Rooster: Steve Carell is back to his best in this great comedy | TV and radio

HThere’s something funny. When talented actors in comedy turn “straight,” and take on dramatic roles without any laughs, the world falls at its feet to offer them flowers. You might not realize it by looking at every acting award ever handed out, but comedy is a lot harder than drama. They both share techniques and aim for truth. But in comedy, rhythm and originality are crucial, and the spotlight is unforgiving. (Fart noise.)

From Robin Williams to Jim Carrey, from Hugh Laurie to Daniel Kaluuya, when an actor gets more admiration for keeping the ha’s on his mind, they often don’t come back. Which brings me to Rooster, the show that, along with last year’s Four Seasons, marks Steve Carell’s return to TV comedy. Since leaving The Office, Carell has spent 13 years as a fictional father to drug addicts, been a wrestler and philanthropist, and was fired from his job as a news anchor for sexual misconduct. (That was on The Morning Show, not Anchorman.) These are obviously amazing projects. But don’t they sometimes have a hint for homework?

“Dick” (Monday, 10 p.m., Sky One) is the story of Greg Russo (Carell), a frivolous novelist who returns to Ludlow, the liberal arts college where his wife left him 25 years ago. His daughter Katie, who is studying art history there, is going through her own marital struggle – her husband Archie has left her to pursue an affair with a student. Greg wants to support Katie through her initial breakdown, after she becomes a social outcast and lives in the house of a dead hockey coach. How did he die? Greg asks. “I think he killed himself because his father was focusing on the wrong part of the story,” she replied scathingly.

Greg never went to college, but the story is about keeping him there, teaching writing, and being unexpectedly embraced by the students. Soon he’s in trouble with the police, socializing with his mates, playing beer pong and rolling around the streets. The boys even call him the titular action hero in his low-key, best-selling books. Despite his popularity, Greg doesn’t feel like a walker. His new fame also strains his relationship with Katie. Is it a rooster or a cuckoo?

It’s nice to focus on the father-daughter relationship in this way. Charlie Clive almost steals the show as Katie, and he has a wonderful presence with Carell. Rooster’s roster is strong throughout, as is John C McGinley as college president Walter Mann. Walt, who has an office sauna like his modern-day Fonzie, is obsessed with cold plunges and “activating brown fat.” (Sounds like every WhatsApp group I’ve been in over the past year.) The presence of comedians Rory Scoville and Robbie Hoffman suggests there’s a connoisseur’s eye in the casting department, too. The latter is particularly great in a small role, as Archie’s other woman’s acerbic roommate.

Speaking of Archie, he is played by Phil Dunster, the handsome, Olivier Award-winning British actor. Given the toughest job of the bunch, Dunster makes his self-obsessed, conceited, flirtatious, ill-judged addict one of the most charming characters on screen. It’s a terrible magic trick. I’m still looking for the levers.

The lineage of this show is clear, like the red brick and rich mahogany. The creators of Rooster are responsible for Scrubs and Ted Lasso. I’m not sure these ivory tower antics will have the same mass appeal. There are stories about regaining control of the literature review and assuming the role of acting dean. I can hear Middle America putting its foot through the screen.

There are strange deviations into the slapstick. Carell’s character often falls flat, just landing with his hands on a student’s chest, like Benny Hill. His character aims to be unintentionally abusive, and he frequently attends disciplinary hearings. However, there is an awkward humanity and vulnerability to Carell’s performance that is difficult to truly pull off. Maybe he’s really good at drama now? I told you this would happen.

However, most of the jokes were a hit, including Carell getting teabags live on BBC News, Dunster dogs kissing their tongues and plenty of one-liners. “No game means no game,” Greg sympathizes with his rejected daughter, trying to heal both their hearts. Carell can do anything, and I’m glad he still has sophisticated, character-driven comedies. Take them to school, Steve!