Hacks season 1

The first season of American comedy-drama streaming series Hacks debuted on May 13, 2021, on HBO Max. The series was co-created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky. Starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, the season follows two comedians from different generations who forge a working relationship. Season one received critical acclaim and earned accolades including Primetime Emmy Awards for directing, writing, and acting (for Smart).

Main

 * Jean Smart as Deborah Vance, a revered Las Vegas stand-up comedian decades into her career
 * Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels, a 25-year-old comedy writer forced to leave Los Angeles and work with Deborah Vance
 * Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Marcus, the loyal workaholic COO of Deborah's company

Recurring

 * Mark Indelicato as Damien, Deborah's personal assistant
 * Paul W. Downs as Jimmy LuSaque Jr., Deborah and Ava's manager
 * Christopher McDonald as Marty Ghilain, CEO of the Palmetto Casino
 * Rose Abdoo as Josefina, Deborah's house manager
 * Megan Stalter as Kayla Schaeffer, Jimmy's inept assistant and boss's daughter
 * Poppy Liu as Kiki, Deborah's personal blackjack dealer and an employee at the Palmetto
 * Kaitlin Olson as Deborah "DJ" Vance Jr., Deborah's daughter
 * Johnny Sibilly as Wilson, a water inspector and Marcus' love interest
 * Angela Elayne Gibbs as Robin, Marcus' mother
 * Jane Adams as Nina Daniels, Ava's mother
 * Lorenza Izzo as Ruby, Ava's ex-girlfriend and an actress
 * Luenell as Miss Loretta, Robin's best friend
 * Joe Mande as Ray, a front desk clerk at the Palmetto
 * Lauren Weedman as Madam Mayor Pezzimenti, mayor of Las Vegas

Guest

 * Jefferson Mays as T.L. Gurley, an antique dealer with a grudge against Deborah
 * Brent Sexton season 1 as Michael Schaeffer, Jimmy's boss and Kayla's father
 * Jeff Ward as George, a man Ava meets at the Palmetto
 * Louis Herthum as Dennis Daniels, Ava's father who is recovering from a stroke
 * Anna Maria Horsford as Francine, a veteran comedian who goes by "Frenchie." She is an old friend of Deborah's.
 * Linda Purl as Kathy Vance, Deborah's estranged sister
 * Chris Geere and Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Jesse and Daisy, two British TV producers who interview Ava

Production
Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky developed the idea for Hacks on a road trip in 2015. The three worked together previously on Broad City, and Aniello and Downs are romantic partners.

HBO Max ordered the pilot for Hacks, a single-camera comedy series, from co-creators Aniello, Downs, and Statsky in January 2020, and then picked it up for a 10-episode order in May 2020. The series is co-executive produced with Michael Schur (Fremulon), and David Miner and Morgan Sackett (3 Arts Entertainment). Hacks is produced by Universal Television.

On February 8, 2021, Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder were announced as the two lead cast members and Carl Clemons-Hopkins was announced as a main cast member. Additional recurring cast members were also announced: Kaitlin Olson, Christopher McDonald, co-creator Paul W. Downs, Mark Indelicato, Poppy Liu, Johnny Sibilly, Meg Stalter, and Rose Abdoo.

The series premiered on May 13, 2021, with the release of episodes one and two.

Critical response
The first season received critical acclaim. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an 100% approval rating based on 74 critics’ reviews, with an average rating of 8.3/10. The website's critics consensus states, "A prickling debut that pulls few punches, Hacks deftly balances its sharp critiques of the comedy world with more intimate moments, all the while giving the incomparable Jean Smart a role worthy of her talents – and an excellent partner in Hannah Einbinder." Metacritic calculated a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 based on 24 critics.