Paul W.Downs Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

BreAnna Bell David E. Kelley urged his fellow showrunners and TV writers to be mindful of the privilege they have in the platform that television provides to reach millions of viewers as he accepted the 2022 Creative Conscience Award Thursday night at Variety’s Showrunners Dinner presented by A+E Studios. The kudo was presented to Kelley for his decades-long career of socially conscious work, which includes such series as “The Practice,” “Boston Public,” “Boston Legal,” “Ally McBeal,” “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” “Big Little Lies,” “Nine Perfect Strangers” and “Big Sky,” among others. “If our work matters, even a little, then that’s something,” Kelley said.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor The BAFTA TV Tea Party scheduled for Saturday in advance of the Emmys has been canceled in light of Queen Elizabeth II’s death on Thursday. “In light of today’s very sad news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the annual BAFTA TV Tea Party will no longer be taking place this weekend. We are deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty The Queen, whose close association with BAFTA spanned 50 years. Our thoughts are with BAFTA’s President HRH The Duke of Cambridge and the Royal Family, to whom we offer our deepest sympathy,” BAFTA’s statement said. The annual festivities were set for Saturday afternoon at the Maybourne Beverly Hills in the lead-up to Monday’s Primetime Emmys.

William Earl Variety’s annual Showrunners Dinner will return in-person on Sept. 8, to celebrate the year in television ahead of the 74th Emmy Awards. The event will be presented by A+E Studios and will feature opening remarks by Barry Jossen, president and head of A+E Studios.   The Creative Conscience Award will be given to writer and producer David E. Kelley for his prolific career in television. David remains one of the most influential figures in television – having created iconic roles for women in “Ally McBeal,” “Big Little Lies” and “Big Sky.” Kelley is a trailblazer for creating complex female characters on television, especially in his early career when such characters were unknown in primetime television.  

Hacks was first born on a road trip to a Monster Jam rally back in 2015. It was during the drive that couple Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello and their close friend Jen Statsky discussed the relative invisibility of female comedians compared to their male counterparts. Having bonded as co-writers, producers, and in the case of Aniello and Downs, directors and actors on the Comedy Central series Broad City, together the trio cooked up HBO Max’s Hacks. In its first season, which also stars Downs as agent Jimmy LuSaque, the show’s depiction of female comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her protégé Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) won Emmys for writing and directing, and acting for Smart. Now, its second season boasts 17 nominations, among them, Outstanding Comedy Series. It has also been renewed for a third season.

After a stellar first season that led to three Emmys wins, Hacks — starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder — had big expectations to meet in its second batch of episodes. It was a challenge not lost on its executive producers Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs.

Megan Stalter, one of the breakout stars of HBO Max’s Hacks, is fronting a new comedy in development by HBO Max and A24.

Selome Hailu HBO Max and A24 are developing “Church Girls,” a comedy pilot from Megan Stalter.“Church Girls” is a half-hour comedy follows Beth Parker (Stalter), a 20-year-old Christian closeted lesbian as she wrestles with her sexuality and faith in God, while entering adulthood in suburban Ohio. The series is inspired by Stalter’s own experiences.Stalter is best known for playing Kayla, Jimmy’s (Paul W.

HBO Max’s Hacks earned 15 Emmy nominations and three wins in its debut season including Outstanding Lead Actress for Jean Smart and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for its creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky. In Season 2, the comedy starring Smart and Hannah Einbinder took the show on the road.

Emmy voting has started today, and for our penultimate TV Talk podcast of this stage of the season, we have some names for you to consider.

EXCLUSIVE: Deadline has a pair of exclusive tracks from composer Carlos Rafael Rivera’s Season 1 soundtrack for HBO Max’s Peabody and multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy series Hacks, which is set for digital release tomorrow via Lakeshore Records.

Caroline Framke Chief TV CriticAs the final minutes of “Hacks” Season 2 ticked by, it was hard to shake the feeling that they just might mark the final minutes of “Hacks,” period. With Deborah (the incomparable Jean Smart) finally tapping in to a more personal and rewarding vein of her comedy to huge success, before pushing Ava (the underrated Hannah Einbinder) out of the nest to forge her own path in Hollywood, the series easily could’ve ended there. Even Deborah’s CEO Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins) and agent Jimmy (Paul W.

Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels will be back for more stand-up stories after HBO Max renewed Hacks for a third season.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeHBO Max’s “Hacks” is the latest entertainment series to be honored by the Peabody Awards, which announced the win on Tuesday morning.“When they’re together taking on all things comedy and feminism, ‘Hacks’ crackles with wit and truly sings,” Melissa McCarthy said in her presentation to the show.Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment, are behind the show.“HBO Max’s Hacks became a word-of-mouth hit thanks to the brilliantly funny intergenerational pairing of Jean Smart as standup legend Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels, the desperate young comedy writer sent to freshen up Deborah’s act,” the org said in its statement honoring the show. “Created by ‘Broad City’ writers Lucia Aniello, Paul W.

SPOILER ALERT! Do not read unless you have seen the second season finale of Hacks on HBO Max. 

William Earl Variety announced additional speakers to its Virtual TV Fest, including an “HBO Max Actors and Producers Roundtable,” featuring Zendaya (“Euphoria”), Kaley Cuoco (“The Flight Attendant”), Oscar Isaac (“Scenes From a Marriage”), Taika Waititi (“Our Flag Means Death”), Ben Foster (“The Survivor”), and Paul W. Downs (“Hacks”). Moderated by Senior Culture Editor Marc Malkin, the session will explore creating breakthrough characters.Other programming additions include the roundtables, “Meet the Makers: Showtime’s ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth'” featuring Executive Producer and Showrunner Alex Kurtzman and Supervising Producer Jason Zimmerman; and “Meet the Makers: Amazon Freevee’s ‘Bosch: Legacy,'” featuring Michael Connelly, executive producer and author of the books from which the series is based. Actor Mimi Rogers and Executive Producer Henrik Bastin will also join the discussion.

EXCLUSIVE: Megan Stalter, one of the breakout stars of HBO Max’s Emmy-winning series Hacks, has found her first leading film role in the dark comedy Cora Bora, from director Hannah Pearl Utt (Disengaged).

Halo‘s Pablo Schreiber and Fire Island‘s Matt Rogers were among the stars who joined fashion brand Paul Smith last week for a celebration of the iconic Signature Stripe pattern.

“Hacks,” the divine comedy from creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky.

Jean Smart rocks a red hot outfit for the season two premiere of Hacks held at DGA Theater Complex on Monday night (May 9) in Los Angeles.

HBO series, which follows her dynamic with young comedy writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder).In the second season, Deborah and Ava embark on a cross-country tour to test out their new stand-up material – joined by a roster of new guest stars, including Laurie Metcalf (The Big Bang Theory) as tour manager Alice who, as mentioned in the trailer, is nicknamed ‘Weed’ by Pete Wentz.Other new guest stars for the second season include Martha Kelly (Baskets), Ming-Na Wen (The Mandalorian) and Susie Essman (Curb Your Enthusiasm), while Margaret Cho and Devon Sawa will also make appearances.They’ll join returning cast members Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Christopher McDonald, Kaitlin Olson, Paul W. Downs, Poppy Liu, Rose Abdoo, Mark Indelicato, Meg Stalter, Angela E.

Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder are hitting the road!

Hacks,” which premieres on the streamer May 12 with two episodes, followed by two more each week until June 2. Picking up after stand-up legend Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) lost her Vegas residency, she and young comedian Ava (Hannah Einbinder) travel across the country to workshop her new act.Additional cast includes Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Jane Adams, Christopher McDonald, Kaitlin Olson, Paul W. Downs, Poppy Liu, Rose Abdoo, Mark Indelicato, Meg Stalter, Angela E.

Jean Smart is the latest start to be honored with her own star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, Calif.

Can you believe it’s already been a year since the HBO Max series Hacks premiered?!

HBO Max has set a May premiere date for Season 2 of the Emmy-winning, critically acclaimed comedy series Hacks, starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder. The sophomore season will debut on Thursday, May 12 with two episodes. The eight-episode season continues with two new episodes a week, wrapping up on June 2, two days after the 2022 Emmy eligibility period ends. We’re also getting a first look at the new season in the teaser trailer (you can watch it above).

Wilson Chapman editorGet ready to take a road trip with Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder in Season 2 of “Hacks.” HBO Max has unveiled the official trailer for the upcoming second season of the critically acclaimed comedy series, set to premiere on the streaming service May 12 with two episodes.The eight-episode season will continue with two new episodes each week, concluding with the season finale on June 2.Created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky, “Hacks” stars Smart as Deborah Vance, a legendary comedian who has spent years performing at a residency in Las Vegas.

Katcy Stephan Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance may be hitting the road in the sophomore season of the hit HBO Max series “Hacks,” but don’t expect her to ride around the country in your average tour bus.“She’s taking a little bit of Vegas with her,” co-creator Jen Statsky tells Variety on the red carpet for the show’s PaleyFest panel. “She’s roughing it, but she still has her creature comforts,” she adds, revealing that Vance’s signature fountain soda machine will indeed come with her on tour.“It’s a mansion on wheels,” co-creator Paul W.

season 2, the HBO Max series premiered the first two episodes during PaleyFest LA 2022, where much of the cast and crew, including star Jean Smart, were in attendance and spoke to ET’s Denny Directo about what’s to come from the Emmy-winning series. “I think it’s going to be every bit as good as season one if not better, because second seasons are always scary,” Smart said. “Especially if you’re a big hit the first season, everybody’s going, ‘OK, just show me.'«And that they plan to do as season 2 picks up after legendary comedian Deborah Vance (Smart) performed her last Las Vegas show and heads out on the road with her young mentee and writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) as the two continue workshopping her new standup act. In addition to Smart and Einbinder, the returning cast includes fellow Emmy acting nominees, Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Deborah’s COO Marcus and Jane Adams as Ava’s mother Nina, as well as co-creator and co-showrunner Paul W.