Multiple Emmy winner Paul W. Downs joins me for this edition of my Deadline video series, Behind The Lens to talk all things Hacks from beginning to end(?) As co-creator, Executive Producer, Writer, sometimes director, and all times co-star as Jimmy, the manager of Deborah Vance, he spills the beans on the series which has won three Emmys for star Jean Smart, and last September took the Best Comedy Series Emmy along with its second for Writing.
Downs talks about how he and partners Lucia Aniello (who is also his wife) and Jen Statsky developed the HBO Max series over the course of four years before they even pitched it, basically collecting moments along the way while doing other shows in creative and acting duties, notably Broad City and the 2015 Sony Pictures release, Rough Night. He also talks about the plan to do just five seasons, but doesn’t quite confirm if indeed next season which is number five will be the last.
There is much to discuss about season 4 and how star Jean Smart is not only a natural as we have seen in her doing stand up but also as a network talk show host which consumes the storyline for this season. He also talks about getting Carol Burnett and Jimmy Kimmel among many guest star cameos , along with Julianne Nicholson as “Dance Mom”, plus his big action scene when Jimmy, totally out of character for him, gets into a knock-down drag-out fight with the corporate head of the network (think Bob Iger) as played by Tony Goldwyn. And of course there is that shocking ending (SPOILER ALERT) where TMZ announces that Deborah Vance has died at age 72, but don’t count on it.
Downs explains how the false report of her death is fodder for all of next season’s comeback episodes, and of course the continuing on/off again relationship between Deborah and Ava (played by Hannah Einbinder), one that landed Deborah late at night in the Pacific Ocean in episode 6 this season. He also gives us a little scoop on an upcoming Kaley Cuoco series he and his creative partners are cooking up for the star.
To watch our conversation and go ‘behind the lens’ with Paul W. Downs just click on the link above.
Join me every Monday and Friday during Emmy season for another episode of Behind The Lens.
