The Creators of ‘Hacks’ on Comedy, Creative Partnership and Surviving Hollywood
5/7/20261 hr 4 min
Kara talks with "Hacks" creators and showrunners Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky about the state of comedy and ending the HBO Max hit on their own terms. The critically-acclaimed series follows Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas stand-up comedian played by Jean Smart, and Ava Daniels, a young TV writer played by Hannah Einbinder, as the pair navigate the many ups and downs of show business. The team discusses Deborah and Ava’s “dark mentorship,” the intimacy of creative partnership and how Hollywood has changed over the show’s five-season run. They also get into the streaming boom-and-bust cycle and whether AI will help or hurt creativity. Plus: the chances of a "Hacks" reboot, and what Ava and Deborah might be facing five years from now. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsKara Swisher· Host0:00
Yeah, I like, I love a polycule. You know, they don't have to just be- [laughs] ... Brooklyn media polycules. They can be Hollywood media polycules.
Jen Statsky· Guest0:06
[laughs] Yeah, they could be Hollywood writing polycules. Yeah.
Paul W. Downs· Guest0:08
Oh, yeah. It's very Los Angeles.
Speaker 30:10
[upbeat music] It's on.
Kara Swisher· Host0:12
Hi, everyone, from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network, this is On with Kara Swisher, and I'm Kara Swisher. My guests today are Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello, and Paul W. Downs, the creators and showrunners of the series Hacks on HBO Max. Over the course of its run, the critically acclaimed show about Hollywood and the business of comedy has won 12 Emmys, including the prize for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2024. Hacks follows Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas standup played by Jean Smart, and Ava Daniels, a young TV writer played by Hannah Einbinder. From the moment they first meet, their relationship is complicated, filled with lies, betrayal, blackmail, and reconciliation, but it grows into a deep and hilarious bond, and the pair forge a creative partnership that turns around both of their careers. Now, after five seasons, Hacks is coming to an end. The series finale airs on May 28th. I have long wanted to talk to the people who make Hacks. I think it's one of the best shows on television. I think it's very, very funny, but it's also very deep in terms of how people conduct their relationships at work. It's about people who love their work,