NOW ENTERTAINMENT
Feb. 23 -00 March 2025 Month - 00,1,2023
Your Weekly TV Entertainment Brought To You By Olean Times Herald & The Bradford Era
Kate Hudson (“Glass Onion,” 2022) stars in new Netflix professional basketball comedy series “Running Point,” premiering on the streamer Thursday, Feb. 27. Kate Hudson stars in “Running Point”
Cover Story Caught the rebound: A new team president steps up in ‘Running Point’ By Sarah Passingham Ownership of a professional basketball team might not be everyone’s idea of a family business, but in the new Netflix comedy series “Running Point,” premiering Thursday, Feb. 27, the Gordon family’s line of succession names an unexpected new president of the Los Angeles Waves. The 10-episode series stars Kate Hudson (“Glass Onion,” 2022) as Isla Gordon, a driven executive who is surprised but prepared when she is tapped to run the franchise after her brother (Justin Theroux, “White House Plumbers”) crashes out and is forced to resign from the position. Isla is the only sister in the Gordon family C-suite and the Waves are the greatest team in the history of the game, so there is a lot of weight on her shoulders as she takes on the towering title. The pressure to carry it well comes from all angles, including from her brothers. Scott MacArthur (“The Righteous Gemstones”) is Isla’s
brother Ness, a single-season professional player who is now determined to redeem his reputation as the general manager of the Waves. Ness may have been forgettable on the team roster, but he’s motivated to make his mark in the Waves’ offices. “The Other Two” star Drew Tarver is Sandy Gordon, the chief financial officer of the Waves, whose non-athleticism set him apart from the rest of his family growing up. Now, Sandy’s intelligence is an integral part of the team’s success — money well spent shows on the court. It’s a good feeling to know that your family has your back, even if, as in Isla’s case, they are painfully honest with you. But siblings also know exactly which button to press to make you lose your cool in record time. To help keep Isla’s executive game on track, she has her own team. Lev Levy (Max Greenfield, “The Neighborhood”) is Isla’s eternally supportive and positive fiancé, a pediatrician with a heart of gold. Brenda Song (“Doll-
face”) is Ali Lee, the Waves’ intimidating chief of staff and a longtime friend of Isla’s. One of the first hurdles in Isla’s reign as president is mending the backbone of the Waves, Marcus Winfield (Toby Sandeman, “The Game”). Winfield has two championship rings, two Olympic gold medals and 12 all-star game invites to his name, but so many years on the top has the legendary athlete withdrawing from his team. Also on the Los Angeles Waves team roster are Chet Hanks (“Your Honour”) as point guard Travis Bugg; Uche Agada (“Rise,” 2022) as rookie Dyson Gibbs; and Dane DiLiegro (“Imaginary,” 2024) as Eastern European Waves player Badrag Knauss. Jay Ellis (“Insecure”) is Waves coach Jay Brown, a former player who has brought home several championships. Jay’s quiet magnetism works for the team, but it may prove too strong for Isla to keep things strictly professional. The cast also includes Fabrizio Guido (“Perry Mason”)
as Jackie Moreno, a popcorn vendor at the Waves’ arena who receives a dream promotion; Keyla Monterroso Mejia (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) as Jackie’s cousin Ana, an enterprising personal injury lawyer; and Roberto Sanchez (“Palm Royale”) as Stephen Ramirez, the stuffy head of the Waves board. Sitcom virtuoso Mindy Kaling (“The Office”) executive produces “Running Point” alongside “The Mindy Project” collaborators Ike Barinholtz and David Stassen. With two of her latest comedies — Netflix’s “Never I Ever” and Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls” — having recently aired their series finales, Kaling talked to Netflix’s Tudum about the upcoming series. “I really love writing shows about ambitious women,” the actor-writer-producer shared, “whether they’re a 15-year-old girl in the Valley or the president of a basketball team. We wanted to ensure that audiences could see themselves in the characters’ struggles and triumphs.”