Binged all the Netflix cheerleading docos? You’ll love this new comedy

Stumble ★★★★

The mockumentary genre, often believed to have been born in 1938 with the radio broadcast The War of the Worlds, shows no signs of tiring despite proliferating on the small screen – and Eugene Levy, a veteran of the genre, claiming TV had destroyed the format. Perhaps it’s a reaction against the decades of laugh-track-laden sitcoms, or the fact the genre’s characters tend to be more relatable.

Whatever the reason, we can’t get enough of them. Now the latest addition, Stumble, has just started rolling out in Australia. This NBC series from siblings Liz Astrof (Pivoting) and Jeff Astrof (Shining Vale), follows the classic single-camera structure and sets the faux-documentary in the world of college cheerleading.

It’s a hot subject now, with the massive success of Netflix docuseries America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and the 2020 series Cheer, which focused on a small-town Texas squad and its devoted coach. The latter is the inspiration here. Stumble also centres on a Texan coach, Courteney Potter (Claws’ Jenn Lyon, clearly enjoying herself), after she’s fired from her job at Sammy Davis Sr Junior College (which sometimes competes against Harry Connick Jr Junior College) for drinking with her squad and giving out an award for “best booty”. The series is also executive produced by retired cheerleading coach Monica Aldama, who featured in Netflix’s Cheer.

Cheer coaching is Courteney’s life. She was a star cheerleader at Sammy Davis Sr herself, and as the school’s coach, has 14 championships under her belt. She married Boon (Taran Killam), the school’s star footballer who suffered a life-altering on-field injury (the video footage of which is a recurring joke, each time adding more horror to the incident), and the pair have relentlessly positive attitudes.

So even when the only job Courteney can find is 130 kilometres away at an unknown college in Headltston, Oklahoma, where the only local industry is the candy button factory (run by Augustus Blimph, a low-rent Willy Wonka played by Jeff Hiller), she’s optimistic. This is so even after she meets the school’s only cheerleader, Madonna (Arianna Davis), whose enthusiasm isn’t dimmed by her severe narcolepsy.

Courteney sets about assembling a team. She hires footballer Dimarcus (Jarrett Austin Brown) when he’s kicked off the Sammy Davis team for showing off his acrobatics on the field; a couple of cheerleaders banned from TikTok for sexually explicit behaviour; Peaches (Taylor Dunbar), a petty crim she discovers performing parkour moves to escape being caught breaking into her car; former student Stevie (Ryan Pinkston), now a middle-aged rental car manager, and Sally (Georgie Murphy), who, despite having been aged out of foster care and living in her car, is almost as upbeat as Courteney.

Then there’s Krystal (Anissa Borrego), Sammy Davis’ star “flyer”, who follows Courtney to Headltston but is forced to miss much of the training after an injury – and a gig on Love Island Poland. The West Wing’s Kristin Chenoweth also guest stars as Courteney’s former assistant turned rival.

It’s a classic underdog tale, which has long been perfect fodder for the mockumentary genre, and Stumble is tonally similar to the “found family” themes of Community and Parks and Recreation. It’s also stacked with rapid-fire one-liners and jokes, including visual gags and puns.

Yes, it follows a familiar format. Expect shaky handheld camerawork, fourth-wall breaking and sly panning to background action. But the series is cleverly written and strikes a perfect balance between wry humour and feelgood vibes. If you’re missing Abbott Elementary, get on board.

Stumble airs 6pm Wednesdays on 7Plus.

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