Valerie Cherish is getting one last shot at the spotlight.

HBO announced Friday, June 27, that Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King’s cult-favorite comedy series The Comeback is officially returning for a third and final season in 2026. The news marks a long-awaited revival for the Emmy-nominated satire, which last aired new episodes in December 2014 — more than a decade ago — and nearly 20 years after it first premiered in 2005.

Kudrow will reprise her beloved role as Valerie Cherish, the washed-up sitcom actress navigating the brutal absurdities of Hollywood’s reality-TV era. Joining her are returning cast members Dan Bucatinsky, Laura Silverman, and Damian Young, all of whom helped shape the show’s biting yet heartfelt tone.

“Valerie Cherish has found her way back to the current television landscape,” Kudrow and King said in a joint statement. “Neither of us are surprised she did.”

Often hailed as ahead of its time, The Comeback skewered celebrity culture, vanity, and the desperation of fame long before social media turned those themes mainstream. Its return promises not just a nostalgic reunion, but a timely commentary on today’s fame-obsessed entertainment world — once again, through Valerie’s ever-cringe-worthy lens.

Season 3 will air on both HBO and HBO Max.

Production Begins This Summer as The Comeback Gears Up for Its Long-Awaited Final Season

Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King aren’t just bringing The Comeback back — they’re also steering the ship. The duo will serve as executive producers for the third and final season, alongside longtime collaborators John Melfi and Dan Bucatinsky, HBO confirmed Friday. Production is set to kick off this summer.

Celebrating two decades since Valerie Cherish first graced the screen, HBO’s head of comedy, Amy Gravitt, emphasized the character’s enduring relevance.

“No matter what the industry throws at her, Valerie Cherish is a survivor,” said Gravitt, executive vice president of HBO & Max Comedy Programming. “On the 20th anniversary of her debut, Michael Patrick King and Lisa Kudrow have brilliantly scripted her return to HBO — and we can’t wait to see that.”

Originally debuting in June 2005, The Comeback was Kudrow’s first major TV role following Friends. The mockumentary-style series followed Valerie, a self-described “B-list actress,” as she awkwardly navigated the world of reality television while chasing a return to sitcom stardom. Though it was canceled after just 13 episodes, The Comeback gained a devoted cult following over the years — enough to earn a surprise revival in 2014.

Now, more than a decade later, Valerie’s story comes full circle in what promises to be a sharp, self-aware farewell to one of TV’s most misunderstood yet unforgettable characters.