Tim Robinson's The Chair Company draws 1.4M across HBO platforms

Tim Robinson's new comedy series The Chair Company premiered on October 12 on HBO and HBO Max, and drew 1.4 million viewers in its first three days, making it the network's largest comedy debut in more than five years, network officials said. The eight-episode series, co-created by Robinson and Zach Kanin, stars Robinson as William Ronald Trosper, a middle manager whose humiliation during a workplace presentation sends him down a path investigating a suspected conspiracy tied to a chair manufacturer. Episodes are half an hour and will be released weekly on Sundays at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.

The show blends dark cringe comedy with elements of a conspiracy thriller. Critics have responded strongly: the series holds a 100 percent score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 35 reviews, with praise focusing on Robinson's performance, the series' originality, and its balance between physical slapstick and escalating paranoia. Reviewers have noted occasional unevenness, but overall reception has been emphatic.

HBO said the premiere's 1.4 million total represented cross-platform viewers across the pay channel and HBO Max during the three-day window after broadcast. The...