Hold onto your seats, because Tim Robinson’s The Chair Company has just shattered expectations, becoming HBO’s most successful comedy launch in five years—since the debut of Avenue 5 back in 2020. But here’s where it gets controversial: Is this quirky comedy truly a game-changer, or just another oddball experiment? Let’s dive in.
The Chair Company (https://deadline.com/tag/the-chair-company/) is everything you’d expect from Robinson’s offbeat humor—equal parts bizarre and brilliant. Premiering Sunday night, the series drew a staggering 1.4 million cross-platform viewers in the U.S. within its first three days. That’s not all—it’s now ranked among the top three comedy premieres in HBO Max history, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with hits like And Just Like That and Our Flag Means Death. And this is the part most people miss: Its success isn’t just about numbers; it’s about how Robinson’s unique brand of comedy resonates with audiences craving something fresh.
At its core, the show follows William Ronald Trosper (played by Robinson), whose life takes a wild turn after a humiliating workplace incident: his chair collapses during a high-stakes business presentation. Determined to get answers, Trosper—an employee at architectural firm Fisher Robay, known for designing malls—launches an investigation into the chair’s manufacturer, Tecca Chairs. What starts as a simple quest quickly spirals into a labyrinth of absurdity, proving that even the most mundane objects can hide extraordinary stories. Think of it as a comedic Alice in Wonderland for the corporate world.
The cast is a standout, with Lake Bell as Trosper’s wife Barb, Sophia Lillis as their daughter Natalie, and Will Price as their son Seth. Veterans Lou Diamond Phillips and Jim Downey also join the fray, adding depth to this eccentric ensemble. Here’s a bold take: Could this show redefine what we expect from workplace comedies? It’s not just about laughs—it’s about finding humor in the absurdity of everyday life.
Meanwhile, HBO’s Task (https://deadline.com/tag/task/), starring Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey, continues its steady climb. Set in the gritty suburbs of Philadelphia, the series explores the dark underbelly of a seemingly ordinary family involved in violent robberies. With each episode, viewership has grown, hitting over 4 million in its first three days—a 32% jump
