Valerie Cherish making a return for a new season of The Comeback on HBO? We do want to see that! And we will see that thanks to the unexpectedly delightful announcement made by the network on Friday, June 27. It's time to run back another rewatch on the first two seasons of the Emmy Award-nominated comedy series because season 3 is officially and finally on the way!
The Comeback season 3 will be the final season
In a video featuring Lisa Kudrow in character as Valerie Cherish, The Comeback season 3 renewal announcement reveals HBO will be bringing the series back for a third and final season in 2026. According to HBO's press release, filming on The Comeback season 3 begins this summer but doesn't reveal how many episodes have been ordered for the supposedly final run.
The show's creators Michael Patrick King and Lisa Kudrow teased the upcoming third season with a preview of what Valerie will be getting up to: "Valerie Cherish has found her way back to the current television landscape. Neither of us are surprised she did." Kudrow's announcement video previews Valerie's upcoming new TV series How's That? She's also still barking orders at Jane.
Along with Kudrow reprising her iconic starring role, The Comeback season 3 has also confirmed the returns of Dan Bucatinsky as Valerie's publicist Bill Stanton, Laura Silverman as Valerie's producer Jane, and Damian Young as Valerie's husband Mark Berman. Additional cast members and guest stars haven't been confirmed yet, but we'll likely hear more announcement as production begins.
Kudrow most recently mused earlier this month about The Comeback potentially returning for another season in the future while reflecting on the show's 20th anniversary with King for Variety. The star, whose performance was Emmy-nominated for both previous seasons, said she and King are "talking about it and looking for it," meaning an idea good enough to bring Valerie back.
It's unclear if The Comeback season 3 was already in the works when that conversation happened or if the decision to green light a final season came out of that reflection on the 20th anniversary. Either way, it's exciting that Valerie Cherish has finally found her way back into the spotlight for the final season that has always been inevitable. Her story has felt unfinished and in need of one last chapter.
The series debuted on HBO in June 2005 with its 13-episode first season, ultimately getting canceled shortly after the season ended and the series lost its Emmy nominations. The Comeback later returned for an eight-episode second season on HBO in November 2014, almost 10 years later. Since then, there hadn't been any immediate plans for season 3.
Going into the third season, it will be interesting to see what the hook is. Will Valerie plan to retire after her latest show? How is she keeping up with the streaming age? Is she on TikTok? Hopefully, there were be a bit more than eight episodes to unpack her hilarious misadventures and there will be some great guest stars, like Kudrow's Friends castmates. Stay tuned for more updates on season 3!
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