Hulu’s newest arrival is “Chad Powers,” an oddball sports comedy starring and co-created by “Twisters” star Glen Powell. This half-hour series is based on a viral ESPN sketch that saw NFL star Eli Manning heading undercover in full Hollywood makeup as the titular player, to try and live through the experience of walk-on tryouts at Penn State.
In “Chad Powers” the series, the eccentric QB’s mythos is expanded into a lengthy “Mrs. Doubtfire” style caper, wherein disgraced college quarterback Russ Holliday (Glen Powell) adopts the identity to take a second shot at football stardom. And, as of today (September 30), the first two episodes of this unique series are available now.
Being both a football fan, intrigued by the premise and — post-“Twisters,” “Hit Man” and “Anyone But You,” especially — a big fan of the show’s main star and co-creator, I was definitely interested to see how Powell and Michael Waldron (“Loki”) could turn that segment into a half-hour sports comedy (yes, similar to how”Ted Lasso” made the transition from NBC Sports character to full-bodied Apple TV Plus flagship show).
Ahead of the show’s launch, I had the chance to stream all six episodes of “Chad Powers”, and while I’m sure this series will have its fans, I sadly can’t say I’m one of them. You can find out why below.
What is ‘Chad Powers’ about?
“Chad Powers” is a half-hour comedy series that centers on troubled ex-quarterback, Russ Holliday (Powell). Despite being a promising college QB, an unforgivable incident on the field at a Rose Bowl game saw him canceled and put his football career on ice.
Eight years later, our hot-headed lead spots an opportunity to mount his own comeback: the South Georgia Catfish are holding walk-on tryouts. After raiding his father’s Hollywood makeup artist stash and adopting his eccentric new alter ego, Russ (as “Chad Powers”) heads out onto the field to chase his dreams all over again.
In addition to Powell, “Chad Powers” also stars Perry Mattfeld, Quentin Plair, Wynn Everett, Frankie A. Rodriguez, and Steve Zahn.
‘Chad Powers’ is serious lacking in the laugh department
It’s an offbeat premise to build a show from, it looks pretty well-presented, and Powell and Waldron have added a modest amount of intrigue to the story to make it seem worth expanding beyond a movie. So what’s the big problem?
Well, simply put, I just didn’t think “Chad Powers” was funny at all. Looking back over the series, I can only really recall one movie makeup mishap that truly got a real giggle out of me. Otherwise, I spent a lot of my viewing time too distracted by the middling writing, the mean-spirited jokes at Chad’s expense (specifically about his mental capabilities), the thinly rendered supporting cast, or the fact that, really, our main character is just so hard to root for.
Russ is a selfish, unpleasant asshole, through and through. On the one hand, that’s a testament at least to the characterisation, and the actor playing him. But it also makes the show a rough ride, when he’s over and above the reason you’re there.
In a show that’s overwhelmingly about Chad and doesn’t have much room to sketch out its other characters too much, Russ’s presence and motivations loom large. The show, to me, was a double whammy of a character I simply didn’t care for, and a sense of humor that didn’t work, basically ever, no matter how silly things got.
Comedy is, of course, highly subjective, so for all I know, “Chad Powers” could well be your favorite new arrival this fall. It’s fast-moving, well-acted (Perry Mattfeld and Steve Zahn impress the most as a father/daughter coaching duo from the supporting cast), and if the jokes/gags land for you, then it might well be a blast.
Seeing as the episodes cap off at the 40-minute mark at the max, it’s easy enough to try “Chad Powers,” and curious viewers on the hunt for their next comedy might take to Russ and the jokes more than me. But in my eyes? “Chad Powers” the show isn’t the same sort of undiscovered miracle that impresses the South Georgia Catfish coaches; a touchdown this ain’t.
The first two episodes of “Chad Powers” are streaming on Hulu and Disney Plus (UK) now. New episodes debut weekly.
Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
More from Tom’s Guide