LA Lakers Workplace Comedy Series Coming To Netflix | Screen Rant
Netflix has taken on a workplace comedy about the Los Angeles Lakers from producer Mindy Kaling. Kaling is famous for acting on and writing for The Office, another single-camera comedy about a team of far less athletically inclined coworkers. The Lakers have 17 NBA championships under their belt, along with a fanbase consisting partially but notably of LA-based celebrities.
Deadline reports that Netflix picked up the fictional TV sitcom based on the basketball team for a 10-episode first season. The script comes from Elaine Ko (Modern Family), who will also be the series showrunner. Ko will executive produce alongside Kaling, Warner Bros., Jordan Rambis, and Howard Klein for 3Arts. Although fictional, the series has the Lakers' official sign-off: the team's President and Governor Jeanie Buss and Executive Director Linda Rambis are both executive producers.
The workplace sitcom is a popular sub-genre due to its relatively relatable setting, although not many viewers can say they've worked at the Staples Center. Ko's script remedies this disconnect by focusing on the people working behind the scenes, whose office jobs may be more ripe for comedy than the high-stakes careers of the players themselves. Ted Lasso, another recent workplace comedy about the management of a professional sports team, offers a blueprint for success with its unexpected balance of caricature and sincerity.
Here's Netflix's synopsis for the as-yet-untitled Lakers show: The series is inspired by the personal and professional dynamic between the family owners and front office team that together run one of the most iconic franchises in all of sports: the Los Angeles Lakers. The workplace comedy follows fictional team governor Eliza Reed as she navigates NBA ownership and family drama with her best friend by her side.
Source: Deadline