Latest in Lucia Aniello

My guest this week is the SAG-nominated ‘Hacks’ co-creator, showrunner, director and star, Paul W. Downs. In the HBO Max comedy series, Downs plays Jimmy, a put-upon agent representing comedienne Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her reluctant protégé Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder). At the end of last…

Season 3 of HBO comedy series Hacks will have a surprising pause in the action, the shows’ creators revealed on the Emmys red carpet Monday. Downs, who also stars as agent Jimmy LuSaque in the show, told Deadline, “We’re in the middle of Season 3 right now, writing it, so we’re still really figuring it out. We do…

Hacks was first born on a road trip to a Monster Jam rally back in 2015. It was during the drive that couple Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello and their close friend Jen Statsky discussed the relative invisibility of female comedians compared to their male counterparts. Having bonded as co-writers, producers, and in the…

After a stellar first season that led to three Emmys wins, Hacks — starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder — had big expectations to meet in its second batch of episodes. It was a challenge not lost on its executive producers Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs. Contenders TV: The Nominees — Deadline’s Comple…

Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky scored their second Emmy nomination on Tuesday in the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series category for their work on Hacks. The series netted 17 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series and an Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series nomination for…

HBO Max’s Hacks earned 15 Emmy nominations and three wins in its debut season including Outstanding Lead Actress for Jean Smart and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for its creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky. In Season 2, the comedy starring Smart and Hannah Einbinder took the show on the…

EXCLUSIVE: Hacks co-creators Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello are taking to market the first project following their multiple Emmy wins for the HBO Max comedy series. Hot Robot, a half-hour genre comedy written by Genevieve Aniello (The Other Two, Gayme Show), is being developed through Downs and Lucia Aniello’s Warner…

Female directors hit another milestone tonight when The Crown‘s Jessica Hobbs won Outstanding Directing For a Drama Series and Hacks‘ Lucia Aniello Won Outstanding Directing For a Comedy Series, respectively. This marks the first time women have swept both directing categories in the same year. 73rd Annual Primetime Em…

Warner Bros. Television Group has signed an overall deal with Emmy-nominated Hacks co-creators Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs and their production company Paulilu Productions after a competitive situation. This marks the first overall deal for Paulilu with WBTVG. Terms were not disclosed, but WBTVG reports that…

A total of 15 Emmy nominations including for Outstanding Comedy Series would be an impressive achievement for any first-season series, but in the case of HBO Max’s Hacks it is particularly noteworthy as the show didn’t even premiere until the end of the season and was still unveiling new episodes even after the Emmys…

Netting 15 Emmy nominations including for Outstanding Comedy Series, HBO Max's Hacks has been a hit since its premiere in May. The show centers on the relationship between legendary Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and struggling and entitled young comedy writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder). Both Smart…

It all began in a Honda Pilot en route to Portland, ME. Amici Lucia Aniello, Jen Statsky and Paul W. Downs were headed to tape a segment for the latter’s Netflix comedy special, and a discussion broke out about legendary female comedians, who never got their due, and for one reason or another, might have tripped in…