The Comeback is an American sitcom produced by HBO that stars actress Lisa Kudrow as sitcom actress Valerie Cherish in modern-day Los Angeles. It was created by Kudrow and Michael Patrick King, a former executive producer of Sex and the City. Kudrow and King are also screenwriters and executive producers of the series, with King also serving as the director of some episodes. The series premiered on HBO on June 5, 2005 and aired for a single, 13-episode season before being canceled. The series was revived nine years later and an eight-episode second season started airing on HBO on November 9, 2014.
As of December 28, 2014, 21 episodes of The Comeback have aired, concluding its second season.
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 13 | June 5, 2005 (2005-06-05) | September 4, 2005 (2005-09-04) | |
| 2 | 8 | November 9, 2014 (2014-11-09) | December 28, 2014 (2014-12-28) | |
Episodes
Season 1 (2005)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Comeback" | Michael Patrick King | Michael Patrick King & Lisa Kudrow | June 5, 2005 (2005-06-05) | 1.51 | |
| Valerie Cherish starts a new chapter in her TV career as she agrees to allow cameras to trail her around the clock for a reality show called The Comeback, a prerequisite for being cast in the pilot of the new sitcom Room and Bored. | |||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Valerie Triumphs at the Upfronts" | Michael Patrick King | Michael Patrick King & Lisa Kudrow | June 12, 2005 (2005-06-12) | N/A | |
| Valerie, Mickey and the cast of Room and Bored travel to New York for a traditional network event where new shows are unveiled to the media. Valerie begins to feel unappreciated by the cast and the network after a series of perceived snubs. | |||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Valerie Bonds with the Cast" | Michael Lehmann | Michael Patrick King | June 19, 2005 (2005-06-19) | N/A | |
| After a table read for "the first official episode", Valerie invites her co-stars to a "bonding lunch", but Juna doesn't appear. The two make up later with a one-on-one lunch, where Valerie learns why Juna is such a paparazzi favorite. At home, Valerie is touched when Francesca appears to reach out to her at long last. | |||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Valerie Stands Up for Aunt Sassy" | Michael Lehmann | John Riggi | June 26, 2005 (2005-06-26) | N/A | |
| Concerned that Paulie G has written an unflattering line that will turn audiences against her character, Valerie enlists a new writer, Gigi, to help pitch a less-offensive one. Meanwhile, Valerie rethinks her impulsive decision to adopt a puppy. | |||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Valerie Demands Dignity" | Greg Mottola | Linda Wallem | July 10, 2005 (2005-07-10) | 0.931 | |
| Valerie worries that her comeback storyline isn't "enough", as the network tries to spice up her reality show by cross-breeding it with another one, and by pulling a highway prank that nearly sabotages Valerie's lunch with a TV Guide editor. At home, Mark is increasingly frustrated by the restraints the ubiquitous cameras have imposed on their sex life. | |||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Valerie Saves the Show" | Greg Mottola | Michael Schur | July 17, 2005 (2005-07-17) | N/A | |
| With the cast in a funk after a lackluster premiere, Valerie tries to boost morale with a late-night cookie delivery where she discovers the writers pantomiming a lewd act that depicts her in a compromising position. Mickey accuses Valerie of sharing details about his private life with Juna. Valerie tries to persuade Shayne to see her reality show in a different light. | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Valerie Gets a Special Episode" | Michael Lehmann | John Riggi | July 24, 2005 (2005-07-24) | 0.995 | |
| Excited about a "Room and Bored" episode dedicated to her character, Valerie pulls some strings to get a "name" actor to play Aunt Sassy's romantic interest, but the show is placed on hiatus by the network before the episode can be produced. Mark's behavior at the Viper Room brings to light intimacy issues that are ultimately too hot for the camera. | |||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Valerie Relaxes in Palm Springs" | Michael Lehmann | Linda Wallem and Michael Patrick King | July 31, 2005 (2005-07-31) | N/A | |
| Valerie and Mark head to Palm Springs to spend a long weekend at a resort, which doubles as anexcessseries of product placement attempts for The Comeback. While Mark draws the line with Jane's crew on the golf course, Valerie finds a new mentor in an old acquaintance. | |||||||
| 9 | 9 | "Valerie Hangs With the Cool Kids" | J. Clark Mathis | Michael Schur | August 7, 2005 (2005-08-07) | 0.937 | |
| At the insistence of the network, Room and Bored gets a makeover and adds two new cast members, Greg and Kaveen, spurring talk of a coup by the "original five." Meanwhile, Francesca's new friend Kalla shakes up the status quo at home. | |||||||
| 10 | 10 | "Valerie Gets a Magazine Cover" | David Steinberg | Amy B. Harris | August 14, 2005 (2005-08-14) | N/A | |
| With Juna getting all the hype and most of the magazine covers, Valerie enlists a new publicist, Billy Stanton, to land a cover of her own. Billy obliges by scoring a shoot for Be Yoga magazine, forcing Valerie to remodel her fitness room and take a yoga crash course. | |||||||
| 11 | 11 | "Valerie Stands Out on the Red Carpet" | Michael Patrick King | Michael Patrick King | August 21, 2005 (2005-08-21) | N/A | |
| When Room and Bored gets nominated for a People's Choice Award, Valerie gets a new dress and a new look for the ceremony. After Gigi indicates that she was not invited by the producers, Valerie brings her along as her guest. | |||||||
| 12 | 12 | "Valerie Shines Under Stress" | David Steinberg | Heather Morgan | August 28, 2005 (2005-08-28) | N/A | |
| Jane pulls rank on Tom and Paulie G to get Valerie more lines on Room and Bored. A stalker threat forces extra security on the set, exposing Valerie's old back problems as she's prepping for a big pratfall scene. Valerie's frustrations with Paulie G reach a boiling point, and she punches him in the gut, causing them both to vomit. | |||||||
| 13 | 13 | "Valerie Does Another Classic Leno" | Michael Patrick King | Michael Patrick King | September 4, 2005 (2005-09-04) | 0.920 | |
| Valerie hosts a watch party for the premiere of The Comeback and discovers that the show has been edited to portray her in a poor light. After a hostile encounter with Jane, Valerie quits The Comeback. The next day, she makes a memorable guest appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and agrees to do a second season of The Comeback after favorable ratings and audience reaction. Mickey comes out of the closet. | |||||||
Season 2 (2014)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | US viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | "Valerie Makes a Pilot" | Michael Patrick King | Michael Patrick King & Lisa Kudrow | November 9, 2014 (2014-11-09) | 0.300 | |
| Nine years later, Valerie has commissioned a camera crew of USC students to film a reality TV pilot she plans to pitch to Andy Cohen. Meanwhile, she learns that Paulie G has developed an HBO series about his life that will portray a fictionalized version of herself in a very unflattering light. After unsuccessfully issuing a cease and desist order, she instead auditions for and wins the part, much to Paulie G's chagrin. | |||||||
| 15 | 2 | "Valerie Tries to Get Yesterday Back" | Michael Patrick King | Michael Patrick King & Lisa Kudrow | November 16, 2014 (2014-11-16) | 0.183 | |
| HBO suggests Valerie repurpose her pilot as behind the scenes web content for Seeing Red. Because such a venture requires a union film crew, Valerie reconnects with Jane, who begrudgingly agrees to produce it. Afterward, Valerie attends an HBO-hosted Golden Globe Awards watch party, where she, Mark, and Jane have an awkward confrontation with Paulie G. | |||||||
| 16 | 3 | "Valerie Is Brought to Her Knees" | John Riggi | Amy B. Harris | November 23, 2014 (2014-11-23) | 0.221 | |
| Valerie arrives on set for the first day of production for Seeing Red and meets her co-star, Seth Rogen. Meanwhile, she is apprehensive about shooting a sexual fantasy scene in which Mallory (Valerie, playing a version of herself) is to give Mitch (Rogen, playing the character based on Paulie G) a blow job. | |||||||
| 17 | 4 | "Valerie Saves the Show" | John Riggi | Amy B. Harris and John Riggi | November 30, 2014 (2014-11-30) | 0.267 | |
| When budget cuts threaten her screen time, Valerie offers her home as a free shooting location. This decision leads her and Mark to stay overnight in an apartment building they own, where they are witness to a tenant's suicide. Meanwhile, Valerie takes improv classes at The Groundlings to impress Seth Rogen. Mickey learns that he may have cancer, and begins binge eating. | |||||||
| 18 | 5 | "Valerie Is Taken Seriously" | John Riggi | John Riggi | December 7, 2014 (2014-12-07) | 0.216 | |
| A new director is hired to allow an overwhelmed Paulie G to focus on writing. Valerie attempts to persuade Tom to rejoin his ex-writing partner, but learns they haven't spoken in six years. HBO grants The New York Times an exclusive interview of Valerie, usurping weeks of Billy's work and leading him to an emotional breakdown. Valerie misinterprets the reporter's early critical praise of her performance, and HBO decides to make Jane's content into a full-scale documentary film. Mark rents a house and moves out. | |||||||
| 19 | 6 | "Valerie Cooks in the Desert" | Clark Mathis | Michael Patrick King & Lisa Kudrow | December 14, 2014 (2014-12-14) | 0.238 | |
| Fearing their marriage may be in jeopardy, Valerie decides to uncharacteristically cook dinner for Mark after being forced to cancel exclusive restaurant reservations. Following delays on a location shoot in the desert (mainly due to Paulie G's lag in writing), Valerie loses her temper around the crew. She arrives at Mark's rental home several hours late to find him asleep. Paulie G suffers anxiety over mixed critical reviews, which praise the acting, but pan the writing. | |||||||
| 20 | 7 | "Valerie Faces the Critics" | Michael Patrick King | Michael Patrick King & Lisa Kudrow | December 21, 2014 (2014-12-21) | 0.134 | |
| Two months later, Valerie is taking part in a press junket after being nominated for an Emmy Award, but is worried by the perception of Mickey's failing health. She and Mark are separated, yet they agree to meet over dinner to attempt to repair their relationship. Jane needs more content to complete the documentary (which she reveals is titled "The Assassination of Valerie Cherish"), so she persuades Valerie to let her film the date in secret. When Mark discovers that Valerie is wearing a wire, they have a very loud, public argument before he leaves. | |||||||
| 21 | 8 | "Valerie Gets What She Really Wants" | Michael Patrick King | Michael Patrick King & Lisa Kudrow | December 28, 2014 (2014-12-28) | 0.242 | |
| After attending Juna's annual pre-Emmy party, warding off sexual advances from Chris, and enduring a humbling day leading up to the ceremony, Valerie enters the awards show to learn that Mark did not accept her invitation to attend. Just as the telecast begins, she receives a text message from Mark that Mickey has collapsed at home and has been rushed to the hospital, so she darts out of the Emmy ceremony, leaving the documentary crew behind. At the hospital, she learns Mickey will be okay and finds him in good spirits. After a coffee run, Mark returns to Mickey's hospital room, shocked and happy to see Valerie there (and without a camera crew). Together, the three of them watch on television as Valerie is announced as the winner of the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. | |||||||
Future
Kudrow said in late 2014 that she and King felt the network was interested in producing a third season. In an interview with E!, Kudrow also said: "I would love to do more. In 2005, that was an ending, that was definitely an ending because I guess now we see that those episodes were a piece and these episodes were a piece and then if we do more than we will be doing that piece."
References
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- Breaking News - Development Update: June 8-10 | TheFutonCritic.com
- Breaking News - Development Update: July 13-15 | TheFutonCritic.com
- Breaking News - Development Update: July 27-29 | TheFutonCritic.com
- Breaking News - Development Update: August 10 | TheFutonCritic.com
- Breaking News - Development Update: September 6-9 | TheFutonCritic.com
- Metcalf, Mitch (November 13, 2014). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 11.9.2014". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- "Sunday Final Nationals: NBC Wins Yet Again with 'Sunday Night Football'". TV Media Insights. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
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- ""The Comeback" Completes Its Perfect Comeback". buzzfeed.com. 29 December 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
- "Lisa Kudrow on The Comeback's Highly Emotional Finale, Why She Got Sick, and Whether We'll Get Season Three". eonline.com. 29 December 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2016.