It’s a cheat, but one of my biggest applause lines these days while moderating an industry panel is when I point out that a show shoots in Los Angeles. It’s an easy way to get a cheer from a Hollywood crowd looking for any good news.
So here’s some positive spin. Despite the very real concerns about runaway production and the scarcity of Hollywood shoots, there actually have been quite a few right now on the comedy side: “Hacks,” “Shrinking,” “The Studio,” “Nobody Wants This,” “Platonic,” “I Love L.A.,” “Running Point” and others.
Not only have those series chosen to film in Los Angeles, but they’ve done an amazing job showcasing cool pockets in and around the city. L.A. used to almost always play itself, but lately it feels like Vancouver or Atlanta is scrubbing in as the City of Angels. Los Angeles is having a rough go of it, but at least on TV, it’s still looking shiny and vibrant.
But is that too much of a disconnect from the malaise we’re actually feeling here? I knew the right person to ask: TV writer-producer Hayes Davenport, who is also an activist, has worked in L.A. city government and recently co-founded the local news site L.A. Material.
“I think the tension in some of these shows is that, by definition, a TV show is about people doing things,” he tells me. “And one of the biggest concerns that people have in L.A. right now is a reduction in the amount of activity in the city. Vacant businesses, population decline, affordability issues sending people out of the city and state, the loss of entire neighborhoods from the fires — all of it has led to, I think, a sense in the last few years of just a less vibrant city.”
But the creators of the series mentioned above live and set their shows in Los Angeles neighborhoods that still feel dynamic: Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Atwater Village, Silver Lake. “These neighborhoods that they’re showing are neighborhoods that have retained their activity,” Davenport notes. “These are not shows that are necessarily reflecting the drawdown in activity that we’re seeing across the city.”
Other parts of the city haven’t been so lucky. The disastrous ICE raids have turned portions of downtown, like the Flower District or Santee Alley, into ghost towns. The fires, the housing crisis … why isn’t any of that depicted in TV’s L.A. stories? That’s partly due to the time it takes to get shows made in the streaming era, Davenport notes.
“They’re trying to do things that are a bit more evergreen, stories about people that live in the city, but maybe not stories about the city itself as much,” he says. “Because the city is changing so rapidly, you risk making an outdated show if you’re trying to reflect the city as it exists right now.”
It cuts both ways: Neighborhoods like Pacific Palisades and Altadena are chilling to see right now, unrecognizable after last year’s fires. But on the flip side, areas around Wilshire and Fairfax are gaining new life as the Metro’s D line starts service and the new LACMA building opens.
“You have activity increasing here in ways that it hasn't for decades, and like the nodes of activity in the city are shifting around pretty quickly,” he says. “It's hard to anticipate how that movement is going to happen.”
Davenport says shows about the entertainment biz, like “Hacks,” “The Comeback” and “The Studio,” are perhaps the most authentic in portraying Los Angeles at the moment, since they’re tackling some of the real issues that come with the industry’s downturn and how L.A. is changing because of it.
Also missing in Hollywood’s depiction of Los Angeles is a nonwhite perspective. A decade ago, shows like “Insecure,” “Black-ish” and “Vida” celebrated a diverse city — and that representation is strikingly missing from the current crop of L.A.-set series. Davenport blames it on the business’s contraction.
“If you have fewer people making shows and movies now, you are going to see fewer experiences reflected,” he says. “That applies to neighborhoods too. The coverage is going to shift to the places where people working in the entertainment industry live — and there are fewer people working in entertainment than there were just a few years ago.” No applause there.
It’s early on a warm January morning in Las Vegas, and the entire “Hacks” team — stars, crew, producers — is milling around Kyu, a sushi restaurant at the Fontainebleau. It’s going to be a busy day of filming, with three locations scattered around the city.
But a wistfulness permeates the production today as cameras prepare to roll. After five seasons on HBO Max, this is the final day of stateside filming for “Hacks,” so for most of the cast and crew, it is also farewell.
“I’m not going to be boisterous or fun today,” star Hannah Einbinder warns me. When Jean Smart walks over and I remind her what a monumental moment this is, she instantly tears up. “We really came to feel like best friends and family and so — yeah, that’s very hard,” she says.
Hours later, as the clock approaches midnight, production has relocated to the Orleans Arena, and it all comes down to this: a quiet, touching scene between Smart’s character, legendary comedian Deborah Vance, and her confidant and creative partner, the younger writer Ava Daniels (played by Einbinder).
The walkway where they’re shooting this two-hander — next to some brightly lit concession stands — is huge, and dozens of crew members are standing there, frozen, as they capture the shot. It’s hushed as Deborah strolls through the empty arena; she’s just faced a tremendous disappointment, and Ava is there to comfort her. The two are alone, and few words are exchanged or even necessary. Having been bonded by the events of the past five seasons, Deborah and Ava have never been closer.
“The entire crew was just standing behind the camera watching us, like every department, in a way that’s not typical,” Einbinder recalls later. “It was almost eerie and sad and beautiful and familial. It’s seared into my brain forever.”
And then it’s over. A producer breaks the tension, announcing, “After six incredible years, that is an American wrap on Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart!”
It’s late, everyone is exhausted — yet the crowd can’t stop cheering. At the center of it all, Smart has her arm around Einbinder, who returns the affection with a peck on her co-star’s cheek. By now, their eyes are bloodshot. They take a moment to soak it all in, and then Einbinder motions for the crew to get closer. It’s a group hug that lasts and lasts, and she doesn’t want to let it go: “I would like to organize some semi-regular park hangs,” Einbinder tells the crowd as they finally pull back. “I’m just putting that on your radar. You’re going to get department texts!”
And that was just the “American wrap” for “Hacks.” No spoilers, but the show traveled to Paris to shoot its final episode, and managed to film in the Louvre (no easy feat given the museum’s recent heist!). With just 12 or so people in the room, that made the series’ final take even more intimate.
“We said, ‘I love you,’ and cried,” Smart says, describing it to me later. “The last shot of us was in this long room with huge, high ceilings, and just us on a bench about the size of a couch. We were lying flat on our backs staring at the ceiling, with these 40-foot-high Dutch masters paintings, and ad-libbing. We were just making up crazy shit. It was fun to end it that way.”
What a poignant send-off for “Hacks,” after a tremendously successful and hard-won (more on that later) journey. Created by showrunners Lucia Aniello, Jen Statsky and Paul W. Downs (who also plays Deborah’s beleaguered agent Jimmy), “Hacks” returns for this final season on April 9, with the series finale airing on May 28. This is one of those “end-of-an-era” moments, as “Hacks” was a defining series of the decade — and will be remembered as one of the most influential comedies of all time.
From its very first beat, “Nobody Wants This” spoke to me. The series opens with a quick montage of Los Angeles sights — palm treelined avenues, Echo Park Lake — as Haim’s “Summer Girl” (with its lyric “L.A. on my mind”) plays. From there, we see stars Kristen Bell and Justine Lupe as they stroll on a Los Feliz side street, just off Vermont Avenue.
“Nobody Wants This” isn’t the only Emmy comedy contender with L.A. on its mind. “Hacks,” “Shrinking,” “The Studio” and even portions of last season’s “Only Murders in the Building” shone a spotlight on the City of Angels. Other series in recent years that have done a great job showcasing the joy of living in Los Angeles include “Platonic,” “Running Point,” “Forever” and “No Good Deed.”
All of these shows pride themselves — justifiably — on heading outdoors and finding some of the more unique and hidden corners of Los Angeles. It’s something I strive to do every year (self-serving plug alert!) with the Great Los Angeles Walk, which I created in 2006 as a way to find fellow Angelenos as passionate as I am for exploring our city on foot. Every year we walk the length of an avenue across Los Angeles, from downtown to the ocean, always discovering new attractions, landmarks, architecture and restaurants along the way. (The 20th annual Great Los Angeles Walk will travel across Wilshire Boulevard on Nov. 22 — come join us and read more about it here!)
Los Angeles comprises 502 square miles, while Los Angeles County is 4,753 square miles — so it’s understandable that even most lifelong Angelenos have only explored a fraction of their own backyard. Part of my goal with the Great Los Angeles Walk is to expose people to a new side of their hometown, and that’s also what shows like “Nobody Wants This” are doing. Creator Erin Foster was born and raised here, but spent most of her life on the West Side — so shooting in places like Eagle Rock (where the character of Noah, played by Adam Brody, lives) gave her a new perspective on the city.
“That’s a part of L.A. that I really haven’t spent a lot of time in,” she says. “And so it was interesting, getting a feel for the neighborhoods. It’s got a real, sweet, small-town feel.”
Variety's Michael Schneider and Kate Aurthur were both asked to play themselves-ish on the Season 4 premiere of "Hacks," which premiered April 10 on Max. These are their stories.
MIKE: Mid-way through the Season 4 opener of the Emmy-winning comedy “Hacks,” Deborah Vance — played by national treasure Jean Smart, of course — is ready to hold a press conference to tout her new late-night show. She comes out awkwardly raising the roof to Bizarre Inc.’s 1992 dance pop gem “I’m Gonna Get You,” and then calls on her first reporter.
And it’s… me. I’m that reporter. (Not an actor!) It says so in the script: Instead of “Reporter 1,” the character asking the very first question is “Michael Schneider,” as spelled out on the blue shooting draft. This fictionalized version of “Michael Schneider,” played by the real Michael Schneider, even has a line. He/I kick off the press conference by asking a legit, albeit softball of a question: “So, Deborah, any pressure to live up to the legacy of hosts before you?” (Yes, I added that "so" to the line. Improv!)
Jeremy Strong would be proud: I was so method that I showed up to set driving my banged-up Honda CR-V and even wearing a cheap H&M suit jacket straight out of the real-life Michael Schneider’s closet. If I was going to play myself, I was going to play the most believable version.
Variety's Michael Schneider and Kate Aurthur are about to ask Deborah Vance a question.
But I’m not the only real-life reporter hack with face time in “Hacks” Episode 401. Sitting in front of me at Deborah’s press confab, ready to ask the follow-up question, was my Variety colleague Kate Aurthur! And Kate, what do you remember most from that October day when we filmed this pivotal, groundbreaking scene (For Your Consideration!) at the Skirball Center?
KATE: Mike, as you know, and as I kept announcing to anyone within earshot that day — including to “Hacks” creators Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky and Lucia Aniello (who was also directing) — I’m not an actor! I was incredibly nervous in the lead up to the shoot, but also amused and delighted (and impressed, given how tiny our parts were) by the emails from the hair, makeup and costume departments asking me for photos and what “REPORTER KATE” might wear, as well as what my general “reporter looks” were. These questions flummoxed me. So I ended up sending a video interview I’d done with Lucia, Jen and Paul last spring, and they, to my relief, said, "great, wear that!"
At the Skirball, it was very fun hanging out with you, as well as fellow reporters Stacey Wilson Hunt (my honey wagon trailer neighbor), Pete Hammond and Denny Directo. When we ate lunch, there were tons of background actors in the room, but I didn’t think a thing about how very many of them there were — that is, until we walked into the room of the scene itself, and … there they all were. Fuck, it was a huge press conference for Deborah! I’m certainly not an actor, but “performing” in front of a large crowd? Dear God, no. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Signage around the Skirball Center made this feel like a real press conference; inside as the "Hacks" crew sets up the scene.
I’m getting nervous just reliving it, but another source of anxiety was that my line had evolved from the pithy “How does it feel to be the first woman to get 11:30?” to — for the sake of accuracy — “How does it feel to be the first woman on at 11:30 on one of the Big Three?” A mouthful! I went into a fugue state. Mike, how did you feel during the actual taping? You did great, every single time.
MIKE: Aw, thanks, and you may not be an actor, but you play a convincing “Kate.” For me, I felt a little underprepared, not knowing what they expected from our line reads. Maybe we were just that good that we didn’t need any notes? Maybe I should have given them different takes. Maybe I should have improvised beyond the "so"! But probably not.
Our credits at the end of the "Hacks" season premiere. Myles Hendrik is a photographer who also makes an appearance on the episode, presumably as himself. (Wait, among us journos, how did Pete Hammond get top billing after that? Call my agent!)
I did find it amusing that besides you, me, Stacey, Pete and Denny, that an actual actor (Fred Cross) was embedded as a reporter among us. Early in the day, it was apparent that Fred’s wardrobe was a bit too stylish to fit in with us actual journos — something that even Jean Smart noticed. After that, the wardrobe team downgraded his look, and he blended in with the rest of us.
Also, I was impressed by how soon we wrapped. I’ve never been a fan of TV show set visits, because the whole “hurry up and wait” vibe makes me anxious (I have work to do!) — and the repetition of watching the same scene being filmed a dozen times gets monotonous. For our “Hacks” scene, we shot it numerous times as the cameras caught the action from several angles. But it didn’t feel like overkill. Maybe I just wanted to soak it all in — and also make sure they had enough decent takes that we weren’t left on the cutting room floor!
Variety's Michael Schneider with "Hacks" executive producers Lucia Aniello (who also directed the episode), Jen Statsky and Paul W. Downs (who also plays Jimmy).
I was particularly tickled that in several takes (including the one that made it on the episode), Jean kicked off the press conference by calling on me by name (“Michael!”) That wasn’t in the script, Jean Smart just remembers my name! I shouldn't have been surprised, I suppose, since I wrote the Variety cover story on Jean in 2021. I’ve been writing about TV for 30 years and probably should be more jaded, but that’s still one of those “pinch me” moments.
Now, Kate, you’ve gotta be excited that people are going to watch “Hacks” this week and go,”Holy shit, Kate’s on my TV!”
KATE: Excited is one word, question mark? Obviously, people we work with knew this was happening at the time — we filmed in mid-October — so they haven’t been surprised. (And our friend and colleague Marc Malkin was in the premiere of “Hacks” Season 3, playing himself on a red carpet, so there’s a precedence for this at Variety!) But yes, it’s been funny as people who get screeners have started watching them, and getting in touch — one recent morning, I woke up to Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone’s TV critic, having texted me “HACKS PREMIERE” out of the blue. I’m just trying to put my self-hatred aside to enjoy this weird, fun ride. I just don’t want to turn into a meme, Mike!
And yes, as a journalist who covers television, and has done set visits (and mostly found them to be pretty useless from a reporting standpoint), “Hacks” seems to have it down. In the scene, Deborah is facing the crowd, and answering questions that start to become increasingly pointed. (Wait, an aside! I was so thankful to have one of the softball questions, and not have to ask Deborah Vance about how young people don’t watch late-night talk shows, or whether she has the stamina to do five nights a week — Mike, I would have wilted under Jean Smart’s withering gaze!)
Jean Smart as Deborah Vance and Helen Hunt as network head Winnie Landell, "Hacks."
But back to their efficiency. The scene is about Deborah flaming out in front of the press, so we did a ton of setups with the cameras facing her. Lucia Aniello would sometimes give Jean Smart alts, shouting different responses to the reporters’ questions from the back of the room, so it took a while. But always at the end, Helen Hunt’s character, Winnie, who plays the head of the network, would drag Deborah off the stage after the answer that will come back to haunt her later, in which she professes, “I’m not a woman, I’m a comedian. GOT IT?” Then, they announced that they needed to turn the scene around — I’m sure there’s a term for this, ha — so the cameras were on us, and filmed the gaggle of press. It was then that I thought my dinner with friends in my neighborhood — all the way in Silver Lake — was doomed, but no, they were so quick that I made it!
Now that is some acting, Michael Schneider and Kate Aurthur!
But this is how dumb I am, Mike. We’d already shot the scene so many times, so I didn’t somehow clock that the few takes we did with the cameras on the podium facing us would of course be the ones they used of us! I thought … who knows what I thought, in retrospect? I guess I thought that maybe you wouldn’t really see us asking, that it would be all Deborah. But of course, there we are, asking away — at least I went Method too, and have my phone in my hand, as if I’d written my question on it. Oh well, next time, I’ll know! [Narrator voice: There won’t be a next time.] What was surprising to you about this whole process?
MIKE: Can I be honest and say the… luxury of it all? I’m sure most actors would scoff at the closet-sized dressing rooms we got in the honey wagon – but we still got a little space, with our names on them, and that was amazing! (Granted, it was with dry-erase marker and the sign would have been reused the next day with some other guest star’s name … had I not taken it as a keepsake.) The catering was top-notch, and it can’t be cheap to feed the entire crew and army of extras. I’m always wowed at how much goes into shooting one scene in one location — the miles of cables, well-populated video village, rows of trailers — and the fact that someone is there early enough to build this little production town overnight, and others are there into the wee hours packing it up, long after we’ve headed home. And then they would immediately do it again, the next day, in an entirely different location.
What do journalists love more than free food? Nothing, absolutely nothing. The catering impressed Variety's Michael Schneider, as did his time in the makeup chair.
Like I said, I’ve been doing this for 30 years, so I’m not new to the process. But somehow, being in the middle of the action gave me an entirely new appreciation for the amount of work that goes into production, and the artisans who do it. The makeup artist working her magic so that I looked better than I ever have at a press conference. The sound person making sure I was properly mic’ed, and that it always looked natural. The producers sending us to a comfortable holding area rather than making us dawdle in our chairs as they switch the cameras. Lucia, effortlessly and deftly directing icons like Jean Smart and Helen Hunt.
Variety's Michael Schneider and Kate Aurthur get mic'ed up for their big moment on camera.
And then, we come to the most luxurious, and kind of ridiculous, element of the entire day. Kate, you and I, and all of our colleagues, had actual, physical stand-ins. That’s right. Even though we each had one line and our scene is over in an instant, it was long enough that a handful of extras had to play us — sitting in our seats, wearing nametags with our names! — while the cameras were swapped. That’s kind of amazing, but I also felt a bit embarrassed. Like, are we too good to be sitting there, bored out of our minds as the stage is reset, but they’re not? Yeah, a lot was going through my head.
But nothing more than the fact that the actor who was hired as my stand-in, who I’m sure is lovely, was a few years older than me. I think? I assume they find people who look approximately like us, so maybe that’s how you all see me? I guess what I’m asking is, did “Hacks” smack me with the cold, hard truth that I am now an aged (maybe let’s say “seasoned”) reporter?
But again, he also seemed happy to be there, as did most of the background actors. I mean, why not -- you get an insider's look at TV's comedy Emmy champ, while getting a master class in acting from the show's stars and you're fed too! (Again, I know, with the food.) Speaking of that, has this experience given you any more food for thought?
KATE: Yes, seeing one’s stand-in is not for the weak. I think mine was alarmed as well.
My nervousness aside, as well as my concerns about being memed — am I increasing the likelihood of being memed by expressing this fear publicly?! — being on “Hacks” was a total blast. And yes, it was also a learning experience for our jobs, for all the reasons you detail. So much collective effort goes into every single day of production; the scale is astonishing. And Jean Smart has now won three Emmys for playing Deborah Vance, and watching her deliver the same lines again and again, while also trying new things for each take, was just so instructive, not to mention enjoyable. It’s a tiny scene within the premiere, so viewers may not even notice it’s there (possibly my preference, ha)! But it meant something to us, and I’ll always remember this experience. I do think I’ll pass on the inevitable “Hacks” spinoff focusing on the reporters who cover television, but Mike, I think you have a real shot!
It will never get more glamorous than this for Variety's Michael Schneider and Kate Aurthur. And yes, Mike just admitted that he stole his sign.
"Hacks" Season 4 will continue dropping new episodes Thursdays on Max.
I mean, who deserves to be celebrated this year more than Jean Smart? The only acceptable answer is "nobody." As we head to Emmy weekend, it's time to trumpet the Jean Smart Appreciation Club. My Variety cover story:
Jean Smart knows what people have been saying about her career lately. She just wishes they wouldn’t use the term “Jeanaissance” when doing so.
Type that into any search engine, and numerous posts pop up with the phrase, invoked as a shorthand to describe the actor’s recent string of standout performances.
The actual Jean Smart is both flattered and slightly embarrassed by this attention — to the point that perhaps we should tone down the use of that particular term (and resist using it as a hashtag). “I told somebody they’re not allowed to say it if they can’t spell it,” she jokes.
But the truth is, Smart is indeed having a peak career moment, however you want to call it. As Helen, the eccentric and stubborn live-in mother of troubled police detective Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet) in HBO’s “Mare of Easttown,” she stole every scene she was in — including the moment when we discover Helen’s secret ice cream hiding place (an empty bag of frozen veggies).
And then there’s “Hacks,” the HBO Max comedy from Universal Television that’s a rare leading role for Smart, as iconic but past-her-prime comedian Deborah Vance, who clashes with a young writer, Ava (Hannah Einbinder), brought in to revise her stale Las Vegas residency. In an early scene-stealing moment, Deborah and Ava are stuck in the desert when their car breaks down. Deborah calls up a local news chopper to pick her up — and leaves Ava behind to take care of the car.
The role perfectly showcases Smart’s range, mixing comedy and drama with both hilarious, over-the-top scenes and deep, soul-searching moments as Deborah struggles to maintain relevance in a world that is moving on without her.
The world’s not moving on from Smart; as a matter of fact, it’s just catching up to her. She is Emmy nominated for both roles, as comedy actress (for “Hacks”) and limited series supporting actress (“Mare”). And she’s among the front-runners in both races — perhaps setting even more of a spotlight on her at the Sept. 19 ceremony.
“I certainly realize that’s not the norm for most actresses of my vintage,” she says of her recent abundance of great gigs, which includes an Emmy-nominated supporting turn for “Watchmen” in the limited series category last year.
There was no grand plan for “Hacks” and “Mare” to hit the small screen simultaneously. “It was pure luck,” Smart says. “The fact that I had two roles that were such good ones, and kind of worlds apart, coming out at the same time — actors never get that opportunity.” The success comes with a bittersweet note, however, as Smart lost her husband, Richard Gilliland, in March, right as she was wrapping filming on “Hacks.” It’s a heartbreaking coda to a professional experience that Smart calls a “love fest. … The show has been more than we ever could have dreamed of.”
