The best shows like Hacks are The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Barry, The Studio, Party Down, Only Murders in the Building, Ted Lasso, The Bear, Veep, Fleabag, Insecure, Somebody Somewhere, and Abbott Elementary. Each one is a sharp comedy about work, and most are about an unlikely pair or team.
Hacks follows Deborah Vance, a stand-up comedian, and her comedy writer Ava Daniels as they work out their partnership and their personal lives. Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky created it for HBO Max. Jean Smart won lead actress in a comedy for it at the 2026 Emmys, and the show ended in May 2026 after five seasons. If you miss it, start here.
The business of being funny
In late-1950s New York, a housewife, played by Rachel Brosnahan, starts a stand-up career after her marriage ends. Amy Sherman-Palladino created it for Prime Video, and Alex Borstein and Tony Shalhoub co-star. It's the closest match for Hacks.
Bill Hader plays a hitman who joins an acting class in Los Angeles and starts questioning his life. Alec Berg and Hader created it for HBO. Henry Winkler and Stephen Root co-star. It's funny and very dark.
Seth Rogen plays the head of a Hollywood studio trying to balance corporate demands with the movies he actually wants to make. Rogen and Evan Goldberg directed every episode for Apple TV. Catherine O'Hara and Kathryn Hahn co-star. It's the pick if you like the Hollywood jokes in Hacks.
A crew of Los Angeles caterers work parties while they wait to make it in Hollywood. John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge, and Paul Rudd created it for Starz. Adam Scott and Jane Lynch star. It's another comedy about trying to make it in show business.
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Unlikely pairs and teams
Three strangers who love true crime podcasts investigate murders in their Upper West Side apartment building and make a podcast about it. Steve Martin and John Hoffman created it for Hulu, and Martin stars with Martin Short and Selena Gomez. Its sixth season premieres on December 8, 2026.
An American college football coach, played by Jason Sudeikis, is hired to coach an English soccer team. It's an Apple TV series, and its fourth season premiered in August 2026. It's a warmer pick when you want a team that grows on you.
A chef, played by Jeremy Allen White, comes home to Chicago to run the chaotic kitchen at his late brother's sandwich shop. Christopher Storer created it for FX on Hulu, and Ayo Edebiri co-stars. The kitchen partnership is as tense and funny as Deborah and Ava's.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Selina Meyer, a fictional vice president whose team keeps getting stuck in everyday political games. Armando Iannucci created it for HBO. It's the sharpest workplace comedy on this list.
Sharp, personal comedies
Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays an angry, confused young woman in London who talks straight to the camera. She created it from her one-woman show. It's short, funny, and it hurts.
Issa Rae and Larry Wilmore created this HBO comedy about the awkward experiences of a young Black woman, and Rae stars. It grew out of Rae's web series Awkward Black Girl. The friendships carry it.
Bridget Everett plays Sam, who moves back to her hometown of Manhattan, Kansas, after her sister's death. Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen created it for HBO. It's funny and gentle, even when it's sad.
Quinta Brunson plays Janine, a hopeful second-grade teacher at an underfunded Philadelphia public school, in this mockumentary sitcom. Brunson created it for ABC, and Sheryl Lee Ralph co-stars. It's the lightest pick here.
Where to start
If you want the closest match, start with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. For another unlikely pair, watch Only Murders in the Building. For comedy about Hollywood, go with The Studio, and for something darker, watch Barry.
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Frequently asked questions
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is the closest match, about a woman building a stand-up career. For another unlikely pair, watch Only Murders in the Building. For comedy about Hollywood, try The Studio or Barry.
Yes. Hacks ended on May 28, 2026, after five seasons and 47 episodes.
Yes. Jean Smart won lead actress in a comedy for Hacks at the 2026 Emmys.
Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky created Hacks for HBO Max.
Each title links to a page showing where it's streaming right now. Availability changes by country and by month, and Limelight shows what's streaming in your country right now.
