‘Welcome to Wrexham’ gives reality TV a new kick

LOS ANGELES — No one quite knew what to think when Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney announced they’d purchased a Welsh football team in 2020. But what has happened since then is nothing short of amazing. And it’s a story they’re telling in “Welcome to Wrexham,” which is about to debut its second season.

“I hear this all the time. People say ‘I’m not a fan of football,’ or even, ‘I’m not a fan of sports,'” McElhenney told On The Red Carpet at an FYC screening event. “And whenever I hear that, I just think that the person hasn’t ever been told the right story.”

The story of Wrexham has been heartwarming and fascinating.

Season one of their docuseries told the story of the football club and its community. Wrexham is the third oldest professional club in the world and it was struggling. McElhenney and Reynolds wanted to turn things around for the club and for the town itself. The finale shows Wrexham coming up short in the game that would have promoted the team to the next level of English football.

Season one earned six Emmy nominations, including unstructured reality program, directing and cinematography.

Back in April, Wrexham finally got that elusive promotion, the club’s first in 15 years. And we’ll see it all play out in season two.

“Welcome to Wrexham” returns September 12 on FX and streams the next day on Hulu.

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of FX, Hulu and this ABC station.