You wouldn’t expect Running Point, a comedy about a dynastic basketball family, to open with a reference to Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, but nothing about Mindy Kaling’s latest show is predictable. Running Point, written by longtime friends and collaborators Kaling, David Stassen, and Ike Barinholtz, puts a fresh spin on the quintessential sports underdog story, with a wayward but lovable family at its core.
Enter the Gordons — the clan who run the fictional Los Angeles Waves team in Running Point. As Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson) puts it, striding confidently across a squeaky court in a black power suit, “Our business is the greatest basketball franchise in the history of the game: the Los Angeles Waves. And this is the story of the fucked-up family that runs it.” Watch Isla and the rest of the Gordon family in action in the first four minutes of Season 1, above.
The series begins when, after years of being excluded from the operations of her family’s team, Isla is unexpectedly appointed president of the Waves by her older brother Cam (Justin Theroux). Now she finally has the chance to put her deep knowledge and love of the game to use — yet quickly has her hands full with hilarious antics from the team, her brothers, and the male-dominated basketball community. “I really love writing shows about ambitious women, whether they’re a 15-year-old girl in the Valley [Never Have I Ever] or the president of a basketball team,” says Kaling. “Isla’s a strong woman navigating a high-pressure environment, and her journey is both entertaining and inspiring.”
Rounding out the Gordon siblings are Scott MacArthur (The Righteous Gemstones, No Hard Feelings) as daffy but lovable Ness, and Drew Tarver (The Other Two) as the acerbic know-it-all Sandy. Brenda Song (The Last Showgirl) plays Isla’s best friend and Waves chief of staff Ali, and Max Greenfield (New Girl) is Isla’s sweet fiancé Lev. Jay Ellis, Toby Sandeman, Fabrizio Guido, and Chet Hanks complete the show’s starting lineup.
“There’s something for everyone to enjoy,” Stassen told Netflix. “It’s a blend of comedy, drama, and relatable family dynamics. The show’s themes of resilience and personal growth are universal, and I hope they resonate with viewers.” Kaling (Never Have I Ever) reteams with her The Mindy Project collaborators Barinholtz and Stassen to executive produce Running Point, alongside Hudson, Howard Klein (The Office), Michael Weaver, and James Ponsoldt (The Spectacular Now). Los Angeles Lakers president and co-owner Jeanie Buss, and the team’s manager of special projects, Linda Rambis, also executive produce the 10 episodes — Isla’s character took inspiration from Buss’ incredible real-life story.
Read more about what you can expect from Season 1 before streaming Running Point on Netflix starting Feb. 27.
