In what's a legitimately golden age of television, there's a lot to watch and a lot to catch up on. Most people likely don't even know some shows exist until awards season, or until something goes viral and everyone starts talking about it. In 2020, when Apple TV was still a relatively newer streaming service, it was the pandemic and social media hype that led most people to Ted Lasso. Fans of Bill Lawrence were already aware, but more people began to discover what the Scrubs (2001) creator brought to our screens. Then came Shrinking (2023), and right now, more people continue to discover it on a daily basis because of Harrison Ford—and maybe even Ted Lasso.
But if you love Shrinking and want to be in the know of something sooner rather than later, run, don't walk to watch Rooster (2026) on HBO Max. Developed by Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses, Rooster is already well on its way toward becoming another iconic comedy that's a perfect marriage between humor and heart.
Comedies Like 'Shrinking' And 'Rooster' Always Feature Inimitable Heart
There are few things easier to appreciate than a comedy that uniquely explores a specific career, and Lawrence's particular brand always ensures that there's immense heart in the execution. In Scrubs, it's med students; in Ted Lasso, it's Premier League football; in Shrinking, it's therapy; in Bad Monkey (2024), it's crime and inspection, and in Rooster, it's academia.
As an English major, the setting for Rooster is especially riveting to me, and how we're exploring both the pretentious side and the challenges of education is already no small feat. While there are only three episodes available to the public so far at the time of writing, we can be sure that things will also get more emotional as challenges continue to crack these characters open a bit more.
In addition to the career, the father/daughter relationship we see with Steve Carell's Greg and Charly Clive's Katie is already incredibly precious, and it explores the type of loyalty that we don't often see on TV. Right now, a lot of parent and child relationships are strained, so the fact that the series is providing us with a closeness makes Rooster incredibly endearing. In Shrinking, Harrison Ford is basically the parental figure to everyone at the office (and their friends by association), so for those of us who find comfort in these types of platonic relationships, everything about Greg and Katie's bond is easy to appreciate right from the start.
Part of what also makes Rooster so seamless to invest in is that both Lawrence and Tarses bring to life crass humor through a biting sharpness that feels organic and never once offensive. The characters are all deeply complex from the beginning, and none of them is pretending to be anything but. Because of this, the writing ensures that we can invest in their lives and want the best for them even while they're messed up. We're meeting them right at the height of their challenges, which makes the show all the more riveting.
The complexities feel oddly relatable and so awkward at times, making it seamless to understand that these arcs will lead to the exploration of deeply human emotions. These nuances are always a welcome detail that makes comedies easy to invest in and care about because they can feel extremely real, but the levity allows it to feel far more palatable than a darker drama that may be harder to watch if people aren't in the right headspace. Whoever thinks that nothing happens in comedies isn't aware of how effectively Bill Lawrence explore the ordinary through profound emotions and sharp beats of laughter.
Steve Carell Is At His Best In 'Rooster'
Steve Carell's comedy is often unmatched, and the way he makes unlikable characters genuinely lovely is a skill few actors have. No one, and I mean no one, could've made Michael Scott a character worthy of caring about other than Steve Carell, and it's why The Office remains so memorable despite its faults. Carell's comedic timing is a unique strength, and his ability to bring immense heart into dry humor is precisely what makes him so perfectly cast for the type of writing Bill Lawrence is known for. In the same way that Harrison Ford delivers his best performance in Shrinking, dare I say that Rooster is already well on its way toward becoming something just as special for Carell?
Interestingly, if you ever wanted to see more of Steve Carell's Cal from Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011), Rooster also scratches that specific itch with the father/daughter dynamic. Watching him act alongside actors like Danielle Deadwyler, John C. McGinley, Phil Dunster, Connie Britton, and likely more as the season goes on is a genuine gift we shouldn't take for granted. There's something indescribable about the warmth Carell layers his comedy with that always makes the show or movie easily comforting, even when the circumstances around the character aren't so great. That's exactly what's happening in Rooster, making it so easy to believe that the best is yet to come.
