Steve Carell's New Comedy Series "Rooster" Renewed for Second Season

By Published Apr 9, 2026, 1:38 PM EDT Jeff Dodge (he/him), a published author and graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena. Fun Fact: he’s been to every single Idol Live! Tour. follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

The fate of Steve Carell's brand-new comedy has just been revealed.

After airing only five episodes, HBO announced that Rooster is being renewed for a second season. This comes as the series is proving to be the highest-rated new HBO comedy in the past 10 years, with an average of 5.8 million U.S.-based viewers tuning in to the first four episodes.

Not only has the comedy scored high ratings, but , who have given the series an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. For comparison's sake, the first season of Carell's The Office landed a 71% critic score, with the show as a whole averaging 81%.

In a statement, co-showrunner Bill Lawrence expressed his gratitude to Warner Bros. Television and HBO for their partnership on this series, adding that Rooster has been a "career highlight" for both him and Carell.

“We are so grateful to Warner Bros. Television and HBO for being such great partners and to Casey, Amy and Channing for giving us the opportunity to keep making this show with Steve and our amazing cast. It’s been a career highlight for both of us, but more for Matt than me.”

Clancy Collins, the president of Creative Affairs at Warner Bros. Television, called the network's renewal of Rooster "richly deserved" and gave a shoutout to Lawrence and co-showrunner Matt Tarses for being "masters of their craft."

“Rooster is a heartfelt, endearing series, and its second-season renewal is richly deserved. Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses are masters of their craft, bringing their signature heart and humor to life through an incredible cast led by Steve Carell. We’re thrilled to continue this creative journey with HBO and Doozer.”

Lawrence is best known for creating Scrubs, which was recently revived on ABC, and co-creating the , which returns this summer. Scrubs star Zach Braff directed two episodes of Rooster.

Looking ahead to the second season, Amy Gravitt, the executive vice president of HBO Programming and head of HBO & HBO Max Comedy Series, admitted that she's "looking forward to seeing what Ludlow's Spring Semester has in store," teasing the time of year when Rooster will take place next after the first season was set in the fall.

“It’s been heartening to feel the audience embrace Rooster, as we did when we first saw Steve, Bill and Matt bring this character to life. Along with our partners at WBTV and Doozer, we’re looking forward to seeing what Ludlow’s Spring Semester has in store for this incredible comedy ensemble.”

As Gravitt alluded to, Rooster takes place at Ludlow College, where Carell's character, Greg Russo, gets hired as a writer-in-residence and works alongside his daughter, Katie Russo. As the two attempt to bond, Katie is dealing with a very stressful separation that overwhelms her life.

Carell's fellow cast members on Rooster are Charly Clive, Danielle Deadwyler, Phil Dunster, John C. McGinley and Lauren Tsai.

The leading actor got his big break in the entertainment industry when he was hired as a correspondent on The Daily Show; he left to star on the U.S. version of The Office, which aired for nine seasons.

After departing in 2011, in several Despicable Me and Minions films as the voice of Gru, and appeared in The Big Short and Vice.

On the small screen, Carell created the sitcom Angie Tribeca and starred on The Morning Show, Space Force and The Four Seasons.

Now he's got another hit series with Rooster, which still has five episodes left in its freshman season that will continue airing weekly, with the finale scheduled for May 10.

Rooster airs Sundays at 10 p.m. EDT on HBO.

9.0/10 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed M18 Release Date March 8, 2026 Network HBO Writers Bill Lawrence, Matt Tarses