HBO‘s The Comeback is taking the concept of long gaps between seasons to a new level, with its third season premiering Sunday, 11 1/2 years after Season 2, which, in turn, was released more than nine years after the first season.

Tackling topics like AI replacing TV writers and the 2023 WGA strike, The Comeback, starring Lisa Kudrow as B-level sitcom star Valerie Cherish, is more than another showbiz comedy, Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max Content, said on stage at the Season 3 premiere Thursday night.

“I think this show says so much about the entertainment business, television, celebrity and culture at large, that when historians look back at the 21st century, I think this show says more about what we’re experiencing in the entertainment business and culture than most dramas, movies, books, articles,” he said, adding, “I know that sounds grandiose, and I mean it to sound grandiose” to a laugh from the audience.

In an interview with Deadline at the premiere, Amy Gravitt, EVP, HBO Programming, Head of HBO & Max Comedy Series, spoke about The Comeback’s return with an AI-themed storyline, as well as the broad appeal of Rooster, from Bill Lawrence, creator/co-creator of ABC’s Scrubs and Apple TV’s Ted Lasso, Shrinking and Bad Monkey, and star Steve Carell, and its possible renewal after strong premiere viewership and a California tax credit for Season 2.

She also addressed the renewals of two writer-performer-driven series that launched last year, Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin’s The Chair Company and Rachel Sennott’s I Love LA and the Season 3 status of Nathan Fielder’s docu-comedy The Rehearsal.

Gravitt gave an update on Sharon Horgan’s upcoming series, in which she stars as a 50-year-old divorcee searching for sex and love, and on Kansas City Star, headlined by Kaley Cuoco and created by the Hacks trio of Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky.

She also spoke about the HBO Max comedy brand and when we can expect a series that exemplifies it, Chuck Lorre’s Big Bang Theory spinoff Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. Additionally, Gravitt talked about the upcoming sketch comedy series Larry David has with President Barack Obama, Life, Larry & The Pursuit of Unhappiness, which marks the United States’ 250th anniversary, and whether there is a chance for more Curb Your Enthusiasm.

DEADLINE: Why bring back The Comeback now and why with the AI angle?

GRAVITT: Well, it’s what they came to us with. I think for all of us, the timing of it just felt — obviously there is symmetry to having 10 years between seasons. It requires a character with real potency to be able to come back after so much time, and I think Valerie Cherish is one of a few that could do that.

But, like with all of our shows, it really is about the creators having an idea that they’re inspired to write. And the timing of having a story about AI when I think there’s going to be an onslaught of it, and I don’t mean AI — well, there’s the onslaught of AI — but there’s also the narratives around it.

So to be able to be the first one in to satirize it with a character like Valerie Cherish, that’s not something you say “no” to.

DEADLINE: This is branded as a final season. Didn’t you want to leave the door open for more?

GRAVITT: We didn’t. The idea of a trilogy is something that’s very neat. If we follow the timing, that would be 10 years down the road from now, so that just seems like forever away. But I think it felt like closure for them with the characters, that they are making the points that they want to make. They had a real reason to come back and revisit Valerie and the rest of the cast, and it felt like the time to wrap it up 20+ years later.

DEADLINE: The recent revival of another HBO comedy, Sex and the City, ran on HBO Max. Why did you decide to keep the new The Comeback on HBO and not put it on HBO Max?

GRAVITT: It’s not a revival, it’s the same show, it’s just a long time between seasons.

DEADLINE: The Comeback is being paired with Rooster, both broader comedies with big network stars in Kudrow and Carell. That feels like a bit of a departure from what you have been doing at HBO recently.

GRAVITT: I think for us, we’re always looking to balance the slate out. It’s in different ways tonally, it’s with different points of view, and there was something about Rooster that, obviously the combination of Steve and Bill is undeniable. So you have me with that, and then also the idea of setting a show on a campus, but really making it a family show, felt like it fit on our slate in an interesting way. And I think that there’s something about it right now, I love that it’s landing at a moment where people are looking for the comfort of old shows — not even old shows, but those real TV show formats.

DEADLINE: Maybe because Bill Lawrence does a lot of shows for Apple, but someone said that Rooster feels like an Apple show. Are you widening the HBO brand?

GRAVITT: To me, it feels like an HBO show. I don’t even know it’s necessarily widening the brand. Again, it’s just about keeping our slate balanced. And there’s something to me that it feels like a successor to the tone that we captured on Somebody Somewhere. I really like having the warmth, you can do warm comedies too.

DEADLINE: With the strong premiere viewership and the tax credit, is a Rooster renewal coming?

GRAVITT: Stay tuned.

DEADLINE You renewed both of your new writer-performer shows, The Chair Company and I Love LA. How do you feel about the way they were received, and what is the status of their second seasons?

GRAVITT: I’m feeling great about all of these shows, to be honest. They were both absolute no-brainers to pick up. I think both Tim and Zach got to make the exact show that they wanted to make, and are excited to do more. And I think it was so well received. And likewise for I Love LA.

It’s such a nice time for HBO comedy. Having Chair Company Season 2, we’re just starting to get outlines in for that, and likewise, for I Love LA, they’re in the room on both shows. Also, again, feeling good about Rooster and The Comeback. We’ve got a pretty full slate that’s really landing well, which is all you can ask for.

DEADLINE: How is the Sharon Horgan series coming?

GRAVITT: They’re in the middle of it. I’m flying to London to go to the second batch of table reads for that. So we’re well underway; we’re in the middle of production for that one. I’ve been wanting to work with Sharon and have developed with her going way, way back, almost as far back as The Comeback. This is definitely one of those collaborations that has been a long time coming, and it’s really fun to be examining this chapter of her life. She’s brilliant.

DEADLINE: What is in the pipeline behind that? Is Kansas City Star from the Hacks creators still happening?

GRAVITT: As soon as we can get them focused on writing that script. Yes, that’s out on the horizon.

DEADLINE: Can Kaley Cuoco do both this and the HBO Max drama How To Live Without Me if that pilot goes to series?

GRAVITT: I’m sure there is way to make that happen. People are doing multiple things all the time, it’s the new era in television.

DEADLINE: HBO Max’ only current comedy series, Hacks, is coming to an end. Coming up there is the Big Bang Theory spinoff, Stuart Fails To Save the Universe. What’s its status; we haven’t heard anything lately. It should’ve wrapped production.

GRAVITT: We’re just starting to see cuts, it will be out later this year. It’s a really fun show. It’s been fantastic to see Chuck be able to play with these characters, but also, at the same time, play with genre. We’re actually really excited about it. It’s fun and cinematic and exactly what you would want from a spinoff.

DEADLINE: You said last year that the Big Bang spinoff is a “really good example of what a Max comedy should be.” Does it mean IP-based shows? Would you do multi-camera sitcoms?

GRAVITT: I imagine it would be a combination of the two. Obviously the Big Bang spinoff is exactly in that vein. But also, if we were to develop multi-cams and find the right one that made sense, that would be, I think, the perfect Max comedy, or anything that just feels a little bit more episodic and evergreen that distinguishes itself from an HBO show.

DEADLINE: What is the latest on Nathan Fielder and The Rehearsal Season 3?

GRAVITT: He is off, noodling.

DEADLINE: Still noodling?

GRAVITT: It’s post-noodling; I’ll give you post-noodling, how about that? He’s working on an idea for the third season.

DEADLINE: It’s been a year since the end of The Righteous Gemstones. Danny McBride produces It’s Florida, Man but do you have something new in the works with him as a creator?

GRAVITT: He has a project that he is shepherding for us that we’re starting to talk about, so I’m excited to be having those conversations with him. It’s not fully together yet.

DADLINE: Curb’s Larry David is back with a sketch show…

GRAVITT: I was just at South By where we did a launch for Larry, and then had a panel for Rooster, and a panel for The Comeback. He was able to share a sketch.

He is happier than ever. As much as he used to take time between seasons, he clearly loves to be working. And it’s really funny. And I think it’s gonna be the perfect idea for this holiday.

DEADLINE: This feels a stunt but can it continue as an anthology with different themes?

GRAVITT: I think it’s pretty specific to the semiquincentennial.

DEADLINE: What about Curb? Is there a possibility for more?

GRAVITT: I don’t think so. No more Curb.

DEADLINE: What about your late-night fare under EVP Nina Rosenstein with shows like It’s Florida Man and Neighbors?

GRAVITT: I think we’re lucky to hand off between late-night and scripted series, and sometimes we have some overlap — we work with a lot of the same talent, and hopefully it feels like a coherent HBO comedy brand.