In today's politically sensitive country, "woke" is just another four-letter, divisive reference to people who care about important social issues. But if that's the case, then an argument can be made that "Hacks" is the most socially conscious, dare we say, "woke" show on TV.

The Jean Smart-led Max comedy has tackled topics like sexuality, mortality, aging, bullying and more, mostly subtly and reasonably within the structure of the show, without overwhelming viewers with opinions. One story that went a little deeper in Season 3 involved Ava and Deborah discussing climate change, a topic the show’s creators deemed too important not to cover.

"Sometimes the biggest challenge in writing 'Hacks' is trying to reconcile the fact that the world is literally on fire," Lucia Aniello tells Variety. "Our country, we're burning in so many ways. Sometimes it's hard to ignore that, especially now that Paul and I have a kid, and so I'm starting to think a lot more about the planet and what we're leaving behind," she adds, referring to her husband, Paul W. Downs, with whom she shares credits as co-creator, co-showrunner, writer and director. (He also plays Deborah and Ava's manager, Jimmy, in the comedy.)

“Climate scientists are trying to get people to pay attention to what’s happening, so it feels like we’re commenting on the world around us,” she continues. “The idea that we could use our show to help someone who potentially has a crystallized perspective on it and see it and actually hear someone say, ‘There’s a huge problem here,’ and [potentially] change their behavior as a result, felt really important to us.”