(SeaPRwire) – Hollywood has a well-known affinity for self-referential projects. Whether it’s Singin’ in the Rain, The Artist, or Jay Kelly, content focusing on the entertainment business usually resonates well with industry professionals. This trend has recently expanded to television, with The Studio joining this niche genre.
However, The Comeback pioneered this concept 19 years ago. Created by Michael Patrick King in 2007, the series featured Lisa Kudrow playing Valerie Cherish, a former sitcom star attempting a career comeback through a new show and an accompanying reality series. The show was revived in 2014 during the height of the “Peak TV” era for a second season, tracking Valerie’s journey as she landed a role on a prestigious HBO drama and earned an Emmy.
The Comeback has returned for its third and final season, tackling another major television trend: artificial intelligence. Unlike previous installments, this season portrays a grim, yet-to-occur reality where AI completely replaces human writers on a network sitcom, transforming the show into a dystopian warning.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for The Comeback Season 3.
The third season begins with Valerie Cherish joining the picket lines during the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes, ensuring she snaps a photo with SAG president Fran Drescher for her social media accounts. While her stance seems clear, her commitment is questionable. Valerie accepts the lead role in a new sitcom called How’s That? despite the network head admitting it is scripted by AI with minimal human input. “Everyone seems to be stressing about AI, right? Personally, I’m eager to let go and see what the fuss is about,” Valerie remarks, repeatedly disregarding her GPS directions.
As Valerie is filmed by her long-time documentarian Jane (played by Laura Silverman), she discovers the unsettling reality. Although humans are part of the process, they serve merely as babysitters for the AI, which eventually malfunctions and even generates hallucinations of Nathan Drake from the Uncharted video game series within the wholesome B-and-B sitcom setting. Valerie is left adrift, desperately seeking actual human writers to salvage the show and revive her career.
In a recent episode, Jane discloses that she never signed the non-disclosure agreement regarding the AI usage on How’s That, leading the entire industry to uncover the show’s hidden secret. “The public deserves to know that AI is threatening their livelihoods. It’s not just happening in offices or factories; it’s happening right here on this ridiculous sitcom,” Jane states. “I need to prove that this isn’t a distant future problem. It is happening now.”
This might not reflect the current state of the industry—or at least not publicly—but it could foreshadow future developments. When The Comeback first premiered in 2007, reality television was still considered a gamble, largely limited to competition shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race. We can hope that Season 3 is not equally prophetic, but regardless, it serves as a warning about the consequences of removing the human element from creativity. While AI might be able to generate fifty jokes in minutes with minimal resources, it cannot replicate the human touch, even within a fictional context.
You can stream The Comeback now on HBO Max.
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