| Genre: | Sitcom |
| Composer: | Jesse Novak |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 1 |
| Num Episodes: | 10 |
| Camera: | Single-camera |
| Runtime: | 21 minutes |
| Network: | NBC |
Champions is an American television sitcom created by Charlie Grandy and Mindy Kaling that aired on NBC from March 8 to May 25, 2018. The series stars Anders Holm, Fortune Feimster, Andy Favreau, Josie Totah, and Mouzam Makkar.
On June 29, 2018, NBC canceled the series after one season.
Vince, a charismatic gym owner, is living every bachelor's dream with his younger brother Matthew in Brooklyn, New York. He lives a simple life, dates an endless string of women, until his high school fling Priya drops off their 15-year-old son Michael.
On October 5, 2016, it was announced that NBC had given a put pilot commitment to an untitled script by Mindy Kaling and Charlie Grandy. The project stemmed from a writing, producing, and acting deal that Kaling had signed with Universal Television during the previous summer. Universal Television was set to produce the pilot alongside Kaling International and 3 Arts Entertainment. Kaling and Grandy were expected to executive produce alongside Howard Klein.[1]
On January 26, 2017, it was announced that NBC had officially given the production a pilot order. The announcement was accompanied by the reveal of the series' premise.[2] [3] On May 13, 2017, it was announced that NBC had given the production a series order. Michael Alan Spiller was announced to be an executive producer for the series and it was reported that he was also expected to direct. Eyes Up Productions was also added to the list of production companies involved with the series.[4] [5] [6]
On June 29, 2018, it was announced that NBC had officially cancelled the series. Before the cancellation was announced, producers had reportedly been in talks with Netflix, which carries the series internationally, about potentially picking up the show but the discussions ultimately did not lead to a renewal. Producers were still said to be searching for a potential new home for the series.[7] On September 13, 2018, it was announced that the series had failed to find a new home.[8]
Alongside the announcement of the series' pilot order, it was announced that Mindy Kaling had been cast in the pilot in the potentially recurring role of Priya.[2] In February 2017, it was announced that Mouzam Makkar, Anders Holm, Andy Favreau, and Josie Totah had joined the pilot in potential series regular roles.[9] [10] [11] [12] [13] On March 6, 2017, it was announced that Nina Wadia had been cast in a series regular role.[14] On October 6, 2017, it was reported that Fortune Feimster had joined the main cast.[15] On December 13, 2017, it was announced that Ginger Gonzaga had been cast in a recurring role.[16]
The series is currently available through Netflix in the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, United States, Canada, México, India, Ireland, Argentina, France, Norway and Germany.[17]
The series received positive reviews from critics upon its premiere. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 63% approval rating with an average rating of 6.23 out of 10 based on 19 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Champions has a charming cast and good-natured approach to sensitive issues which make it a worthwhile watch."[18] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 64 out of 100 based on 13 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews.[19]
In a positive review, the San Francisco Chronicles David Wiegand said, "Kaling and co-creator Grandy use plot as a display case for consistently funny writing and sweet and credible performances by the ensemble cast and, most of all, the exceptional skills of J.J. Totah, who plays Priya and Vince's proudly out son, Michael."[20] In a more mixed review, Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter said that Totah is "clearly talented in a variety of ways" and "gets the best punchlines in the early episodes", but that her "extremely focused myopia doesn't always track believably and the show has yet to figure out how to make Michael's schooling a part of the show in any real way. ... The show's workplace zaniness is definitely where Champions is most a work-in-progress."[21] Varietys Sonia Saraiya offered the show restrained praise saying, "With a little adjustment, Champions could be fantastic. The exceptionally diverse cast brings a lot to the table, and the writing is smart and fresh. But right now it's a bit too disjointed to be a complete success."[22] Particular praise was received for Josie Totah's performance as Michael; The New York Times Margaret Lyons called Totah's performance "superb," saying that Totah's "comic energy is astoundingly well calibrated," and that Totah "allows just enough genuine humanity to show through Michael's haughty, campy fieriness."[23]