There Is No Line

"There Is No Line" is the pilot episode of the American comedy-drama television series Hacks. It was directed by Lucia Aniello and co-written with Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky. The episode establishes the plot of the series, which centers comediennes from different generations (played by Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder) who are thrust into a working relationship after separate circumstances threaten their careers. The episode premiered on streaming network HBO Max on May 13, 2021 with an approximate running time of 29 minutes. "There Is No Line" received Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series. Plot Deborah Vance is an established comedienne in the twilight of her career with a residency at The Palmetto casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is financially successful and content with her regular Friday and Saturday night performances, as well as her frequent QVC sales appearances. She later panics when Marty, the Palmetto's owner, takes her to lunch to celebrate her 2,500th performance and informs her that he is moving her to midweek so that her premium dates can be given to new acts like Pentatonix. Later she finds out that her ex-husband has died via television news but she is unmoved by the news. The newscaster reads copy stating that Deborah burned down his house decades ago after he left her for her sister. When her workaholic COO Marcus asks if she'd like to take the night off, she declines. Ava Daniels is a confident yet arrogant 25-year-old television writer working in Los Angeles. She's reeling from significant backlash after Tweeting a joke about a conservative congressman's gay son. She's been fired from her job and her manager, Jimmy, informs her that her only option is to go work for Deborah Vance, another client of his.