When Jean Smart won her second consecutive Emmy for playing Deborah Vance in Hacks, she admitted that she “didn’t realize the breadth of the appeal our show”.
Maybe that's why it's one of the best comedy dramas on tv at the moment.
Hacks has been a huge success for HBO and fans outside of the US have been bingeing the two seasons on Amazon Prime.
If you're reading this to find out when Hacks Season 3 will air, then you already know what a treat this show is.
However, if you've only vaguely heard of it then let me give you a quick recap.
Hacks Season Recap
Deborah Vance is a legendary comedian with a Las Vegas residency that is nearing its 2,500th show.
But with her jokes going a little stale and the act getting dated, she is being pushed out in favour of a younger, trendier act.
In LA, Ava Daniels is a young aspiring comedy writer who has just found herself blacklisted for a dodgy tweet.
Unemployed and desperate, both Ava and Deborah share the same agent, and he decides to put them together.
The idea is that Ava's fresh perspective can help update Vance's flagging career. In turn, Ava can learn a lot about having a sustained and successful career from Deborah.
There's just one problem. They hate each other.
Over two seasons we see them bicker and fight all with a growing acceptance that they might actually need each other.
We left our two ladies as they parted ways. Deborah had finally found her voice again and Ava was being recognised as a solid writer.
It almost seemed as though their story had ended.
Not so as HBO renewed Hacks for a third season.
HACKS SEASON 3 RELEASE DATE
Created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, Hacks season one premiered on May 13, 2021, on HBO Max.
It was quickly renewed with season two airing on May 12, 2022.
With a third season confirmed, Hacks Season 3 was supposed to air on HBO Max on May 11th 2023.
However, two unforeseen events occurred that has put pause on the show. The first was that Jean Smart needed a medical procedure back in February. And the second, was the writers strike in the US.
Leaving it a little late in the day, the announcement was only made on May 5th 2023.
According to WGA rules, members cannot provide any writing services, including script revisions during filming, while a strike is going on.
Jen Statsky, who serves as one of the showrunner said: “We are devastated to not be with our incredible crew and cast right now, but there was no other option here.
“Writing happens at every stage of the process – production and post included. It’s what makes shows and movies good. It’s what makes them possible.”
So the reality is that for now, there is no confirmed date as to when we will see Hacks back on our tv screens!
As soon as we have a date, we will let you know. After which, we expect Hacks Season 3 episodes to drop weekly on Amazon Prime Video as the show airs.
HACKS SEASON 3 – WHAT HAPPENS?
As we left Deborah and Ava at the end of season 2, both were riding high on their recent success.
Deborah's special was in high demand and Ava was being tipped for writing jobs in some of the biggest upcoming shows and movies.
Their agent Jimmy, had set up his own management company and confirmed that Deborah had dropped her lawsuit against Ava.
Overall it looked like Deborah was cutting Ava out of her life, though it was so she could carve out her own career.
So where will the show go in Hacks season 3?
Firstly the show will start a year after we left our girls. So there’s a jump in time and a lot has happened.
Have they stayed away from each other in that year? Are they back working together?
We just don't know as other than the central plot of a time jump, we don't have any more details.
Hacks season 3 is currently in production so no doubt we'll know a bit more very soon.
HACKS SEASON 3 CAST
We already know that all of the main cast will return for season 3 so here they are:
Jean Smart as Deborah Vance
Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels
Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Marcus, CEO of Deborah's empire
Mark Indelicato as Damien, Deborah's personal assistant
Paul W. Downs as Jimmy LuSaque, Deborah and Ava's manager
Christopher McDonald as Marty Ghilain, CEO of the Palmetto Casino
Kaitlin Olson as DJ Vance, Deborah's daughter
Rose Abdoo as Josefina, Deborah's estate manager
Megan Stalter as Kayla, Jimmy's assistant
Poppy Liu as Kiki, Deborah's blackjack dealer