10 TV Series Similar to “Rooster” That You Should Watch in the Future.
As the world outside our streaming boxes becomes increasingly violent, we’re seeing a rise in the number of good-natured weirdos within them, and shows like Ted Lasso and Schitt’s Creek have set the standard. Greg Russo (Steve Carell) from Rooster isn’t quite in that camp; his world quickly crumbles around him in the early episodes of the HBO series, but the atmosphere is far less grim. It’s a show about a likable, well-meaning character struggling to maintain his principles and worldview while facing a world that happily throws dirt in his face.
If you’re missing that in your life, here are 10 other series about characters whose failures resonate with viewers and whose successes inspire them. Here’s to the losers!
Lucky Hank (2023)
Bob Odenkirk, fresh off Better Call Saul , immediately landed in this academic satire, playing Hank Deveraux Jr., a creative writing professor at a tiny Pennsylvania college. Early in the series, he’s humiliated by a student, publicly ridicules his school, nearly getting fired, has to deal with his more successful father, and begins to believe his wife is cheating on him. From there, his life becomes even more chaotic. Mireille Enos ( The Killing ) also stars in this short-lived but still very good comedy about midlife angst. Buy Lucky Hank on Prime Video or Apple TV .
Inside Man (2024–)
This lightly satirical comedy, a bit more plot-driven than the typical sitcom, stars another charming and beloved TV star. Ted Danson plays Charles Nieuwendyk, a down-on-his-luck retired professor and recently widowed man who heeds his daughter’s plea for something else to do. He answers a private investigator’s ad for someone to go undercover and moves into a San Francisco nursing home in hopes of finding out who’s stealing jewelry from the residents. As he develops empathy for the people he investigates (and lies to), his job only gets more complicated. Start at the beginning, but I’d recommend checking out the second season, which stars Danson’s real-life wife, Mary Steenburgen, and is set at a small liberal arts college, a far cry from Ludlow from Rooster.Watch Inside Man on Netflix.
Chairman (2021)
Sandra Oh stars in this comedy-drama as Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, the newly appointed head of the English Department at the fictional Pembroke University. The first woman to hold the position, she struggles to balance the importance of the role with a budding relationship and her daughter’s difficult life. This ambitious series lasted only one season, but received excellent reviews and offered a more profound satire of modern academia than Rooster .Watch Head of Department on Netflix.
Ted Lasso (2020 – )
The charming eccentric Ted Lasso stole our hearts back in 2020, and years after the original three-season run ended, a largely unexpected revival is on the horizon. Jason Sudeikis plays the title character, an American football coach who is hired by owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) to coach her Richmond Football Club (or soccer, as we Americans call it), despite his complete lack of experience in the sport. She acquired the team through a messy divorce and believes Ted will ruin the franchise her ex-husband loved so much. Against all odds and (almost) everyone, he nevertheless wins the team over with his relentless, sometimes ridiculous, good-natured optimism. Watch Ted Lasso on Apple TV.
Dear White People (2017–2021)
Adapted from and expanded on the 2014 film, this series takes us to a fictional Ivy League university. It’s a comedy-drama that examines campus life and politics from a completely different perspective than Rooster . Logan Browning leads the cast as Sam White, who, seemingly by accident, launches a radio show of the same name after a racially motivated incident on campus. Unlike the pompous discourses some unscrupulous YouTubers seem to find in the series, it never shies away from addressing the complex and sometimes absurd contradictions of student activism, and each episode explores life at Winchester University from a different character’s perspective.Watch Dear White People on Netflix.
Reduction (2023 – )
A fun, funny, and occasionally serious tragicomedy (with a hint of Rooster ), Shrinking tells the story of cognitive behavioral therapist Jimmy Laird, played by Jason Segal. Following the death of his wife a year before the series begins, he falls into depression. Trying to get through a workday after a party, he snaps at a cranky patient—not exactly a routine procedure. Nevertheless, Jimmy feels rejuvenated, and telling people what he really thinks becomes his new signature move, with varying degrees of success. Jessica Williams plays fellow therapist Gabi Evans, perpetually optimistic despite her recent divorce, and Harrison Ford clearly relishes playing Jimmy’s cantankerous boss and mentor. Michael J. Fox joined the cast for the recently concluded third season, and the series has been renewed for a fourth. Watch Shrinking on Apple TV .
Abbott Elementary School (2021 – )
Quinta Brunson ‘s Abbott Elementary quickly established itself as one of the best mockumentaries about work. It takes the comedy of The Office and elevates Abbott Elementary by showing how (mostly) well-meaning characters grapple with an American education system that doesn’t always reward good intentions. Watch Abbott Elementary on Hulu and HBO Max.
Somewhere Somewhere (2022–2024)
Bridget Everett plays Sam Miller, who’s trying to find her way after returning to her hometown to care for her dying sister (don’t worry: the drama is full of comedy, and it’s not as heavy as it sounds). She’s middle-aged and starting over, in a sense, making new friends in a familiar setting where she must confront both the past and the future. Luckily, her love of singing and a community of quirky oddballs help her. It’s another story about someone of a certain age trying to rebuild their life after a traumatic event. Watch “Someone Somewhere” on HBO Max.
Chad Powers (2025 – )
One minute, Russ Holliday (series star and co-creator Glen Powell) is the most famous figure in college football, with a bright future ahead of him. The next, he misses a touchdown, then pushes a fan into a woman in a wheelchair with cancer. Not so good! Eight years later, he’s looking for a comeback, and so, in the spirit of Mrs. Doubtfire , he transforms himself, with the help of prosthetics and a wig, into Chad Powers, a charmingly naive athlete who signs up for the football team at a tiny college in Georgia. The premise is ridiculous, but Powell’s performance is convincing, and the series becomes more gripping as Russ/Chad is forced to question whether this new persona is a sham or the person he wishes he were. Watch Chad Powers on Hulu.
Mr. Corman (2021)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays another middle-aged teacher (the definition of which varies greatly on television and in real life) starting a new life. Josh Korman, once focused on life as the frontman of an indie electronic band, has split from his fiancée and former bandmate, Megan. Suffering from crippling anxiety (understandably so), he now works as a public school teacher and tries to figure out his life. The series dramatizes Josh’s internal struggles through animated sequences and musical numbers, adding color to the depiction of midlife angst. Watch “Mr. Korman” on Apple TV.