Netflix might have just found its own Ted Lasso — but this time, the action is on the basketball court.
The new comedy series Running Point, which premiered Feb. 27 on the streaming giant, comes from Mindy Kaling, David Stassen, and Ike Barinholtz, and it’s already winning over fans with its mix of heart, humor, and sports underdog charm. If you’ve been missing the feel-good vibes of Ted Lasso, this show could be exactly what you’re looking for.
Kate Hudson stars as Isla Gordon, a former party girl who suddenly finds herself in charge of the Los Angeles Waves, a struggling professional basketball team owned by her family. Isla’s unexpected rise to power sets up a classic fish-out-of-water story as she tries to prove she belongs in the male-dominated world of sports leadership. “I really love writing shows about ambitious women,” Kaling says in a Netflix promotional interview, “whether they’re a 15-year-old girl in the Valley [Never Have I Ever] or the president of a basketball team.
“We wanted to ensure that audiences could see themselves in the characters’ struggles and triumphs.”
With its quirky ensemble cast, including Drew Tarver and Scott MacArthur as Isla’s goofy brothers and Brenda Song as her no-nonsense best friend, Running Point blends sharp workplace comedy with plenty of emotional moments. There’s even a troubled star player (played by Chet Hanks, of all people) who needs as much guidance off the court as he does on it.
While Running Point leans more into snappy, sarcastic humor than Ted Lasso’s earnest optimism, the shows share a core message: that leadership isn’t about knowing all the answers — it’s about bringing out the best in the people around you. Kate Hudson’s Isla might not be dropping locker room pep talks just yet, but her journey from hot mess to team leader makes for the kind of feel-good TV that’s hard to resist.
The show, currently #2 on Netflix in the US, currently has a strong 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. “Congratulations to the great Mindy Kaling on the new Netflix series Running Point, starring Kate Hudson!!” raves baseball analyst and broadcaster Jim Bowden on X. “The show is the best sports sitcom since Ted Lasso. We finished all 10 episodes last night. It’s phenomenal. I highly recommend it. Great characters, funny and well written.”
