‘Stumble,’ NBC’s cheerleader mockumentary, gives you something to root for

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NBC’s new sitcom, “Stumble,” which premieres Friday, feels like a fun mix of the documentary series “Cheer,” the comedy of “The Bad News Bears,” and the mockumentary style of shows like “The Office.” It uses familiar techniques – characters who are very aware of the camera, ironic interview segments, and moments that break the fourth wall to involve the viewer. While this style can sometimes feel overdone, “Stumble” pulls it off well. The show is full of slapstick humor and silliness, and I found it genuinely funny based on the two episodes I’ve seen.

Jenn Lyon portrays cheerleading coach Courteney Potter, and it’s clear she studied Monica Aldama from the docuseries “Cheer.” Lyon has imitated Aldama’s mannerisms and much of her personality. Courteney coaches at the fictional Sammy Davis Sr. Junior College in Wichita Flats, Texas – a town inspired by Corsicana, where “Cheer” takes place – and her team has a history of winning, as evidenced by the many trophies on display. The story begins with Courteney being fired after a lighthearted video surfaces of her celebrating with the team – she’s seen drinking champagne and playfully awarding a prize for “best booty.” She’s then forced to tell her squad, “I have been asked to be fired.”

Courteney’s husband, Boone (played by Taran Killam), is a football coach at SDSJC, and they playfully refer to each other as “coach.” Boone was once a promising college football player, but his career ended when he suffered a serious brain injury – a fragment of his helmet remains in his head. The show uses this injury for comedic effect, with jokes about Boone using it to his advantage when he’s in trouble, which some viewers might find insensitive. It’s possible the brain injury community would have concerns about this type of humor, but that’s just speculation.

Courteney, a coach on the verge of becoming the most successful in the sport’s history, isn’t planning to retire. She takes a job leading the typing and competitive keyboarding team at Headlston Community College – a town famous for its Candy Button factory, which also sponsors the team as the “Buttons” and provides their mascot. When she arrives, the team consists of only one member, Madonna (played by Arianna Davis, known from “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls”), who is incredibly enthusiastic but often falls asleep unexpectedly. Courteney soon recruits Dimarcus (Jarrett Austin Brown), who always refers to himself by his name, after he leaves the Boone University football team, where he previously excelled at gaining yards… and earning penalty flags.

Taylor Dunbar, nicknamed ‘Peaches’ after hitting someone with a can of peaches, is caught stealing from Courteney’s car, and manages a surprising escape by running and jumping away. Sally is a kind but spacey character. Krystal, a popular cheerleader with a large social media presence, arrives expecting the documentary film crew to be making a movie about her, thanks to Courteney’s misleading invitation.

She reconnects with Stevie (Ryan Pinkston) after 16 years, finding him working at a car rental agency and noticeably changed. He mistakenly believes he’s an assistant coach when he enrolls at Headltston as a sophomore. Meanwhile, Courteney’s former assistant coach, Tammy Istiny (Kristin Chenoweth, a former Miss Oklahoma runner-up known for her energetic personality), becomes her competitor, masking her drive with a sweet demeanor.

Like the show “Cheer,” the team in “Stumble” is striving to win the national cheerleading competition in Daytona Beach. While it’s hard to imagine this particular group succeeding, even as a comedic story, their athleticism is impressive. Having this goal is good for the show, as it provides a central storyline for the documentary-within-a-mockumentary and gives the series a clear purpose. (It avoids simply following the team indefinitely without a destination.) Even after just two episodes, created by Jeff and Liz Astrof, the show is starting to feel genuinely heartfelt. (And Busy Philipps will be appearing later in a yet-to-be-revealed role.) Regardless of whether you think the Buttons will make it, “Stumble” is a show worth supporting.

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2025-11-07 22:02