Champions

Holm and Favreau banter like the best of them, and Totah devours the scenery while a deep bench of supporting characters (including Fortune Feimster) populate the show's titular gym. [9 Mar 2018, p.51]

Kaling and co-creator Grandy use plot as a display case for consistently funny writing, sweet and credible performances by the ensemble cast and most of all, the exceptional skills of J.J. Totah, who plays Priya and Vince’s proudly out son, Michael.

The breezily funny Champions might fare better if it makes things tougher on itself. ... That said, the moving parts that make up Champions will probably win you over.

While Champions specializes in of-the-moment allusions, part of why it gels so quickly is that its character mix is borrowed from the sitcom bible: “Cheers.” ... Champions is off to a promising start.

Totah is clearly talented in a variety of ways and he gets the best punchlines in the early episodes, though his extremely focused myopia doesn't always track believably and the show has yet to figure out how to make Michael's schooling a part of the show in any real way. ... The show's workplace zaniness is definitely where Champions is most a work-in-progress.

Champions wants to be liked, and it is likable, but maybe just a little too eager to earn points.

Some of the scenes play out OK, and Favreau has a marginally winning way with the doofus brother he plays. As the self-described scene-stealer, newcomer Totah also gets in a few good jabs. None of this seems nearly good enough, though, to make Champions more than a likely short-termer on the TV sitcom conveyor belt.