Deborah Vance might sometimes be down, but she's never out! The fictional comedian's reign of hilarity will continue as HBO Max has officially renewed Hacks season 5. The pickup for a fifth season was announced on May 28, one day before the season 4 finale on May 29. While fans would have loved season 5 to be confirmed sooner, we don't have to worry about the show's fate anymore.
Hacks season 5 marks an oddly shocking milestone for HBO Max, one that might not seem impressive compared to the longevity of other shows. With the season 5 renewal, Hacks certifies itself as the longest-running scripted original series on HBO Max. Very few of the streamer's originals have made it past two seasons, much less three or four. Hacks has set the bar very high.
It's a history-making renewal that speaks volumes of Hacks' quality and staying power. But the series could easily be surpassed by another HBO Max original sometime in the future. There's a world in which The Pitt or And Just Like That matches or exceeds Hacks' run, but well have to wait and see how far Hacks goes beyond season 5 or if there's even more adventures for Deborah and Ava.
Hacks renewed for season 5 at HBO Max
Some fans have noted that HBO Max didn't announce that Hacks season 5 would be the final season of the series. In April 2024, co-creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that they were ideally working toward five seasons to complete the story. While that could still be the plan, the plan could have also changed.
It's clear to see that Hacks could be naturally winding down to an ending point for Deborah and Ava's story. There's a delicate balancing act to play with when it comes to comedy. You don't want to overstay your welcome and produce middling seasons just because you're a hit, but you also don't want to leave the party too early. In many ways, Hacks still has a lot of life left in it, but how much?
Depending on where the story goes in season 5, which hasn't been revealed at the time of the renewal and the season 4 finale will surely set up, there might not be much reason to continue with season 6 or season 7. If anyone could find hilarious stories to tell, it's the Hacks team. But the longer the series runs, the more it runs the risk of retreading past storylines and getting stale.
In four seasons, Hacks has already built up Deborah and Ava's partnership, taken them to Vegas and beyond, set up a late night show, and navigated their worst possible fight. After getting them to the other side of that horrible fight, any future conflict between them would feel more like "this again?" than anything that rings particularly true. Overall, we just really want them to win and be friends.
HBO Max hasn't revealed how many episodes will be in Hacks season 5, but there will most likely be 10 since the series got back on track post-strikes. Production should start sometime this fall before the end of the year. The series has maintained a spring premiere schedule throughout its run, which should stick in season 5 and see the series back by April or May 2026. Stay tuned for more updates!
Watch Hacks only on HBO Max.