Hacks.
            Of all the genres available, comedy is the most fraught and difficult. That is why sensible and smart people seldom try and create it and far fewer succeed, those who do become legends and stars. In this new streaming series starring Jean Smart playing a legendary Las Vegas comedian  Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder as her unlikely much younger comedy writer Ava, hired to reinvigorate Vance's career. As always it is the writers Lucia Aniello, Paul Downs, and  Co Creator Jan Statsky that have made this gem possible. But it would be all for naught if it were not for the brilliant Jean Smart, as Vance. Not known for her comedy chops throughout her long acting career she comes across as a consummate natural. It is Smart injecting the deadly combination of steely unrepentant professionalism barely covering a core of vulnerability and hurt in the brassy fun loving take no prisoners Vance that makes this series so watchable . Her exploitative relationship with her protoge/mentor is fraught and sometimes hostile hiding the mutual respect and affection the two have for each other. Now in its third and best season so far it shows what can happen when truly gifted people come together with the goal of making the rest of us laugh.