Steve Carell’s Funniest Show Since the Office Premieres on HBO Max Tonight

Steve Carell has been making people laugh ever since his early days in improvisational comedy, and he was without a doubt at his funniest in The Office. The iconic NBC sitcom ran for nine seasons from 2005 until 2013, with Carell delivering laugh-out-loud scenes and lines in his role as Michael Scott, the regional manager of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch. While the actor has appeared in plenty of hilarious TV shows and movies in the 13 years since The Office ended, none have been as funny as Carell’s new series that premieres on HBO Max tonight.

Fans are just hours away from the series premiere of Rooster, HBO’s new half-hour comedy starring Carell as a fiction author who becomes involved in his daughter’s complicated life and career crisis. The debut episode of the Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses-created series, which is set on a college campus, premieres at 10 p.m. ET on March 8th on HBO and HBO Max. The 10-episode season will roll out weekly on Sunday nights after that. In addition to Carell, Rooster stars Charly Clive, Danielle Deadwyler, Phil Dunster, John C. McGinley, and Lauren Tsai.

HBO’s Rooster Is a Laugh-Out-Loud Comedy You Need To See

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Rooster was serving up laughter even before it ever premiered. When the show’s first trailer dropped back in February, the comments section on YouTube filled with people expressing how funny that two-minute-long clip was, and Carell’s portrayal of bestselling author Greg Russo immediately drew comparisons to Michael Scott. While early reviews have suggested Carell’s character is a far cry from his The Office counterpart, Esquire’s Eric Francisco wrote that the role puts the actor “back in goofball mode” and is a return to form for the actor after a series of dramatic roles.

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Carell brings the same blend of embarrassment, earnestness, and goofiness to his role as Greg, who quickly finds himself in over his head when he becomes a writer-in-residence at a university to help his daughter. Much of the show’s comedy stems from his awkward, overbearing, and sometimes naive presence as he attempts to navigate modern campus culture. The rest of the cast perfectly plays off of Carell’s performance to deliver non-stop laughs, including Deadwyler’s deadpan reactions as a literature professor. The show is packed with jokes and fast-paced dialogue that keeps the viewer laughing but balances that humor with pretty good emotional stakes that help it land as a feel-good show. The series currently holds a “Certified Fresh” critic score of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Will There Be a Rooster Season 2?

The first episode of Rooster is almost guaranteed to have viewers hooked and craving more beyond the 10-episode run. However, Rooster’s future remains uncertain, as HBO has not announced a Season 2 renewal, something that likely hinges on the show’s success with general audiences.

Rooster premieres on HBO Max at 10 p.m. ET on March 8th on HBO and HBO Max. New episodes drop weekly on Sundays.

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