‘Hacks’ Season 3 Reveals Trailer, Key Art As Show Returns to Max in May (TV News Roundup)

“Hacks” is back, and Max has revealed the official trailer and key art for the show’s long-awaited Season 3. The new installment of “Hacks,” which Variety chronicled in this recent feature, returns on Thursday, May 2, with two episodes on Max. The nine-episode season will continue with two episodes each week, up until the season finale on May 30.

Here’s this season’s logline: “A year after parting, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) is riding high off the success of her standup special while Ava (Hannah Einbinder) pursues new opportunities back in Los Angeles.”

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Smart and Einbinder star along with Paul W. Downs, Megan Stalter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Kaitlin Olson, Christopher McDonald, Mark Indelicato, Rose Abdoo and Lorenza Izzo. Guest stars this season include J. Smith-Cameron, Helen Hunt, Christina Hendricks, Christopher Lloyd, Dan Bucatinsky, George Wallace, Tony Goldwyn, and Aristotle Athari.

Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky are the show’s exec producers. Michael Schur, David Miner and Morgan Sackett are also exec producers on “Hacks,” which comes from Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Watch the trailer for the third season below.

In other TV roundup news:

DATES

“Home Sweet Rome!” is set to premiere in the U.S. May 16 on Max. From “Hannah Montana” and “That’s So Raven” creator Michael Poryes, the series centers on Lucy (Kensington Tallman), a spirited 13-year-old who leaves California behind to start a new life in Rome with her dad (Darrin Rose) and Italian pop sensation stepmom Francesca (Eleonora Facchini).

“Being a teenager can sometimes be filled with so much anxiety, and I hope this series will help young girls like me find encouragement through tough times, while being swept away by the magic of Rome,” Tallman said in a press release.

The coming-of-age comedy was shot entirely on location in Rome and is developed and written by Matt Huether and Courtney Jane Walker, who also both serve as showrunners. “Home Sweet Rome!” is an Italian-Canadian co-production by Italy’s Red Monk Studio, part of the Superprod Group and Canada’s First Generation Films.

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“Sunny,” a new dark comedy mystery thriller, is set to premiere on Apple TV + July 10, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through Sep. 4.

The ten-episode series stars Rashida Jones as Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan, whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash. As “consolation” she’s given Sunny, one of a new class of domestic robots made by her husband’s electronics company. Additional cast members include Hidetoshi Nishijima, Joanna Sotomura, Judy Ongg, YOU, annie the clumsy and Jun Kunimura. “Sunny” was created by showrunner Katie Robbins and executive producer and director Lucy Tcherniak.

Produced for Apple TV+ by A24, “Sunny” is written and executive produced by Robbins. A24 and Jones also serve as executive producers. The series is based on the book “Dark Manual” by Colin O’Sullivan.

FIRST LOOKS/TRAILERS

Prime Video released the official trailer for the second season of the neo-Western “Outer Range,” which centers on rancher Royal Abbott (Josh Brolin) who discovers a dark void at the edge of Wyoming’s wilderness.

Season 2 sees Abbott and his wife Cecelia (Lili Taylor) struggle to keep their family together in the aftermath of their granddaughter’s sudden disappearance.

Oscar nominee Brolin makes his directorial debut with the penultimate episode of the season. Other cast members include Imogen Poots, Tamara Podemski, Lewis Pullman, Tom Pelphrey, Noah Reid, Shaun Sipos, Isabel Arraiza, Olive Abercrombie and Will Patton.

“Outer Range” comes from executive producers Charles Murray, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Ernest McNealey, Brolin, Tony Krantz, Heather Rae and Jon Paré. Murray also serves as showrunner.

All seven episodes of the time-bending sophomore season will release May 16 on Prime Video.

Watch the trailer below.

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Max has released the official trailer for season two of adult animated series “Velma,” from Warner Bros. Animation. The second season will return April 25 on the streamer.

The season’s logline reads: “When an even spookier mystery grips Crystal Cove, Velma (Mindy Kaling) must find a way to balance her detective work with the demands of her newfound popularity before it’s too late. Meanwhile, her faithful friends Daphne (Constance Wu), Norville (Sam Richardson), and Fred (Glenn Howerton) are powerless to help thanks to their own personal battles and worse… Detention.”

Additional cast members include Russell Peters, Melissa Fumero, Sarayu Blue, Jane Lynch, Wanda Sykes, Cherry Jones, Frank Welker, Nicole Byer, Gary Cole, Andia Winslow and Sara Ramirez.

The second season was developed by Charlie Grandy and executive produced by Grandy, Kaling, Howard Klein and Elijah Aron. Jessica Kumai Scott serves as a co-executive producer. Amy Winfrey is supervising producer and Kandace Reuter and Rick Williams serve as producers alongside co-producers Moss Perricone and Greg Gallant.

Watch the trailer below.

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Netflix has unveiled first look images and a teaser trailer for the upcoming third season of “Sweet Tooth,” which is set to debut on Netflix June 6.

The season logline reads: “Having defeated General Abbot in the battle at Pubba’s Cabin, Gus (Christian Convery), Jepperd (Nonso Anozie), Becky (Stefania LaVie Owen) and Wendy (Naledi Murray) embark on a journey to Alaska in search of Gus’s mother, Birdie (Amy Seimetz), who has been working to uncover the mysterious origins of the deadly Sick. Along the way, they are joined by Dr. Singh (Adeel Akhtar), who may have his own dangerous beliefs about Gus and his role in reversing the virus.”

Jim Mickle serves as writer, director, showrunner and executive producer. Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, Amanda Burrell, Linda Moran and Evan Moore executive produce under the Team Downey banner. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television.

Watch the teaser trailer below.

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Showtime has released the official trailer and key art for the upcoming second half of season six of “The Chi”, which will return on Friday, May 10 on streaming and on demand for Paramount+ subscribers with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan, before making its on-air debut on Sunday, May 12, at 9 p.m. ET.

Season six cast includes Jacob Latimore, Alex Hibbert, Yolonda Ross, Shamon Brown Jr., Michael V. Epps, Birgundi Baker, Luke James and Curtiss Cook. Lynn Whitfield, Jill Marie Jones, Kadeem Hardison, Leon, Brett Gray and Daniel J. Watts join fellow season six guest stars Kandi Burruss, La La Anthony, Vic Mensa, Carolyn Michelle Smith, Jason Weaver, Iman Shumpert, Nia Jervier, L’lerrét Jazelle, Hannaha Hall, Ahmad Ferguson, Genesis Denise Hale, Joel Steingold, Judae’a Brown, Miriam A. Hyman, Tyla Abercrumbie, Tai Davis, Rolando Boyce and Tory O. Davis.

Along with Lena Waithe and Common, the series is executive produced by Aaron Kaplan, Rick Famuyiwa, Derek Dudley and Shelby Stone of ID8 Multimedia, and Rishi Rajani, CEO of Hillman Grad. Executive producers Justin Hillian and Jewel Coronel are co-showrunners for season six. Co-executive producers include Naomi Funabashi, who oversees for Hillman Grad, and Resheida Brady. Producers Deondray Gossfield and Quincy LeNear Gossfield are set to direct multiple episodes in season six.

Watch the trailer below:

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Peacock has released the premiere date, first look images and announced new guest stars Malala Yousafzai and Meera Syal for the second season of “We Are Lady Parts,” which returns May 30.

According to the official logline, “Season 2 of ‘We Are Lady Parts’ sees the band return with a renewed artistic mission after the high of their first U.K. tour, only to find a rival band threatens their delicate status quo. As the reality of chasing success sets in, Lady Parts embark on recording their first album, juggling personal ambitions and deciding whether ‘making it big’ is really what they wanted.”

Series Creator Nida Manzoor serves as writer, director and executive producer with Surian Fletcher-Jones, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner for Working Title Television. John Pocock serves as producer.

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STARZ revealed first-look images of its fourth and final season of “Power Book II: Ghost.”

Part one of the final season debuts on June 7 at midnight ET on the STARZ app. It will make its broadcast debut on STARZ at 8:00 PM ET/PT in the U.S. and 9:00 PM ET in Canada. Part two premieres on Sep. 6 at midnight ET on the STARZ app and on STARZ at 8:00 PM ET/PT in the U.S. and 9:00 PM ET in Canada on linear.

The series is a spin off of “Power,” which followed James “Ghost” St. Patrick, who balances his life as a drug dealer and owner of a nightclub. “Power Book II: Ghost” follows Tariq navigating his new life and trying to shed his father’s legacy. Along the way, Tariq gets entangled in the affairs of the cutthroat Tejada family, adding further complications as he tries to balance his drug operations with his life.

Brett Mahoney serves as showrunner and executive producer for season four of the series. “Power Book II: Ghost” is executive produced by the creator and showrunner of the original “Power,” Courtney A. Kemp through her production company End of Episode, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson through G-Unit Film and Television and Mark Canton through Canton Entertainment. Lionsgate Television produces the series for STARZ.

PROGRAMMING

Apple TV+ has ordered the three-part documentary series “Hollywood Con Queen,” from filmmaker Chris Smith (“Tiger King,” “100 Foot Wave”), which debuts May 8. The series is based on the book “Hollywood Con Queen: The Hunt for an Evil Genius,” by Scott Johnson. “Hollywood Con Queen” explores the story of “a mysterious figure dubbed the ‘Con Queen’ who impersonates the industry’s most powerful women, luring unsuspecting victims to Indonesia with the promise of a life-changing career opportunity. The ‘Con Queen’s marks exhaust their personal finances in pursuit of a big break, while being exploited in a perverse psychological game spanning the globe.”

The series comes from Library Films, with Chris Smith as director and executive producer alongside executive producer Ben Anderson.

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Lifetime has greenlit a new original movie entitled “The Bad Orphan,” starring Betsy Brandt, Chloe Coco Chapman, Mark Taylor and Eve Edwards.

The psychological drama follows Jessica (Brandt) and Karl (Taylor), loving parents to Rhiannon (Edwards), who after years of trying to add to their family are elated to adopt Gabby (Chapman), an 8-year-old orphan born with personal challenges. Their ideas of a perfect family come into question when they discover that Gabby is a troubled little girl, and the family begins to believe things aren’t what they seem.

“The Bad Orphan” is produced by Neshama Entertainment in association with MarVista Entertainment. Keith Nietupski, Bonnie Zipursky, Larry Grimaldi, Hannah Pillemer and Fernando Szew executive produce for MarVista while Arnie Zipursky, Dayna Zipursky and Suzanne Berger executive produce under the Neshama banner. Brandt is also an executive producer. Michelle Ouellet directs from a script penned by Doris Egan.

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Fuse Media, Golden Boy Promotions and the El Rey Rebel Fast channel have partnered to present “Friday Night Fights,” a new series featuring replays of the most memorable fights in recent history. “Friday Night Fights” is set to launch on the Fast channel on Friday, May 3 at 8 p.m. ET.

The series premiere will be a doubleheader, with the first fight being the May 3, 2003 bout between Oscar De La Hoya, and Luis Ramon Campas, followed by the 2009 matchup between Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton.

“We couldn’t be more excited that 10-time world champion Oscar De La Hoya and his Golden Boy Promotions are bringing some of the most epic fights in modern boxing history to El Rey Rebel,” said Miguel Roggero, chairman and CEO of Fuse Media. “With these thrilling matches, ‘Friday Night Fights’ will be a cornerstone franchise for El Rey Rebel, unleashing the types of raw emotion and adrenaline that the channel’s growing number of viewers are craving.”

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National Geographic has greenlit “The Standford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth,” a three-part documentary series that explores the notorious Stanford Prison Experiment.

“‘The Standford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth’ is an unprecedented documentary series that pushes the boundaries of storytelling while shedding new light on a pivotal moment in psychological history,” said Tom McDonald, EVP of global, factual and unscripted content at National Geographic. “Through the voices of those who lived it, we, along with our longtime partners at Muck Media, invite audiences to reexamine the Stanford Prison Experiment and confront the truths that lie beneath the surface.”

The series is directed by Juliette Eisner and executive produced by Alex Braverman and Juliette Eisner. For Muck Media, Darren Foster, Cristina Costantini, Jenn Wood and Krista Manis are executive producers. For National Geographic, Josh Cole is executive producer and Bengt Anderson is senior vice president of unscripted content.

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Peacock has ordered Ample Entertainment ’s three-part wildlife reality competition show, “The Hungry Games: Alaska’s Big Bear Challenge.” The series will be narrated by “Flight of the Conchords” star Rhys Darby.

The series follows the bears of Alaska’s Katmai National Park as they bulk up for winter hibernation. Over 150 days, the bears battle the elements – and each other – to consume three million calories and gain up to 200 pounds.

The series is produced by Love Nature and Ample Entertainment. Alison Barrat and James Manfull serve as executive producers for Love Nature. Ari Mark, Phil Lott and David Brown serve as executive producers for Ample Entertainment.

AWARD SHOWS

Carol Burnett, a legend in entertainment and host of “The Carol Burnett Show” will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 49th annual Gracie Awards Gala, announced on Tuesday. The awards will take place at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills on May 21. It will also include a performance by Rachel Platten.

The Gracie Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a woman whose work in media honors the legacy of Gracie Allen, a singer, actress and comedian who was pioneering force in the industry.

Burnett, has had several roles on television, film, and Broadway. “The Carol Burnett Show” was named in 2007 by TIME as one of 100 Best Television Shows of All Time. It ran for 11 years, averaged 30 million viewers per week, and received 25 Emmy Awards.

“Carol Burnett is a true icon of television and entertainment, whose impact spans decades and resonates with audiences of all ages. Her groundbreaking work on ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ set a standard for excellence in comedy and storytelling, earning her countless awards and accolades,” said Becky Brooks, president of the AWMF.

Other awards Burnett was honored with include Emmys, Golden Globes, People’s Choice Awards, a Kennedy Center Honoree, the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for Humor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and more.

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The National Board of Review has announced its annual Awards Gala will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 in New York City.

Categories at the National Board of Review Awards Gala include best picture, best director, best actor and actress, best supporting actor and actress, best original and adapted screenplay, best international film, best animated feature, best documentary, breakthrough performance, directorial debut, outstanding achievement in cinematography and stunt artistry. They also award signature honors such as the NBR Icon Award, NBR Freedom of Expression and the William K. Everson Award for Film History.

CASTING

FX’s “Dying for Sex,” a new series based on the podcast of the same name, has casted Rob Delaney, David Rasche and Esco Jouléy for recurring guest roles.

Delaney, Rasche and Jouléy join Jenny Slate and Michelle Williams in the series, written by Liz Meriwether and Kim Rosenstock.

Based on the Wondery podcast, “Dying for Sex” follows Molly (Williams), who is diagnosed with breast cancer and leaves her husband of 15 years to explore her sexuality. Her best friend Nikki (Slate) supports her through the process. Delaney will play Neighbor Guy, Molly’s magnetic neighbor. Rasche will play Dr. Pankowitz, Molly’s oncologist. Jouléy will portray Sonya, a social worker fresh out of grad school.

Delaney is the co-creator and co-star of the Channel 4 and Amazon Prime comedy “Catastrophe.” He is repped by UTA, Kara Baker at Avalon Artists Group and Leigh Brecheen and Stephen Breimer from Brecheen Feldman Breimer Silver & Thompson, LLP. Rasche has been featured on “Succession” as media executive Karl Muller and is repped by Liebman Entertainment, Innovative Artists and Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham LLP. Jouléy recently starred alongside Patricia Clarkson and Brendan Gleeson in the Sundance series “State of the Union” and is repped by McKegney Management and Carlton, Goddard, and Freer.

Meriwether and Rosenstock also serve as showrunners and executive producers. Additional executive producers include Katherine Pope, Nikki Boyer, Leslye Headland and Wondery’s Jen Sargent, Marshall Lewy, Aaron Hart and Hernan Lopez. Williams will also produce.

EVENTS

The Banff World Media Festival will feature key speakers including CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder of Gold House Bing Chen, Media Res Chief Operating Officer Sandra Dewey and more at its upcoming festival.

The festival will take place June 9 – 12 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Warner Bros. Television Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Channing Dungey and Rob Wade, chief executive officer of Fox Entertainment are confirmed as Summit Series keynotes. This year, international financing and co-production will be a major focus of the festival.

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