Television series

Stick

Other titles called Stick: the 1985 film.

Stick follows a washed-up ex-pro golfer who stakes everything on mentoring a gifted but troubled teenage phenom. It's a warmhearted comedy about second chances and found family, set in the unglamorous side of golf. Owen Wilson anchors the show with genuine vulnerability, and the ensemble cast—especially the kid—keeps things grounded and funny without ever feeling mawkish.

TVMaze rating3.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like sports comedies where the hustle is really about two lonely people finding each other, and where Owen Wilson's easygoing, slightly beaten-down charm does most of the work.

Skip it if you want golf itself to be the main event, since the sport here is a backdrop for people's messy lives and the tone stays soft rather than sharp.

What it asks of you: Roughly half-hour episodes, twenty of them over two seasons, settle in at an unhurried pace where warmth builds slowly and the laughs arrive quietly rather than in fast bursts.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Ted Lasso2020

Another show about an aging guy trying to prove something through sport, mentoring younger players while learning about himself. Shares that balance of comedy and real heart, with a cast you'll grow attached to fast.

But If you found Ted Lasso too relentlessly optimistic or saccharine, Stick's slightly rougher edges might still not be enough to win you over.

Ted Lasso poster

Scrubs2001

A comedy that sneaks genuine emotion into nearly every episode without ever becoming sappy. The found-family dynamic, the mentor-mentee relationships, and the tone—funny but occasionally devastating—feel like cousins to Stick.

But Eight seasons in, Scrubs loses its footing, and rewatching the early run might remind you that nothing sustains perfectly. It's also set in a hospital, not a driving range.

Scrubs poster

Cheer2020

A documentary following underdogs trying to win at a competition nobody else cares about, with a tough coach and genuine stakes. Captures that same scrappy, against-the-odds energy with real tears and victories.

But It's a documentary, not scripted comedy, so the pacing is slower and the stakes depend on your investment in cheerleading specifically.

Cheer poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Stick

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Breaking Bad2008

Both center on an older man with a wounded ego trying to shape a younger person's future; the fundamental question is whether mentorship is generous or predatory.

Not what you expect: a show where the mentor figure is slowly revealed to be the villain, and the mentee must learn to survive him instead. Owen Wilson's Pryce mirrors Walter White's desperation to feel important again, but Stick believes in redemption where Breaking Bad believes in corruption.

But Breaking Bad is a brutal, sustained descent into moral darkness. If you want that journey, Stick's lighter touch will feel like betrayal.

Breaking Bad poster
More like this (7)

The Bear2022

Fast-paced ensemble comedy about a group of misfits trying to build something meaningful under someone who's desperately trying to prove themselves. The chemistry between characters feels lived-in and real.

But It's much angstier and more chaotic than Stick, with violence and sustained tension that doesn't let you relax into the feel-good bits.

The Bear poster

Happy Gilmore1996

Adam Sandler as a sports misfit learning to succeed at golf through sheer stubborn will and an eccentric mentor. The film's earnest belief in redemption underneath the comedy feels spiritual kin to Stick.

But It's a 90s sports comedy with Sandler's particular brand of broad humor, which hasn't aged evenly. Golf movies often feel slight.

Happy Gilmore poster

Severance2022

Another Apple TV+ series about found family and people learning to be human together. The tone is completely different—mysterious, unsettling—but the emotional core about connection is startlingly similar.

But Severance is science fiction noir and demands your full attention. If you want something you can half-watch, this isn't it.

Severance poster

Louie2010

Louis C.K.'s deeply personal comedy series about failure, parenting, and showing up anyway. Blends laugh-out-loud moments with quiet devastation in ways that feel effortless.

But Louie is far darker and sometimes uncomfortable. It's also not about a found family or mentorship—it's about a man mostly alone.

Louie poster

Caddyshack1980

A ensemble golf comedy that doesn't take the sport seriously but deeply cares about its characters. Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, and Rodney Dangerfield orbit each other with genuine warmth beneath the chaos.

But It's from 1980 and plays like it. The humor is dated, and the plot barely exists—you're just watching funny people be funny.

Caddyshack poster

Mythic Quest2020

An Apple TV+ series about misfits making a video game together, with the same found-family warmth and ensemble chemistry. Rob McElhenney's show is funny and unexpectedly moving.

But It's set in tech, not sports, and early seasons spend time on workplace nonsense that doesn't land. The show finds itself later but needs patience.

Mythic Quest poster

The Way Back2020

Same plot engine (failed coach, second chance, difficult kid) but stripped of humor and told as a drama about whether redemption is even possible.

Ben Affleck as a washed-up basketball coach given one last shot at meaning through a struggling team. It's a sports redemption story that earns its sentimentality through long stretches of quiet, unglamorous work and genuine doubt about whether anyone can be saved.

But It's genuinely sad, not comedic. If you're watching Stick for laughs, this will feel like a punch in the stomach—but a necessary one.

The Way Back poster

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