I remember the first time I watched Almost Famous. That movie didn’t just introduce me to Elton John’s Tiny Dancer—it made me appreciate Jerry Maguire even more. That Cameron Crowe classic, a story about a sports agent trying to rebuild his life, remains my all-time favorite film. And, of course, Almost Famous also made me fall in love with the sheer awesomeness of Kate Hudson.
Running Point, the new Netflix series, hits two out of those three marks. Developed by MADtv’s Ike Barinholtz and The Office’s Mindy Kaling, the show is essentially their take on the Los Angeles Lakers, with Kate Hudson playing a Paris Hilton-like version of Jeanie Buss. In some ways, it also mirrors the Korean drama Hot Stove League, where a rookie GM is brought in to turn a struggling baseball team into champions in just one season. Plus, it has that classic fish-out-of-water charm we saw in Ted Lasso.
Oh, and surprisingly, Max Greenfield—best known as Schmidt from New Girl—is in it too. Schmidt’s character development was one of the best things about New Girl, so seeing him in this show is a definite bonus.
The problem I have with sports shows is that they often get stuck on the management side and completely phone in the on-court action. I get why—it’s tough to recreate the energy of a packed arena without a top-tier venue and a massive crowd of extras. Sure, digital effects can help, but if you’ve ever seen how these things are put together in post-production, you know how bad it can look when the illusion doesn’t hold up.
Take the scene where Isla Gordon (Hudson) is in the arena—the seats are kept dark, which is a dead giveaway that they’re trying to hide empty sections. I’ve had great in-game action shots scrapped from TV plugs just because of empty seats, so I know how much this can ruin the illusion. And if you’re a PBA fan (or critic), you know exactly how optics like that can shape the image of a league.
Anyway, I’m diving into Running Point and will try to finish it as quickly as possible. I’m hoping the show has a solid premise. Kaling has done great work (The Office was legendary), but after Velma, I’m keeping my expectations in check.