Cory Stillman
The Welcome to Wrexham editing team return to Awards Radar to discuss season 4 of the hit FX on Hulu series, following their success at the most recent ACE Eddies as well as last year’s Creative Arts Emmys. Series stalwarts like Michael Oliver and Mohamed El Manasterly return for season 4, and are joined by a talented team of editors, including Tim Wilsbach, ACE, Jenny Krochmal, Steve Welch, ACE and Sam Fricke. So how does such a large team navigate the intricate responsibilities of cutting a sports series that alternates between heartfelt and hilarious?
“We get assigned sections from the show producers, Cody Shelton and Andy Thomas, and they switch up based on a lot of different factors,” says Welch. “And then sometimes we end up handing off to each other depending on what else is coming in. It’s extremely fluid. But it’s also, perhaps surprisingly, really fun to see how someone else has finished a piece you have started.”
The fun of that collaboration stems from a deep trust that these editors have developed in one another over time. That trust extends to the show’s onscreen personas as well, not just Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds but also the townsfolk of Wrexham.
“Rob and Ryan are crucial to the success of Welcome To Wrexham. They understand the storytelling behind the show and they can always challenge us to make a scene or moment that much better,” says Oliver. “But at the same time they trust our editors’ instinct and let us try new things are come up with new ideas for the show. They have never told us not to do that. They are very open to try whatever it is to make the show as good as it is.”
Of course, one of the most exciting aspects of working on a show like Wrexham is the integration into the broader world of professional soccer.
“First, it’s football,” Wilsbach reminds me. He understands the mindset of a massive football fan, and hopes to convey that with his editing on the series.
“I really try to put the audience in a stadium seat as a fan, knowing what the stakes are going in, knowing how you’d be feeling as a supporter when you’re winning one to nil in the 80th minute against a rival team that could very easily steal a point from you that has very real implications in the table and in the team’s chances for promotion.”
Check out our full conversation below to learn more about each editor’s relationship with the sport, as well some fun moments we can look forward to this season!
Hey team! With so many editors contributing to the overall creative vision for Welcome to Wrexham, how do you distribute the workload amongst each of you and balance the show’s multiple priorities?
Tim Wilsbach, ACE: Typically, two editors are assigned to focus on a given episode. However, as we dig into the stories and themes of each episode – and the overall arc of the season – scenes and specific storylines often shift from one episode to another. A scene originally cut by one editor for one episode might end up in a different episode altogether, often with some adjustments or reshaping to make it fit the new context.
Michael Oliver: The pairing usually depends on who’s available or what’s in the episode. Then when those two editors finish they might have to move onto another episode, and a couple other editors might help out on notes for the show pending again on who is available, because our show moves pretty fast and changes every day.
Steve Welch, ACE: We get assigned sections from the show producers, Cody Shelton and Andy Thomas, and they switch up based on a lot of different factors – how big the segment, when it needs to be done by, etc. And then sometimes we end up handing off to each other depending on what else is coming in. It’s extremely fluid. But it’s also, perhaps surprisingly, really fun to see how someone else has finished a piece you have started.
Mohamed El Manasterly: Everything about Welcome to Wrexham is deeply collaborative. We thrive on each other’s ideas and constantly inspire one another. While the show has a distinct tone and feel, we’re always looking to push its boundaries and explore new, creative ways to tell the story. Each team member brings a unique strength – whether it’s character development, sports editing, or comedic timing – but it’s the way we blend those strengths together that allows us to craft a cohesive and emotionally resonant narrative.
What can fans expect from this fourth season of Wrexham?
Jenny Krochmal: All the things they’ve grown to love in prior seasons of W2W. More personal town stories, stories of triumph over adversity, and the growing pains that come when a club skyrockets from non-league football to the Championship league over the course of just a few years!
SW: A recurring theme of this season is the flipside of success. As the team progresses, the experience of the players, the fans, and even the owners has to evolve in ways both good and bad.
TW: Fans can expect more compelling stories of the club, the town and the supporters. Folks we haven’t met yet, stories about new signings and of course the exciting football as the team attempts a historic third consecutive promotion.
MO: We still have plenty of new stories to tell of not only the team but also the heart of the series, the townspeople as well. I can honestly say every season of Welcome to Wrexham that I have worked on, has been totally different in every way. That’s what keeps this story going!
MEM: What makes this show so special is that each season keeps getting better. Unlike typical series that can become repetitive after a few seasons, Welcome to Wrexham continues to evolve. We’re fortunate to be following a team that’s ambitious, dynamic, and on a remarkable journey. Every season feels fresh because the stories we tell are shaped by where the club is at that moment—its players, its fans, its triumphs and challenges. It’s a rare and exciting opportunity to document a truly unscripted, unfolding narrative. That’s what makes the show so compelling, emotionally rich, and consistently entertaining.
How have you seen the show evolve over the course of its four seasons?
TW: The connection to our core characters has gotten deeper as we’ve gotten to know them as well as our understanding of Wrexham the town and how it’s grown. The creative chances we can take has also been interesting to witness as we each watch each others episodes and build and push each other creatively.
MO: The show has definitely evolved, again every season of Welcome to Wrexham that I have worked on, has been different. From figuring out story lines to telling new town people stories. You think it would all be dialed in and a formula to it, but with Welcome to Wrexham it’s impossible. The story line changes daily, pending on how the team is doing, and with any incidents that happen off the field. We have to be ready for anything.
SW: The show has had to evolve with the success of the team. For example, in the lower leagues the games can be more chaotic which is something that really played out well in the show. But as they move up to better leagues, the games get more refined. There are still plenty of surprises but there are far more 1-0 games and very few 6-5 free-for-alls with lots of lead changes and that has made things harder for us. Like the team, we’ve had to navigate the transition from being scrappy up-and-comers with zero expectations on our shoulders to being something that people know and have (hopefully high) expectations of.
MEM: Our Welcome to Wrexham team – both the filmmakers on the ground and the post team – is like a well-tuned symphony. We’ve been working closely together for years, and there’s a deep trust and rhythm in how we operate. The system we’ve built is not only efficient, but it also embraces trial and error, encouraging creative risk-taking and the discovery of new ways to tell the story. It truly feels like a family – good friends, incredible collaborators – and that camaraderie fuels a post environment where creativity thrives and something truly unique can emerge
With Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds onboard, the show obviously has an awesome sense of humor on top of all that drama and suspense. How do you approach the show’s editing from a comedic standpoint?
Sam Fricke: I think you trust your instincts and try to integrate the comedy in a way that complements the story without undercutting the emotional weight of the narrative.
TW: I have an editor friend Steve Rasch who has an amazing list of credits but is most well-known for Curb Your Enthusiasm. He and I worked together on an improvisational scripted series called Gigi Does It. He gave me a bit of advice on cutting comedy that I often fall back to, which is just simply “If it’s funny to you; it’s funny” and essentially rhymes with my editing philosophy which basically boils down to ‘trust your instincts’.
MO: When it comes to the comedy element of the show, it’s actually really easy because we have two of the best natural comedic geniuses as our main characters. Literally you just turn the camera on and those two guys are just naturally funny and it makes our job a lot easier.
JK: Having two trained and adept comedians certainly makes it much easier to milk the comedy out of every situation. I appreciate that the Wrexham producing team gives us the freedom to dream up and execute small gags within scenes, whether they be verbal or visual.
SW: As the others have mentioned, Rob and Ryan are the comedic anchors and they really set the sensibility of the show. I think their willingness to make fun of themselves sets a baseline tone, and basically provides us the freedom to just have as much fun as we can think of having while still holding on to the stories we are telling. That’s really the question I keep coming back too…how can we have the most fun telling this or that particular story? But also, the people over there can be so funny as well and they give us a lot to work with.
MEM: With Welcome to Wrexham, I always try to approach each story beat through a lens of levity, fun, and engagement. The goal is to find creative, lighthearted ways to convey even the more complex or logistical aspects of the narrative. Working with Rob and Ryan – who are A-list comedic talents – gives us a unique advantage. Sometimes, we have straightforward information about the club to communicate, but once they deliver it in their own voice and style, it becomes something genuinely entertaining. Their presence adds a distinctive flavor to the show – something you rarely see in other unscripted series.
Can you elaborate on Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds’ involvement with the show? Can any of you recall a particularly memorable note or piece of feedback you received from the two of them?
TW: Rob and Ryan typically bring fresh creative vision to each episode and really are the permissive spark that enables the entire team to take chances as long as we’re falling back on the two tenets: 1). tell the story, and 2). make it entertaining. For instance, this season we have an episode called “Disney FC.” We had a basic theme for the episode and the stories in the episode were some magical Wrexham moments— unexpected last-second wins, injuries to players that could have been devastating but instead let a new character/player emerge and shine. We sent the rough cut off to Rob & Ryan who came up with a framing device embracing the Disney connection, since we air on Disney-owned Hulu and Ryan’s obvious Marvel connection. We had a lot of fun temping in lines for them around that idea and then the team wrote, shot, and improvised a bunch of an on-camera sections that just better glued the episode together and made it immensely more entertaining and fun.
MO: Rob and Ryan are crucial to the success of Welcome To Wrexham. They understand the storytelling behind the show and they can always challenge us to make a scene/moment that much better, but at the same time they trust our editors’ instinct and let us try new things are come up with new ideas for the show. They have never told us not to do that. They are very open to try whatever it is to make the show as good as it is.
MEM: Rob and Ryan played a major role in shaping the tone of the show and redefining what unscripted storytelling can be. I was honored to be part of the team during Season 1, when we were laying the foundation and finding the show’s voice – always the hardest part of any series. From the beginning, they were instrumental in guiding the tone, infusing humor where it made sense, and ensuring the storytelling remained sharp, fast-paced, and to the point. Coming from the scripted world, they brought a fresh perspective that helped elevate the unscripted format, giving Welcome to Wrexham its distinct identity and energy.
SW: Ryan is a bit more “birds-eye-view” if you will, and Rob is a little more boots on the ground. Neither are micro-managing us by any stretch, but at the same time if an idea pops into Rob’s head that he likes he’s very willing to completely blow up and restructure an episode even if we are close to the delivery date. He’s done it more than once, but even though we all know it’s gonna be a ton of work we also usually recognize that it is in fact a good idea and we are up to make it happen. The Disney FC episode is an example of that, it was a pretty late breaking idea.
I would imagine editing the actual soccer sequences is a challenge unto itself. What kinds of tools or tricks do you rely on in crafting these in-game sequences?
TW: First, it’s football sequences 😉
The tricks are the gorgeous slo-mo footage our team shoots along with all the other broadcast angles and fan-sourced footage we get. We usually have a large palette to paint with where games are concerned. The challenge ends up being not turning every game into a twelve minute epic (they all could be that) and instead finding the pillars of story that tie it into the larger narrative we’re telling.
From there it’s just getting to play with music and sound design to heighten moments, slow down time and just live in the excitement or emotion of a moment in the match. I really try to put the audience in a stadium seat as a fan, knowing what the stakes are going in, knowing how you’d be feeling as a supporter when you’re winning one to nil in the 80th minute against a rival team that could very easily steal a point from you that has very real implications in the table and in the team’s chances for promotion.
MO: For me editing football (soccer) matches come natural to me, as I have been editing football (soccer) matches for a long time. I am one of the main editors for the FIFA men’s and women’s World Cups for FOX Sports, so before I joined Welcome to Wrexham, I had a lot of time to create my craft on editing matches.
For me I treat all the matches that I edit like a car chase in a movie. Always keep the flow of the match flowing, never let off the gas, Fill the empty gaps with Fans chanting in the stands or a coach yelling on the sidelines, keep the adrenaline going, then when a big moment happens cut to a high speed shot of the ball being kicked, kind of like a car going around a turn in high speed to give it that extra tension of like what’s going to happen, then when the ball hits the net, let everything explode into excitement and energy. I want to make the audience that are watching this episode at home feel like they are there in the stadium with the other fans. Want to keep the fans at the edge of their seats at all times even though they might already know the outcome. It’s the behind-the-scenes stuff that no one can see on a regular match day that keeps people watching our matches in the show, to see what they can’t see.
SW: Mike is probably the game-master, but honestly I think everyone is better at it than I am and I’ve been a football fan since I was 6 years old. I find them so difficult, maybe because I love the game so much I want to show too much. And I love the fans, I want to show them all too. I find it very hard to boil down the best moments because I like all of them. So I do a bit of game work but tend to get handed more non-game stuff. When we are wrapping story into a game, as we do a lot, it becomes a bit easier to get one’s bearings, for me anyway.
MEM: I always like to approach game episodes with a specific angle in mind. I think about the stakes, the emotional context, and the challenges the team is facing. Having a focused narrative lens helps guide every editing decision. For me, it’s far more compelling when the story centers on a character or a particular situation – when every cut, every moment, is in service of that perspective. Because if it’s just about goals and scores, you might as well watch the highlights on YouTube. What we’re doing is telling a deeper story.
JK: I don’t do a ton of the football matches, but when I do, I rely on copying what Mike Oliver so skillfully does in his game edits. The sound design and judicious use of high-speed footage really helps the audience feel like they’re right there, in the action.
SF: Editing the match sequences is definitely a beast. There’s a wide range of camera angles, from close-ups to broadcast wide shots. A key trick is building emotional continuity: highlighting reactions from the players, coaches, and crowd to make each moment land. Music and sound design help shape the rhythm and tension.
The Welcome to Wrexham editing team has been immensely successful since its debut, winning multiple Emmys in its category. After finally winning an ACE Eddie Award earlier this year, can you each reflect on the show’s acclaim and what it means to you on a personal level?
TW: It was an immense honor to be recognized with an Eddie win, especially knowing it came specifically from the best of the best in the editing community. I am very proud that my previous work, experiences, and personal and professional connections have put me in a spot to be sitting in the editing chair for this series, but ultimately so much of it is timing and a little luck. I’m grateful for it and so proud.
MO: The success of our show is like a dream to me. I never thought in my professional career that I would ever be nominated for, let alone win, an ACE or Emmy Award. Never did I imagine going to these big award shows and being on the red carpet getting my pictures taken or doing all these interviews. I never thought anyone would respect the video-editing craft that I have been working on for most of my life. It’s just all so surreal to me. I just have been so blessed to be on this show with some of the best EP’s, Producers, Editors and Assistant Editors there are. This show and this team mean so much to me, that part of me is not that surprised at the success of this show, because we all work as a team and all have big hearts to tell the correct stories. This experience and this show is something that will live with me forever!
SW: It is hard to express how proud I am to be a part of this show and to be included in this team. It’s truly one of those “lightning in a bottle” projects that are so rare and random, and the fact that it has been so recognized while at the same time being so much fun to do and so satisfying from a craft standpoint…so many talented people never get to experience something like this and I am deeply grateful for whatever has led me here. This editing team is truly kickass on every level and I consider it an honor and a privilege to drive myself into the occasional panic trying to keep up with them.
JK: Being a part of W2W has been humbling, inspiring, creatively fulfilling, and above all else, the best damn career luck of my life. There are shows that profoundly alter the course of your life, and Wrexham has been one of those for me. Standing up on that stage to receive our Eddie was a career high point, and such an incredible honor.
MEM: I always talk about breaks—those pivotal moments in your career—and whether you’re truly ready for them when they come. My first big break was The Square, for which I won an Emmy for Best Picture Editing, introducing me to the international documentary world and set a foundation for everything that followed.
My second break was Welcome to Wrexham. It was the first sports documentary I ever edited in the U.S., and it marked the beginning of a completely new journey. I feel like I had spent years honing my craft, building experience, and developing a sensibility that prepared me for that exact moment. It was the right time, the right place, and the right project. Welcome to Wrexham didn’t just expand my skill set – it launched my career in the world of sports documentaries.
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