‘Stumble’ Review: NBC’s Competitive Cheerleading Mockumentary Is Hardly a Winner
The NBC series stars Jenn Lyon as Courteney, an ambitious coach tasked with turning a team of quarreling misfits into champions. Kristin Chenoweth appears as a recurring guest star, adding a dash of star power to the cast.
By the second episode, Courteney delivers what should be an inspiring pep talk, but instead it feels oddly flat and misplaced.
“Now, when I look at this team, I see grit, determination, heart,” she says. “That’s what people are going to want to be here to be part of.”
The speech echoes countless underdog sports dramas, yet here it lands awkwardly, missing the spark such scenes usually carry. This moment encapsulates what it’s like to watch Stumble, created by siblings Liz Astrof (Pivoting) and Jeff Astrof (Shining Vale).
The show’s tone wavers between uneven jokes and forced sentimentality. Still, the effort behind it is visible, and its earnestness makes viewers want it to succeed despite the rough start.
Critics received only the first two episodes for review, which may explain the series’ struggle to find rhythm while setting up a fairly simple premise. Early on, it’s hard to know whether the audience is meant to laugh with the characters or at them.
Author’s Summary
The review portrays Stumble as a well-intentioned but inconsistent mockumentary whose charm can’t quite overcome its clumsy tone and uncertain comedic direction.