‘We got cancelled and we’re still here!’ Michael Patrick King on The Comeback – and why And Just Like That will age well
TL;DR
The new season of 'The Comeback' – the mockumentary comedy starring Lisa Kudrow – centers on an AI writing an entire sitcom series.
Key Points
- Co-creator Michael Patrick King says it is 'very possible' that AI could eventually produce full TV series autonomously.
- The show originally aired in 2005, was cancelled, then revived in 2014 and is now considered a cult classic about showbiz and self-promotion.
- King, known for 'Sex and the City' and the divisive revival 'And Just Like That', uses 'The Comeback' as a lens on industry trends – this time: generative AI in Hollywood.
Nauti's Take
'The Comeback' always had a knack for spotting industry madness a step ahead of everyone else – in 2005, reality-TV satire was almost too early; today the show is required viewing for anyone who thinks seriously about media. King using AI as a plot engine is not cheap hype-chasing but a logical extension of a series that has always examined the failure of systems and people in showbusiness.
Whether AI can truly write a full sitcom is almost beside the point – the more interesting question is what happens when nobody wants to admit that it cannot.
Sources