Hellcats

**Hellcats** was a CW network drama series based on journalist Kate Torgovnick's book "Cheer: Inside the Secret World of College Cheerleaders" which premiered on September 8, 2010.

The show aired on Wednesday nights after "America's Next Top Model." When the pilot episode aired, it became the first premiere to ever match or build on an "America's Next Top Model" lead-in since The CW began in 2006.

On May 17, 2011, The CW announced that "Hellcats" would not be renewed for the 2011-12 fall schedule and the series ended after one season & 22 episodes.

## Plot

The series focused on the lives of college cheerleaders, mainly pre-law student Marti Perkins (Aly Michalka) who has to join the cheerleading team, the Hellcats in order to get the athletic scholarship that she needs.

## Cast

* Aly Michalka as Marti Perkins
* Ashley Tisdale as Savannah Monroe
* Heather Hemmens as Alice Verdura
* Matt Barr as Dan Patch
* Robbie Jones as Lewis Flynn
* Gail O'Grady as Wanda Perkins
* Sharon Leal as Vanessa Lodge
* Jeff Hephner as Red Raymond
* D. B. Woodside as Derrick Altman
* Aaron Douglas as Bill Marsh
* Craig Anderson as Morgan Pepper
* Gale Harold as Julian
* Jeremy Wong as Darwin
* Alana Randall as Frankie
* Madga Apanowicz as Kathy
* Emma Lahana as Charlotte Monroe

## Ratings

The pilot episode of "Hellcats" entitled "A World Full of Strangers" averaged a total of 3.0 million viewers and scored a 2.0 rating in the network's target audience of women 18–34, which marks the first premiere to ever match or build on an America's Next Top Model lead-in since The CW began.

The show also delivered the largest non-Top Model performance in The CW's Wednesday 9–10 pm time period in 3 years since the "Gossip Girl" series premiere.

On September 10, the network aired an encore of the pilot episode which averaged a total of 2.42 million viewers and won the hour with adults 18–49.

Hellcats delivered The CW's most watched Tuesday of the season with 2.2 million viewers watching "Papa, Oh Papa" (the 12th episode of the series) and the first in its new Tuesday 9–10 pm timeslot.

The ratings fell rapidly as the series progressed with the nineteenth episode, "Before I Was Caught", hitting a series low, with less than a million viewers watching it on April 27, 2011. The series finale was watched by 1.16 million viewers.

"Hellcats" averaged 2.11 million viewers with live +7 day DVR viewing.

## Reception

"Hellcats" has received mixed reviews, with Metacritic giving it a score of 51 percent, based on reviews from 22 critics.

It was praised and criticized by critics in several round-up reviews of 2010 in television.

Los Angeles Times had a good first impression of the pilot episode, saying, "*Hellcats has a predictable story but, on the other hand, Michalka and Tisdale seem perfect for their roles*."

The newspaper also wrote the cheerleading world portrayed in the series is a "*fun and deep world to explore*".

The journal later gave a complete review of the series, comparing it to 1983's film "Flashdance" aimed squarely at audiences too young for "Gossip Girl", but too old for "Hannah Montana."

Verne Gay of Newsday praised Aly Michalka's performance in the series, while The Hollywood Reporter praised the series itself and said it has "*multilayered characters that defy expectations*".

Mara Reinstein of Us Weekly gave an early review of the first episode of the series, saying the show has "*plenty of winning elements*," but added that the series lacks spirit. She also praised the performance and Marti's relationship with her mother.

ABC News listed Hellcats as one of the ten best new shows of 2010's fall season and described the series as "almost laughably formulaic" and added it "*works like a charm*".

Brian Lowry of Variety praised the series' promise, and said that the series has a Glee-like element in the script, while also criticizing Aly Michalka and acclaiming Gail O'Grady's performance.

Lowry also added the show's premiere "*isn't quite unabashedly trashy enough to completely qualify as a guilty pleasure*".

Curt Wagner of ChicagoNow said the series is predictable and has unrealistic situations and criticized the lack of fun in the jokes. The journal also praised Ashley Tisdale's performance, claiming she was the one who made him laugh the most.

Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times criticized Aly Michalka's performance and called the series a "*soft-porn music video for teenagers*".

Washington Post's Hank Stuever was critical about the pilot episode, describing it as "*mean-spirited, painfully dumb and badly acted*". He also wrote that "Hellcats" is the opposite to Fox's "Glee."

## Accolades

**2011**

* People's Choice Awards: Favorite New TV Drama (nominated)
* Golden Reel Awards: Best Sound Editing: Short Form Musical in Television for the episode "Back of a Car" (nominated)