The Chair

About The Chair

The Chair is a drama series that debuted on Netflix in 2021. It follows Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, the new chair of the English department at the prestigious Pembroke University. Struggling to meet high expectations and navigate through the unique challenges of being the first woman to chair the department, and one of the few staff members of color at the university, Ji-Yoon tries to maintain her own passion for teaching amidst departmental shake-ups, student protests, and difficult colleagues.

Making / Production

"The Chair" is created by Amanda Peet and Annie Wyman. It is executive produced by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, best known for their work on "Game of Thrones". The series is filmed on location in Pittsburgh.

Actors

• Sandra Oh plays the lead role of Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim. She portrays her character with competence, compassion and nuance.
• Jay Duplass plays the troubled Professor Bill Dobson. His character is a charismatic but polarizing figure within the department.
• Holland Taylor portrays Professor Joan Hambling, a veteran staff member with a sharp wit.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The Chair is Sandra Oh's second lead role in a TV Series, following her successful turn on "Killing Eve".
• The series was shot at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, which stood in for the fictional Pembroke University.
• The script was co-written by Amanda Peet and Annie Julia Wyman, who was a Ph.D. candidate at Harvard.

Quotes

• "Sometimes, it's exactly when we're in over our heads when we do our best work." - Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim
• "I feel like someone handed me a ticking time bomb because they wanted to make sure a woman was holding it when it went off." - Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim

Music, Soundtrack

• "Zebra" by Yuno: This song is played during a montage of students moving in and preparing for the new semester.
• "I Know the End" by Phoebe Bridgers: Used in an emotional scene between Ji-Yoon and Bill.