Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Great gags, fun characters on inclusive sitcom throwback.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Champions
What's the Story?
At the Brooklyn gym that Vince (Anders Holm) owns with his brother Matthew (Andy Favreau), the two are CHAMPIONS, the only two guys with their own private offices. But Vince's life is turned upside-down when his high school girlfriend Priya (Mindy Kaling, also one of this comedy's creators) re-enters his life with a surprise for him: Their 15-year-old son, Michael (Josie Totah), who she's raised alone in Cleveland, now wants to go to school in New York City -- and he's moving into the tiny apartment his dad shares with his Uncle Matthew. Now Vince has to toe the line and forget his plans to dump the gym and his brother and move to Florida; while Matthew quickly discovers that Michael fills the nephew-sized hole in his life he didn't even know he had. Can these very different males live together and make an unconventional family that's actually happy?
Is It Any Good?
On paper, it looks like a retread of Two and a Half Men, but this sitcom is a lot sweeter and smarter -- even if a lot of the characters are over-the-top wacky in a way that recalls Community. The gym, in particular, is staffed with a variety ot types who seem calculated to offer a particular brand of comic relief, most particularly the blunt, clueless Ruby (Fortune Feimster), who sums up her feelings about being caught doping in the 2004 Olympics with this excuse: "How else are you supposed to throw a hammer? Hammers are heavy!" Vince, too, is a bit of a sitcom stereotype; the silver-tongued rake who effortlessly bags women who should be way out of his league, yet has a heart of gold somewhere deep inside.
Yet we haven't seen a character like Michael on TV before, or if we have, it hasn't been often enough. Proudly gay, unashamedly a high school misfit, this Les Miserables-quoting, cranky, torch song-loving teen is a quirky, complicated, confident breath of fresh air, and he gets all the best lines. "I'm tired of being cooped up here like Belle, Tangled, Sleeping Beauty," he complains to his dad about living in a small apartment. His chemistry with Kaling's Priya and his uncle is sweet and relatable, and viewers will want to see how this plucky not-always-likable character fares in the big city. With him at the center of the action, Champions is a winner.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether it's ever appropriate to use stereotypes to create humor. Why or why not? How are stereotypes used in Champions?
Would you consider the characters role models? Are their relationships realistic? How do they change over the course of the series? What do they learn?
How do the characters on Champions demonstrate communication, self-control, and teamwork? Why are these important character strengths?
TV Details
- Premiere date : March 8, 2018
- Cast : Anders Holm , Josie Totah , Mindy Kaling , Andy Favreau
- Network : NBC
- Genre : Comedy
- Character Strengths : Communication , Self-control , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : February 15, 2023
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