PaleyFest LA 2025 featured a special screening and Q and A with the cast of “Hacks” starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder. The PaleyFest audience got see the first two episodes of the upcoming Season 4 (premiering April 10), followed by a panel discussion with Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Mark Indelicato, Megan Stalter, Rose Abdoo, Paul W. Downs (Creator, Showrunner, Executive Producer, Writer & Director), Lucia Aniello ( Creator, Showrunner, Executive Producer, Writer & Director), and Jen Statsky, (Creator, Showrunner, Executive Producer & Writer). The panel was moderated by Variety’s executive editor, Michael Schneider.

Creator, showrunner, executive producer, writer, and director Lucia Aniello revealed that most of the fourth season is taped in Los Angeles and specifically in Altadena. “It’s an area that we loved because it felt like such a cool, funky part of LA, and we gravitated towards it when planning locations.” She hinted at an episode dedicated to Los Angeles and added that the city is “the place where our dreams came true, and for us to be able to make this show here is a dream come true.”

When discussing the upcoming season, creator, showrunner, executive producer, and writer Jen Statsky shared that the show is “a love letter to late night, both in the fact it is an important American institution but also it is such a grind…it’s such a difficult writing job. We wanted to be very accurate and honor how hard people within the late-night system work.”

When talking about the new season, Jean Smart gave a few hints of what’s to come by sharing that “there’s strippers, there’s racecars, there’s a three-way, but I won’t tell you which three they are!” Hannah Einbinder teased episode ten and stated that fans won’t be ready for what’s coming, calling the creative team “wild, mad scientists.”

HOLLYWOOD CA – MARCH 28: Cast and creatives of Hacks at PaleyFest LA 2025 honoring Hacks, presented by the Paley Center for Media, at the DOLBY THEATRE on March 28, 2025 in Hollywood, California. Photo: © Michael Bulbenko/(Photo Credit: The Paley Center For Media)

HOLLYWOOD CA – MARCH 28: Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder at PaleyFest LA 2025 honoring Hacks, presented by the Paley Center for Media, at the DOLBY THEATRE on March 28, 2025 in Hollywood, California. © Kevin Parry/(Photo Credit: Paley Center for Media)

HOLLYWOOD CA – MARCH 28: Creator/Writer/Director Paul W. Downs and Megan Stalter at PaleyFest LA 2025 honoring Hacks, presented by the Paley Center for Media, at the DOLBY THEATRE on March 28, 2025 in Hollywood, California. © Kevin Parry/(Photo Credit: The Paley Center for Media)

HOLLYWOOD CA – MARCH 28: Megan Stalter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Mark Indelicato, and Rose Abdoo at PaleyFest LA 2025 honoring Hacks, presented by the Paley Center for Media, at the DOLBY THEATRE on March 2 8, 2025 in Hollywood, California. © Michael Bulbenko (Photo Credit: The Paley Center for Media)