NEW YORK — School is back in session for Steve Carell. In a move that highlights the network’s confidence in its newest hit, HBO has officially renewed the college-set comedy “Rooster” for a second season.
The announcement, made on Thursday, April 9, 2026, comes just five episodes into the show’s freshman run. According to HBO, the series is currently pacing as the network’s most-watched new comedy in over a decade, averaging a massive 5.8 million U.S. viewers per episode.
Created by the powerhouse team of Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso, Scrubs) and Matt Tarses, Rooster has struck a chord with both critics and audiences. The show currently holds an 88% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising Carell’s “phenomenal” performance as Greg Russo.
- The Premise: Carell stars as a divorced, world-famous author who takes a writer-in-residence job at Ludlow, a New England liberal arts college, to be closer to his daughter, Katie (Charly Clive).
- The Ratings: With its 2.4 million viewer debut in March, the show outperformed major HBO hits like The White Lotus and Succession in their respective first-season viewership.
- The Strategy: HBO executives noted that the renewal was “richly deserved” given the show’s instant cultural impact.
While the first season is currently airing its 10-episode run (leading up to a May 10 finale), producers have already dropped hints about the direction of Season 2.
“It’s been heartening to feel the audience embrace Rooster,” said Amy Gravitt, EVP of HBO Programming. “We’re looking forward to seeing what Ludlow’s spring semester has in store for this incredible ensemble.”
For co-creator Bill Lawrence, the renewal cements an incredibly productive year. Along with Rooster, his Apple TV+ hit Shrinking remains a top performer, and he recently successfully revived Scrubs on ABC.
Lawrence expressed his gratitude in a characteristically witty statement: “We are so grateful to HBO 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 [Tarses] than me.”
New episodes of Rooster continue to air Sundays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and are available to stream on Max.
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