"Hacks" and "Mrs. Fletcher"

Allow me to recommend two pretty good comedy series now streaming on HBO Max.

In "Hacks", Jean Smart (fresh off her terrific role as Kate Winslett's mother in "Mare of Easttown") plays a LasVegas diva comedienne Deborah  Vance (think Joan Rivers) whose star is in its desendency, and a young actress, unfamiliar to me, named Hanna Einbinder, is Ava, a young comedy writer recently fired from her comedy writing gig due to a "tasteless" joke she wrote tweeted about a politician (that part is hard to believe).  To reignite both of their careers, their mutual agent puts them together in hopes that Ava can freshen up Deborah's act, and that Deborah will help rescue Ava from show biz purgatory.  

Neither of them particularly want this arrangement, but they reluctantly agree, thus beginning a ten episode oil-and-water comedy series that is funny, charming, and, in a rough edged way, very endearing.  Smart is terrific and will probably be Emmy nominated for this one.  The twenty-six year old Einbinder is really charming and should have a nice future in show biz.  She is also the daughter of original Saturday Night Live cast member Laraine Newman.

Smart and Einbinder

The series ended perfectly set up for a second season.  We'll be waiting.

Three Stars from The Grandstander

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A few years ago, I started reading the novel., Mrs. Fletcher" upon which it this seven episode series was based, but gave up on it about halfway through, but it was enough to pique my interest in the show. The show centers upon Eve Fletcher, a divorced Mom who has just sent her jagoff of a son off to college. To combat her empty nest blues, she takes a night adult education writing class, and develops some, shall we say, quirky, viewing habits on the internet. Like Eve's viewing habits, the show is a bit quirky, but I really liked Kathryn Hahn as Eve. She was really good - heartfelt, funny, and, I thought, quite sexy. There were lots of good points to be made in the series. It ended in a deep state of limbo, I thought. This is a couple of years old by now, so it doesn't appear that they plan on a Season Two. Too bad.

Two and one-half Stars from The Grandstander.