Lisa Kudrow deals with modern twist in 'The Comeback' 3 trailer as cult classic returns for final season

Kudrow plays Valerie Cherish, a former actress who is set to make her comeback with the sitcom titled 'How’s That?!'
PUBLISHED FEB 27, 2026
Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish on HBO's 'The Comeback' Season 3 (Cover Image Source: HBO | Photo by Erin Simkin)
Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish on HBO's 'The Comeback' Season 3 (Cover Image Source: HBO | Photo by Erin Simkin)

HBO's sitcom 'The Comeback' is returning for a third and final season on March 22. 'Friends' alum Lisa Kudrow stars as the aging sitcom actress Valerie Cherish living in Los Angeles.  The HBO Original aired its first two seasons in 2005 and 2014, respectively, and presented a biting satire on the entertainment industry and the cultural landscape of those decades. The third season was renewed in June 2025, on the occasion of the show's 20th anniversary, and the official trailer was launched on February 26. Kudrow's Valerie greets viewers with a cheerful, "Hello, hello, hello, welcome to my new chapter,” at the start of the trailer, as she invites the camera crew to her humble abode. She has every reason to be cheerful as the actress is set to make her comeback with the sitcom, titled 'How’s That?!,' announcing that, "sitcoms are back.”

However, her excitement turns to confusion after she learns, as the executive producer, that the sitcom is written by AI. Dan Bucatinsky's Billy Stanton assures her that it's a good thing. “You’re not going to have to deal with any asshole writers,” he says in a nod to Season 1, where Cherish frequently fought with a head writer. While taking it all in, the actress can only reply with, “Uh-huh. Wow. That’s new.” For the third installment, the series will deal with a new set of issues dominating Hollywood in the 2020s, like AI's takeover and the SAG-AFTRA strikes. In other snippets from the trailer, Valerie is seen posing with former SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, appearing on 'Hot Ones,' and hanging out with the television personality Trixie Mattel.

A screenshot of Andrew Scott and Lisa Kudrow from 'The Comeback' Season 3 trailer (Image Source: YouTube | @HBO)
A screenshot of Andrew Scott and Lisa Kudrow from 'The Comeback' Season 3 trailer (Image Source: YouTube | @HBO)

'The Comeback' Season 3 will also see Damian Young returning as Valerie's supportive husband, Mark Berman, Dan Bucatinsky as her publicist, Billy Stanton, and Laura Silverman as the reality TV director Jane Benson. The upcoming season is stacked with a talented line-up of stars, including 'Fleabag' star Andrew Scott, Abbi Jacobson, Matt Cook, John Early, Jack O’Brien, Tim Bagley, Brittany O’Grady, Ella Stiller, Barry Shabaka Henley, Tony Macht, and Zane Phillips. Additionally, Kudrow’s son, Julian Stern, will make his acting debut with the series in an undisclosed role. Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King serve as screenwriters, while King has directed several episodes of Season 3, which will feature eight episodes. The show will follow a weekly release format from March 22 until the finale on May 10. Until then, viewers can catch up on past seasons of the cult classic comedy on HBO and HBO Max. 

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