NBC canceled Mindy Kaling’s “Champions,” but all hope is not lost

We have some bad news, Mindy Kaling fans. NBC has officially canceled her latest project, Champions, after the first season. Say it ain’t so!

Kaling created the series along with Mindy Project writer and producer Charlie Grandy to tell a New York City coming-of-age story from a fresh perspective — through the eyes of an openly gay teen from Ohio named Michael. Kaling herself has a minimal role as Michael’s mother, who stays back in Ohio while her son pursues his dreams with his formerly-estranged dad.

The show is sweet, charming, and (of course) hilarious.

Earlier this year, Kaling gushed to Entertainment Weekly about how much fun she had creating the series.

"I just felt it would be so inspiring to see a diverse young person who was an openly out character who also loved New York City," she said. "I thought that would be such a fun world to write about and inhabit — a kid who was not from New York City, who loved it."

Unfortunately, the show suffered from low ratings with an average of 1.5 million viewers throughout its first and only season on NBC. However, this doesn’t mean the show isn’t loved.  Some of our other favorites like Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Jane the Virgin, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine have also struggled with low numbers at one point or another.

According to EW, the show’s production company, Universal TV, is currently trying to get another network to renew the series (remember, The Mindy Project made the jump from Fox to Hulu mid-series, and Brooklyn Nine Nine recently got a last-minute, new-network save, so it’s definitely possible).

Good luck, Champions! We’re rooting for you!