The creators of HBO Max's "Hacks" are pushing for a complete DVD box set as insurance against digital oblivion. Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky told Deadline they want physical media for their five-season run because streaming platforms frequently disappear content during corporate mergers and restructuring.
"It is really scary," the showrunners said of the current landscape where Warner Bros. Discovery and other conglomerates routinely delete shows from their services for tax write-offs. They've watched acclaimed series vanish overnight as parent companies consolidate streaming libraries, leaving creators with no permanent record of their work.
The move reflects legitimate industry anxiety. HBO Max removed numerous Max Originals and licensed content after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, including "Full Circle" and selections from the DC Universe. Netflix has culled shows. Paramount Plus purged content. For creators who spent years developing characters and stories, seeing their work vanish from all platforms feels like professional death.
"Hacks," which stars Jean Smart as veteran Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance and Annie Murphy as her young writer Ava, concluded its final season on HBO Max. The show earned 16 Emmy nominations across its run and became one of the streamer's critical darlings. Smart won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2022. Yet none of that prestige guarantees permanent access.
A DVD box set would preserve "Hacks" in physical form, ensuring fans and future generations can own the complete series regardless of streaming service decisions. Physical media sales have stabilized in recent years, particularly for prestige television. "Succession," "The Last of Us," and other premium dramas have successfully released box sets that became collector's items and revenue streams for production companies.
The showrunners' push also highlights the shift in how