‘Stumble’ Bosses Tease Major Blackout — Watch Sneak Peek (VIDEO)

Emily Aslanian January 30, 2026, 11:30 am

What To Know

The January 30 episode of NBC’s Stumble features a townwide blackout caused by an A.I. company.
Co-showrunners Liz Astrof and Jeff Astrof preview the episode.
Plus, watch an exclusive sneak peek.

It’s lights out for cheer coach Courteney Potter (Jenn Lyon) on NBC’s sports mockumentary Stumble when the entirety of Heådltston experiences a major power outage during the January 30 episode. As if the small town, which is constantly plagued by major catastrophe, could be more cursed.

Of course, the outage means that the Heådltston State Junior College cheerleaders can’t practice for the Daytona competition that has been their quest all season long. Causing the power problems is an A.I. company led by newcomer Jolene (B Positive vet Annaleigh Ashford), a former cheerleader. “As a business major in college, Courteney had the chance to go into business, so it’s fun to see her go up against her ‘road not taken,'” says co-showrunner Liz Astrof.

Thankfully, her football coach hubby Boon (Taran Killam) has her back. “We wanted to see what their relationship would be like if Courteney didn’t have cheer to occupy her for 22 hours a day,” says Astrof. “It’s a chance to see a fun dynamic where Boon gets to be her biggest cheerleader.”

Before the team tries basket tosses in the dark, they’ll pick up a new glow stick routine. But to get the power going again, Courteney finds herself running back to the Candy Button factory to ask eccentric owner Augustus Blimpfh (Jeff Hiller) for help. Watch TV Insider’s exclusive clip above.

'Stumble' Preview: Jenn Lyon, Taran Killam, and More Preview New 'Cheer'-Inspired Comedy (Exclusive)

“Town crank Stan Yokel [Ryan Dietz] warned that AI sucks up small town’s water and electricity in the previous episode, so the writing was on the wall,” notes co-showrunner Jeff Astrof. “The question is, will Courteney be able to convince Jolene that there’s still a cheerleader’s heart that beats inside her very expensive pantsuit, so she’ll take her A.I. elsewhere?” She can, she will, she must.

This will be the last episode as the series goes on hiatus until late February, so don’t make us take our megaphone out: This new comedy is worth catching up on, if you aren’t flipping watching already.

Stumble, Fridays, 8:30/7:30c, NBC