanwhile, Ava has been trying to build her own career as a staff writer on a weekly comedy news show (think John Oliver) but keeps finding herself drawn into Deborah’s orbit. As the two codependent divas bicker across the generational divide, their manager Jimmy (creator and co-showrunner Paul W. Downs) is usually the one who has to play peacekeeper while also contending with his unreliable former assistant-turned-partner Kayla (Megan Stalter). Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins) also continues his arc this season, reclaiming some of his agency and exploring his own identity outside of Deborah’s sphere of influence.
Guest stars in season three included Kaitlin Olson, Jane Adams, J. Smith-Cameron, Helen Hunt, Christina Hendricks, Christopher McDonald, and Kathryn Newton. Sharing showrunning and executive producing duties with Downs this season were Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky.