Ted Lasso wasn't an outlier for me. As it turns out, I genuinely enjoy sports-based sitcoms, including Netflix's latest offering, Running Point. Created by Ike Barinholtz, Mindy Kaling, and Elaine Ko and starring Kate Hudson, Running Point sees Hudson's Isla Gordon become president of a major fictional LA-based basketball franchise after her older brother is forced to go into rehab.
The thing is, though, I don't know anything about basketball. This probably has to do with the fact that basketball is nowhere near as popular in Europe (though countries like Lithuania, Greece, Serbia, Slovenia, and Spain are certainly becoming more involved), and football -- no, I will not call it soccer -- is considered a national sport in most European countries. It always made sense to me whenever Ted Lasso mentioned certain plays, rules, clubs, and trades. In Running Point? I have no idea what is going on. I imagine it was like that for many North American viewers watching Ted Lasso at the peak of its popularity, too.
That's not to say there are no football fans in the U.S. or Canada, but it's certainly less of a Thing, and there's always a risk that, when creating a show so intrinsically tied to one particular subject -- in this case, a major sport -- it may turn audiences off. I assume that's why there have historically been so many "a few friends/co-workers spend time together in a 1-mile radius" types of sitcoms. Most people can relate to that on some level.
Running Point's potential audience, like Ted Lasso's, is spread across the globe due to Netflix's platform. We already know that Running Point has been well received, as Netflix has officially renewed it for a second season, and as I binged my way through the show, I quickly understood why, despite the basketball of it all. I've come to recognize and appreciate many similar things in Running Point and Ted Lasso. This includes the characters' archetypes, their relationships, and, of course, the comedy itself.
Kate Hudson's Isla Gordon takes on Hannah Waddingham's role as Rebecca Welton. Of course, how they got to their respective positions as president and club owner are different. Yet they're both women from wealthy backgrounds who still, despite their relative privilege, need to prove their worth as women in traditionally male-dominated spaces. Rebecca wears gorgeous dresses, and Isla wears fabulous suits. Isla has to fight her brothers and other male basketball bigshots, while Rebecca needs to fight her ex-husband and other male football bigshots. They're not exactly the same person, and Waddingham and Hudson are very different yet equally wonderfully comedic actresses, but the similarities are uncanny -- and honestly? I don't even care. I love them both.
Other characters remind me of Ted Lasso favorites as well. Brenda Song's Ali Lee has a similar role to Juno Temple's Keeley Jones. Chet Hanks' Travis Bugg is season 1-era Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster). Toby Sandeman's Marcus Winfield has much in common with Brett Goldstein's Roy Kent, two team leaders on the verge of retirement. Uche Agada's Dyson Gibbs reminds me of Toheeb Jimoh's Sam Obisanya, two young, up-and-coming players trying to find their place on the team. There are locker room scenes. There are office strategy meetings. There are d*ckish commentators. The characters swear a lot. If I loved it in Ted Lasso, I'm enjoying it in Running Point, too.
The lesson is clear: It is 100% possible to create a successful sitcom based around a relatively niche subject as long as that subject doesn't completely overshadow the characters and their progression. We loved Ted Lasso because the sport and AFC Richmond were used as a vehicle to help the characters grow; it wasn't the entire point, as evidenced by the wonky match scenes. The same is true for Running Point. Isla and her brothers will become different (hopefully better) versions of themselves as they navigate their new shared reality within the Waves franchise.
Honestly, this is a winning formula. Maybe someone will give us a hockey-based sitcom next? I always did love The Mighty Ducks movies.