Miniseries · Netflix
The Chair
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Nana Mensah
Yasmin 'Yaz' McKay
6 eps
Holland Taylor
Joan Hambling
6 eps
Sandra Oh
Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim
6 eps
Jay Duplass
Bill Dobson
6 eps
Bob Balaban
Elliot Rentz
6 eps
Everly Carganilla
Ju-Hee 'Ju Ju' Kim
6 eps
David Morse
Paul Larson
6 eps
Simone Joy Jones
Joy
2 eps
Michelle Do
Michelle
1 eps
Ji Yong Lee
Habi
4 eps
Ron Crawford
Professor McHale
5 eps
Ella Rubin
Dafna
4 eps
Mallory Low
Lila
4 eps
Jordan Tyson
Capri
5 eps
Marcia DeBonis
Laurie
3 eps
Havana Rose Liu
Sarah
2 eps
Sophia Macy
Doodles
1 eps
Mark Philip Stevenson
Professor Pollack
3 eps
Ken Bolden
Professor Plum
3 eps
Randy Kovitz
Professor Reinhardt
3 eps
John Shepard
Professor Brown
3 eps
Don Wadsworth
Professor Drake
3 eps
Rick Applegate
Professor Jim
3 eps
Evans Malkin
Bill's Student
1 eps
Henry Thrasher
Steve
2 eps
Celina Nemec
Sharon
1 eps
James Ross
Trevor
2 eps
Kat Harkins
Rentz's Student
1 eps
Jordan Beltz
Joan's Student
2 eps
Abdul Alvi
Abdul
3 eps
Terence Aldo Halligan
Student #2 (uncredited)
2 eps
Christine McBurney
English Professor (uncredited)
2 eps
David Morse
Airport Bartender (uncredited)
1 eps
Charles David Richards
Provost Peters
2 eps
Zoe Mann
Vicky
1 eps
Brody Ross
Kid
1 eps
Collin Tate
Lead Protestor
1 eps
Darius Fraser
Kareem
3 eps
Dave Edmonds
Faculty Party Attendee (uncredited)
1 eps
Ellen Kotzin
Dean's Party Attendee (uncredited)
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How The Chair actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
The Chair reads strongest on Serialized, Character Depth and Bingeability.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
The story
What it's about
At a major university, the first woman of color to become chair tries to meet the dizzying demands and high expectations of a failing English department.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E01
Brilliant Mistake
With the department facing budget cuts and low enrollment, Ji-Yoon vows to make some changes as chair while one professor struggles to keep it together.
- Directed by Daniel Gray Longino
- Written by Annie Julia Wyman, Amanda Peet
S01E05
The Last Bus in Town
Ji-Yoon visits Pembroke's new lecturer as Bill joins in on a Korean tradition. The tenured professors band together, and Yaz receives an enticing offer.
- Directed by Daniel Gray Longino
- Written by Jennifer Kim
S01E06
The Chair
As his hearing approaches, Bill's academic future comes into question. Ji-Yoon's revelation puts the board on the spot and shakes up the department.
- Directed by Daniel Gray Longino
- Written by Andrea Troyer
S01E02
The Faculty Party
Tired of the lack of diversity in Pembroke's staff, Ji-Yoon makes a bold decision during a faculty soiree. A video from Bill's lecture causes a stir.
- Directed by Daniel Gray Longino
- Written by Richard Robbins, Amanda Peet
S01E03
The Town Hall
Bill hosts a town hall with the students that quickly takes a turn. Joan starts a fire. A dinner with the dean puts Ji-Yoon in an awkward position.
- Directed by Daniel Gray Longino
- Written by Annie Julia Wyman, Amanda Peet
S01E04
Don't Kill Bill
Pressure mounts for Ji-Yoon to turn the department around after Bill's suspension. The hiring of a new professor undermines Yaz's chance at tenure.
- Directed by Daniel Gray Longino
- Written by Richard Robbins
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S01E01
Brilliant Mistake
- Directed by Daniel Gray Longino
- Written by Annie Julia Wyman, Amanda Peet
S01E02
The Faculty Party
- Directed by Daniel Gray Longino
- Written by Richard Robbins, Amanda Peet
S01E03
The Town Hall
- Directed by Daniel Gray Longino
- Written by Annie Julia Wyman, Amanda Peet
S01E04
Don't Kill Bill
- Directed by Daniel Gray Longino
- Written by Richard Robbins
S01E05
The Last Bus in Town
- Directed by Daniel Gray Longino
- Written by Jennifer Kim
S01E06
The Chair
- Directed by Daniel Gray Longino
- Written by Andrea Troyer
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
Annie Julia Wyman
Creator
Amanda Peet
Showrunner
Sandra Oh
Executive producer
D. B. Weiss
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Bernadette Caulfield
Executive producer
David Benioff
Executive producer
Daniel Gray Longino
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Jennifer Kim
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Andrea Troyer
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Richard Robbins
Writer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Sandra OhExecutive Producer
- Hameed ShaukatProducer
- Amanda PeetExecutive Producer
- D. B. WeissExecutive Producer
- Bernadette CaulfieldExecutive Producer
- Tyler RomaryProducer
Writing
- Jennifer KimWriter
- Andrea TroyerWriter
- Richard RobbinsWriter
- Annie Julia WymanWriter
- Amanda PeetWriter
Direction
- Daniel Gray LonginoDirector
Cinematography
- Jim FrohnaDirector of Photography
Music
- Stephanie EconomouOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- NetflixStreaming
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- Netflix Standard with AdsStreaming
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