EXCLUSIVE: HBO has given the green light to The Chair Company, a half-hour comedy pilot starring Tim Robinson. The project, from Robinson and his writing partner Zach Kanin, is also executive produced by Adam McKay and Todd Schulman for Hyperobject Industries.
In The Chair Company, written and executive produced by Robinson and Kanin, after an embarrassing incident at work, a man (Robinson) finds himself investigating a far-reaching conspiracy.
HBO has been ramping up comedy development as two of its signature comedy series, Barry and Curb Your Enthusiasm, have come to an end over the past 10 months. Just like with both of those award-winning series, the network is betting on creators-performers for its next crop of comedies.
The pickup of The Chair Company follows HBO’s pilot order to a half-hour starring, written and executive produced by Rachel Sennott.
This marks the latest collaboration for Robinson and Kanin who met while working together as writers on Saturday Night Live. They previously co-created two series, in which Robinson also starred, Detroiters for Comedy Central and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson for Netflix.
The latter released its third season in May but the franchise, which includes a comedy tour, I Think You Should Leave Live: Tim Robinson & Zach Kanin, remains alive at the streamer with new installments possible. It won WGA Awards in the Comedy/Variety Sketch Series category for its first two seasons and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series last year. I Think You Should Leave also earned Robinson two Emmys for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series.
Robinson is repped by CAA and Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment. Both Robinson and Kanin are with Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.