New Kaling series has funny writing and talented cast

Mindy Kaling has not left the building.

In fact, she has barely had time for a short walk in the fresh air between the end of “The Mindy Project” and the launch of “Champions,” a pretty irresistible comedy she created with Charlie Grandy.

The series will premiere tonight on NBC.

Kaling isn’t the central character in the show, but she plays a pivotal role as Priya Patel. Her character once was the girlfriend of Vince (Anders Holm), now the owner of a Brooklyn gym with his dim-bulb jock brother, Matthew (Andy Favreau).

One day, Priya shows up at the gym with a 15-year-old named Michael (J.J. Totah), who needs a place to live in New York so he can attend a high school for would-be performers.

Michael, meet your dad, Vince, who is secretly planning to sell the gym and move to Florida. Vince is overheard by Michael ranting about the inconveninece of his son’s appearance.

Yes, the setup is well-worn. But Kaling and Grandy use plot as a display case for consistently funny writing; sweet and credible performances by the ensemble cast; and, mostly, the exceptional skills of Totah, who plays Priya and Vince’s proudly out son. The writers give the kid dialogue that Totah tosses off with hilarious and lovable ease.

Michael takes one look at his stylechallenged dad and announces that Vince looks like the abusive boyfriend in a Lifetime movie on cable television.

But the genius of the script is that, even though Michael at times is outspoken and dramatic, he isn’t unrelenting.

Michael is also a nice kid who is nervous about his new life and about having to audition to get into Manhattan Academy.

In other words, he’s a normal teenager with a penchant for referencing scenes from “Les Miz” to explain his moods or situations. He can’t resist telling Vince’s girlfriend, Brittany, (Mouzam Makkar), how fabulous she is when she stages an overly dramatic hissy fit because Vince didn’t tell her that he has a son.

Kaling and Grandy have worked hard to make “Champions” an ensemble show, distributing humorous lines throughout the whole cast, including comic Fortune Feimster as Ruby.

The co-creators have also worked hard to avoid preaching.

“Champions” is a winner.