The new HBO Max comedy series, "Rooster," co-written and produced by frequent collaborators Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses, is set to debut on March 8, with subsequent episodes premiering every Sunday. This highly anticipated show stars Steve Carell, but at its heart, Lawrence acknowledges that the true inspiration and central theme revolve around a father-daughter relationship. This concept resonated deeply with the creative trio, including Carell, as they bonded over their personal experiences with their own daughters reaching a new stage of adulthood and independence.

Loosely based on their friend, author Carl Hiaasen (known for "Bad Monkey"), "Rooster" introduces Greg Russo (Steve Carell), a best-selling writer who rushes to his daughter Katie's rescue. Katie (played by Charly Clive), a college professor, is facing a severe personal crisis, with her marriage and job in jeopardy after accidentally setting her house on fire. Greg, a recently divorced father and somewhat known writer, sees an opportunity to leverage his status to help Katie avoid being fired, thus exploring the complexities of family support and evolving parent-child dynamics.

Lawrence and Tarses emphasize that while it is indeed a "Steve Carell show," Carell himself fully embraces the ensemble nature of the series. A pivotal "break-story moment" for the creators was cracking the story arc for Charly Clive's character, Katie. Her journey of becoming an autonomous, independent woman necessitated stripping her of everything from the start. This was humorously and effectively established through the dramatic opening of her burning down her house, specifically Phil Dunster's favorite book. This particular detail, involving a misidentification of authors (Tolstoy versus Chekhov), allowed the show to achieve a unique tone that blends authentic emotional stories with genuine humor, a balance both writers strived for.

The casting process for "Rooster" saw a mix of effortless fits and transformative challenges. Securing Steve Carell was a monumental win, given the show's genesis from a desire to work with him. Other easy castings included John C. McGinley, Rory Scovel (the cop), and Phil Dunster (who Lawrence had worked with on "Ted Lasso" and whose mastery of accents initially caused confusion). However, the role of Cristle, Walt's assistant, presented a unique challenge. Initially conceived as a buttoned-up, almost "Radar-like" character, Allison Jones, an iconic casting director, suggested Annie Mumolo. Despite initial resistance from Lawrence and Tarses who had a different vision, Mumolo's portrayal was so distinct and impactful that they altered the character to fit her, making Cristle one of their favorite and most improved elements of the show. Allison Jones was also instrumental in casting Charly Clive as Steve's daughter, finding an actress who could match Carell's ability to blend pathos and comedy, and Maximo Salas as Tommy.

Reflecting on their extensive careers, Lawrence and Tarses also indulged in discussing potential crossover ideas with their other popular shows. Bill Lawrence envisioned iconic scenes between Steve Carell and Harrison Ford (from "Shrinking"), and a humorous challenge for his wife, Christa Miller's Liz (also from "Shrinking"), to dislike Phil Dunster's character despite his charm as the antagonist. Matt Tarses' idea involved the fictional "Rooster" character (written by Greg Russo in the show) meeting the Yancy character from "Bad Monkey" somewhere in Florida, perhaps with John Malkovich as a bad guy. Lawrence further added a desire to see Turk from "Scrubs" cross paths with Rory Scovel's character, predicting Turk's utter frustration. These imaginative crossovers highlight the creative world-building behind their projects.