logo
Netflix renews Running Point for season 2 just one week after premiere

Netflix renews Running Point for season 2 just one week after premiere

Express Tribune07-03-2025

Netflix has officially renewed Running Point for a second season, just a week after its premiere on February 27. The streaming platform announced the renewal on its official social accounts.
Series lead Kate Hudson, who stars as Isla Gordon, shared the news in a video message, thanking viewers for their support. 'A good basketball team owner knows when to listen to the fans. So we hear you, and so did Netflix,' she said. 'Running Point is officially coming back for Season 2! Thank you so much to everyone who watched the show so far! You're really the reason why we're able to come back and do another season.'
The comedy series follows Isla Gordon, the daughter of a legendary pro basketball team owner. After a scandal forces her brother to step down as team president, Isla is unexpectedly promoted to the role. Facing skepticism from her family, the board, and the sports world, she must prove she was the right choice for the job.
Alongside Hudson, the ensemble cast includes Brenda Song, Drew Tarver, Scott MacArthur, Fabrizio Guido, Jay Ellis, Toby Sandeman, Chet Hanks, Max Greenfield, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Roberto Sanchez, Uche Agada, Dane DiLiegro, and Justin Theroux.
Running Point is created by Mindy Kaling, Ike Barinholtz, and David Stassen, who also serve as executive producers. Stassen is the showrunner. Hudson executive produces in addition to starring, while Los Angeles Lakers president Jeanie Buss and special projects manager Linda Rambis are also part of the executive team. Warner Bros. Television, through Kaling's Kaling International banner, produces the series.
The rapid renewal highlights the strong reception of Running Point, reinforcing Netflix's commitment to fresh, sports-themed comedy content.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Dept Q review: Scandi-noir with British flair
Dept Q review: Scandi-noir with British flair

Express Tribune

time18 hours ago

  • Express Tribune

Dept Q review: Scandi-noir with British flair

After a long wait, we have a cop thriller that will sweep you up in its twists and turns and keep you guessing about the suspect and criminal motive until the end. British crime TV is at its best in this new Netflix show starring Mathew Goode. You will be reminded that it has indeed been a long time since Line of Duty popped the reeling reveal of the identity of H, the elusive suspect of the series. Some are likening Dept Q to Broadchurch, a classic crime TV where two British detectives investigated the dramatic case of a missing boy in a coastal town. Basically, the new show created by Scott Frank (The Queen's Gambit) and Chandni Lakhani will not disappoint. Based on a Danish novel by Jussi Adler-Olsen, the creator has set the show in Scotland instead of the original location but the feel of the series keeps true to Scandi noir. The eponymous department is a cold-case division, newly thrown together in the dank basement of the Edinburgh police station. Detective Carl Morck has returned from Q hiatus after being shot at a crime scene he was investigating along with his partner James Hardy. Carl cares for no one and nothing now, it seems, but is nearly devoted to checking up on his friend James who is paralysed as result of the shooting. A motley crew is thrown together for Carl to reluctantly work with, it includes a Syrian ex-cop immigrant Akram, Detective Constable Rose Dickson who has worked with Carl before, and lastly James who dives into the case files in his hospital bed. Akram digs up a file on a missing woman who was a successful prosecutor before she vanished from a boat four years ago. Her case is assumed a suicide but Akram notices it is riddled with inconsistencies. Soon you are strapped in for a ride as the ingredients that make up the case of Merrit Lingard fall open and the detectives start following its scent. Dept Q throws many surprises along the way and is punctuated with several scenes that check the boxes of skilful acting, thoughtful camera work and deft directing. Mathew Goode has shed the debonair looks of his notable roles to play Carl Morck. In Dept Q, his hair is not slicked back and he is not gliding in coat tails to woo a princess (Margaret in The Crown) or an aristocrat (Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey). As Carl Morck, he is gaunt, scruffy and searching for redemption. This is just what Goode and detective thriller addicts needed. Yes, he caught your eye being a suave and exciting eligible bachelor but as a bitter and alienated detective haunted by guilt and PTSD, he is magnetic. Carl and partner James Hardy investigate a crime scene and its fallout is something Carl cannot reckon with. A terribly unpleasant person to begin with, cocky and disdainful, Carl is also grappling with guilt and failure. Like all stock detective characters, he resists going for his mandatory psychiatric sessions to work through his PTSD. But viewers, and later Carl himself, will want to see more interaction with Dr Rachel Irving (Kelly Macdonald). Their verbal sparring is on point and she doesn't miss a chance to call him out as he deflects and scoffs at her and what she represents. The other woman in Carl's work life is perhaps even more direct and brutal in her verbal expression. Chief supervisor Moira (Kate Dickie) creates Dept Q to kill two birds with one stone. She needs more funds to run the station and she wants Carl to keep working but out of her hair. The scenes of her exchanges with Carl are a treat each and every time. In fact, the seasoned acting, which is scarce to behold – on Netflix shows at least – enable the viewer to keep refocusing on the show just as she means to whip Carl into refocusing on his case. There are a host of characters and suspects to consider in the case of Merrit's disappearance. As the investigating team traces the steps of Merrit, they uncover insidious people around her that could be the unusual suspects behind her kidnapping or even murder. Merrit's background, from her youth to the peak of her career, is painted as a story within a story. The execution is a triumph for the directors of the show. The numerous flashbacks do not erase your interest and the two story arcs are tightly interwoven. The kidnappers had devised a shocking plan for Merrit and a diabolical torture chamber. The series boasts a strong Scottish cast with the likes of Dickie and Mark Bonner who plays Merrit's dodgy boss as senior legal officer of the Scottish government. However, Alexej Manvelov who plays the role of Akram Salim holds as much onscreen presence with his gravitas. One looks forward to his scenes with Carl, who begrudgingly respects him as Akram's credibility speaks for itself. While Rose sort of brings heart to the team, being young and keen, she notices the good in her colleagues. She also is dealing with PTSD and simultaneously finding her ground as a detective. It's possible, if the series continues, that we will be familiarised with her backstory. The only 'sweet' relationship is hers and James Hardy's as she looks up to him as a mentor. Discreetly, James helps and encourages her. Played by Jamie Sives (you might recall him from GoT), although James is off the premises of the police station and bed bound, he is not at all forgotten in the nine part series. Although he works on the periphery for the team, in the closing scene, he has recovered enough to reach the office and join the department physically. The look on Carl's face as he slowly turns to see his friend arriving is as satisfying as the show is from the get go. It indicates that much is yet left to be explored by these brilliant detectives. The team may well be banished in the old shower quarters of the police building, but their real work is to discover the world out there. The gritty realism of Dept Q is matched by its aesthetic choices that elevate the show beyond the usual crime fare. The camera lingers deliberately on objects, on eyes, on small gestures that might otherwise be missed. Each visual clue feels loaded with meaning, even when the plot doesn't rush to explain it. These details reward patient viewing, especially as the narrative slowly unfurls its deeper preoccupations: justice, guilt, and the unknowability of others. The psychological depth of the show is perhaps most evident in the way it handles trauma. Everyone in Dept Q is carrying something. Carl's PTSD is front and centre, but Rose's anxiety and Akram's cultural displacement are also subtly woven in. None of this is over-explained. Instead, the show allows these tensions to manifest in offhand remarks, in silence, in the ways the team members do or do not show up for each other. Even Merrit herself, in the flashbacks, is revealed to have been haunted by earlier events. A past case she prosecuted, involving a serial offender who was released on appeal, emerges as a possible motive for revenge. As her timeline catches up to the moment of her disappearance, the tension is unbearable. The final two episodes, a crescendo of confrontation and resolution, are masterfully executed without leaning on melodrama. The reveal is chilling not just for who did it—but for how many knew and did nothing.

Tyler Perry's Straw divides audiences with emotional performances and flawed storytelling on Netflix
Tyler Perry's Straw divides audiences with emotional performances and flawed storytelling on Netflix

Express Tribune

timea day ago

  • Express Tribune

Tyler Perry's Straw divides audiences with emotional performances and flawed storytelling on Netflix

Tyler Perry's latest film, Straw, debuted June 6 on Netflix and is already stirring strong reactions. While praised by some viewers for its emotional intensity, the film has also drawn criticism for its forced plot and underwhelming production design. Written and directed by Perry, Straw follows Janiyah (played by Taraji P. Henson), a single mother enduring a string of hardships—losing her job, facing eviction, and clashing with a corrupt police officer—before finding herself entangled in a high-stakes confrontation at a bank. Screen Rant's Grant Hermanns critiques the film's plot for feeling overly contrived, stating that its attempts to build tension often come off as predictable and illogical. However, he acknowledges that Henson's emotionally charged performance adds a compelling depth to an otherwise uneven story. A dramatic twist involving a vision of police storming the bank and shooting Janiyah momentarily evokes sympathy, but is quickly reversed, weakening the film's emotional payoff. Hermanns also notes that despite moments of effective drama, the film's low production quality—reportedly filmed in just four days—detracts from its impact. Sets appear underdressed, and the cinematography lacks polish, making the experience feel visually flat. Still, Henson's performance is widely praised, with many agreeing she delivers a powerful portrayal of a woman pushed to her limits. Sherri Shepherd's supporting role as a compassionate bank manager also earned recognition. Audience reactions online are deeply divided. While some viewers resonate with the film's raw depiction of systemic struggles, others criticize its logic and execution. Whether seen as a flawed social drama or a necessary emotional outcry, Straw is undeniably sparking conversation—and controversy—on Netflix.

Live content unites Netflix fans worldwide
Live content unites Netflix fans worldwide

Express Tribune

time2 days ago

  • Express Tribune

Live content unites Netflix fans worldwide

Netflix continues to add more live content for viewers hungry for real-time entertainment, including the Tyson vs Paul boxing match, National Football League games and, most recently, the Tudum live fan event that showcased upcoming TV shows. "This is the first time we've done the show in this way, a live format," Shelly Gillyard, VP of Series Marketing for the US and Canada, told Reuters at the Netflix Tudum fan event last Saturday. "Previous years were on the ground fan activations," Gillyard added. Tudum is named after the sound that plays before each Netflix film and series. For Netflix, it was important to ensure that they were incorporating talent from all over the world for the global fan event. More than 100 Netflix stars and creators appeared in the show hosted by actor Sofia Carson, who starred in the airport thriller Carry On. The first two Tudum events took place in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2020 and in 2023. However, for 2025, it was relocated to Los Angeles, California. The 2020 Netflix Tudum in Brazil drew 50,000 people in four days and the post-COVID numbers for the 2023 Brazil Tudum were 35,000. Gillyard said the live event could take place somewhere else in the future and Netflix is focused less on where it is held and more on making it available globally. With major titles like Squid Game, Stranger Things, Wednesday, and Emily in Paris, combined with a performance by Lady Gaga, the streamer capitalised on fan interest. One of the largest draws for viewers was the premiere date announcements for Emmy award-winning series Stranger Things. The livestreamed event revealed that Stranger Things will have a fifth and final season split into three parts, with part one on November 26, 2025, part two on December 25, 2025 and the series finale on December 31, 2025.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store