If you haven’t yet heard about the upcoming NBC show called Champions, you just might miss something that is very much worth seeing. Slated to air on March 8th, this is a new sitcom that definitely isn’t afraid of approaching subjects that would have been considered taboo only a few years ago. In order to provide you with a short synopsis of the show, you should know that the two main characters are brothers who live together in New York. They also own a gym together and would definitely be considered by most people as gym rats. They’re not the brightest individuals and they think life is pretty good until Vince’s old girlfriend shows up with their son, who just happens to be 15 years old. She announces that since he’s going to try out for a performing arts school in New York, he needs to live with them. This essentially turns their world on its ear and makes for a very funny and interesting 30 minutes of entertainment.
Below are five things that you probably don’t know about this show, especially considering the fact that it hasn’t yet aired. Rest assured, if you keep reading, you’re probably going to have your curiosity piqued enough to make you tune in.
1. The show is created by Mindy Kaling and Charlie Grandy
You might remember Mindy Kaling from another hit sitcom called The Mindy Project. That fact alone is enough to make most people decide to watch this one. Not only did she help create this particular sitcom, but she also plays the girlfriend in the show.
2. It stars Anders Holm as Vince and JJ Totah as Michael
In the series, Vince is Michael’s father. The thing is, he doesn’t even know that he has a son until his girlfriend shows up at the door with him in toe. Obviously, this makes for some interesting scenes and it also sets the stage for future episodes.
3. Holm was a recurring guest star on The Mindy Project
If you’re thinking that the name Anders Holm sounds familiar, that’s probably because you’ve seen him many times before on Mindy Kaling’s previous creation, The Mindy Project. In fact, Holm was the guest star a number of times on the show. When you stop and think about it, it only makes sense that he would become a series regular on this particular project, since the two have already worked together so many times in the past.
4. Son Michael is gay
JJ Totah plays Michael and by all accounts, does a brilliant job of it. The show also touches on subject matter that many producers weren’t willing to tread until just a few years ago. In the show, Michael is a gay 15 year old and more importantly, he’s proud of who he is. He doesn’t care who knows and he doesn’t make any effort to hide the fact that he’s gay. The truth is, he’s more than happy to tell anyone who’s willing to listen and he’s also more than happy to stand up for himself in front of anyone that has a problem with it.
5. Michael is probably smarter than both adults he’s living with
It doesn’t take very long to figure out that between the two brothers living together and Michael, the 15 year old is definitely the smartest one in the group. You might think that most of the comedy comes from a gay son being raised by not one, but two fathers who are not only straight, but pride themselves on having a different date of the opposite sex practically every night. In reality, the funny part comes with Michael being able to outwit these two at practically every turn.
