There are plenty of great sports movies available to stream on Netflix right now, but what about sports comedy series? Mindy Kaling is one of the creators of the new Netflix show Running Point, which just hit the 2025 TV schedule. Critics had the chance to screen the series — which stars Kate Hudson as Isla Gordon, who unexpectedly is made president of her family’s basketball team — and the reviews are mixed.
Running Point — streaming now with a Netflix subscription — boasts a fun cast that, in addition to Kate Hudson, includes Drew Tarver (The Other Two), Scott MacArthur (The Mick) and Justin Theroux. However, Kristen Baldwin of EW says their collective comedic talents are wasted on uninspired writing and unlikeable characters. She gives the series a C-, writing:
[Running Point’s] three (!) showrunners (David Stassen, Ike Barinholtz, and Mindy Kaling share that title) settle for the most predictable conclusions to most of the narrative set-ups, from episode-only arcs to the all-too-obvious finale cliffhanger. The lazy writing and general lack of originality is especially confounding given that Kaling is the mastermind behind Never Have I Ever and The Sex Lives of College Girls, two recent streaming comedies that are as fresh and funny as Point is futile.
Hanna Ines Flint of IGN agrees this story inspired by (and executive produced by) the L.A. Lakers’ Jeanie Buss is an unremarkable addition to the sports comedy genre with a hackneyed take on women breaking the glass ceiling. The critic rates it a “Mediocre” 5 out of 10 and says:
Running Point has its charm, and Kate Hudson proves she still has some leading lady chops. But its stock characters and superficial storylines amount to a tepid first season that doesn't have the narrative depth nor comedic tenacity to engage and unpack the high-stakes subject of running a professional basketball franchise. Nor does it get under the skin of its elite characters, choosing placid likeability over weighty class commentary to its detriment.
Not all critics were calling fouls on the basketball comedy. Alison Herman of Variety says the interesting premise and charismatic cast should be enough to earn Running Point a second season and the chance to further develop its characters and go deeper into the family’s complicated dynamic. Herman writes:
There’s an immediate payoff to fusing the plot of Running Point to a tried-and-true structure like the workplace sitcom, and entrusting the execution to longtime practitioners of the form. The Kaling crew can craft a compelling will-they-won’t-they in their sleep, and lo, a Lev-Isla-Jay love triangle forms that’s no less enjoyable to watch for how far off you can see it coming.
Leah Marilla Thomas of AV Club also hopes to see Running Point renewed after being pleased overall with the result, especially the thrilling finale. Thomas gives the series a grade of B+, calling Kate Hudson “winning” and “hilarious” in this smart sports sitcom. The critic continues:
Just like the best basketball games, the last five minutes of Running Point season one are its most thrilling. The finale is suspenseful in a way that makes you hope Netflix has at least one renewal planned. This is a comforting and intelligent sitcom. While some of the cast feels overstuffed and underused at first, everyone eventually has their moment and you can clearly see the many directions that things could go next.
Ben Travers of IndieWire, however, connects more with the first critics, calling it an “office comedy built with the general blandness of most broadcast TV.” With some swearing, of course. It also wastes Kate Hudson’s talent, Travers says, as he gives it a C- and writes:
In the case of Netflix‘s Running Point, the problem is foundational. With so many broadly defined characters pivoting to do whatever the story requires, and so little investment in any one facet of the 10-episode first season, Mindy Kaling’s latest sitcom struggles to connect — sincerely or comedically. It tries to do too much and rather than sticking by the choices it makes, Running Point is simply overrun.
Many critics compared Running Point as something like Succession meets Ted Lasso, so if any part of this sounds like a series you want to check out, the entire 10-episode first season is available to stream now on Netflix.
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