Hacks season 5 release date, cast, trailer and latest news

The end is nigh! Hacks season 5 premieres on Sky and NOW this very month, concluding the rollercoaster journey of comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her long-suffering writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder).

The pair have formed a profound connection since being thrown together by shared agent Jimmy (Paul W Downs), elevating each other's talents to new heights but also inflicting deep hurt at several key moments.

Hopefully, this psychological warfare will reach a peaceful conclusion by the series finale, with Smart teasing in a recent interview that the Hacks ending was nothing like what she'd expected.

Plot details are being kept largely under wraps, but we do know that Deborah and Ava will be turning to the former's beloved Las Vegas, where the comic has generally felt most at home.

In a surprise twist, Hacks season 5 will also introduce a much younger love interest for Deborah, in the form of a breakout star from a juggernaut young adult drama. Any guesses of who it might be?

Find out below, along with everything else you need to know about Hacks season 5.

Hacks season 5 release date

Hacks season 5 will premiere exclusively on Sky and NOW on Friday 17th April 2026.

This means that UK-based viewers will only be about a week behind from those in the US, where season 5 premieres on Thursday 9th April 2026 on HBO Max.

Rather confusingly, Hacks is not available on the recently launched HBO Max UK, despite being an original production on the US equivalent, due to existing contracts in place with Sky and NOW.

So rest assured that if you're yet to sign up to HBO Max UK, you will still be able to enjoy Deborah and Ava's last hurrah with your existing Sky or NOW subscription. Easy peasy!

Hacks season 5 cast: Who could return?

Hacks season 5 sees Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder return to the roles of comedian Deborah Vance and writer Ava Daniels, which have earned them huge acclaim and a surging fanbase around the world.

The supporting cast of Hacks features a number of other much-loved faces, including Carl Clemons-Hopkins as business manager Marcus, plus Too Much's Megan Stalter and co-creator Paul W Downs as talent agents Kayla and Jimmy.

The series has also added The Summer I Turned Pretty star Christopher Briney to its final run, where he's set to play pop star Nico Hayes, who ends up in a surprising age-gap romance with Deborah.

The Handmaid's Tale icon Ann Dowd (best known for playing Aunt Lydia) will also guest star in an as-yet-undisclosed role, although a first-look image sees her painted blue in an alien costume.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, she joked: "I have no idea where I was or who I was, but I loved it immensely."

Leslie Bibb and Cherry Jones, of HBO dramas The White Lotus and Succession respectively, will also feature, along with recurring favourite Kaitlin Olson (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) as Deborah's daughter, DJ.

Here's a round-up of the main cast of Hacks, all of whom are expected to reprise their roles in the final chapter:

• Jean Smart as Deborah Vance
• Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels
• Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Marcus
• Megan Stalter as Kayla
• Paul W Downs as Jimmy
• Rose Abdoo as Josefina
• Mark Indelicato as Damien

Hacks season 5 plot: What is it about?

Hacks season 5 is the final entry in the hit comedy series, which sees Deborah Vance and her unlikely partner Ava Daniels make one last play to secure her legacy.

The series is ending on its own terms, with co-creators Paul W Downs and Jen Statsky remaining steadfast in their five-season plan, despite temptation to go further in the midst of such enormous success.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Downs explained: "We pitched the very last scene in the very last episode when we were pitching the show, and we’ve always had a pretty clear vision of what the tentpoles of each season would be."

He went on to say that "five [seasons] would be ideal", while Statsky revealed that their star Jean Smart is keen not to "dilute" the show by dragging it out past its prime.

The official synopsis, courtesy of Warner Bros, reads: "In the aftermath of mistaken and unflattering news reports that she passed away, Deborah Vance and Ava return to Las Vegas more determined than ever to secure Deborah's legacy as a comedian."

The homecoming follows a tumultuous period in which Deborah achieved her long-held dream of hosting a late night talk show on network television, only to discover that it wasn't everything she'd imagined it to be.

Ever the unpredictable sort, Deborah's latest flight of fancy is a man several decades her junior in the form of pop star Nico Hayes (played by The Summer I Turned Pretty heartthrob Christopher Briney).

"We also always thought it’d be funny and interesting that she would date this international rockstar that maybe wasn't exactly her type and dressed a little bit more like her than other people she dated," said co-showrunner Statsky (via People).

"In this final season, what we're so excited for people to see is we get to do so many stories that we've been really waiting and wanting to do, but it just wasn’t quite right in earlier seasons."

Teasing the final episode, Hacks star Smart added: "When I did find out at first, I was shocked and unsure about how I felt because it was not remotely anything I could have imagined. But then I realised: 'No, it’ll work because they're writing it and they're amazing'."

Hacks season 5 trailer

Check out the Hacks season 5 trailer below for an advance look at what's in store.

Hacks seasons 1-4 are available on Sky and NOW. Season 5 coming soon.

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