The Chair Company
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Get ready for a brand new HBO comedy thriller that’s already making waves. "The Chair Company," an eight-episode series, premiered October 12th, 2025, and you can catch new episodes weekly through November 30th. Created by the brilliant minds of Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, this show throws us into the chaotic world of Ron Trosper, played by Tim Robinson himself. After a truly mortifying workplace incident, Ron finds himself pulled into a sprawling, far-reaching conspiracy. Alongside him are a fantastic cast including Lake Bell, Sophia Lillis, Will Price, and Joseph Tudisco.
This isn't the first time Robinson and Kanin have teamed up. Their creative partnership began on "Saturday Night Live," and they went on to co-create the beloved comedy series "Detroiters" and the cult hit "I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson." For "The Chair Company," they've also brought on executive producers like Adam McKay and Andrew DeYoung, who directed the pilot episode and previously worked with Robinson on the dark comedy film "Friendship."
Critics are raving about "The Chair Company," with many calling it one of the best shows of the year. They're praising its unique blend of cringe-worthy humor and surreal mystery, singling out Robinson's incredible performance and the show's wonderfully offbeat tone. Though some admit its humor might be a bit too… *unique* for everyone, the consensus is clear: this is a must-watch.
The premise is simple, yet utterly compelling. William Ronald Trosper, played by Tim Robinson, finds his life turned upside down when an embarrassing workplace mishap ignites an investigation into a vast and elaborate conspiracy.
The main cast features Tim Robinson as William Ronald Trosper, Lake Bell as Barb Trosper, Sophia Lillis as Natalie Trosper, Will Price as Seth Trosper, and Joseph Tudisco as Mike Santini. You'll also see Lou Diamond Phillips as Jeff Levjman and Jim Downey as Douglas in recurring roles.
The series was created by Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, seasoned collaborators who truly understand how to push comedic boundaries. Robinson himself described the creative process as unstructured, saying they weren’t trying to fit a mold or replicate past successes. "None of this is thought out. It’s not planned. It’s not on purpose," he explained. Adam McKay and Todd Schulman are also on board as executive producers through Hyperobject Industries. Andrew DeYoung, who directed the pilot, also helmed Robinson's previous film "Friendship." HBO green-lit a pilot for "The Chair Company" in April 2024, signaling a trend towards creator-driven comedy series.
Tim Robinson takes on the lead role of Ron Trosper, a character some have compared to his previous work. Robinson, however, suggests Ron might be a bit more approachable. "I actually don’t think Ron is as tough of a hang as Craig Waterman is," he noted. "I think Ron is a prideful man… doesn’t like to be embarrassed… This time, maybe he found something he can actually do." The full cast, including Lake Bell, Sophia Lillis, Will Price, Joseph Tudisco, and Lou Diamond Phillips, was announced in July 2024.
Robinson and Kanin specifically sought out Jim Downey, a legend from "Saturday Night Live," for the role of Douglas. Downey, who previously worked with Robinson on SNL, found "I Think You Should Leave" to be "just genius" and immediately accepted the role without realizing it was more than just a pilot appearance. Many supporting roles were filled by lesser-known actors, a deliberate choice by Kanin to enhance the series' realism.
Filming for "The Chair Company" took place primarily in New York City, with the pilot shot around May 2024, and the rest of the episodes from May to July 2025. Key interior scenes were captured at Broadway Stages in Brooklyn, utilizing a massive 17,000-square-foot facility. Exterior shots spanned various Manhattan locations. The writing process was incredibly fluid, with frequent rewrites and encouragement for actors to explore multiple interpretations of scenes, a method honed during their "Saturday Night Live" days. Lou Diamond Phillips described the experience as "incredibly gratifying," emphasizing the need to "just have to be so fluid. You just have to roll with it. And that's a wonderful tight rope to walk."
HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery officially announced the series order in September 2024. Early footage appeared in an HBO teaser in November 2024, and the official two-minute trailer dropped on September 18, 2025. Critics called it "quintessential Tim Robinson — that is to say, funny but also kind of unsettling, straddling the line between silly and serious." The buzz surrounding "The Chair Company" was high, even for an indie series with its offbeat stylings. Robinson and Kanin intentionally kept details minimal, wanting viewers to be surprised. Reviewers received the first seven episodes in advance but were asked to keep details about Ron Trosper's workplace accident and Mike Santini under wraps, a move IndieWire's Ben Travers called "makes sense. They're protecting a damn good joke."
Upon release, "The Chair Company" garnered widespread critical acclaim. Rotten Tomatoes boasts a perfect 100% of 34 critic reviews, with the consensus praising Robinson's "volcanic comedic ethos" and the show's descent into paranoia for finding "huge laughs in deeply uncomfortable places." Metacritic awarded it a score of 82 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim." It's been called "one of the best shows of the year" and "by far the funniest show of the year."
Critics noted the series successfully translates Tim Robinson’s signature cringe-comedy into a serialized format, with many drawing comparisons to "I Think You Should Leave" for its characters' attempts to fix embarrassing situations and only make them worse. Ron Trosper, while sharing traits with other Robinson characters, is described as more grounded and relatable, making viewers root for him. The show is celebrated for its blend of cringe comedy with mystery, thriller, and even horror elements, with reviewers noting its similarity to the balance of absurdity and unease found in Robinson and DeYoung's film "Friendship." It's been called a "delightful combination" of conspiratorial thriller and cringe comedy, surprisingly heartwarming and a compelling mystery. It's "laugh-out-loud funny," with "scenes of weird scares" that elicit both tension and laughter.
"The Chair Company" is described as "unlike anything else on TV today," a "bold and unprecedented feat of cringe comedy" that balances eccentricity and restraint. It's called a "strange, sensitive work of art" that solidifies Robinson and Kanin as "the evil comic geniuses of their generation." This is also called "one of the year's most bonkers comedies," generating laughs from situations that aren't explicitly funny, and an "aggressively weird farce" that might be the most painful comedy you'll watch all year.
Ron's unraveling is seen as reflecting broader anxieties of digital culture, his obsessive investigation mirroring the isolating feedback loops of online life and the misinformation age. Several reviewers compared the show's surreal tone to the work of David Lynch, noting its ability to "coax out the sinister undertones of everyday settings" and its "dreamlike quality." Like Lynch, the world of "The Chair Company" hums with a "quiet dread, a sense that something sinister lurks just beneath the veil of the everyday banal."
Many describe it as one of the year’s strangest and most original comedies, Robinson's "most bonkers, brilliant work yet," a successful blend of comedic chaos and emotional depth. It's an ambitious, surreal expansion of Robinson's comedic world that succeeds as a darkly funny exploration of obsessive male anxiety. It's "one of the most offbeat and outlandish shows you’ll see this year," sustaining Robinson's "uncomfortable, absurd, and downright weird comedy" across a full season, though with a lower joke density than his previous work. It's a "captivatingly strange piece of work," reaching for commentary in a way the creators haven't really done before.
Tim Robinson's performance as Ron Trosper has received widespread acclaim, with many calling it his best work. His expressive physicality has been compared to Jim Carrey's, and his performance is seen as the key element that makes the show convincing. He's praised for his ability to transition from manic comedy to tender family moments, especially in scenes with Sophia Lillis.
Joseph Tudisco's portrayal of Mike Santini has also earned particular praise, called a "breakout role" and the "heart and soul of the whole show," with the pathos Tudisco brings being "heartbreaking." He's a "fantastic standout" who plays off Robinson well and is called the "likely break-out star of the season," with his "stilted delivery and oddball character quirks" giving way to a "sweet soul." His character is described as "a runaway train every time he's onscreen." Jim Downey is also noted as a "standout" in the cast.
While widely praised, some critics acknowledged that Robinson's and Kanin's humor might not appeal to everyone, suggesting it's unlikely to win new converts but will strongly resonate with existing fans. The show's rhythms are tuned to a "very specific frequency of discomfort," but for "card-carrying sloppy-steak aficionados, it's a rich text." Even admirers would likely agree his humor isn't for everyone, and those who dislike his style won't find anything new, but existing fans will be sent "into near-hysterics." The show's "cringing mortifications and unsettling unreality" make it a "tough sit," but those same qualities make it "irresistible" to fans. Whether you're tickled may depend on your appreciation for the "gonzo sensibility of Tim Robinson, a manic maestro of slapstick apoplexy."
A few critics offered more mixed appraisals. One described it as a chaotic series lacking narrative cohesion or lasting storytelling power, too fringe to be massively popular, but glad there's a "high-profile place for it in the TV ecosystem." Another praised the humor and Robinson's character but felt the mystery subplot failed to generate suspense, suggesting Robinson's style "may not be best suited to longform narrative." One critic felt the show doesn’t entirely deliver on its approach and often feels like a series of extended "I Think You Should Leave" sketches, but admitted being drawn in, wondering where the story would lead next. Another complimented Robinson's performance but cautioned that "it takes a certain sort of stamina, or a love for, this particular brand of chaos to put up with him," noting his antics can be off-putting and drown out the human element.
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The Chair Company is an American comedy thriller television series that premiered on HBO. The eight-episode series debuted on October 12, 2025, and is expected to run weekly through November 30, 2025. Created by Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, it follows Ron Trosper (Robinson) as a man who investigates a far-reaching conspiracy after an embarrassing workplace incident. The cast also includes Lake Bell, Sophia Lillis, Will Price, and Joseph Tudisco.
The series marks another in a series of collaborations between Robinson and Kanin, who previously met as writers on Saturday Night Live before co-creating the comedy series Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson. Among the executive producers for The Chair Company are Adam McKay and Andrew DeYoung, the latter of whom directed the first episode and also previously directed Robinson in the dark comedy film Friendship (2024).
The Chair Company received widespread acclaim from critics, with some calling it one of the best shows of the year. Reviewers praised its inventive blend of cringe comedy and surreal mystery, singling out Robinson’s performance and the show’s offbeat tone, though some noted that its humor may not appeal to all audiences.
== Premise ==
The Chair Company tells the story of William Ronald Trosper (Robinson), who begins investigating a vast and elaborate conspiracy after an embarrassing workplace incident.
== Cast ==
=== Main ===
Tim Robinson as William Ronald Trosper
Lake Bell as Barb Trosper
Sophia Lillis as Natalie Trosper
Will Price as Seth Trosper
Joseph Tudisco as Mike Santini
=== Recurring ===
Lou Diamond Phillips as Jeff Levjman
Jim Downey as Douglas
== Episodes ==
== Production ==
=== Development ===
The series was created by Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, who also serve as writers and executive producers. Robinson and Kanin are long-time collaborators, having met as writers on the sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live before co-creating together the comedy shows Detroiters (2017–2018) and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (2019–2023). Robinson claimed the creative process behind The Chair Company was unstructured, saying they were not trying to design it to follow a particular format or consciously mirror their past work: "None of this is thought out. It’s not planned. It’s not on purpose."
Adam McKay and Todd Schulman are also executive producers through their company Hyperobject Industries, with Andrew DeYoung and Igor Srubshchik executive producing as well. DeYoung, who directed the Robinson-starring dark comedy film Friendship (2024), also directed the first episode of The Chair Company.
Deadline Hollywood first announced on April 2, 2024, that HBO green-lit a pilot for The Chair Company. The publication described it as part of a trend by HBO to develop more creator-actor comedy series following the conclusion of two of its signature shows, Barry and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
=== Casting ===
Robinson plays the lead role of Ron Trosper. After the show's official trailer was released, some commentators compared the character to Craig Waterman, whom Robinson had played in the film Friendship. Robinson acknowledged the similarity, but said Ron could be less off-putting to those averse to cringe comedy: "I actually don’t think Ron is as tough of a hang as Craig Waterman is. I think Ron is a prideful man, and like a lot of characters that Zach and I have worked on, doesn’t like to be embarrassed ... This time, maybe he found something he can actually do." On July 22, 2024, Variety reported that The Chair Company had added main cast members Lake Bell, Sophia Lillis, Will Price, and Joseph Tudisco, along with recurring guest star Lou Diamond Phillips.
Robinson and Kanin specifically sought out Jim Downey, the longest tenured writer in Saturday Night Live history, for the supporting role of Douglas. Robinson previously worked with Downey on SNL, where Downey wrote the first sketch that featured Robinson. Later, Downey watched I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson at his son's suggestion, and Downey thought was "just genius." Robinson and Kanin emailed Downey to offer him the role of Douglas, which he immediately accepted, without realizing it was a recurring part beyond the pilot episode. Downey filmed his scenes for the pilot shortly after having completed his acting role in the Paul Thomas Anderson film One Battle After Another (2025).
Beyond the main cast, many supporting roles were filled by relatively unknown actors, a choice Kanin said was intended to add an element of realism to the series.
=== Filming ===
The Chair Company was largely shot in New York City, with the pilot episode being filmed around May 2024, and the remaining episodes being shot between May and July 2025. Some interior scenes, including those set in the Trosper household and the Fisher Robay office, were filmed at Broadway Stages in Brooklyn, primarily at Soundstage 23, a 17,000-square-foot facility designed for large-scale set construction and soundproof dialogue recording. The stage also included adjacent office and wardrobe areas, along with on-site lighting and equipment rentals provided by Luna Lighting, Inc. Exterior shots were filmed in various locations in Manhattan, among other places.
The writing process for The Chair Company was described as highly fluid, with Robinson and Kanin frequently rewriting scenes and encouraging multiple variations during filming, influenced by their past work together on Saturday Night Live. As a result, actors often performed the same scene in many different ways without knowing how it would ultimately be cut, creating what was characterized as both a challenging and rewarding experience. Lou Diamond Phillips said while the approach differed from what he was accustomed to, he found it "incredibly gratifying", adding: "You just have to be so fluid. You just have to roll with it. And that's a wonderful tight rope to walk."
== Release ==
HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery formally announced the series order in a press release on September 12, 2024. Footage from The Chair Company was featured in a two-minute teaser HBO released on November 10, 2024, highlighting its upcoming programming for 2025. On September 8, it was announced the show would debut on October 12, 2025, with a total of eight episodes released weekly until the season finale on November 30. New still photos from the series were also released. The official two-minute trailer was released on September 18, 2025. The A.V. Club writer Mary Kate Carr called it "quintessential Tim Robinson — that is to say, funny but also kind of unsettling, straddling the line between silly and serious". Hershal Pandya of Vulture said called it "a display of perfect Robinson facial expressions and line deliveries." Ahead of the show's release, Andy Murray of Tom's Guide wrote: "the buzz is high in U.S. circles, which is impressive given The Chair Company's indie nature and offbeat stylings. It's definitely one to watch out for."
Robinson and Kanin said they deliberately tried to release as little as possible about the series. Kanin said: "When I watch a show or a movie, I don't want to know anything about it. I would want to just be surprised by everything." The first seven episodes of The Chair Company were provided to reviewers in advance of the show's debut, but the series finale was withheld, and critics were asked not report specific details about Ron Trosper's workplace accident in the series premiere. They were also asked not to reveal anything about Joseph Tudisco's character Mike Santini. IndieWire writer Ben Travers wrote of this: "Usually when a network claims a show's premise is also a spoiler, it's an annoying overreaction. But in this case it makes sense. They're protecting a damn good joke."
== Reception ==
The Chair Company received acclaim from critics upon release. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 34 critic reviews are positive. The website's critical consensus reads, "Tim Robinson's volcanic comedic ethos finds an ideal outlet in The Chair Company, a descent into paranoia that finds huge laughs in deeply uncomfortable places." Metacritic assigned a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 based on 24 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim." Tyler Doster of AwardsWatch called it "one of the best shows of the year," and TV Guide writer Allison Picurro described it as "by far the funniest show of the year."
Several critics remarked that the series successfully translates Tim Robinson’s signature cringe-comedy style into a serialized format. Many noted similarities between The Chair Company and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, particularly in how characters attempts to rationalize an embarrassing situation, but only make it worse. Although Ron Trosper shares many traits with other characters Robinson has played, many critics described Ron as more grounded and relatable, making viewers root for him to succeed.
Reviewers praised the show's blend of cringe comedy with elements of other genres like mystery, thriller, and horror, noting that Robinson's and DeYoung's film Friendship struck a similar balance between absurdity and unease. Sarah Moran of Screen Rant called the series a "delightful combination" of conspiratorial thriller and cringe comedy, noting that she was surprised to also find it heartwarming and a compelling mystery. IGN writer Alex Zalben described it as "laugh-out-loud funny," while also adding that "scenes of weird scares manage to eke out both the tension inherent in your favorite scary movie as well as copious laughs."
Josh Rosenberg of Esquire said "there is nothing else like The Chair Company on TV today, calling it "a bold and unprecedented feat of cringe comedy" balances eccentricity and restraint better than Robinson’s earlier film Friendship. Decider's Meghan O'Keefe called the series "a strange, sensitive work of art that once again establishes co-creators and long-time collaborators Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin as the evil comic geniuses of their generation." The Daily Beast critic Nick Schager called it "one of the year's most bonkers comedies," adding: "rarely has a series generated so many laughs from situations that, at first glance, aren't explicitly funny." TV Insider writer Matt Roush described it as an "aggressively weird farce," writing: "If it hurts when you cringe, this bizarre dark comedy might just be the most painful comedy you'll watch all year."
Critics noted that Ron's unraveling reflects broader anxieties of digital culture, with his obsessive investigation and growing mistrust echoing the isolating feedback loops of online life and the misinformation age. Several reviewers compared the show's surreal, otherworldly tone to the work of filmmaker David Lynch. Variety's Alison Herman said The Chair Company has a Lynchian ability to "coax out the sinister undertones of everyday settings," while IndieWire's Ben Travers compared its "dreamlike quality" to Lynch's television series Twin Peaks. Nicholas Quah of Vulture wrote that, "like Lynch, Robinson’s onscreen world hums with quiet dread, a sense that something sinister lurks just beneath the veil of the everyday banal."
Many reviewers described The Chair Company as one of the year’s strangest and most original comedies. TheWrap writer Chase Hutchinson called it Robinson's "most bonkers, brilliant work yet," successfully combining comedic chaos with emotional depth. Quah described it as an ambitious, surreal expansion of Robinson's comedic world that succeeds as both a darkly funny exploration of obsessive male anxiety. Ross Bonaime of Collider called it "one of the most offbeat and outlandish shows you’ll see this year" praising its ability to sustain Robinson's "uncomfortable, absurd, and downright weird comedy" across a full season," though he noted that the joke density is lower than in I Think You Should Leave or Detroiters. Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com described it as "captivatingly strange piece of work, a show that feels like it reaches for commentary in a way that these guys haven’t really done before."
Tim Robinson received widespread acclaim for his performance as Ron Trosper, with several critics calling it his best work to date. Hutchinson praised Robinson's expressive physicality, comparing it to the work of Jim Carrey, while Moran called his performance the key element that makes The Chair Company so convincing. Calling the performance "top form," Doster highlighted Robinson's ability to transition from manic comedy to tender family moments, particularly in scenes with co-star Sophia Lillis.
Joseph Tudisco also earned particular praise for his portrayal of Mike Santini. /Film's Chris Evangelista called it a "breakout role," while Moran said his character "may actually be the heart and soul of the whole show," adding that "the pathos Tudisco brings is heartbreaking." Bonaime described Tudisco as a "fantastic standout" who plays off Robinson well, and Zalben called him "the likely break-out star of the season," noting his "stilted delivery and oddball character quirks" give way to a "sweet soul." Rosenberg described the part "the role of a lifetime," describing Tudisco's charater as "a runaway train every time he's onscreen."
Several critics also described Downey as a "standout" in the The Chair Company cast.
While the series was widely praised, some critics acknowledged that Robinson's and Kanin's unique brand of humor many not appeal to all audiences, noting that The Chair Company was unlikely to win new converts but would strongly resonate with existing fans. Quah wrote that the show's rhythms "are tuned to a very specific frequency of discomfort that not everyone will find funny or even watchable," but that for "card-carrying sloppy-steak aficionados, it's a rich text." Zalben similarly observed that "even Robinson's admirers would likely agree his humor isn't for everyone," while Evangelista wrote that viewers who dislike Robinson’s style "won't find anything new in The Chair Company to grab hold of," but that it will send existing fans "into near-hysterics." The Hollywood Reporter writer Angie Han said the show's "cringing mortifications and unsettling unreality" make it a "tough sit," but said the same qualities that make it challenging also make it "irresistible" to fans. Roush wrote: "Whether you're tickled may depend on your appreciation for the gonzo sensibility of Tim Robinson, a manic maestro of slapstick apoplexy."
A few critics offered more mixed appraisals. The Boston Globe writer Chris Vognar described The Chair Company as a chaotic series lacking narrative cohesion or lasting storytelling power, and felt it was too fringe to be massively popular, though he added, "I'm glad there's a high-profile place for it in the TV ecosystem." Time's Judy Berman praised the show's humor and Robinson's character, but felt the mystery subplot failed to generate suspense and suggested Robinson's style "may not be best suited to longform narrative." The New York Times television critic James Poniewozik wrote that the show doesn’t entirely deliver on its approach and often feels like a series of extended I Think You Should Leave sketches, but added: "Still, I was drawn in, wondering what strange, sleazy alley this shaggy dog would lead me down next." Los Angeles Times television reviewer Robert Lloyd complimented Robinson's performance, but cautioned that "it takes a certain sort of stamina, or a love for, this particular brand of chaos to put up with him," calling his antics so extreme that "it can be off-putting, and drowns out the human inside."
== References ==
== External links ==
The Chair Company at IMDb
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