The Two NFL Legends Who Helped Make Chad Powers An Accurate Football Show

Hulu's latest sports comedy, "Chad Powers," has been gaining more and more fans since its September 30 premiere. The six-episode show, based on former NFL pro Eli Manning's skit, "Eli's Places," wrapped its first season at the end of October. And if we're lucky, there may be more to come from creators Glen Powell and Michael Waldron. Until then, it's worth looking at how the Manning brothers elevated the series by nailing the football details alongside its dry, awkward comedy.

Both Eli and Peyton Manning were heavily involved in the show's production, providing the right props, securing arenas, getting the rights for college team uniforms, and most importantly, making sure that every technical aspect of football was as accurate as possible. Beyond being executive producers, they used their status, influence, and knowledge to help the show's star, Glen Powell, transform into Chad Powers — in addition to the makeup and prosthetics — with legitimate quarterback skills on the field.

According to The New York Times, Powell underwent real quarterback training, with the Manning brothers closely guiding his stance and on-field cadence. Powell explained why that training mattered: "It's a very specialized skill set to be a quarterback, especially someone at this level. The ask is really high to sell it properly." As the creator behind the original character, Eli was more involved with the football minutiae, but also revealed that the show's primary aim is to lighten the usual seriousness of the sport. He said, "I think when you think sports, it's got to be serious; it's got to be big pep talks and all business. With this, it brings in more of a lighter side."

The concept of "Chad Powers" is no more serious than sports comedies like "The Waterboy" or "The Longest Yard." That makes sense for a story about disgraced quarterback Russ Holliday (Powell), who disguises himself to sneak onto a college football team. Chad Powers is an alter ego who gives Holliday a second chance at football and potentially at becoming a better person.

He uses that chance, with the immense help of a mascot-turned-accomplice, Danny (Frankie A. Rodriguez), to right those many wrongs he's done throughout his career and life as a promising but hot-headed and arrogant athlete. Powell balances this double-act with a truly impressive performance as Powers — going for the dumbest and most bonkers backstories he can come up with alongside some golden slapstick moments — but also as Holliday, who slowly realizes that this might be another chance at a life he screwed up so badly.

"Chad Powers" isn't a complex or multi-layered show; in fact, most of its strength lies in its blatant simplicity. The question isn't if Holliday will get caught, but when, how, and by whom, which is where most of the humor and thrill of watching him culminate into something oddly amusing and charming. Some critics dismissed the show as a one-trick pony, and while that criticism is not entirely unfair, it also misses the point. See, I fell in love with the characters way too soon to criticize the sometimes formulaic and one-note writing — or the jokes that often recall a much simpler era of comedies.

Beneath the show's goofy premise is a surprisingly earnest attempt at a redemption arc that attempts to turn Powell's Holliday from a jerk into someone we can actually sympathize with. In reality, a player like Holliday would likely never receive that kind of forgiveness, but "Chad Powers" operates with a much more upbeat and optimistic outlook.

That's evidently the approach from the get-go, and I don't think it would work if it weren't for Powell's whole-hearted commitment and dedication to the character. He's simply got the acting chops to make Powers lovable even if he's just a scam under the surface, but also to portray a jerk who begins to understand why everybody hates his guts, and that acting differently (with kindness and openness) can bear much better results in all of his relationships.

I'd be the first to admit that there are surely traces of Apple's feel-good hit "Ted Lasso" in "Chad Powers" to some degree. However, the latter never goes all-in on the motivation, optimism, and saccharine tone that "Ted Lasso" often embraces and will likely return to in Season 4. Instead, it tells a rawer, simpler story that ultimately feels refreshing. I hope we'll get to see where it's going since Season 1 was really just the warm-up.