I do wanna see that! 20 years after its premiere and 10 years after Season 2, HBO has finally (finally!) announced that The Comeback will… come back for Season 3. The network is labeling it the final season, and Lisa Kudrow (Friends) will once again reprise her leading role as Valerie Cherish. Production starts this summer, and the new season is slated to premiere in 2026.
The announcement was made by Valerie herself in a promo video that evokes the structure of the cringe comedy series that we came to know and love. In it, Valerie states that she has a new show and she’s doing it one last time and “never doing this again.” We quickly find out that “one last time” means recording the quick promo that is, of course, supervised by her ever-patient producer, Jane (Laura Silverman).
In an official statement, series creators Kudrow and Michael Patrick King (And Just Like That…) celebrated Valerie’s return, and Executive Vice President, HBO & Max Comedy Programming Amy Gravitt went further and teased that the return of Valerie Cherish to television will be nothing short of brilliant. She wrote:
“No matter what the industry throws at her, Valerie Cherish is a survivor. On the 20th anniversary of her debut, Michael Patrick King and Lisa Kudrow have brilliantly scripted her return to HBO and we can’t wait to see that.”
What Is ‘The Comeback’ About?
The Comeback was first released around the same time that cringe comedies like The Office were rising in popularity. The story centers around a failed actress who never seems to get her way but also never loses her optimism. She is followed by a documentary crew, so her emotions are always doctored to what she thinks the audiences want to see from her. The new season will also feature Dan Bucatinsky (Hacks) and Damien Young (The Trial of the Chicago 7).
Despite its short run and the wide gap between seasons, The Comeback is often regarded as one of the best mockumentary series ever made, with a slate of Emmy nominations to its name — including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series nominations for Kudrow in both seasons that have been released so far. Season 3 of the series will once again be created and executive produced by Kudrow and Patrick King, along with Bucatinsky and John Melfi (The Morning Show).
HBO and HBO Max debut Season 3 of The Comeback in 2026. A specific release window is yet to be revealed.
via Collider