The Comeback season 3 on HBO Max is already about to end — but it's the perfect time to stream this 'crazy' forgotten Bravo reality TV show that could be its real life inspiration

Hello, hello, hello! Or perhaps I should say goodbye, goodbye, goodbye — as of writing, The Comeback season 3 only has three episodes left to air on HBO Max before the comedy series ends for good.

Even without Lisa Kudrow's genius character of overbearing sitcom actress Valerie Cherish, the show's own history is fascinating. Launching on HBO in 2006, it was originally canceled after one season before being revived in 2014. Now, in 2026, Kudrow is adamant that season 3 is the last.

Cherish has gone from starring in raucous sitcom Room and Bored, to appearing in an HBO series created by arch-nemesis Paulie G (Young Sheldon's Lance Barber) about her, to another sitcom written by AI.

In a nutshell, Cherish has been trying to climb back up the ranks of the entertainment industry. Her career went into freefall after landing a leading role in a successful 90s comedy... hence, The Comeback.

But while many fans liken the HBO series to The Real Housewives and classic 2000s reality TV, there's one forgotten series that follows a woman who could have been the real-life version of Cherish.

Kathy Griffin's My Life on the D List is the real-life The Comeback

Kathy Griffin My Life on the D-List Television Commercial 2005 - YouTube

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I binged all three seasons of The Comeback in two days, and all I could think about was how much Cherish resembles Kathy Griffin during her Bravo reality show, My Life on the D List.

The premise is scarily similar. Griffin is a Hollywood nobody when the series starts out, with My Life on the D List centering on her chaotic attempts to break into the industry's A-List ranks.

She's got agent problems (check), frequently films unhinged VTs to camera (check), and will use every gimmick in the playbook to try and make sure she stays relevant (check). And she has red hair... remind you of anyone?

If it were up to me, My Life on the D List would have much bigger status in reality TV history. Griffin was arguably at her comedy peak while filming, her late mom Maggie was an absolute joy with a box of wine in hand (even coining her own phrase "tip it"), and the guest cameos were unreal.

Where else could you get Kathy and Maggie visiting a psychic one minute, having dinner with Bette Midler, who calls up Stevie Nicks to sing Rhiannon on the phone, the next? It was the best fever dream possible, and I get to relive that spirit through The Comeback.

Valerie Cherish might be disappearing from screens, and I think that's the right decision. But there's some good news: episodes of My Life on the D List are globally available on YouTube TV and Hayu.

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