Steve Carell Returns to Comedy Roots in New HBO Series ‘Rooster’ from ‘Ted Lasso’ Creator

In a move that unites some of the most successful names in television comedy, HBO Max announced today that the highly anticipated original series Rooster will debut in March 2026. The 10-episode season marks a significant return to the half-hour comedy format for star Steve Carell, who also serves as an executive producer on the project.

The series hails from the powerhouse creative team of Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses, whose previous collaborations have shaped the landscape of modern sitcoms. Produced by Warner Bros. Television, Rooster will air on HBO and be available to stream exclusively on HBO Max.

The Premise: A Campus Comedy with Heart

Set against the backdrop of a picturesque college campus, Rooster centers on Greg Russo (played by Carell), an acclaimed fiction author whose life becomes entangled with the world of higher education. According to early details from the production, Russo is described as a “Carl Hiaasen-type” figure—a nod to the eccentric, Floridian mystery-thriller novelist—suggesting a character with a distinct voice and perhaps a bit of roguish charm.

The emotional core of the series lies in Russo’s complicated relationship with his adult daughter, played by rising British star Charly Clive. In the series, Clive’s character is a professor at the university where the show takes place. The plot kicks into gear when Russo visits the “upper-crust college” for a reading, only to get sucked into the academic ecosystem. What begins as a visit evolves into a journey of personal reinvention for the author, as he attempts to help his daughter navigate her own personal tribulations while finding a new path for himself.

Co-creator Matt Tarses noted that while Carell has spent recent years tackling dramatic roles, Rooster is a deliberate pivot back to the genre that made him a household name. “I think this is the first time in a minute where he’s been really funny again and doing a straight comedy,” Tarses said in a recent interview. “There’s heart in this too… but I’m excited for people to see him be really funny.”

A Powerhouse Cast

While Carell’s return to comedy is the headline, Rooster boasts an impressive ensemble cast that blends established veterans with acclaimed rising talent.

• Charly Clive: Playing the co-lead role of Carell’s daughter, Clive is a British actress and writer who first gained critical attention for her role in the Channel 4 drama-comedy Pure. She has also starred in the sci-fi series The Lazarus Project. Her background in both comedy and drama makes her an ideal foil for Carell in a show that promises to balance humor with emotional resonance.
• John C. McGinley: In a casting coup for comedy fans, Rooster reunites John C. McGinley with bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses. McGinley is best known for his iconic portrayal of the acerbic Dr. Perry Cox in Scrubs, a role that earned him a permanent place in sitcom history. His involvement suggests the show may feature the kind of rapid-fire, intense dialogue that was a hallmark of his previous collaboration with the creators.
• Phil Dunster: Fresh off his breakout role as Jamie Tartt in the global phenomenon Ted Lasso, Dunster joins the cast in a role that keeps him in the Bill Lawrence creative universe. Dunster’s performance in Lasso showcased his ability to play a character that is simultaneously arrogant and deeply vulnerable, a skillset likely to be utilized in this new campus setting.
• Danielle Deadwyler: Known primarily for her powerhouse dramatic performances in films like Till and The Piano Lesson, as well as the dystopian series Station Eleven, Deadwyler’s inclusion signals the show’s dramatic ambitions. Her casting suggests Rooster will demand significant acting range from its ensemble, blending laugh-out-loud moments with grounded character work.
• Lauren Tsai: An artist, model, and actress, Tsai gained fame on the reality series Terrace House: Aloha State before breaking into acting with roles in FX’s Legion and the film Moxie. Her addition rounds out a cast that brings together diverse talents from different corners of the entertainment industry.

The Creative Team: A Proven Track Record

The creative DNA of Rooster is rooted in some of the most successful television comedies of the last two decades. The series is co-showrun by Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses, a duo with a deep history of collaboration.

Bill Lawrence has become one of the most prolific creators in television. He is the co-creator of the Apple TV+ smash hit Ted Lasso, which swept the Emmy Awards and became a cultural touchstone for its optimism and character-driven humor. Most recently, he co-created Shrinking, starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford. Lawrence’s style is defined by his ability to mix slapstick humor with poignant emotional storytelling, a formula he perfected on his earlier hit, Scrubs.

Matt Tarses is a longtime collaborator of Lawrence, having served as a writer and executive producer on Scrubs. His own credits include creating the sitcom Mad Love and working on The Goldbergs and Sports Night. The partnership between Lawrence and Tarses is widely viewed as a guarantee of quality, particularly in the realm of workplace and relationship-driven comedies.

Executive producers for the series include Jeff Ingold and Liza Katzer for Lawrence’s production company, Doozer, as well as Jonathan Krisel, Barbie Adler, Annie Mebane, David Stassen, and Anthony King. The show is produced by Warner Bros. Television, where both Doozer and Tarses currently hold overall deals.

Steve Carell: The Return of a Comedy Icon

For Steve Carell, Rooster represents a homecoming. Carell became an international superstar through his role as Michael Scott in the US adaptation of The Office, a performance that earned him a Golden Globe and multiple Emmy nominations. His portrayal of the bumbling but well-meaning regional manager is widely considered one of the greatest comedic performances in television history.

Following his departure from The Office, Carell successfully pivoted to film and drama. He earned an Academy Award nomination for his chilling performance in Foxcatcher (2014) and drew acclaim for roles in The Big Short (2015) and Beautiful Boy (2018). On television, he recently starred in the Apple TV+ drama The Morning Show alongside Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, playing a disgraced news anchor, and the psychological thriller The Patient.

While he has voiced Gru in the blockbuster Despicable Me franchise, live-action comedy has been a rarity for Carell in the last decade. Rooster offers audiences a chance to see him return to the medium where he first flourished, backed by a creative team that specializes in the exact brand of heartfelt humor he excels at delivering.

With production underway and a release date set for March 2026, Rooster is poised to be one of HBO’s flagship comedy offerings, promising a blend of academic satire, family drama, and the undeniable chemistry of a cast filled with industry heavyweights.