If you're a fan of 'Rooster' and its exploration of a well-meaning character navigating a world that's more than happy to throw mud in his face, then you're in for a treat. Here are 10 shows that share a similar vibe, featuring relatable failures and inspiring successes. From academic satire to workplace comedy, these shows will keep you entertained and engaged.
Lucky Hank (2023)
Bob Odenkirk stars as Hank Devereaux, Jr., a creative writing teacher at a tiny college in Pennsylvania. As the show starts, he's humiliated by a student, publicly mocks his school, deals with his more successful father, and believes his wife is having an affair. His life only gets more chaotic from there. This short-lived comedy of middle-aged ennui is a must-watch for fans of 'Rooster'.
A Man on the Inside (2024 – )
Ted Danson plays Charles Nieuwendyk, a hapless retired professor and recent widower who listens to his daughter's plea to find something to keep him occupied. He answers an ad from a private investigator looking for someone to go undercover by moving into a retirement community in San Francisco. As he comes to care about the people he's investigating (and lying to), his job only gets harder. This lightly satirical comedy is a perfect blend of plot and character, making it a great watch.
The Chair (2021)
Sandra Oh stars as Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, the newly appointed chair of the English department at fictional Pembroke University. The first woman to hold the job, she struggles to balance the significance of the role with a budding relationship and her challenging daughter. This ambitious series only lasted one season, but it got great reviews and went a bit deeper than 'Rooster' in its satire of modern academia.
Ted Lasso (2020 – )
Jason Sudeikis plays the title character, an American college football coach hired by owner Rebecca Welton to coach her Richmond football club, despite his lack of experience with the sport. With everything and (nearly) everyone against him, he nonetheless wins the team over with his relentless, occasionally ridiculous good-natured optimism. This show is a heartwarming and inspiring watch, perfect for fans of 'Rooster'.
Dear White People (2017– 2021)
Adapted and extending the 2014 movie, this show takes us to a (fictional) Ivy League school for a comedy-drama that takes on campus life and politics from a rather different perspective than that of 'Rooster'. Logan Browning leads the ensemble cast as Sam White, who kind-of inadvertently starts the titular radio show following a racially charged incident on campus. This show is a must-watch for fans of 'Rooster' who want to explore campus life and politics from a different angle.
Shrinking (2023– )
Jason Segal stars as cognitive behavioral therapist Jimmy Laird, who's been in a depression spiral since the death of his wife a year before the show opens. When he tries to get through a workday following a night of partying, he loses it on a whiny patient—which is not exactly standard procedure. But Jimmy finds himself invigorated, nonetheless, and telling people what he really thinks becomes his new thing, with mixed results. This show is a perfect blend of drama and comedy, making it a great watch for fans of 'Rooster'.
Abbott Elementary (2021 – )
Quinta Brunson's Abbott Elementary does a workplace comedy like 'The Office' one better in portraying its cast of (mostly) well-meaning characters running up against an American educational system that doesn't always reward good intentions. This show is a must-watch for fans of 'Rooster' who want to explore the complexities of the American educational system.
Somebody Somewhere (2022 – 2024)
Bridget Everett stars as Sam Miller, who struggles to find her new direction after moving back to her hometown to care for her dying sister. She's solidly middle-aged and starting over, kinda—making new friends in a familiar environment where she has to confront the past and the future alike. This show is a perfect blend of drama and comedy, making it a great watch for fans of 'Rooster'.
Chad Powers (2025 – )
One minute, Russ Holliday is the biggest name in collegiate football, with a future that couldn't be brighter. The next, he's fumbled a touchdown and later shoved a fan into a cancer patient using a wheelchair. Not great! Eight years later, he's looking for a comeback and so, with shades of 'Mrs. Doubtfire', he reinvents himself via prosthetics and a wig as the title's Chad Powers, a charmingly naive athlete who signs on to the football team at a tiny Georgia college. This show is a goofy premise, but Powell's performance sells it, and the show becomes more engaging as Russ/Chad is forced to ask himself whether this new persona is a con, or the person he'd like to be.
Mr. Corman (2021)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as yet another middle-aged (definitions of which vary wildly on TV and IRL) teacher making a new start of it. Once focused on life as the lead of indie electronica band, Josh Corman has been at a loss since he broke up with his fiancée and one-time bandmate, Megan. Plagued by crippling anxiety (relatable!), he's now a public school teacher trying to figure out his life. The show dramatizes Josh's inner struggle via animated sequences and song-and-dance numbers, adding a bit of extra color to its depiction of middle-aged ennui.
These shows are perfect for fans of 'Rooster' who want to explore relatable failures and inspiring successes in a variety of settings and genres.
