Hellcats (2010–2011) User Reviews

Beats your exceptions

[Leahrt · 7/10 · 18 September 2010]

When I saw the commercial for Hellcats, I practically wanted to die. Dude! A cheerleading-show, and especially when they compared it to Bring it on!

Even worse got it when I saw the cast: Ashley Tisdale, the little horrible High School musical-actress - no way. I was totally against the show. I had almost already promised myself that I wouldn't even watch the premiere, but I couldn't help it and I watched it.

And it's not that bad at all. Basically it's about Marti, a lawyer student at Lancer College in Memphis. She is best friends with Dan (Matt Barr)and spends most of her time doing: homework, until her scholarship ends or it gets taken away. Marti must then find a new way to keep her in school, which she does by entering the cheerleading tryouts for the school's cheerleadingteam Hellcats.

Of course Marti makes it and she's basically introduced to a totally different world: Cheertown!

I like the characters, and from the beginning I thought that Marti would definitely be my favorite, but she's not, actually Savannah is - Ashley Tisdale role - since I find her storyline more interesting. She's the typical cheerleadingcaptain, and in the beginning you kind of get the feeling that she's the queen-bee, but she's not, she's bubbly and happy, but there's more beneath the surface, serious familyproblems. Compared to Marti who is a very big cliché-character, or that's just my opinion. She's the rebel-looking girl, smart and sexy, and even though she hates cheerleading in the beginning she still knows how to do a backflip because of a gymnastic-past. And of course she falls in love with one of the guys from the cheerleading-team, even though it's obvious that Dan - her best buddy is clearly in love with her.

Dan though I like (Matt Barr), maybe because he impressed me in One tree hill where he played a psychopath and in Harper's Island. In the beginning you kind of get the feeling that he's into Marti, until he gets introduced to Savannah - right now they're apparently having a little flirt - I hope it lasts, it would be too cheesy if he ends up with Marti. Kind of like One tree Hill did with Peyton and Lucas - major mistake.

But the show is not that bad. The script is okay, the acting is really impressing and some of the scenes are really good. I think a lot of people will enjoy the dance-scenes, which also gives this show extra credit, and makes it special. Have we ever seen a cheerleading-show? No, not from what I recall.

Love it or hate it... but it has potential which always brings options.

Surprisingly Good

[ivison_1985 · 8/10 · 16 September 2010]

After watching the first two episodes of this new series from the CW I was surprised to find myself getting into it, I expected this to be a copy off Bring It On with the writing being predictable and the acting poor, but watching this show I can see it has the potential to become the next One Tree Hill as it has everything their with the threat of loosing everything the team has to work together to pull off a winning season. The choreography is good allowing the cheering scene's and the practice's to flow. The main characters already have a good chemistry and I can see this show becoming one of the best CW shows ever made in the teen drama area.

Girly, slightly cheesy but unpredictable

[Gabriellle · 7/10 · 19 September 2010]

When first seeing the trailers of the CW that announced to air a show about cheerleaders, I suspected it to be just like your average 'High School drama'-series involving love, hate and gossip. The title Hellcats tries to give a little 'edge' to the show. Although the acting is not great in this show it has a certain fun-factor that keeps me watching. Especially because "Hellcats" contradicts my prejudice about 'High School' and 'teenager' series. The storyline of the show is surprisingly unpredictable. The CW invested a lot in making this show look attractive. Apart from cheer leading this show involves a fun storyline, some comedy, some drama and a somewhat 'nasty' attitude of the characters. They're not called "Hellcats" for nothing.

kind of boring

[webpea · 7/10 · 2 July 2013]

not a fabulous series, nice characters though! Good actors, famous actors. It just didn't make it, another show that got cancelled fast but this time it wasn't a mistake. Aly Michalka's character is sort of stereotypical,, the type of girl who really doesn't think cheering is her thing and then they prove her wrong and she is a super popular cheerleader who's amazing at cheering and has a lot of friends. She's sort of transparent, sort of lifeless except for when she's dancing, but maybe that's a choice of character. The action is a little absent. A lot of drama, not my thing... Savannah (Ashley Tisdale) tries not to be a bitchy cheerleader, so she is very very nice but that makes her a little annoying, but she can be likable at the same time.

Unique story

[countessemily · 6/10 · 5 November 2022]

This tv show is unique: for the fact it's set at College rather than a typical high school setup.

I can actually relate to Marti's character for the fact her whole world is turned upside down when her tuition is no longer covered. College is so expensive in America, many people don't even have the opportunity to go, and it was realistic when she became desperate to stay in school.

The plot as wacky as it is, actually works and you really start to care about Marti: with her terrible home life, but determined spirit to rise above and make her life better.

What I do not care for is Ashley Tisdale's acting. She's so preppy and goody two shoes, acting like she's perfect when she's really a flawed person too. Plus, she only cares about cheerleading, a bit silly and contradicting to the ultra conservative home she was raised in. The fact both Savannah and her sister were raised in an extremely southern christian household, and they both were cheerleaders is a bit odd: you'd think they wouldn't be allowed to be cheerleaders with the attitude of their mother.

All in all, what this show will be remembered for in my life is that it introduced me to Gale Harold- who is a great actor and so believable as the law Professor Julian.

Of all of Marti's love interests (and for 1 season of storytelling there were far too many: Dan, Lewis, Her classmate Morgan, and Julian) Julian was actually the one I was most interested in. There was a somewhat fascinating dynamic between them, as they started on the wrong foot, with Julian being a condescending teacher, then a friend, then a love interest.

In terms of storytelling: I think what ultimately led to cancellation was it was disjointed in the fact there were many dance/ cheer numbers and that had to be difficult to produce every week. Add on the fact the show took too long to find its groove for pacing of the narrative and sadly it got a cancellation.

Too bad too, as Marti's plot towards the back half with her finding her half sister (played by real life sister AJ) was captivating and then the big reveal her dad was still alive was steller .

Funny, well written story line! Great show

[lucysargent · 9/10 · 4 June 2011]

Wow when my sister first talked me into watching this show with her i wasn't expecting much but its a really fun and interesting story about a group of cheerleaders . This programme has a lot of twists and you soon become accustomed to expecting the unexpected . You find your self glued to the intricately woven social lives of the students and staff at there college . It has a well written and incredibly full story line you will not find yourself bored whilst watching this programme . The characters are well thought out and witty with clear interesting personalities and backgrounds.

I would highly recommend this show to anyone who likes a bit of mystery and drama all hidden behind that perfect smile of the typical college cheerleaders .

A Show Worth Cheering About

[catarinaloss · 10/10 · 15 February 2011]

As of late, Vampire Diaries is the highest rated show on the CW, averaging 3-4 million viewers each episode. But me? I'd rather watch a show about competitive cheerleading ANY DAY.

I have been itching for a TV series about cheerleading ever since I saw Bring It On, and as a result I had high hopes for Hellcats.

Said hopes were pretty much blown out of the water.

Hellcats is not only quite well written, but well acted to boot. Many criticize Aly Michalka's acting, but I feel that she holds her own along side the other actors.

However, the real star to keep an eye out for is the lovely Heather Hemmons. Hemmons adds real depth to the role of Alice Verdura. Every week we find another layer to peel away, and another reason to love both Heather and her character.

The entire cast is gorgeous, and the gentlemen are no exception. Jeff Hephner, Robbie Jones, Matt Barr, Ryan Kennedy, (and did I say Jeff Hephner?) all very nice eye candy.

Everything about Hellcats works, and that's part of what makes it so great.

Shows like this just don't come around every day.

get a clue

[someofusarebrave · 5/10 · 6 October 2010]

See, now, here's my problem with this show.

The only character on a squad full of people of color who seems to have it all together is a white girl.

That about sums it up.

Savanna, her roommate, is sweet but entirely neurotic, born of a family of apparently Evangelical Christians. What an unstereotypical portrayal of a young woman of color. but bucking their values to shoot for her own, well, if not dreams, then certainly momentary goals.

The coach seems unable to resist the affections of her much-older white former flame, in spite of being in a fairly secure-seeming relationship with a much-hotter guy, formerly Principal Wood of Buffy fame. It is unclear why we should respect a woman stupid enough to get involved with a teacher as a student, dumb enough to think some much-older white guy is interested in her as a person rather than as a game or warm body...and silly enough to lie to said boyfriend about her very over relationship with her former beau. This is going to go well.

How are we supposed to respect a woman who clearly cannot learn from her mistakes--or worse, chooses not to?

I also don't believe for a second that Marty's ability to do some jumps makes her eligible to stand on someone's hands and do flips.

The only strong woman who seems capable of sticking to any sort of a goal without support from equally lost-at-sea girls is the "bad girl" of the series, the one who's lost her 'flying partner' to our heroine and wants him back at all costs.

Our heroine herself is a completely codependent caretaker who has defined herself in opposition to everything and everyone around her for years. She is only turning her life around now because keeping her scholarship demands it. Otherwise, however talented she might be, she is whiny, irritating, entirely dependent on Mummy dearest for validation...she is the kind of person women tend to become when they don't totally know what they want for themselves but don't want to show it. The actress playing her makes Marty interesting to watch, at least, but the writers don't seem to know how to do much better than that.

Other than being skinny and blonde and therefore "hot", it's unclear to me why anyone would devote time to watching Marty succeed.

We all know she's going to. The appeal of 'Make it or break it' is that the viewer doesn't know that the characters will all succeed. In fact, they can't succeed, strictly speaking--all of them want to win gold, and not all of them can do that. Marty is one girl. She will inevitably win, cut ties with her hanger-on loser mother, make friends with everyone on the squad, and probably end up with the cute white guy who obviously has a crush on her. Bo-ring.

Also--there are usually issues when white people date people of color. I realize we're supposed to be living in a "world where race doesn't exist," and all, but that's convenient on a network that usually features only white people and certainly has never had a non-white female lead.

Come on, y'all. You could at least try to make things more realistic.

It's underrated.

[denis362 · 10/10 · 11 November 2010]

It seriously is!

I'd give it a 10 out of 10 if it wasn't for a poor pilot introduction where, after watching most of released episodes by now, I was hoping to see why has Marty, more or less, lightly considered getting into the squad.

Other than that, I think the show is brilliant. Actors/actresses are good looking, all with different traits. Alice is mean, supercilious and selfish. Savannah is holier than thou, shy, fragile and uncertain if she fits in where she is now because of the influence her mother holds over her. Marty is pretty casual, humorous and always helpful. There are of course more interesting characters but where would the fun be in describing them all.

As far as the acting goes, I consider myself quite a show-a-holic and I think it just can't get much better and I wouldn't ask for better, I'm not really seeing any major flaws. The plot itself is very unpredictable and will always keep you on your toes, and the music added to it will further spice it up. The problems major characters go through are pretty realistic.

All that said, do not get fooled by keywords "cheer leading" and "teenager". This is so much more than that! I hope I'll get to see more than a season or two of Hellcats.

Mid-America...

[Kassdhal · 4/10 · 16 February 2011]

How to summarize this show (at least at half the first season)? A lot of very cute girls in short skirts, dancing around and singing (not very well), blended with a dreadful "serious" plot and constant references to moral grounds, as well as hard-to-bear religious references. In short: made to please the eyes of the men everywhere and avoiding the moral grounds in bible belt. With so many good and funny shows out there, it is almost painful to watch. However, Aly Michalka is a real eye candy and would deserve a show a little bit more developed. But it's worth looking at the show just for her (with the occasional glimpses on her cheerleader colleagues)... 4 out of 10, for the girls...

An excellent series!

[anaceliafer · 10/10 · 3 July 2011]

At first,I don't liked cheerleaders things.But when I watched the pilot of ''HellCats''I we're repeating this:

''Cheerleaders aren't a drug for get the cheers happy,but NOW I KNOW what is a real cheerleader.Is not cheering,but WORK,WORK,WORK!''

Is a story with laughs,fight,smiles,competitions and romance.

You wouldn't surrender about watching HellCats,only if you 'd think what I think before I watched HellCats.

An amazing show.

-Anna

10/10!

Addicted :)

[reeka925 · 8/10 · 29 September 2010]

Being a cheerleader, I think that Hellcats shows people just how much work we put into our sport and how dangerous and competitive it can be. The characters have relatively recognizable personalities and some of the events in the show are very surprising, which makes everything that much more interesting. The only thing that bothers me with the show is some of the techniques they use, but since I'm involved in cheerleading, I look at the things they do very critically. If a viewer isn't too familiar with the sport, they probably wouldn't notice. All in all, I think it's a really good show with interesting and unpredictable events happening throughout.

Amazing Show

[sarahcslone · 9/10 · 10 May 2011]

I was hesitant at first to watch this show. After all, I'm not a huge fan of most things cheerleading. However, I was bored and heard that the sectionals episode took place close to where I live (however it was not actually filmed in Louisville...) I looked up the show and started watching. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found.

The show features very well rounded characters, each with defined character traits. Most of the characters are likable and I haven't been able to turn the show off in the past few days.

I especially love the character of Savannah (Ashley Tisdale). Prior to this show, I was not the world's largest Ashley Tisdale fan. She annoyed me on the Suite Life and I just couldn't deal with High School Musical. In this role however, she really shows off her acting abilities. And Savannah is a very lovable character, one who is a great role model for young teenagers. In one episode, she is asked out by a firefighter and refuses due to the fact that she is in love with another guy. That is super admirable, especially in a show that seems to glorify and romanticize cheating.

That is my one beef with this show (and many other shows on television today). It is marketing Red/Vanessa as one of the flag ships and yet, they have repeatedly cheated on others to become who they are. I'm just glad they didn't keep Vanessa and Derrick together to further romanticize cheating. They also seemed to romanticize it with the Dan/Marti relationship. It felt way too One Tree Hill circa Brooke/Lucas/Peyton triangle. I seriously hope they don't go that route.

All in all, this show is well worth the watch. It is entertaining, has a great plot, strong characters, and decent actors.

Just one season :(

[clarkson_abby · 10/10 · 5 January 2019]

I would've loved for them to carry on this show.. What a shame they canned it after one season. So much potential :(

Yeah...Cost a shot.

[shining-comet · 9/10 · 31 August 2011]

I actually am a big fan of dancing and music...so that's why i really enjoy watching Hellcats. The storyline intrigues you to keep on,the relations and competitions seem real and make connections with the watcher. And more than all the above, the cast,they really are perfect dancers and this is the most important cause that's make the show worth a shot...a shot that wont make you regret. The whole storyline is around cheerleaders competing for scholarship.The starring girl Aly Michalka(Marti) is really capable of doing almost everything you can imagine...and I'll go blind if you don't enjoy her being in a show with Ashley Tisdale.

This show was amazing!

[kittygrlo126 · 10/10 · 22 July 2012]

Hell cats was amazing, when you hear cheer leading you automatically think of some girly movie but this movie had brains and an actual story to it. No episode was like the one before, and each new episode brought a new story to the table, you could never know what was going to happen next. Also, What i really enjoyed about this show is it was realistic which makes it relatable and I truly, really wish from the bottom of my heart that abcfamily or someone starts this show up again, it was fantastic, and i watched it every week and ever since it ended im still watching re-runs, i really wish it would start up again! i was very sad to hear THIS show, that was actually very well done got cancelled as opposed to other shows. So i think we should spread the word, and try to get hellcats started up again! After watching just the first episode i couldn't stop it was that good

A great and awesome show.

[greg-joseph · 8/10 · 22 September 2012]

this show is really awesome.... the acting might not be that good .. but the show is still awesome.. they should air it again.The best part is that there is everything inside this show. It has cheer, it has singing, it has great dancing and , a lot of drama.......and the best of all amazing stunts. All the characters are really done nicely.. each have their own problems and i really hope they will continue this show to seasons to come. and i also hope that they make the next season the best of all. even though it is quite predictable but who cares. it is a great show. so i hope they air it again and continue to produce more episodes filled with drama, amazing singing, dancing, and cheerleading.

Reminiscent of bring it on

[mccarthykevin48 · 9/10 · 10 February 2019]

Mindless entertainment. Binge worthy. 85 year old parents really enjoyed. Shame only one season.

Will there be a season 2?

[ama33 · 10/10 · 13 January 2013]

Will there be a season 2 because i love this show . I found a fun show and then t has only 1 season :( I hope there will be a season 2

s of late, Vampire Diaries is the highest rated show on the CW, averaging 3-4 million viewers each episode. But me? I'd rather watch a show about competitive ANY DAY.

I have been itching for a TV series about ever since I saw Bring It On, and as a result I had high hopes for Hellcats.

Said hopes were pretty much blown out of the water.

Hellcats is not only quite well written, but well acted to boot. Many criticize Aly Michalka's acting, but I feel that she holds her own along side the other actors.

However, the real star to keep an eye out for is the lovely Heather Hemmons. Hemmons adds real depth to the role of Alice Verdura. Every week we find another layer to peel away, and another reason to love both Heather and her character.

The entire cast is gorgeous, and the gentlemen are no exception. Jeff Hephner, Robbie Jones, Matt Barr, Ryan Kennedy, (and did I say Jeff Hephner?) all very nice eye candy.

Everything about Hellcats works, and that's part of what makes it so great.

Shows like this just don't come around every day.

Great show!

[AnnaPagrati · 10/10 · 24 August 2021]

I adore Hellcats! I used to watch this when I was younger, it brings back so many memories!

Hellcats is a real flyer

[Resi-Novak · 8/10 · 9 September 2010]

Hellcats is a show thats perfect for the network. Fans of shows like Smallville, Vampire Diaries, Make it or Break it & Secret Life of an American Teenager will fall in love with this series. This show was built for the American tween public, and thats not a bad thing.

Aly Michalka & Ashley Tisdale are Disney alums that will draw a lot of fans to the show, and its those fans that are ready to grow out of the Disney Channel and move on to the tween TV scene.

While some of the characters will immediately jump out at you, many others seem to just fade into the background and leave you asking, "Who?" Im sure character development will help this over the course of time.

Its a show that can be very predictable, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. Its in how the show is delivered and carries its stories. Only time will tell.

Hellcats has promise, and i believe given the chance they will fulfill all expectations and maybe a little more. This show could easily become a cult classic with many more seasons to come. Will Hellcats reach the top of the pyramid and continue to fly or tumble into obscurity?

Incredible!

[pmmatt · 10/10 · 18 September 2010]

There are few series that manage to bring grace our TV today. Surprisingly, a new show with a "awful" story (about cheerleaders) can do it! The cast does a great work (especially Ashley Tisdale) and there seems to be more behind every pretty face that we see on stage. The funny thing is that you can be moved by what happens and seem to need more and more episodes.

I think Hellcats is a great job, worthy of being recognized and supported by people of all ages.

What I want to see? Clashes between the girls and certainly the love between the characters and definitely something new and amazing! It's wait and see what happens! For me, everything is great!

Wilcats to Hellcats! Highschool to College!

[zaenkney · 8/10 · 1 November 2010]

Finally, CW is getting some series that even I can relate to! A young woman, with family issues, finds herself in jeopardy regarding her college tuition. Many of us have been there. In fact, just the financial dilemma is a point of commonality.

As a 24-year-old woman in the 70s, raising a 4-year-old daughter, I remember the burden-of-creativity that befell my own poor little pea-brain. I was college bound, for certain, but what were my options as far as shelter and putting food on the table? There was no way I could dance at bars and retain my status as a good mother (besides, I could not dance and I would have had to drive 92 miles to a bar with such amenities). So, I tried out for the college Woman's Volleyball/Basketball team and made the cut. This accorded me a scholarship and on campus work-study. What an unexpected opportunity for a female during the 1970's!

I love this show, the actors, the problems the characters have to deal with... So far, overall I see a lot of real life. I hope it stays that way. With the cheer leading, wide ranging family issues, and the great music, this is entertainment!

sports memes are entertaining

[chris-j-chuba · 8/10 · 7 May 2021]

The national finals depend on a spectacular move that has never quite worked for them during practice the entire season.

The racist white guy becomes best friends with the African American male cheerleader.

Beautiful cheerleader eventually drops the egotistical football star and goes with the nerd who has character.

A beautiful cheerleader gives a big speech about how cheerleading is a serious sport and cheerleaders should not be treated like objects while showing off super-tight midriff.

Okay, I might be exaggerating a little bit. It was fun to watch. It did feel like there was a little more story to tell when it ended.

I look forward to continuing

[nasty-49951 · 10/10 · 13 August 2015]

Hi, despite the fact that the series began to show in 2010, I watched this show just now, a great movie, and how I did not find it sooner. Accustomed to the actors, and fell in love with each hero. Cinema for 22 series is not tired, just intrigued with each series, it's super !!!! Very long searched for a good movie, and I found it, but very sorry that the show closed. The most interesting place, I am very upset, so that the series is not. I am very much I want to see a sequel. Please continue to make a film, I want to see the old actors in the new sequel, it will be amazing!I hope that the day will come when there will be a season 2 favorite series !!!!!