ROOSTER

ROOSTER feels like what you’d get if Bill Lawrence and Alexander Payne teamed up to make a college TV show. It has the uplifting moments you find in TED LASSO or SHRINKING, mixed with the sharp humor and observational comedy for which Payne is known. I enjoyed ROOSTER as empty-calorie feel-good TV, but it’s one of those I’ll instantly forget after watching the first season.

Still, the show has lots of memorable one-liners and some fantastic performances. Steve Carell is awkward and funny as Russo, Danielle Deadwyler is fierce as Dylan, Annie Mumolo brings the laughs as Cristie, Maximo Salas is a likable underdog, and John C. McGinley steals every scene as Walter. Honestly, I’d love to hang out with him for a cold plunge or a steam any day.

Even with such a strong cast, the Lawrence show has a problem that’s also bugging me about SHRINKING lately: all the characters talk the same. The jokes are funny, but sometimes it feels more like clever writing than real people talking. As he branches out into more show genres, I’d love to see his characters sound more like real people.

Final Thought: I hope ROOSTER can avoid always having “spinach in its teeth” and grow into a great show. The first season set a solid foundation, and I’m optimistic it could become another hit for Lawrence and his team.

It’s available on HBO Max.