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The Comeback (TV series)

Updated: 5/20/2026, 8:35:23 PM Wikipedia source

The Comeback is an American sitcom produced by HBO. The series stars Lisa Kudrow as sitcom actress Valerie Cherish in modern-day Los Angeles, and was created by Kudrow herself in collaboration with Michael Patrick King, a former executive producer of Sex and the City. Kudrow and King additionally serve as screenwriters and executive producers of the series, with King also having directed several episodes. The series originally aired for a single season of 13 episodes from June 5 to September 4, 2005, before being canceled. Nine years later, The Comeback was revived for a second season of eight episodes that aired from November 9 to December 28, 2014. The third and final season premiered on March 22, 2026. The Comeback is a satirical and comedic look inside the entertainment television industry. It was shot by a two-camera crew. The first season is presented as found footage shot for the fictional reality show within the series, also called The Comeback. The second season is presented as found footage shot by a camera crew originally commissioned by Valerie to pitch a pilot to noted reality TV producer Andy Cohen, later repurposed as behind the scenes web content, and then into a full-scale documentary. The third season is presented as a mix of single-camera scenes and found footage shot by returning filmmaker Jane Benson, with social media and digital and security footage of Valerie's role in an AI-written sitcom also utilized.

Infobox

Genre
Cringe comedy Satire Mockumentary Comedy verite
Created by
Lisa Kudrow Michael Patrick King
Starring
Lisa Kudrow Malin Åkerman Robert Bagnell Lance Barber Robert Michael Morris Laura Silverman Damian Young Dan Bucatinsky Jack O'Brien
Country of origin
United States
Original language
English
No. of seasons
3
No. of episodes
29 (list of episodes)
Executive producers
John Melfi (season 1, 3) Michael Patrick King Lisa Kudrow Dan Bucatinsky
Camera setup
Single camera
Running time
25–55 minutes
Production companies
Working Class Films (season 1) Michael Patrick King Productions (season 2) Is or Isn't Entertainment (seasons 1-2) Warner Bros. Television HBO Original Programming
Network
HBO
Release
June 5, 2005 (2005-06-05) – May 10, 2026 (2026-05-10)

Tables

First released
First released
Season
First released
Episodes
Last released
1
1
Season
1
Episodes
13
Episodes
June 5, 2005 (2005-06-05)
Originally released
September 4, 2005 (2005-09-04)
2
2
Season
2
Episodes
8
Episodes
November 9, 2014 (2014-11-09)
Originally released
December 28, 2014 (2014-12-28)
3
3
Season
3
Episodes
8
Episodes
March 22, 2026 (2026-03-22)
Originally released
May 10, 2026 (2026-05-10)
Season
Episodes
Originally released
First released
Last released
1
13
June 5, 2005 (2005-06-05)
September 4, 2005 (2005-09-04)
2
8
November 9, 2014 (2014-11-09)
December 28, 2014 (2014-12-28)
3
8
March 22, 2026 (2026-03-22)
May 10, 2026 (2026-05-10)
Critical response of The Comeback · Reception › Critical response
1
1
Season
1
Rotten Tomatoes
65% (20 reviews)
Metacritic
58 (25 reviews)
2
2
Season
2
Rotten Tomatoes
86% (35 reviews)
Metacritic
71 (24 reviews)
3
3
Season
3
Rotten Tomatoes
97% (34 reviews)
Metacritic
80 (22 reviews)
Season
Rotten Tomatoes
Metacritic
1
65% (20 reviews)
58 (25 reviews)
2
86% (35 reviews)
71 (24 reviews)
3
97% (34 reviews)
80 (22 reviews)
· Awards and nominations
Season 1
Season 1
Season
Season 1
Award
Primetime Emmy Award
Category
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Nominee
Lisa Kudrow
Result
Nominated
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Season
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Award
Michael Patrick King for "Valerie Does Another Classic Leno"
Category
Nominated
Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series
Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series
Season
Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series
Award
Meg Liberman Camille H. Patton Elizabeth Barnes
Category
Nominated
Artios Awards
Artios Awards
Season
Artios Awards
Award
Best Comedy Pilot Casting
Category
Meg Liberman Camille H. Patton
Nominee
Nominated
Gracie Awards
Gracie Awards
Season
Gracie Awards
Award
Outstanding Female Lead – Comedy Series
Category
Lisa Kudrow
Nominee
Won
Satellite Awards
Satellite Awards
Season
Satellite Awards
Award
Best Actress in a Series, Musical or Comedy
Category
Lisa Kudrow
Nominee
Nominated
Season 2
Season 2
Season
Season 2
Award
Dorian Awards
Category
TV Comedy of the Year
Result
Nominated
TV Performance of the Year – Actress
TV Performance of the Year – Actress
Season
TV Performance of the Year – Actress
Award
Lisa Kudrow
Category
Won
Critics' Choice Television Awards
Critics' Choice Television Awards
Season
Critics' Choice Television Awards
Award
Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Category
Lisa Kudrow
Nominee
Nominated
Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
Season
Primetime Emmy Award
Award
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Category
Lisa Kudrow
Nominee
Nominated
Season
Award
Category
Nominee
Result
Ref.
Season 1
Primetime Emmy Award
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Lisa Kudrow
Nominated
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Michael Patrick King for "Valerie Does Another Classic Leno"
Nominated
Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series
Meg Liberman Camille H. Patton Elizabeth Barnes
Nominated
Artios Awards
Best Comedy Pilot Casting
Meg Liberman Camille H. Patton
Nominated
Gracie Awards
Outstanding Female Lead – Comedy Series
Lisa Kudrow
Won
Satellite Awards
Best Actress in a Series, Musical or Comedy
Lisa Kudrow
Nominated
Season 2
Dorian Awards
TV Comedy of the Year
Nominated
TV Performance of the Year – Actress
Lisa Kudrow
Won
Critics' Choice Television Awards
Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Lisa Kudrow
Nominated
Primetime Emmy Award
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Lisa Kudrow
Nominated

References

  1. Excluding most of the last quarter of the season 2 finale, and large parts of season 3.
  2. Except for the last quarter of finale's runtime, where the series breaks its mockumentary format as it transitions to a
  3. Time
    https://entertainment.time.com/2013/05/13/discomfort-zone-10-great-cringe-comedies/slide/the-comeback/
  4. "HBO confirms November 9 Premieres for 'The Newsroom', 'The Comeback' & 'Getting On'"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20140910195930/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/09/09/hbo-confirms-november-9-premieres-for-the-newsroom-the-comeback-getting-on/301246/
  5. Los Angeles Times
    https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2026-03-22/the-comeback-review-lisa-kudrow-hbo-season-3
  6. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/jun/15/lisa-kudrow-on-the-comeback-satire
  7. Rotten Tomatoes
    https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_comeback/s01
  8. Metacritic
    https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-comeback/season-1/
  9. Rotten Tomatoes
    https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-comeback/s02/?popup=false
  10. Metacritic
    https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-comeback/season-2
  11. Rotten Tomatoes
    https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_comeback/s03
  12. Metacritic
    https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-comeback/season-3/
  13. Entertainment Weekly
    https://ew.com/gallery/10-best-tv-shows-decade/
  14. "25 Best Cult TV Shows from the Past 25 Years." Entertainment Weekly. August 3, 2012, p. 39.
  15. "The EW Office Poll: Lisa Kudrow Dishes It Out," Entertainment Weekly 1026 (December 19, 2008): 12.
  16. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/03/arts/television/gazing-resolutely-into-a-mirror-wink.html
  17. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2012/may/10/your-next-box-set-comeback
  18. Los Angeles Times
    https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-lisa-kudrow-hbo-comeback-review-20141107-column.html
  19. The A . Club
    https://www.avclub.com/hbo-s-reality-parody-the-comeback-returns-somehow-dar-1798181834
  20. Oregon Live
    http://www.oregonlive.com/movies/index.ssf/2014/11/lisa_kudrows_the_comeback_retu.html
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