HBO has renewed its comedy series Rooster for a second season, weeks before the first series concludes. The show, starring Steve Carell, has become the network's most-watched debut comedy series in the United States, averaging 5.8 million viewers for its first four episodes.
Carell plays Greg Russo, an author of successful airport novels featuring a rugged private detective named Rooster. He arrives at Ludlow College to deliver a lecture, but his real motive is to check on his daughter Katie, an art professor played by Charly Clive. Katie's husband Archie (Phil Dunster) has recently left her for graduate student Sunny (Lauren Tsai), who is pregnant, prompting Greg to remain on campus to mediate.
The series was created by Bill Lawrence, known for Scrubs and Shrinking. Danielle Deadwyler appears as Greg's love interest Dylan, while John C. McGinley portrays Ludlow's eccentric president. The show premiered in March and was released to coincide with the launch of HBO Max in the UK.
Critics have responded warmly, with Esquire describing Carell's lead performance as "phenomenal." IGN called the series "charming, incisive, and laugh-out-loud funny," while Mashable praised its "incredible ensemble cast." The show holds an 88 percent Rotten Tomatoes score.
Fans have also shared positive reactions, with one IMDb user giving a 10/10 review and calling the show "cosy, easy to watch, and consistently funny without trying too hard." Another viewer said they were "blown away" and described Carell's performance as "mesmerising."
The first series has four episodes remaining, with the finale scheduled for 11th May. Rooster is available to stream on HBO Max, which is included in Sky's Ultimate TV bundle in the UK.
