Just over a year after the series finale of Barry aired on HBO, Bill Hader is returning to the premium cable channel for a brand-new comedy series. It’s hard to imagine anyone being able to one-up the Emmy-winning series, but if someone can do it, it’s Hader and the best premium cable network out there. Better yet, the actor-writer is set to unite with a fellow Barry scribe on the untitled comedy script, but it does not seem like Hader will be starring in it.
According to Variety, Bill Hader is co-writing a new HBO comedy pilot alongside Duffy Boudreau, a longtime friend of his and a collaborator on Barry. The latter’s other credits also include Netflix’s Big Mouth and the Marvel animated series Hit-Monkey starring Jason Sudeikis, streaming on Hulu. Details are scarce surrounding the HBO project, but the report says the current logline is as follows: “A woman in a small town has a big secret revealed.” Even for loglines it’s pretty brief and ambiguous, but the main selling point is arguably the talent behind the words. As of right now, the untitled comedy series pilot is being produced for HBO but does not have a series pickup yet, which normally occurs after the first episode is made and screened for the network.
HBO Is Expanding its Comedy Library
The upcoming Barry reunion is not the only comedy series HBO is gearing up to make. I Think You Should Leave‘s Tim Robinson is developing a show called The Chair Company, which he will star in as well as write and executive produce alongside Zach Kanin (Detroiters, SNL). HBO has already ordered a pilot from Rachel Sennott to series, which is currently untitled (the actress promises she’ll come up with a name soon) but boasts a complete cast and crew. The logline teases a familiar sitcom formula but with a twist, “A codependent friend group reunites, navigating how the time apart, ambition, and new relationships have changed them.”
It’s unclear if Hader will be acting in the upcoming HBO series, but the Emmy-winning actor and producer has been slowing down his on-screen roles since Barry concluded. His next starring role is as a voice actor on The Cat in the Hat by Warner Bros., which comes out in March 2026. Meanwhile, HBO has been ramping up its comedy slate as of late. In addition to the aforementioned projects, The Franchise is releasing in the first week of October and is inspired by real-life horror stories from the superhero movie-making world.