Valerie Cherish is a sitcom icon – or at least was in the late 80s/early 90s, learning the cast of studio comedy, I’m It!

At the start of The Comeback, Valerie has fallen off the circuit. Unable to find notable work since her time on the show, she is now considered B-list, a veteran of the industry, with her star rapidly fading.

That is until 2005, when Valerie is given her shot at returning to the comedy world with new series, Room and Bored. But there’s a catch: it’s on the condition Valerie agrees to allow a camera crew into her life to document her rise back into the spotlight.

As cameras roll, Valerie soon finds herself grappling with the state of the industry and her place in it. From ever-changing beauty standards, her clichéd role, her concerns undermined by those in charge, and documentary filmmakers editing her in a less-than-flattering light.

10 years later, she agrees to return to the cameras as she leans into the world of reality TV. At the same time, she is cast as a fictional version of herself in a new series, Seeing Red, which tracks the turbulent career of the sitcom creator she clashed with on Room and Bored.

The Comeback takes on a mockumentary style, with the TV show we watch being the result of the footage shot for the reality series.

It was created by actress Lisa Kudrow (famed for Friends and Mad About You) alongside Michael Patrick King, creator and executive producer of Sex and the City.

First launching in 2005, the series returned for a second season in 2014. The third and final season is airing in 2026.

At the time of writing (February 2026), The Comeback has run for a total of 21 episodes – each up to 30 minutes in length.

Season one ran for 13 episodes, while the second season ran for eight.

Season three’s episode count is yet to be confirmed.

Leading the cast of The Comeback is show creator, Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish.

Lisa is best known for playing Phoebe Buffay in Friends, but has had a long-standing career within the sitcom industry, with credits including Mad About You in 1994 (with her character Ursula later being introduced into Friends as Phoebe’s twin sister), Grace and Frankie in 2018, The Good Place in 2020, and Feel Good from 2021 to 2024.

She has also appeared in films including Easy A, P.S. I Love You, The Girl on the Train and Booksmart.

Joining her throughout the seasons are:

• Damian Young (Ozark, Law & Order) as Mark Berman

• Laura Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program, Bob’s Burgers) as Jane Benson

• Malin Åkerman (The Hunting Wives, Billions) as Juna Millken

• Lance Barber (Young Sheldon, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) as Paulie G

• Robert Bagnell (Your Friends and Neighbours, Fetching) as Tom Peterman

• Dan Bucatinsky (Hacks, Scandal) as Billy Stanton

• Kellan Lutz (The Twilight Saga, FBI: Most Wanted) as Chris MacNess

• Robert Michael Morris (How I Met Your Mother, Running Wilde) as Mickey Deane

The Comeback has been rated 15 for the overall series, although some episodes have been rated 12. This means it has been deemed unsuitable for children, with some episodes deemed appropriate for younger audiences.

This is due to the show containing:

• Full frontal nudity (both male and female)

• Use of profanity

• Comedic references to drug use

• Minor violence and injury (for comedic effect)

The Comeback seasons one and two are both available now on Sky Comedy.

They are also available to stream on NOW.

Season three will launch in March 2026.

The Comeback season 3 can still be watched on Sky, and you can find seasons 1 and 2 on HBO Max via Sky.

Sky Atlantic will continue to air upcoming seasons of much-loved HBO shows that have previously aired on Sky, such as House of the Dragon, The Last of Us and The White Lotus, alongside homegrown Sky Originals and exclusive Peacock Originals straight from the US.

From 26 March, Sky customers with Sky Ultimate TV and Sky Q customers with eligible packages will also get HBO Max Basic with Ads included as standard. That gives you the full library of classic HBO series including Game of Thrones, The Sopranos and Sex in the City, complete collections of beloved series like Friends, and brand new HBO Max Original titles like the Emmy Award-winning The Pitt. Sky+ customers will also be able to watch HBO Max Basic with Ads content through their home page.

Plus, from March 2026, you also get Netflix, Disney+ and (from July 2026) Hayu – all under one easy to manage subscription.

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