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Since its premiere in 2021, HBO Max’s comedy Hacks has earned near-universal acclaim, an Emmy for Best Comedy Series, and an army of fans. The show follows legendary (read: “older”) stand-up comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) as she reluctantly teams up with young, disgraced comedy writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) in a desperate bid to revive her career.
Hacks has maintained its sharp writing and great performances over four seasons—a rare TV trait. HBO confirmed that a fifth season is on the way, but no release date has been announced, so Hacks fans will have to put on their waiting shoes. In the meantime, here are five shows that can help fill the Hacks-shaped hole in your viewing schedule and your heart.
Broad City (2014-2019)
If you only watch one show while you wait for Hacks, make it Broad City. The two shows share comedy DNA: Hacks show-runner and co-creator Paul W. Downs was a writer and executive producer on Broad City; Hacks co-creator Jen Statsky was a writer and producer on Broad City, and Hack’s third co-creator, Lucia Aniello, served as executive producer, writer, and director on the earlier series. It’s not just the creatives behind the scenes: Both Hacks and Broad City focus on the experiences and relationships of female lead characters, but if Hacks is about surviving in showbiz, Broad City is about surviving your 20s, with a similar blend of messy friendships, self-discovery, and sharp observations. You can stream Broad City on Hulu, Paramount+, Roku, Disney+, and Prime Video.
The Studio (2025-present)
Seth Rogen-created comedy The Studio and Hacks may stream from competing platforms, but they take place in the same fictional universe. The Hacks crew makes a cameo on a Studio episode set at the Golden Globes, and Rogen appears as himself on Deborah’s late-night show on Hacks. It’s like that time George Jetson visited The Flintstones, but with more passive-aggression and fewer dinosaurs who wash dishes. Beyond the shared fictional universe, both shows offer an of-the-moment, meta take on the entertainment industry and feature characters navigating the choppy waters of the unique personalities and practices of the business of show. You can stream The Studio on Apple TV+.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-2023)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a spiritual prequel to Hacks. Rachel Brosnahan plays Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a comic on the come-up in early 1960s New York. While the timeline doesn’t work out for it to actually be Deborah’s backstory, the parallels are clear: Both women are whip-smart performers fighting for relevance in a male-dominated comedy world. Maisel captures the same spirit of a woman fighting to make it in the male-dominated world of comedy. Maisel’s stylized take on the entertainment business contextualizes the world Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels live in. It’s also an often painful reminder of how little has changed. You can stream Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video.
Absolutely Fabulous (1992-1995)
Early 90s British cult-sensation Absolutely Fabulous features a faster pace and broader humor than Hacks, but the relationship between fashion P.R. maven Edina and her no-nonsense daughter Saffron mirrors the push and pull between Deborah and Ava in Hacks. Both Ab Fab and Hacks explore the challenges of aging in industries obsessed with youth, and both feature brash women fighting against irrelevance. Just don’t expect any sentimental heart-to-heart talks on the more biting Absolutely Fabulous. You can watch Absolutely Fabulous on Peacock, BritBox, Hulu, Prime Video, and Disney+.
Barry (2018-2023)
If you like Hacks‘ dark take on the entertainment industry, why not go even darker with HBO’s Barry? Barry’s title character, played by Bill Hader, is an excellent hitman who becomes a terrible actor with the help of a washed-up acting coach played by Henry Winkler. Like Hacks, Barry revolves around the collision between ambition and self-delusion, framed through the relationship between a struggling artist and an older mentor. Like Hacks, Barry excels at finding humor in the often brutal realities of trying to make it in entertainment—though Barry takes that darkness to considerably more extreme places. You can stream Barry on HBO Max.
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
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