HBO Drops the Rooster Trailer, and Steve Carell Is an Awkward Professor Nightmare

Move over, Michael Scott; there’s a new awkward authority figure in town, and this one has a tenure track and a serious chip on his shoulder. HBO just dropped the trailer for Rooster, the upcoming half-hour comedy starring Steve Carell.

The Return of the King (of Awkwardness)

In Rooster, Carell plays Greg Russo, a legendary author known for a series of hyper-masculine thrillers featuring a protagonist named Rooster. But in reality, Greg is less "action hero" and more "man who struggles with a self-checkout machine." When his daughter Katie’s life falls apart at an elite Massachusetts college, Greg descends upon the campus like a helicopter parent with a published bibliography.

The trailer sets the stage perfectly: Greg isn't just there to offer a shoulder to cry on. He’s there to reclaim his dignity, eventually snagging a teaching position that puts him in direct conflict with the very faculty members who are currently making his daughter’s life miserable.

A Pedigree That Actually Matters

Usually, when a show boasts "from the creators of Ted Lasso and Scrubs," we prepare for a sugary-sweet hug-fest. However, Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses seem to have swapped the optimism for a sharper, more cynical edge that feels right at home on HBO.

The cast is a literal "who’s who" of talent that makes us want to enroll in Ludlow College immediately:

• Phil Dunster: Trading in his Jamie Tartt shorts for a role that looks decidedly more buttoned-up (but hopefully just as arrogant).

• Danielle Deadwyler: Bringing some much-needed gravitas to the chaotic faculty lounge.

• John C. McGinley: Because a Bill Lawrence show without McGinley’s rapid-fire delivery is just a missed opportunity.

Why ‘Rooster’ Is Already Trending

What makes Rooster stand out in a sea of streaming "content" is the meta-commentary on fame. Greg Russo is a man who wrote a "badass" character but he himself feels like a fraud. Seeing Carell balance that internal insecurity with the external bravado of a famous writer is where the comedy gold lies.

Mark Your Calendars

HBO isn't making us wait long to see if Greg Russo can actually hack it in the ivory tower. Rooster premieres on March 8, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET on HBO. The ten-episode season looks poised to be the Sunday night staple we’ve been waiting for since Succession left a hole in our hearts; just with fewer boardrooms and more overpriced campus coffee.

We’ll be here at The TV Cave every week to recap the drama, the sweaters, and whatever the hell Greg Russo decides to write next.