Hacks has remained one of the most popular series on Max, and there’s no denying that. The comedy-drama has created its separate fandom, and people are just enjoying the struggle between Deborah and Ava. But will they return to enchant the audience with their charm? Is Hacks Season 4 on the cards? You will be surprised to know that the series creators and the production committee have peaceful news for the series fans. That’s right! Hacks is about to enter a new territory. So, without further ado, let’s see what happens next.
Created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, Hacks follows the story of Deborah Vance and her head writer, Ava Daniels. Deborah, a legendary stand-up comedian, struggles to find her place in the fast-changing world. While she struggles to become the most renowned comedian, she meets Ava, who struggles to find a job after her insensitive tweet. However, things turn fruitful for them as they both join hands to live up to their dreams. But will this teamwork continue in Hacks Season 4? Let’s see!
Hacks Season 4 Is Officially Renewed
Since the series debuted, it has left its fans on their toes, and there’s no denying that. The show is undoubtedly entertaining, and everyone just loved it. That’s why when the third season of Hacks wrapped up airing, the network didn’t take much time to make a pleasing announcement. Max surprised its audience on the day Hacks released its ninth episode of the third season.
The streamer confirmed that the Emmy-winning comedy series starring Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart will return. That’s right! The streaming platform renewed the series for the fourth season. “We congratulate Hack’s brilliant cast and crew and our partners at Universal Television,” said Sarah Aubrey, head of Max original programming.
Sarah added that the series is a masterfully crafted comedy that shares the insights of the joy of dreaming and vulnerability. She added that the creative team behind the show is not only brilliant but also incredible and joyful to work with. They are happy to return with Hacks in another season with Ava, Deborah, and the rest of the family.
The show is undoubtedly amazing, and there’s no second guess. That’s because the third season turned out to be a masterpiece. It broke its own records as the series gained positive reception. Hacks Season 3 received a solid 91% positive reception on Rotten Tomatoes and 8.2 out of 10 on IMDb.
In fact, Max revealed that the seventh and eighth episodes of the third season were the best. They gave the streaming platform its best single-day viewership to date. So, it’s enough to suggest why the streaming platform renewed the series just after season 3’s conclusion.
Universal Television President Praised The Team
As soon as the streaming platform announced Hacks Season 4, Erin Underhill, president of Universal Television, the production company behind the series, expressed her gratitude to the incredible creative team. Erin said, “Hats off to Jen [Statsky], Lucia [Aniello], and Paul [W. Downs] for crafting a world as compelling and poignant as it is clever and funny.”
Erin expressed her gratitude to the team, applauding their outstanding cast, who made it possible. Their acting skills were the ones to be praised as they made everyone fall in love with these flawed, hilarious, and deeply human characters. Universal Television’s president thanked their streaming partner, Max, for their terrific partnership for the first three seasons and counting.
Erin added that they couldn’t wait to return with more Hacks seasons. Meanwhile, the series co-creator Lucia shed light on their struggle. Lucia shared that they started working on the third season in May 2022, and filming started in November of the same year. However, things didn’t work out as planned. Thanks to the writers’ and actors’ strike, filming for the third season was delayed.
The team faced several setbacks before entering production. Fortunately, the strike concluded in September 2023, allowing them ample time to return to finish production. Despite that, Lucia shared that they didn’t wrap up filming until January 2024. Although they faced several hardships to finish the third season, the pain was worth counting.
Creator Envisoned The Series As Five Seasons
While the series has performed incredibly well, the creator has already mapped out how things would move. Lucia Aniello, the show’s creator, told Variety that they already planned the series to run for five seasons, so Hacks Season 4 was still on their plan. She shared that they started pitching the series in 2019. However, they have been in talks about the show since 2015. So, they already had a plan for how the series would look and even discussed how they wanted the show to go.
In addition, Lucia told Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast that they are now ready to extend the series. The second season had eight episodes, while the third season returned with nine. Lucia stretched on that and shared that they are now ready to return with more episodes than they had planned or agreed on. It’s like there’s more to share, and covering everything within eight or nine episodes is impossible. So, Hacks Season 4 will now have ten episodes. That’s because there’s more to say and do.
Statsky discussed the team’s decision to do ten episodes in Hacks Season 4. She said, “I think, for better or worse, comedy has changed so much.” Statsky added that comedy is currently in a precarious state. The team did a fantastic job, but there are several elements that they want to explore, and it isn’t easy to do that with a shorter season. That’s why they are ready to return with ten episodes per season instead of eight.
Hacks Season 4 Cast Details
The show will undoubtedly bring the lead character, Deborah Vance, back into our lives. That means Jean Smart will return to Deborah. We can safely say that Hannah Einbinder will also return as Ava Daniels. Carl Clemons-Hopkins will return as Marcus, Megan Stalter will return as Kayla Schaefer, and Paul W. Downs will return as Jummy LuSaque Jr. Rose Abdoo as Josefina, Mark Indelicato as Damien, and Kaitlin Olson as Deborah “DJ” Vance Jr.
The other recurring cast members include Christopher McDonald as Marty Ghilain, Poppy Liu as Kiki, and Johnny Sibilly as Wilson. Angela Elayne Gibbs as Robin, Jane Adams as Nina Daniels, and Lorenza Izzo as Ruby will return in a recurring role. Luenell as Miss Loretta, Joe Mande as Ray, and Lauren Weedman as Madam Mayor Pezzimenti will also reprise their role in Hacks Season 4. However, it remains unclear who will return as the guest role. The production committee has yet to share more details about the cast of the series.
What Will Happen In Hacks Season 4?
The third season has already set the stage for the next chapter. In the final episode, we see Ava blackmail Deborah to have a one-night stand with network executive Bob Lipka as Deborah loses her late-night show host job. Surprisingly, Deborah agrees to do that and sleeps with Bob to secure her position. However, things will become more challenging if this secret gets exposed in Hacks Season 4. Well, the series creator has already planned how they will move this storyline.
Statsky told Variety that Deborah had finally gotten this huge gig and needed to work on it as she had waited for this position. However, her dreams have complicated things between her and her closest collaborator and friend. She has betrayed her friend, and now it remains to be seen how things will be played off. Apart from this, Marcus is all set to leave Deborah’s circle. He is ready to leave the team for a role at QVC, and Damien seems to know that.
On the other hand, Jimmy begs Kayla to stay. He even chases her, leading many to believe he’s trying to propose to her. However, it later turns out that he only wants to promote her so that she can remain a part of the business. Surprisingly, she accepts the proposal. As for the family front, Deborah will face another challenge when she learns about DJ’s pregnancy. Now, how she will deal with everything remains to be seen.
Deborah And Ava’s Relationship Will Stain
Statsky also told the outlet that Hacks Season 4 will focus on Deborah and Ava’s relationship. Their bonding has remained the strongest one, but things will change. She said that the fourth season would revolve around their relationship and that the new dynamic would tell how things would move. But since the series is a comedy show, it’s challenging to delve such a stained relationship drama into the picture. However, now that they are focusing on late-night shows, many new changes and environments will occur. So, be ready.
Hacks Season 4 Release Date
As of now, the series has only been renewed. So, it doesn’t seem like it will return this year. The third season took two years to wrap up filming, and the credit goes to the Hollywood strike. However, it doesn’t seem like such a thing will happen again. So, the filming will only take six to seven months to wrap up, but when the fourth season enters production, it remains to be seen. Considering all the parameters, Hacks Season 4 won’t return until 2025. This is all for now. Stay with TechRadar247 for more such updates.