“Champions” is a quick-witted comedy from executive producer Mindy Kaling (“The Mindy Project”). The jokes are fast, the ensemble cast is strong and J.J. Totah, as a gay teenager who moves in with the father he never knew, is adorable. It’s a show about family and what it means to embrace responsibility. Episodes have a quirky charm and lots of laughs.
Kaling, as Michael’s mom Priya, cameos throughout the season and kicks off the pilot episode by taking 15-year-old Michael (Totah) to meet his father Vince (Anders Holm) for the first time. Priya got pregnant in high school and decided that Vince, an irresponsible star athlete who loses a baseball scholarship one month into college, shouldn’t be involved in raising their son. When Michael’s plan to attend a performing arts high school in New York City falls apart because of housing issues, Priya turns to Vince, who runs a gym with his brother Matthew (Andy Favreau) in Brooklyn. Michael moves in, much to Matthew’s delight. Vince is less convinced but willing to try.
The show raises the bar on a familiar dynamic by avoiding cliché plots and giving everyone in the ensemble a chance to shine. Vince and Matthew’s workplace family are highlighted as the action moves between the gym and the brothers’ apartment. The gym employees include childhood friend Ruby (Fortune Feimster), yoga instructor Britney (Mouzam Makkar) and accountant Dana (Ginger Gonzaga). All the characters are likeable, and none feel like a hasty addition put there for cheap laughs. Kaling used a similar structure in “The Mindy Project” and it pays off here as well. She has a sharp sense of what makes a workplace family both odd and endearing.
Favreau plays the handsome, slightly dim Matthew with joyful abandon. And just when it seems like Matthew’s dumb replies are going to become tiresome, the writers switch it up and he becomes the logical one in a conversation. Favreau transitions between silly and smart with ease.
Totah, who could so easily slip into over the top territory as Michael, keeps the character’s exuberance and sarcasm in check. The series isn’t afraid to layer the comedy with some emotional subtext as it does in an episode when Michael feels hurt because he thinks Vince is embarrassed by him, and Totah plays those moments authentically. He also keeps them light, so the plots rarely play like a string of jokes that lead to a life lesson.
The writers keep the humor topical and clever. In one scene, Dana slowly and awkwardly climbs into the boxing ring to tell everyone that the gym is in financial trouble. It’s classic physical comedy but the funniest part is that Matthew frustratingly says: “You could have told us from over there. You’re wasting everyone’s time!” Pointing out that you’re writing a cliché joke by writing a better one to make fun of it is one of the many reasons why “Champions” is worth watching.
All of “Champions,” season one, is now streaming on NBC.com.
— Melissa Crawley is the author of “Mr. Sorkin Goes to Washington: Shaping the President on Television’s ‘The West Wing.’” She has a Ph.D. in media studies and is a member of the Television Critics Association. To comment on Stay Tuned, email her at staytuned@outlook.com or follow her on Twitter at @MelissaCrawley.
Stay Tuned: ‘Champions’ is a winner
