Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large As they campaign for their Season 3 Emmy nominations, Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky — the co-creators behind “Hacks” — are already busy at work on what already promises to be an explosive Season 4.
As a matter of fact, the trio have found so much to mine that they will be back to producing a full ten episodes (up from nine in Season 3 and eight in Season 2) next year. “It feels like a season where we’re wanting to do even more episodes than we had planned on or agreed on,” Aniello tells Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast. “So we’re going to be doing ten episodes, because we’re feeling like there’s just so much to say and do.” Season 3 ended on a sharp note as Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) lands her holy grail, a late night talk show — and then refuses to give her protégé Ava (Hannah Einbinder) the head writer job.
Ava, however, has an ace up her sleeves and makes a power move that forces Deborah to give her the gig anyway. That shift in the dynamic between the two should be interesting to watch, as should the behind-the-scenes machinations of launching a new late night show.
Aniello, Downs and Statsky met up with Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast to talk all about what’s in store next for “Hacks,” while also looking back at their Emmy-nominated Season 3, which most critics agree was the Max comedy’s strongest yet.
Read more on variety.com