Tim Robinson plays a Midwestern everyman whose chair obsession spirals into a darkly comic criminal mystery.
HBO’s new comedy The Chair Company finds Tim Robinson leaning into his trademark blend of off-kilter humor and uncomfortable pathos, this time wrapped in a small-town mystery.
The trailer teases a wildly funny and oddly dark story: Robinson plays William Ronald Trosper, a Midwestern man whose harmless-seeming obsession with a local chair manufacturer pulls him into a web of criminality, suspicious characters and escalating paranoia. What starts as fixation quickly becomes an all-consuming hunt for answers — and laughs — in equal measure.
The series is an eight-episode run that premieres Oct. 12, with new episodes arriving Sundays and the season finale set for Nov. 30. Co-created by Robinson and longtime collaborator Zach Kanin, the show leans on the duo’s history of turning everyday strangeness into comedic gold.
Their chemistry — honed on writing rooms like Saturday Night Live and on projects such as Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave — shows up here in the form of tightly tuned, character-driven absurdity.
Robinson anchors the cast, and he’s surrounded by a strong ensemble: Lake Bell plays Barb Trosper, adding a grounded counterpoint to William’s unraveling; Sophia Lillis is Natalie Trosper, Will Price plays Seth, and Joseph Tudisco appears as Mike Santini. Lou Diamond Phillips turns up in a recurring role as Jeff Levjman, bringing a welcome weight to the increasingly strange town dynamics.
Behind the camera, executive producers include Robinson, Kanin, Adam McKay and Todd Schulman, while Andrew DeYoung and Aaron Schimberg direct, giving the show a production pedigree that balances comedy with cinematic flair.
The trailer promises more than just jokes — it suggests a tone that moves from the quietly absurd to outright unsettling without losing its comic heartbeat.
Fans of Robinson’s previous work will recognize the same knack for awkward beats and surreal escalation, but The Chair Company also hints at a sharper throughline: obsession can be funny, but it can also be dangerous.
Whether you’re tuning in for the mystery, the cringe comedy, or Robinson’s unique voice, HBO’s newest series looks ready to deliver something unexpected — and memorably strange. Don’t miss the premiere.
