The Comeback Season 3 Sets Premiere Date on HBO as Lisa Kudrow Returns for One Final Act

Valerie Cherish refuses to fade quietly into the Hollywood sunset, and honestly, would we expect anything less? After years of hopeful manifesting (and one very patient fanbase), The Comeback is officially returning for its third and final season.

The HBO Original comedy from Michael Patrick King and Lisa Kudrow premieres Sunday, March 22 at 10:30 p.m. ET on HBO and will stream on HBO Max. The eight-episode farewell season will roll out weekly, leading to the series finale on May 10. Yes, we’re already emotionally preparing.

It’s been 20 years since Valerie Cherish first tried to stage her televised resurrection, and Season 3 finds Kudrow reprising her Emmy-nominated role as the eternally optimistic, chronically misunderstood actress who just wants America, and the industry, to get her right. Timing, as always, is everything. And in an era where fame is curated, filtered and algorithm-approved, Valerie’s brand of painfully earnest self-documentation feels more relevant than ever.

Returning cast members include Dan Bucatinsky, Laura Silverman, Damian Young and Tim Bagley, alongside newcomers Matt Cook, Jack O’Brien, Ella Stiller, John Early, Barry Shabaka Henley, Abbi Jacobson, Tony Macht, Brittany O’Grady, Zane Phillips, Julian Stern and Andrew Scott. If that lineup tells us anything, it’s that Valerie will once again be surrounded by chaos, and probably a camera crew she both resents and desperately needs.

King and Kudrow executive produce alongside John Melfi and Dan Bucatinsky, keeping the creative DNA intact for this final chapter.

And because HBO understands its audience, each episode will be followed by The Comeback Official HBO Companion Video Podcast on HBO Max. Hosted by Evan Ross Katz, the podcast will feature conversations with Kudrow and King about the season’s storyline, the origins of the series and why Valerie Cherish still hits a little too close to home. Expect special guests and, ideally, at least one moment of secondhand embarrassment.

Few comedies have aged quite like The Comeback. It was ahead of the curve on reality TV satire, celebrity culture and the fragile ego of Hollywood relevance. Now, two decades later, it returns to close the loop.

Valerie always said she’d come back. She just needed the right lighting.

Stay tuned to The TV Cave for trailers, recaps and a full breakdown once Valerie makes her grand (and likely awkward) entrance.