2 months ago
HBO‘s The Comeback is taking nan conception of agelong gaps betwixt seasons to a caller level, pinch its 3rd play premiering connected March 22, 11.5 years aft Season 2, which, successful turn, was released much than 9 years aft nan first season.
Tackling topics for illustration AI replacing TV writers and nan 2023 WGA strike, The Comeback, starring Lisa Kudrow arsenic B-level sitcom prima Valerie Cherish, is much than different showbiz comedy, Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max Content, said connected shape astatine nan Season 3 premiere Thursday night.
“I deliberation this show says truthful overmuch astir nan intermezo business, television, personage and civilization astatine large, that erstwhile historians look backmost astatine nan 21st century, I deliberation this show says much astir what we’re experiencing successful nan intermezo business and civilization than astir dramas, movies, books, articles,” he said, adding, “I cognize that sounds grandiose, and I mean it to sound grandiose” to a laughter from nan audience.
In an question and reply pinch Deadline astatine nan premiere, Amy Gravitt, EVP, HBO Programming, Head of HBO & Max Comedy Series, said about The Comeback’s return pinch an AI-themed storyline and nan wide entreaty of Rooster, from Bill Lawrence, creator of ABC’s Scrubs and Apple TV’s Bad Monkey and co-creator of Apple’s Ted Lasso and Shrinking, and prima Steve Carell, and its imaginable renewal aft strong premiere viewership and a California taxation credit for Season 2.
She besides addressed nan renewals of 2 writer-performer-driven bid that launched past year, Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin’s The Chair Company and Rachel Sennott’s I Love LA and nan Season 3 position of Nathan Fielder’s docu-comedy The Rehearsal.
Gravitt gave an update connected Sharon Horgan’s upcoming series, successful which she stars arsenic a 50-year-old divorcee searching for activity and love, and connected Kansas City Star, headlined by Kaley Cuoco and created by the Hacks trio of Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky.
She besides said astir nan HBO Max drama marque and erstwhile we tin expect a bid that exemplifies it, Chuck Lorre’s Big Bang Theory spinoff Stuart Fails To Save nan Universe. Additionally, Gravitt talked astir nan upcoming sketch drama bid Larry David has pinch President Barack Obama, Life, Larry & The Pursuit of Unhappiness, which marks USA’s 250th anniversary, and whether location is simply a chance for much Curb Your Enthusiasm.
DEADLINE: Why bring The Comeback back now and why pinch nan AI angle?
GRAVITT: Well, it’s what they came to america with. I deliberation for each of us, nan timing of it conscionable felt — evidently location is symmetry to having 10 years betwixt seasons. It requires a characteristic pinch existent potency to beryllium capable to travel backmost aft truthful overmuch time, and I deliberation Valerie Cherish is 1 of a fewer that could do that.
But, for illustration pinch each of our shows, it really is astir nan creators having an thought that they’re inspired to write. And nan timing of having a communicative astir AI erstwhile I deliberation there’s going to beryllium an onslaught of it — and I don’t mean AI, well, there’s nan onslaught of AI, but there’s besides nan narratives astir it.
So to beryllium capable to beryllium nan first 1 successful to satirize it pinch a characteristic for illustration Valerie Cherish, that’s not thing you opportunity ‘no’ to.
DEADLINE: This is branded arsenic last season. Didn’t you want to time off nan doorway unfastened for more?
GRAVITT: We didn’t. The thought of a trilogy is thing that’s very neat. I deliberation that, if we travel nan timing, that would beryllium 10 years down nan roadworthy from now, truthful that conscionable seems for illustration everlastingly away. But I deliberation it felt for illustration closure for them pinch nan characters, that they are making nan points that they want to make. They had a existent logic to travel backmost and revisit Valerie and nan remainder of nan cast, and it felt for illustration nan clip to wrap it up 20+ years later.
DEADLINE: The caller revival of different HBO comedy, Sex and nan City, ran connected HBO Max. Why did you determine to support nan caller The Comeback connected HBO and not put it connected HBO Max?
GRAVITT: It’s not a revival, it’s nan aforesaid show, it’s conscionable a agelong clip betwixt seasons.
DEADLINE: The Comeback is being paired pinch Rooster, some broader comedies pinch large web stars successful Kudrow and Carell. That feels for illustration a spot of a departure from what you person been doing astatine HBO recently.
GRAVITT: I deliberation for us, we’re ever looking to equilibrium nan slate out. It’s successful different ways tonally, it’s pinch different points of view, and location was thing astir Rooster that, evidently nan operation of Steve and Bill is undeniable. So you person maine pinch that, and past besides nan thought of mounting a show connected a campus, but really making it a family show felt for illustration it fresh connected our slate successful an absorbing way. And I deliberation that there’s thing astir it correct now, I emotion that it’s landing astatine a infinitesimal wherever group are looking for nan comfortableness of aged shows — not moreover aged shows, but those existent TV show formats.
DEADLINE: Maybe because Bill Lawrence does a batch of shows for Apple, but personification said that Rooster feels for illustration an Apple show. Are you widening nan HBO brand?
GRAVITT: To me, it feels for illustration an HBO show. I don’t moreover cognize it’s needfully widening nan brand. Again, it’s conscionable astir keeping our slate balanced. And there’s thing to maine that it feels for illustration a successor to nan reside that we captured connected Somebody Somewhere. I really for illustration having nan warmth, you tin do lukewarm comedies too,
DEADLINE: With nan beardown premiere viewership and nan taxation credit, is simply a Rooster renewal coming?
GRAVITT: Stay tuned.
DEADLINE You renewed some of your caller writer-performer shows, The Chair Company and I Love LA. How do you consciousness astir nan measurement they were received, and what is nan position of their 2nd seasons?
GRAVITT: I’m emotion awesome astir each of these shows, to beryllium honest. They were some absolute no-brainers to prime up. I deliberation some Tim and Zach sewage to make nan nonstop show that they wanted to make, and are excited to do more. And I deliberation it was truthful good received. And likewise for I Love LA.
It’s specified a bully clip for HBO comedy. Having Chair Company Season 2, we’re conscionable starting to get outlines successful for that, and likewise, for I Love LA, they’re successful nan room connected some shows. Also, again, emotion bully astir Rooster and The Comeback. We’ve sewage a beautiful afloat slate that’s really landing well, which is each you tin inquire for..
DEADLINE: How is nan Sharon Horgan bid coming?
GRAVITT: They’re successful nan mediate of it. I’m flying to London to spell to nan 2nd batch of array sounds for that. So we’re good underway; we’re successful nan mediate of accumulation for that one. I’ve been wanting to activity pinch Sharon and person developed pinch her going way, measurement back, almost arsenic acold backmost arsenic The Comeback. This is decidedly 1 of those collaborations that has been a agelong clip coming, and it’s really nosy to beryllium examining this section of her life. She’s brilliant.
DEADLINE: What is successful nan pipeline down that? Is Kansas City Star from the Hacks creators still happening?
GRAVITT: As soon arsenic we tin get them focused connected penning that script. Yes, that’s retired connected nan horizon.
DEADLINE: Can Kaley Cuoco do some this and the HBO Max play How To Live Without Me if that aviator goes to series?
GRAVITT: I’m judge location is measurement to make that happen. People are doing aggregate things each nan time, it’s nan caller era successful television.
DEADLINE: HBO Max’ only existent drama series, Hacks, is coming to an end. Coming up location is the Big Bang Theory spinoff, Stuart Fails To Save nan Universe. What’s its status; we haven’t heard thing lately. It should’ve wrapped production.
GRAVITT: We’re conscionable starting to spot cuts, it will beryllium retired later this year. It’s a really nosy show. It’s been awesome to spot Chuck beryllium capable to play pinch these characters, but also, astatine nan aforesaid time, play pinch genre. We’re really really excited astir it. It’s nosy and cinematic and precisely what you would want from a spinoff.
DEADLINE: You said past year that nan Big Bang spinoff is simply a “really bully illustration of what a Max drama should be.” Does it mean IP-based shows? Would you do multi-camera sitcoms?
GRAVITT: I ideate it would beryllium a operation of nan two. Obviously the Big Bang spinoff is precisely successful that vein. But also, if we were to create multi-cams and find nan correct 1 that made sense, that would be, I think, nan cleanable Max comedy, aliases thing that, conscionable feels a small spot much episodic and evergreen that distinguishes itself from an HBO show.
DEADLINE: What is nan latest connected Nathan Fielder and The Rehearsal Season 3?
GRAVITT: He is off, noodling.
DEADLINE: Still noodling?
GRAVITT: It’s post-noodling; I’ll springiness you post-noodling, really astir that? He’s moving connected an thought for nan 3rd season.
DEADLINE: It’s been a twelvemonth since nan extremity of The Righteous Gemstones. Danny McBride produces It’s Florida, Man but do you person thing caller successful nan useful pinch him arsenic a creator?
GRAVITT: He has a task that he is shepherding for america that we’re starting to talk about, truthful I’m excited to beryllium having those conversations pinch him, it’s not afloat together yet.
DADLINE: Curb’s Larry David is backmost pinch a sketch show…
GRAVITT: I was conscionable astatine South By wherever we did a motorboat for Larry, and past had a sheet for Rooster, and a sheet for The Comeback. He was capable to stock a sketch.
He is happier than ever. As overmuch arsenic he utilized to return clip betwixt seasons, he intelligibly loves to beryllium working. And it’s really funny. And I deliberation it’s gonna beryllium nan cleanable thought for this holiday.
DEADLINE: This feels a stunt but tin it proceed arsenic an anthology pinch different themes?
GRAVITT: I deliberation it’s beautiful circumstantial to nan semiquincentennial.
DEADLINE: What astir Curb? Is location a anticipation for more?
GRAVITT: I don’t deliberation so. No much Curb.
DEADLINE: What astir your late-night fare nether EVP Nina Rosenstein pinch shows like It’s Florida Man and Neighbors?
GRAVITT: I deliberation we’re fortunate to manus disconnected between, precocious nighttime and scripted series, and sometimes we person immoderate overlap — we activity pinch a batch of nan aforesaid talent, and hopefully it feels for illustration a coherent HBO drama brand.
