Apparently, Ryan Reynolds has been curating Welsh-language programming on his TV network
Turn on the subtitles because Ryan Reynolds is bringing the consonant-heavy dialect to America
After securing four Emmy nominations for Welcome To Wrexham, Ryan Reynolds is looking to expand the reach of the Welsh world. Per The Guardian, the Free Guy himself began welcoming American audiences to “Welsh Wednesdays,” which has been airing on his television station since June 28. “As many have noted, there is an alarming lack of Welsh content available for American viewing pleasure,” Reynolds said. “That stops today. Well, actually, Wednesdays.”
Okay, first, Ryan Reynolds owns a TV station because, of course he does. Why wouldn’t he? There isn’t enough Ryan Reynolds smirking on television. The network Maximum Effort, which shares the name of Reynolds’ production company, is on FuboTV, a streamer focused on live sports. In 2022, Reynolds took an equity stake in Fubo to launch Maximum Effort TV and launched last month with Bedtime Stories With Ryan, in which Reynolds, in his best sleepytime tea bear cosplay, reads “new and classic bedtime stories.” If any readers need a moment to process all of this, please feel free to take a moment and touch the grass outside or take a deep breath.
The programming block sees Reynolds curating six hours of weekly Welsh language from the UK-based Welsh-language television channel S4C for Maximum Effort. Offerings will include the crime drama Bang, a documentary series about Welsh car enthusiasts Pen Petrol (Petrol Head), and Y Wal Goch (The Red Wall), a football (soccer) talk show. We’ll allow The Guardian writer Andy Welch to take it from here:
Viewers will also be able to keep up with Ystwyth Vets in Aberystwyth by watching Y Fets (Vets), Gareth Bale: Bwy’r Freuddwyd (Gareth Bale: Living the Dream), which, as you might have guessed, is a short film about the charmed life of the greatest ever Welsh footballer and, understandably given that Reynolds co-owns the club, episodes of Wrecsam Clwb Ni (Wrexham Our Club).
“We’re so grateful to S4C for helping to bring Welsh programming to a broader audience,” said Reynolds. “And to that broader audience: don’t worry, I am told there will be subtitles.” Non-Welsh speakers are going to need them.