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Steve Carell Returns to TV Comedy as HBO’s Rooster Debuts Sunday

Early reviewers praise Carell’s grounded lead, with some questioning recurring campus-humor bits.

Overview

  • Rooster premieres March 8 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max, with new episodes every Sunday through May 10.
  • Created by Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses, the half-hour series follows novelist Greg Russo, who accepts a writer-in-residence role at Ludlow College to support his adult daughter after a marital breakup.
  • The cast includes Steve Carell, Charly Clive, Phil Dunster, Danielle Deadwyler, John C. McGinley, Lauren Tsai, Connie Britton, Annie Mumolo and Alan Ruck.
  • In a new interview, Carell frames the show through his own parenting experience and marks his first outright TV comedy since The Office; the creators credit his improvisational touches, as Deadwyler makes a comedy turn and McGinley’s sauna–cold plunge routine informs his character.
  • Early notices lean positive, highlighting Carell and the father–daughter dynamic, while some critics cite overstuffed plotting and recurring disciplinary-board and “cancellation” gags as weak spots.