RUMOUR: Reading in talks over Welcome to Wrexham style docuseries

[RG30]

Reading could be the latest EFL club to make a “Welcome to Wrexham”-style documentary series.

Owner Rob Couhig is understood to have been approached by several production companies since completing his takeover of the League One club in May.

The discussions have yet to involve broadcasters or streaming services, but Couhig has been told that the story of Reading’s revival from the imminent threat of bankruptcy under previous owner Dai Yongge could make a compelling documentary.

Yongge was finally ousted towards the end of last season after being disqualified as an owner by the EFL.

American Couhig, who owned Wycombe Wanderers for five years until 2024, paid a reported £25m for Reading, their stadium and training ground.

The Royals finished seventh in League One last season but have made a disappointing start to the new campaign in the third tier. They have taken just two points from their first five matches and sit second bottom of the table.

Wrexham, meanwhile, are enjoying their first season in the second tier since the 1980s after winning three consecutive promotions.

The Welsh club have been dramatically revitalised since being bought by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in 2020.

The takeover led to the project being chronicled in the docuseries Welcome to Wrexham, which in turn gave a significant boost to the club’s worldwide profile.

That exposure enabled the club to attract sponsors including United Airlines, HP, Meta and TikTok and grow revenue to a record £26.7m in 2024.

The continued ubiquity of docuseries in sport follows the success of Formula 1’s smash hit Drive to Survive and the popular All or Nothing collection, which has featured Premier League teams Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

Reading are due to host AFC Wimbledon in the second round of the Carabao Cup at their Select Car Leasing Stadium on Tuesday evening.

https://www.cityam.com/exclusive-readin ... ocuseries/

[South Coast Royal]

Maybe it is one year too late.

The story last season would have been how a team and its fan base united against the odds (no money paid for transfers, points deductions and a Chinese owner never around and doing so little to further advance the ambitions of the club leading to a fraught relationship with the governing body).
The end result was a brave effort leading to a final day when promotion was still a possibility but there was no happy ending with the team failing to produce one more big effort in front of the biggest crowd for some years.

The story now would be of an American philanthropist vowing to Make Reading (or 'ding as he wrongly calls us) Great Again , promising an amazing transfer window and , at least initially, a presence in England with his American mates, engaging with fans and generally courting favour filling those fans with great hopes for the season ahead.
There is a big turn around in playing staff with some of the best players that got the team to 7th place leaving and being replaced at no great cost by players with something to prove hoping to enhance their careers.

The team starts off badly, the transfer window is not amazing and the team ends up in mid table, never having threatened the promotion places.
The only way that it would be interesting to a wider audience is if we did better than last season and achieved promotion which is a big ask.

Will a film company take that chance?

I don't think so as just saving a club from extinction has happened before and it is not a big enough story on its own.
Just my naturally pessimistic view when it comes to RFC-pessimistic but the highs are even greater when occasionally they do come as my old mate Martin erstwhile poster as Sun Zhu (amongst other nomenclatures) can testify after THAT Brentford win.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Would be a pretty boring documentary

[Royal Ginger]

Yeah, this ain’t the club. We’ve just finished our version of the story worth reporting.

Plus, without the right backstory and personalities it falls on its arse (See Tom Brady being absolutely charmless on the Birmingham doc.).

It’s a pass from me.

[Orion1871]

Would be a pretty boring documentary

Why? Are they interviewing you for it?

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Would be a pretty boring documentary

Why? Are they interviewing you for it?

A distinctly average league one team in the relegation zone that hasn’t spent much and loses most weeks.

Not sure Netflix will be beating the door down.

[Sutekh]

Disney+ with all the other series no-one watches.

[JedMaxwell]

The title would be 'How Rob Couhig Saved the World' or something similar I'm sure. As others have said, last season and the one before would have made a much better documentary showing a group of really likeable players battling valiantly against the odds.

Either way I can't see it happening unless they try to produce it in-house and put it out on YouTube.

[From Despair To Where?]

Yeah, this ain’t the club. We’ve just finished our version of the story worth reporting.

Plus, without the right backstory and personalities it falls on its arse (See Tom Brady being absolutely charmless on the Birmingham doc.).

It’s a pass from me.

It's not a Birmingham documentary, it's a Tom Brady documentary and he comes across as an arrogant, clueless pcunt.

I don't see much traction in one about us, it's 2 years too late. It would have made a fantastic documentary. To do one now would all be a bit after the lord mayor's show.

Maybe a film with Billy Bob Thornton playing Ruben Selles.

#blatantfridaynightlightsripoff

[WestYorksRoyal]

What if the UK isn't the audience? The game is growing in the US and maybe they hope a few fans will pick us up as their plucky underdog team.

Agree the last 2 years would have been much more interesting, but that was never going to happen under the previous owner. And I'm sure you can still tell the story pretty well with hindsight.

You also feel like missing this summer is a missed opportunity too. Couhig and co inheriting smouldering ruins, difficulties recruiting, slow start on the pitch etc., If it starts next season, it may well be a stable club going for promotion which is pretty dull.

[rabidbee]

Really easy to put together a crisis-to-Couhig doco with archive footage, talking heads, and shakey-cam footage of the exec suite, all of which would also be quite cheap to produce. Could easily be day-time filler on a dedicated sports channel like ESPN.

[Stranded]

Does it matter if it is dull or not - it'll bring in money and that is the only driver.

[tidus_mi2]

Does feel like a bit of a damp squib without a big name behind it, Wrexham have Ryan Reynold, Brum have Tom Brady, who exactly do we have?

[Snowflake Royal]

Does feel like a bit of a damp squib without a big name behind it, Wrexham have Ryan Reynold, Brum have Tom Brady, who exactly do we have?

Kingsley!

[Orion1871]

Does feel like a bit of a damp squib without a big name behind it, Wrexham have Ryan Reynold, Brum have Tom Brady, who exactly do we have?

Get Winslet or Gervais on the board. Clooney lives down the road, get him as well.

[Brogue]

Does feel like a bit of a damp squib without a big name behind it, Wrexham have Ryan Reynold, Brum have Tom Brady, who exactly do we have?

Get Winslet or Gervais on the board. Clooney lives down the road, get him as well.

Can any of them play up front?

[South Coast Royal]

Does feel like a bit of a damp squib without a big name behind it, Wrexham have Ryan Reynold, Brum have Tom Brady, who exactly do we have?

Get Winslet or Gervais on the board. Clooney lives down the road, get him as well.

Can any of them play up front?

One has a lot of front...........and some might say the lovely Kate has as well.

[JedMaxwell]

Does feel like a bit of a damp squib without a big name behind it, Wrexham have Ryan Reynold, Brum have Tom Brady, who exactly do we have?

Get Winslet or Gervais on the board. Clooney lives down the road, get him as well.

Gervais doesn't give a shit about the club or football - he has not obligation to either by the way - and I don't think he's ever mentioned the club other than in the Office. Even when he appeared on the Sky thing with Roy Keane et al I don't think he mentioned us, which was a great opportunity for him to give a little shout out and give us a bit of profile. Again, he has no obligation to and he is clearly not bothered.

[Snowflake Royal]

If Couhig was smart and forward thinking, he kept extensive records of his attempted takeover from the start, maybe even some footage.

No one is even going to get a documentary of a club failing, because the owner taking it under is never going to do that, so it's only ever going to be post takeover and recovery.

What they could do, if Couhig has the records, is split each episode to be part telling the story of the now recovery, and half 'found footage' and docu drama of the preceding events

[blythspartan]

As most of the Royals are season ticket holders the Yanks would love it.

Chris Tarrant could host “who wants to win a million for a player” and Rob could participate. It would make for gripping TV and Rob could use AI for his phone a friend or IR might be a better option.