The Chair is a streaming comedy-drama television series from the United States. On August 20, 2021, Netflix released the series. It takes place at Pembroke University, which is located “in what appears to be New England.”
The Chair (2021) Synopsis
Professor Ji-Yoon Kim has been named chair of Pembroke University’s English department. She strives to secure the tenure of a young black colleague, navigate her relationship with her crush, friend, and well-known colleague Bill Dobson, and raise her strong-willed adopted daughter as the first woman chosen for the job.
Series Details
- Creators: Amanda Peet, Annie Wyman
- TV Network: Netflix
- Premiere Date: Aug 20, 2021
- Genre: Drama, Comedy
- Executive producers: Sandra Oh , Amanda Peet , David Benioff , D.B. Weiss , Bernadette Caulfield , Daniel Gray Longino
- Certificate: 16+
- Country of origin: United States
- Language: English
- Filming locations: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Production companies: BLB Media, Netflix Studios, Netflix
The Chair Cast
- Sandra Oh as Ji-Yoon Kim
- Jay Duplass as Bill Dobson
- Bob Balaban as Elliot Rentz
- Nana Mensah as Yaz McKay
- Everly Carganilla as Ju-Hee “Ju Ju” Kim
- David Morse as Paul Larson
- Holland Taylor as Joan Hambling
- Ji Lee as Habi
- Ron Crawford as Professor McHale
- Ella Rubin as Dafna
- Mallory Low as Lila
- Jordan Tyson as Capri
- Marcia Debonis as Laurie
- Bob Stephenson as IT guy
- Cliff Chamberlain as Ronny
Guest
- David Duchovny as himself
The Chair Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
| 1 | “Brilliant Mistake” | Daniel Gray Longino | Amanda Peet & Annie Julia Wyman | August 20, 2021 | |
| 2 | “The Faculty Party” | Daniel Gray Longino | Amanda Peet & Richard E. Robbins | August 20, 2021 | |
| 3 | “The Town Hall” | Daniel Gray Longino | Amanda Peet & Annie Julia Wyman | August 20, 2021 | |
| 4 | “Don’t Kill Bill” | Daniel Gray Longino | Richard E. Robbins | August 20, 2021 | |
| 5 | “The Last Bus in Town” | Daniel Gray Longino | Jennifer Kim | August 20, 2021 | |
| 6 | “The Chair” | Daniel Gray Longino | Andrea Troyer | August 20, 2021 | |
Production
Amanda Peet, David Benioff, and D. B. Weiss developed The Chair, for which she also worked as an executive producer. The pilot episode was co-written by Peet and Annie Julia Wyman. Pembroke College was represented by Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania, and the Shadyside campus of Chatham University in Pittsburgh, with the Shadyside area serving as a stand-in for Pembroke.
Reaction
Based on 48 critic reviews, the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 88 percent approval rating with an average rating of 6.9 out of 10. “The Chair” is too short to accomplish all of its objectives, but “spot-on insights about academics and a solid ensemble anchored by an empathetic—and hilarious—performance from Sandra Oh guarantee it’s never less than enjoyable,” according to the reviewers’ consensus. Based on 30 critic reviews, Metacritic assigned the series a weighted average score of 72 out of 100, indicating “generally good reviews.”
Kelly Lawler rated the series three out of four stars in her review for USA Today, saying, “Like most college students, The Chair is tremendously ambitious about what it will achieve in its limited time and occasionally falls flat, but generally the series beats the metaphorical curve.” “If The Chair were just a collegiate-level romantic comedy, it would be a joy, bolstered further by its shortness,” said Ben Travers of IndieWire, “but the show’s ambition to cover more territory is both exhilarating and a bit excessive.”
The Chair Release Dates
| United Arab Emirates | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| Australia | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| Brazil | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| Canada | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| Germany | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| Spain | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| France | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| UK | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| Indonesia | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| India | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| Italy | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| Japan | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| South Korea | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| Mexico | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| Netherlands | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| Philippines | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| Poland | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| Sweden | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| Singapore | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| Turkey | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
| USA | 20 August 2021 | |
| USA | 20 August 2021 | (internet) |
Also Known As (AKA)
| (original title) | The Chair |
| Australia | The Chair |
| Brazil | The Chair |
| Canada (English title) | The Chair |
| Canada (French title) | Directrice |
| France | Directrice |
| Germany | Die Professorin |
| Greece | Η Πρόεδρος |
| Hungary | A tanszékvezető |
| India (English title) | The Chair |
| India (Hindi title) | The Chair |
| Indonesia (English title) | The Chair |
| Italy | La direttrice |
| Japan (Japanese title) | ザ・チェア ～私は学科長～ |
| Mexico | La directora |
| Netherlands | The Chair |
| Philippines (English title) | The Chair |
| Poland | Pani dziekan |
| Romania | Șefa de catedră |
| Russia | Кафедра |
| Singapore (English title) | The Chair |
| South Korea | 더 체어 |
| Spain | La directora |
| Sweden | The Chair |
| Turkey | The Chair |
| Turkey (Turkish title) | The Chair |
| Ukraine | Пані завкаф |
| United Arab Emirates | رئيسة القسم |
| UK | The Chair |
| USA | The Chair |