Who is the funniest person alive? That might well be an unanswerable question (“How long is a piece of string?”), but there are few people with as convincing a claim to the title as Tim Robinson. The comedian best known for his gonzo Netflix sketch series I Think You Should Leave has, over the past decade, become one of the most reliably ingenious names in comedy. That series was an anarchic medley of deranged faux pas – it’s hard to even describe. (Among the sketches: a toxic “Baby of the Year” pageant; Santa Claus doing a sour press junket to promote an action movie; a party at which hired celebrity impersonators are contractually “allowed” to assault guests.) At the centre of the show: Robinson himself, a raving, gurning, drooling, and all-round singularly bizarre force of nature.
It is on the unflappable strength of Robinson’s brand, no doubt, that HBO commissioned a series titled The Chair Company – a laughably unsexy title, with a premise to match. Debuting last month (on Sky and NOW in the UK), the series follows Ron Trosper (Robinson), an employee at a company organising the development of a new shopping mall. Ron’s cosy suburban life begins to unravel, however, when he starts investigating an inscrutable and far-reaching conspiracy involving Tecca, a chair manufacturer. It’s utter, unpredictable nonsense, and often tremendously funny. Like most of Robinson’s oeuvre – and especially I Think You Should Leave – it seems the kind of thing that will only grow richer on repeat viewings.
