By Hayley Anderson

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Chad Powers has finally landed on Disney+ , and I’m already crossing my fingers for a second season to be announced. Describing myself as a “sports fan” would be akin to claiming EastEnders ‘ Phil Mitchell isn’t partial to a grunt or two – it’s simply not true. Hence, I typically steer clear of any sports-centric dramas or comedies that pop up. However, being a fan of Glen Powell and his performance in Anyone But You alongside Sydney Sweeney , I decided to give his latest Disney+ comedy Chad Powers a chance. The six-episode series draws its inspiration from ex-quarterback Eli Manning’s 2022 gag where he donned facial prosthetics to become “Chad Powers” and audition for the Penn State football team, with the show’s narrative not straying far from this actual event. Glen Powell portrays Russ Holliday, a once-acclaimed quarterback whose career tanked following a few mortifying blunders at a national championship game. Fast forward eight years, and he’s itching to get back into the game, disguising himself as the eccentric southerner Chad Powers to try out for the underperforming South Georgia Catfish football squad. His attempts to dodge changing in the locker rooms and his vague backstory lead to bizarre excuses involving a “wide pee hole” and a hometown overrun by wolves. Some of these “southern quirks” took me by surprise, prompting me to laugh so loud that it woke up my unamused English Springer Spaniel. What truly stood out though was Powell’s seamless transition between the voices of Russ and Chad, to a point where it was slightly unsettling. Despite Chad bearing an uncanny resemblance to a character from 1972’s Deliverance, this Forrest Gump-like footballer is undeniably endearing. Chad Powers’ emotional scenes also deserve mention, not only for Chad himself but for Ricky Hudson (Perry Mattfeld) as she grapples with the challenges of being a female coach. Then there’s Russ’ music-loving sidekick, the Catfish team’s mascot Whiskers, AKA Danny (Frankie A Rodriguez), who provides non-sporty viewers with something more relatable to chuckle at. As yet, there’s no news on whether a second series of Chad Powers is in the pipeline, but Disney+ would be missing a trick if they didn’t give Powell and the crew another go at this humorous yet unexpectedly poignant sitcom. And that’s coming from someone who can’t change the channel fast enough when Match of the Day comes on. Chad Powers is available to watch on Disney+.