‘The Chair Company’ actress previews critically-acclaimed HBO comedy

INDIANAPOLIS – With a 100% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 82 on Metacritic, HBO’s “The Chair Company” is one of the best-reviewed shows of the year.

William Ronald Trosper (Tim Robinson) begins to investigate a vast and elaborate conspiracy after being involved in an embarrassing incident at work.

Actress Lake Bell (“In a World…,” “It’s Complicated”), who plays William’s wife, Barb, said, “I think part of the fun of it is expecting one thing and then getting its opposite.” “It’s certainly subversive and has given rise to our own sense of paranoia and inclination towards conspiracies. I’m very grateful that it’s been done so well.”

Robinson co-created the show with Zack Kanin, the two of whom had previously collaborated as writers on “Saturday Night Live” and co-created the sitcom “Detroiters” and the sketch comedy “I Think You Should Love with Tim Robinson.”

“I think (Tim’s) voice is so unique that it really draws you in because you’re like, ‘Oh my God, I haven’t even heard this comedy musical before,’ and cringe is fun. It’s like you’re on a roller coaster and you don’t know which way this guy is going to go, and being surprised like that is really satisfying,” Bell said.

“The Chair Company” premiered to 1.4 million viewers across HBO platforms, marking the network’s biggest comedy debut in more than five years and one of the top three HBO Max comedy launches in the platform’s history.

“We filmed it that way — Andy DeYoung, who’s the director who made ‘Friendship,’ of course, I love that movie — so it was very exciting to see it. When we were filming, I recognized that it’s definitely different than anything I’ve done, and I’ve been doing it for so long, certainly even in the comedy world,” Bell said. “I think that part of it, that freshness and that kind of curiosity in the shape of the narrative, made me think about how different it was.”

For viewers unfamiliar with Robinson’s comedic style, don’t expect cheesy jokes or slapstick humor – this is almost its own version of comedy.

“Partly what was so attractive to me about the project was how unique its shape is,” Bell said. “We have moments where there’s a comedy beat, just for the sake of a comedy beat and for the sake of type of world building, versus it’s supposed to propel the plot forward. The plot is this kind of shape-shifting, so it’s unique because traditionally, you have such a clear structure that needs to be followed, and throwing it in the blender is really satisfying.”

While airing its first season, HBO renewed “The Chair Company” for a second season.

“It’s really fun to be on a show that your friends love, just to have your friends, your teammates, be happy,” Bell said. “I think that part of it is more gratifying than I thought. It’s been a long time since I’ve done something that my friends are really like, ‘Wow, I can’t wait for the next episode. I can’t wait for the next season.'”

New episodes of “The Chair Company” will air Sundays through November 30 at 10PM ET on HBO and HBO Max.