How TV Comedies Like ‘Running Point’ and ‘Chad Powers’ Are the New Sports Movies

Awards Circuit Column: As film shies away from sports stories, TV comedies are picking up the slack.

By Michael Schneider

Michael Schneider

Variety Editor at Large

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TV’s sports comedies are providing the kind of winning stories that movies used to tackle.

Here’s a confession that, well, anyone who has met me already knows: I’m not a sports guy. While others have fantasy football, I grew up putting together fantasy TV schedules and creating imaginary radio shows. Figuring out which TV pilots would be drafted to air and which middling series players might get cut from the pro primetime teams was my sport. Which network would win my Super Bowl, the end-of-season Nielsen ratings crown? I guess it’s good that I wound up doing what I do.

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