Steve Carell to star in HBO's new comedy series as 10-episode season is greenlit

The new show is set on a college campus, centering on an author’s relationship with his daughter.

PUBLISHED MAY 21, 2024

Steve Carell attends the 'Asteroid City' photocall at the 76th annual Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals on May 24, 2023 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Lionel Hahn/Getty Images)

Los Angeles, California (Release): HBO has given a 10-episode, straight-to-series order for a new half-hour comedy starring and executive produced by 11-time Emmy Award nominee Steve Carell. Emmy-winner Bill Lawrence ('Ted Lasso', 'Scrubs') and Emmy-nominee Matt Tarses ('Scrubs', 'The Goldbergs', 'Sports Night') will write the first episode and executive produce the upcoming Warner Bros. Television series. The new show is a single-camera comedy set on a college campus, centering on an author’s complicated relationship with his daughter.

Bill Lawrence (second from left) poses with the cast and crew of 'Scrubs' at the Esquire House and Johnnie Walker Blue Host 'Scrubs' Season Six Celebration (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage)

Amy Gravitt, Executive Vice President, HBO & Max Comedy Programming says: “The combination of Steve Carell and Bill Lawrence promises to be full of great laughs, warmth, and charm. We’re thrilled to be the home for this long overdue collaboration.”

Lawrence added that “HBO has long been a standard bearer of quality TV. Getting to do a show there with Steve Carell is an immediate career highlight for Matt and me. Nothing can go wrong now.”

Writer/producer Matt Tarses attends the SCAD aTVfest 2018 x EW Party at Lure on February 2, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for SCAD aTVfest 2018 )

Channing Dungey, Warner Bros. Television Group Chairman and CEO, is thrilled about the new show, saying, “We’re so excited to be collaborating with the dream team of Steve Carell, Bill Lawrence, and Matt Tarses on what is sure to be a brilliant new series. Collectively, they have been at the center of some of the most iconic and successful shows in television history. With thanks to our partners at HBO, we look forward to bringing them together to deliver the next great comedy.”

Steve Carell is currently starring on-stage at The Lincoln Center in 'Uncle Vanya' and next resumes his voice role in 'Despicable Me 4' and will segue into the Netflix comedy series 'The Four Seasons', alongside Tina Fey, which is an adaptation of the original film starring Alan Alda and Carol Burnett.

The untitled project is executive produced by Bill Lawrence, Jeff Ingold, and Liza Katzer of Doozer Productions and Matt Tarses. The series is produced by Doozer in association with Warner Bros. Television, where both Doozer and Tarses are under overall deals. Starring and executive produced by Steve Carell. The first episode is written by Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses.