Season 1 – Lucky Hank

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0:30

2023

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

45 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

William Henry "Hank" Devereaux, Jr., the unlikely English department chairman at the badly underfunded Railton College in the Pennsylvania rust belt, is coping with a midlife crisis. Just as Hank's life begins to unravel, his wife, Lily, also begins to question the path she is on as the vice principal of the local high school, and the choices she has made. Told in the first person by Hank, the series is adapted from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Russo's novel "Straight Man," which was inspired by his own experiences teaching at colleges.

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Critics Consensus

With the fortune of Bob Odenkirk in its favor, Lucky Hank makes ennui essential viewing with a comedy rooted in relatable human behavior.

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Kevin Dettmar

The Atlantic

It’s as if the protagonist of Russo’s novel has been frozen for decades and transported across genres and years onto our screen... [Lucky Hank] is quite aware of this, and has made some deft updates to the novel in response.

May 1, 2023

Full Review

Alison Stine

Salon.com

Lucky Hank is a comedy -- and it is very funny, sweet and real. But a large part of its realness comes from the bare acknowledgement that adjuncts are real and really struggling.

Apr 3, 2023

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Richard Roeper

Chicago Sun-Times

We’re ready to sign up for multiple semesters at Railton College. There’s a potential for real excellence there.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 25, 2023

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Karl Puschmann

New Zealand Herald

The whole show rests on the capable shoulders of Odenkirk and his incredible likeability and everyman charisma.

Feb 12, 2025

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Emiliano Basile

EscribiendoCine

Lucky Hank has a complex character that's relatable to most, especially those familiar with the miseries of academia, and delivers The Office's signature caustic humor. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 7/10

Mar 15, 2024

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Joel Fisher

Battle Royale With Cheese

The dialogue is witty and there are some interesting observations on how people act even when they don’t realize it themselves.

Apr 7, 2023

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Sharang L

Very likeable. A pity it didn't get renewed.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/02/24

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David S

Not worth paying for. If it comes with a subscription you already paid for maybe. Average at best.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/01/24

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Ken V

Starts slow but then it's very entertaining.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/13/23

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Saad F

Starts off really promising but gets pretty convoluted and depressing towards the middle. In the process, it looses the most interesting contexts about academia and writing which made the story unique. It's watchable but nothing extraordinary here.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/02/23

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Green C

Couldn't even wade through half of the first episode, despite a really good cast.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/27/23

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Tanya

General fan of Bob Odenkirk - this character takes his frequent "how did I get myself into this?" deeper. It is unusual to see an on-screen marriage with an equal dose of knowledge (of devereaux's quirks), compassion, and "here's how you should avoid trouble, dear" without the resentment or constant angst about "when will he change?" And, the best part, for those of you who've never had the pleasure of a life inside academia, this is an amazingly accurate portrayal of the petty politics and omnipresent headaches endemic to babysitting the next generation of over-fed windbags looking for (unearned) approval & rejecting (sorely needed) feedback. That people's own massive insecurities are so transparent to others, yet so opaque to themselves - welcome to any academic department. (Yay, Corner Gas alum Nancy Robertson!)

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/08/23

Full Review

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Bob Odenkirk

William Henry Devereaux, Jr.

Mireille Enos

Lily Devereaux

Olivia Scott Welch

Julie Devereaux

Diedrich Bader

Tony Conigula

Sara Amini

Meg Quigley

Cedric Yarbrough

Paul Rourke

Episode 1

Aired Mar 19, 2023

Pilot

Hank rants against Railton College, calling it "Mediocrity's Capitol," and the administration is pressured to fire him; Hank and Lily contemplate a future outside of Railton.

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Episode 2

Aired Mar 26, 2023

George Saunders

When George Saunders visits Railton College, the professors scramble to impress the celebrated writer, while Hank is reminded of his own failed writing career; Hank and Lily anticipate an announcement from their daughter Julie.

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Episode 3

Aired Apr 2, 2023

Escape

Hank spirals when a storage pod full of his father's belongings is dropped in his front yard; the professors spiral when rumors of budget cuts threaten their tenured jobs.

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Episode 4

Aired Apr 9, 2023

The Goose Boxer

Amid firing rumors, the professors look to the union to protect their jobs, while Hank tries a different approach; Lily interviews for a job at a prestigious New York prep school.

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Episode 5

Aired Apr 16, 2023

The Clock

Hank and Lily host the annual English department dinner; Lily has a decision to make; Hank's past involving his troubled relationship with his father catches up to him.

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Episode 6

Aired Apr 23, 2023

The Arrival

Hank and Tony travel to an academic conference, where their differing philosophies on work and life cause friction; Lily mediates trouble in Julie and Russell's marriage.

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Episode 7

Aired Apr 30, 2023

The Count of Monte Cristo

Hank contends with the return of his father to Railton; Lily hunts for apartments in New York; Julie looks to Hank for help in Lily's absence.

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Episode 8

Aired May 7, 2023

The Chopping Block

Hank is faced with an impossible decision at work, as his department's jobs are on the line; Lily settles into a new normal in New York.

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