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Raise your hands if you are lowkey missing Jimmy McGill since August 2022. We all are, however, the silver lining is that Bob Odenkirk is returning to AMC in and as Lucky Hank, After Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, the drama marks the actor’s third project with the network. At the Television Critics Association’s 2023 Winter Press Tour, AMC announced the premiere date of the series as a part of AMC’s Spring 2023 programming slate, and also released the series’ teaser video. But more on that in a bit. Lucky Hank follows the story of William Henry “Hank” Devereaux Jr., the bitter and grumpy chairman of the English department in the fictional Railton College. The series focuses on how his self-proclaimed “difficult” nature affects everyone around him and, in a way, his own life. The series is created by Aaron Zelman and Paul Lieberstein and was formerly titled Straight Man, based on the eponymous 1997 novel by Richard Russo.
You could think of Lucky Hank as a kind of spiritual follow-up to Better Call Saul, even though they're not related, since the popularity of Odenkirk’s previous projects on the network inspired this comeback. Earlier, he had played the fan-favorite scummy lawyer Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul. During their runs, each of these series saw phenomenal success to the point of becoming a television legacy and Better Call Saul was considered an outstanding example of a well-made prequel/spinoff that exceeds the expectations of fans, garnering Emmy nominations for Odenkirk and several wins. If this success story is any proof, then Lucky Hank might score the hat trick for the AMC-Odenkirk collaboration.
Before the drama series arrives on the network and streaming this March, check out our handy guide below to find out about the plot, trailer, release date, cast, characters, and everything else that we know so far about Lucky Hank.
Editor's Note: This article was last updated on February 17 with the latest trailer.
Watch the Lucky Hank Trailer
We've seen a few trailers for Lucky Hank by now, and they're sure to pique your interest in the show. The one-minute teaser above opens with a voiceover of the titular Hank Devereaux, followed by a close-up of his face. Odenkirk’s look for this character is a complete shift from how we have seen him as Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman or in his recent movies. As Hank, he sports a thick but groomed graying beard, receding hairline, and glasses, which straightaway gives a seasoned professor vibe. The overall tone of the clip is serious, but also darkly funny, which the narrative of the show seems to be going for. From a coworker hitting his face with a binder and mangling his nose to a goose strutting around his office door, this drama series seems to have a very subdued sense of humor.
We finally got a full-length trailer for Lucky Hank on February 15, which you can see in the player below. Keep checking back here for all the latest Lucky Hank trailers and teasers, which we'll be bringing to you as and when they are released.
When Is Lucky Hank Coming Out?
Lucky Hank premieres on AMC on Sunday, March 19, 2023. The series will also be available for streaming on AMC+ on the same day.
How Many Episodes Are There in Lucky Hank?
As per the information available so far, Lucky Hank is slated for eight episodes, with each episode running between 40 and 60 minutes. After the premiere, each new episode will release weekly.
Who's In the Lucky Hank Cast?
Besides Odenkirk, Lucky Hank boasts quite a cast list with some of the popular faces on big and small screens. The ensemble cast includes, but is not limited to, Emmy-nominated Mireille Enos (The Killing), Oscar Nunez (The Office), Tom Bower (Die Hard 2), Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks), Chris Diamantopoulos (Silicon Valley), Diedrich Bader (Space Force), Olivia Scott Welch (Fear Street), Sara Amini (CSI: Vegas), Cedric Yarbrough (Reno 911!), and Suzanne Cryer (Silicon Valley), among others. Odenkirk plays the titular William Henry “Hank” Devereaux Jr., chairman of the English department of Railton College who defines himself as “a difficult man” who “specializes in minor strife and insignificant irritation.” Countering his nature is his wife Lily, played by Enos. She is the vice principal of the local high school, and is described as “grounded and unflappable”.
In other roles, there’s Nunez as Dean Jacob Rose, Bower as Hank’s estranged father William Henry Devereaux Sr., MacLachlan as the college president Dickie Pope, Diamantopoulos as Lily’s ex Tom Loring, Bader as Tony Conigula, Scott Welch as Julie Devereaux, Amini as Meg, Yarbrough as Paul Rourke and Cryer as Gracie DuBois.
Who Are the Creators of Lucky Hank?
Lucky Hank is based on the 1997 novel Straight Man by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Russo. Aaron Zelman and Paul Lieberstein adapted the novel for the screen and serve as co-showrunners. Zelman is an Emmy-nominated television writer and producer, who is best known for his previous projects like Law & Order, Criminal Minds, and Damages. He also created the ABC series Resurrection.
Lieberstein is an actor, screenwriter, television director, and television producer, who is best recognized for playing Toby Flenderson in the hit sitcom The Office. He also served as the showrunner for the series from season five to eight. He has also acted in and directed episodes of The Mindy Project, The Newsroom, and Song of Back and Neck. As a writer and producer, he is best known for working on the sci-fi sitcom, Ghosted, and selected episodes of Space Force. Daniel Attias (Homeland), Jude Weng (Black-ish), and Peter Farrelly (Loudermilk) are credited as the series directors. Both Zelman and Lieberstein also serve as executive producers along with Odenkirk, Farrelly, Richard Russo, Marc Provissiero, Mark Johnson, and Naomi Odenkirk.
What Is the Story of Lucky Hank?
Lucky Hank is set in the badly underfunded, fictional Railton College located in the Pennsylvania Rust Belt. Presented in a first-person narrative, the story follows the life of William Henry Devereaux, Jr., the chairman of the college’s English department. The series is defined as a “mid-life crisis tale” of Henry/Hank, who has to navigate his life’s problems while doing everything possible to keep the college afloat. While Hank’s life seems to fall apart on one side, on the other end of the story, his wife reviews her whole life and begins to explore newer opportunities to reinvent herself, while also trying to keep their adult daughter on track.