The Rehearsal is an American docu-comedy series that premiered on HBO on July 15, 2022. The first season ran six episodes, concluding on August 19, 2022, and was renewed for a second season within weeks. Season two premiered on April 20, 2025, and ran six episodes through May 25, 2025. The series was first teased as part of an HBO overall deal in 2019, with its title revealed in June 2021.
Each season follows a deadpan, off-kilter persona helping ordinary people rehearse difficult conversations or major life events before they happen. Detailed set recreations and hired actors let participants practice different versions of a real conversation. Season one’s central storyline followed a woman rehearsing years of motherhood, raising a series of child actors as they aged. Other segments addressed a man confronting his brother over an inheritance and a friend confessing a lie.
Season two abandoned the show’s episodic structure for a single continuous storyline about preventing airline disasters. It recreated an entire airport terminal and a full commercial cockpit inside a massive LED soundstage volume. Dozens of actors trained to play passengers, pilots, and airport staff as the storyline built toward a real commercial flight. The season consulted former National Transportation Safety Board officials on pilot communication failures behind real crashes.
Nathan Fielder created, wrote, directed, and starred in The Rehearsal, building on techniques from Comedy Central’s Nathan for You. The series received widespread critical acclaim, and its second season earned four Emmy nominations, including for directing and writing. Between seasons, Fielder also co-created and starred in Showtime’s The Curse, a scripted departure from his documentary-style work. As of early 2026, HBO had not formally renewed a third season, though Fielder was still developing ideas for one.
