Hacks on HBO Max is up for 15 Emmys this year, including Best Comedy Series. The show follows the relationship between a legendary stand-up in her 70s — Deborah Vance — and her 20-something comedy writer, Ava Daniels, played by Jean Smart and Hannah Einbeinder, respectively.
The most recent season tackled the world of late night television as Vance got her chance in the host chair. This meant the show’s two protagonists found themselves living in Los Angeles.
LAist’s Antonia Cereijido talked with the three creators of the show — Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs — about how the latest season highlights Los Angeles, where Vance would spend her time in L.A. if she were a real person and the show’s prescient take on late night television.
“Hacks” creators talk bringing the latest season of the show to LA
Giving the Americana at Brand in Glendale its due
When the writers room for Hacks got together to hammer out the fourth season, they knew exactly where they wanted the young head writer, Ava Daniels, to live: the apartments in the Americana at Brand in Glendale.
Jen Statsky: I always said I wanted to live there because of proximity to the Cheesecake Factory. And late night is such a demanding job. It's so intense, that actually living at a place where you have everything at your disposal, your prescriptions, your convenience store, food…
Paul W. Downs: Your blotting tissues…
Jen Statsky: Your blotting tissues from Sephora! It just kind of made sense for [Ava].
Where would Vance hang out in LA?
How would Vance spend her time standing, sitting and laying down in Los Angeles if she were a real person?
Jen Statsky: Standing…
Lucia Aniello: Deborah at a club, right? Doing comedy?
Paul W. Downs: Oh, comedy club!
Antonia Cereijido: Where is she performing? At the [Comedy] Store?
Lucia Aniello: No, she’d do a bigger venue. Maybe the Hollywood Bowl?
Paul W. Downs: She might have some shows at Largo [at the Coronet]…
Lucia Aniello: She's calling up Sarah Silverman and she's saying, “Honey, can I get a set? Can I get in?”
Paul W. Downs: Where does she wanna be lying down? Probably at a med spa in Beverly Hills. Guess what? I'm such a Deborah. Those are my answers too.
Jen Statsky: Right, right. She's getting a lymphatic drainage at a med spa. And then sitting… Probably trying on shoes at Neiman Marcus.
Lucia Aniello: That's good.
Paul W. Downs: Or you know what? She heard All Time was good. She's sitting at the restaurant, she’s trying it out.
Lucia Aniello: Yeah, she's going, “I would never have the crispy rice, but it looks fantastic!”
Foreshadowing real changes in late night
While living at the Americana and dining at fine restaurants like All Time are the perks of Deborah and Ava’s glamorous L.A. lifestyles, creating a successful late night show in today’s market is quite challenging. And ultimately — spoiler alert — impossible for Vance, who decides to leave and end her show.
It’s a plot point that now feels very prescient as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and the ending of After Midnight, hosted by Taylor Tomlinson and filmed here in L.A., were both canceled. It’s a development that has reverberations across the comedy scene in the city.
Antonia Cereijido: I've heard you talk about how what's happening to late night is a huge blow to stand-ups and that's definitely true. It's really sad to see that avenue close for a lot of people to discover new incredible talent…
Paul W. Downs: It's a pipeline for comedy, not just for new voices that are performers, but also writers who get their first job like Jen [Statsky] did in late night. We try, as you see in the show, to portray an optimistic version of the industry where someone like Deborah fights for a show business that works for artists. But yeah, it's hard to deny what's going on is scary.
Interview excerpts have been lightly edited for clarity.
Watch the full interview below.
