Lisa Kudrow’s The Comeback Is Officially Returning For A Third Season, And I’m Especially Excited To See One OG Cast Member

Valerie Cherish is ready to say, “Hello, hello, hello!” one more time, HBO confirmed Friday, because The Comeback is officially coming back for a third and final season. Lisa Kudrow will once again portray a fictionalized version of herself — the struggling former sitcom star who allows reality TV cameras to capture her attempts to resurrect her career. A handful of OG cast members will also reprise their roles, and I’m especially ecstatic about one.

The Comeback Season 3 will premiere more than a decade after the second season came to a close in December 2014. It won’t make it in time for the 2025 TV schedule, but Lisa Kudrow and company are reportedly eyeing a 2026 release on HBO and streaming with a Max subscription. The announcement came with a brilliant teaser that shows Kudrow falling seamlessly back into the Valerie Cherish persona, and I am thrilled at the confirmation that Laura Silverman is back as her producer Jane:

The Comeback Season 3 | Official Announcement | Max - YouTube

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Lisa Kudrow will inevitably always be known for playing Phoebe Buffay on Friends, but many are of the opinion that The Comeback is actually where she gets to do her best work. That said, The Comeback isn’t even The Comeback without Valerie shouting, “Jane!” or snapping at the producer, so I’m really happy to hear that Laura Silverman’s character is back behind the camera.

I love the double meaning behind the entire teaser, with Valerie Cherish getting increasingly frustrated in announcing her new show, “How’s that?,” telling Jane, “This is the last time!” in a warning to the audience that The Comeback’s third season will be its swan song. It seems like the clever writing is going to be as strong as ever in this new chapter.

In addition to Lisa Kudrow and Laura Silverman, Dan Bucatinsky will return as Valerie’s publicist Billy and Damian Young as Valerie’s husband Mark. Sadly, we won’t see the return of Mickey, Valerie’s beloved friend and hairdresser, as Robert Michael Morris passed away in 2017 at age 77. I can’t imagine Kudrow won’t find a way to honor the actor and character somehow in Season 3.

According to HBO, Michael Patrick King is returning as an executive producer for the third season in addition to Lisa Kudrow, John Melfi and Dan Bucatinsky. The Comeback Season 3 is set to go into production this summer for an expected 2026 release date that's yet to be determined.

Given that nine years elapsed between the first and second seasons, fans had held out hope that Lisa Kudrow would revive one of television’s cringiest series to give us an update on Valerie’s life and career. The fact that we’ve got the OGs on board with her has me really excited for what’s to come.

Max: Save Up To $41 On Annual Plans
Watch Lisa Kudrow on The Comeback ahead of Season 3, along with all 10 seasons of Friends. The best way to save money on most subscriptions these days is by prepaying for a year upfront. Max offers up to 16% off its choice of three plans. Alternatively, its cheapest plan starts from $9.99 a month. I'd always recommend getting Max as a part of the bundle with Disney Plus and Hulu, though, starting from $16.99 a month.

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If you are a Friends fan who’s never seen The Comeback or if you forgot the HBO show existed, no worries! There’s plenty of time for you to stream the first two seasons on Max before Valerie Cherish gives it one last go in Hollywood.