When most people think of Lisa Kudrow’s TV career, their minds likely go to her ten seasons on NBC as Phoebe Buffay on Friends. But the 2026 TV schedule brought back an underrated gem that has delivered plenty of laughs despite far fewer episodes. HBO’s The Comeback was her first post-Friends TV gig, and it has gone on an unlikely run of three seasons over the past 21 years. Now that the third and final season has debuted (with the premiere now available streaming with an HBO Max subscription), co-creator Michael Patrick King opened up about the “enormous magic” she brings to the comedy.
Lisa Kudrow returns as actress Valerie Cherish for the first time since Season 2 in 2014, and a lot has changed over the past twelve years. Valerie's new sitcom is written by AI, and the premiere wasted no time going after a beloved reality franchise: Real Housewives. Only one installment of the eight-episode final season has released so far to deliver the kind of cringe-worthy laughs that are hard to find anywhere else on TV.
