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As we get closer to the fall, NBC is finalizing its lineup for the 2025–2026 season, and the network just added one more comedy TV series to its schedule. NBC's executives have been weighing their options following the finales in May, trying to decide which comedies to take a chance on. Thankfully, for Stumble, NBC has landed on it.

NBC has ordered Stumble to series (per a report from Variety). Stumble is a cheerleading comedy TV show starring Jenn Lyon and Taran Killam, with Kristin Chenoweth playing a recurring character. Additionally, the upcoming series is being described as a mockumentary, meaning NBC is continuing to participate in the resurgence of the once popular genre. Check out Stumble's logline below.

"Coach Courteney Potter (Jenn Lyon) is determined to rally her newly recruited junior college cheer squad to win her record-breaking 15th championship and improve their lives along the way."

What Stumble's Series...

NBC has added another new comedy series for the 2025-26 season, handing a series order to Jeff Astrof and Liz Astrof’s single-camera cheerleading pilot Stumble, headlined by Jenn Lyon. The decision comes days before the options on the cast were set to expire at the end of this week.

This is the second of three comedy pilots NBC has ordered so far in 2025 to score a series pickup, joining The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, starring Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe and executive produced by Tina Fey, which was ordered to series in May. There is no decision yet on the third pilot, an untitled community center comedy from the Rutherford Falls trio of Sierra Teller Ornelas, Jackie Kaliiaa and Bobby Wilson, which was the last of the three to get a pilot order and the last to be delivered.

It has been hard to get a good...

NBC has greenlit the comedy series “Stumble,” Variety has learned.

Originally ordered to pilot back in March, the series is set in the world of competitive cheerleading. The cast includes Jenn Lyon, Taran Killam, Ryan Pinkston, Jarrett Austin Brown, Anissa Borrego, Arianna Davis, Taylor Dunbar, and Georgie Murphy. Kristin Chenoweth will recur.

The official logline for the series states, “Coach Courteney Potter (Lyon) is determined to rally her newly recruited junior college cheer squad to win her record-breaking 15th championship and improve their lives along the way.”

“Stumble” hails from writers and executive producers Jeff Astrof and Liz Astrof. Dana Honor is executive producing via Defining Eve Productions, with cheerleading coach Monica Aldama also executive producing. Jeff Blitz directed and executive produced the pilot. Universal Television is the studio.

No official launch date for “Stumble” has been set at the time of this publishing, but NBC does still have two...

NBC has positively flipped for Stumble, giving the cheerleading mockmentary a series order for the 2025-26 TV season.

The network thus is one step closer to filling some holes in its fall schedule, which is waiting on sitcom lead-outs for both St. Denis Medical (on Mondays) and Happy’s Place (on Fridays). The Tracy Morgan/Daniel Radcliffe comedy The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, which already has a series order, is also in the mix to claim a time slot, while an untitled project from Sierra Teller Ornelas (Rutherford Falls, Superstore, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), set at a Native American community center,...

NBC has granted a series order to Jeff and Liz Astrof’s new cheerleading comedy “Stumble.”

The single-camera comedy has been ordered to series by NBC, the network announced Tuesday, just over four months after the network gave a pilot order to the comedy series.

Jeff and Liz Astrof serve as writers and executive producers for “Stumble” alongside EPs Dana Honor and cheer coach Monica Aldama, who most recently appeared on Netflix’s “Cheer.” The show hails from Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, and Honor’s Defining Eve Productions.

Jeff Blitz directed and served as an executive producer for the pilot.

The official logline is as follows: “Coach Courteney Potter is determined to rally her newly recruited junior college cheer squad to win her record-breaking 15th championship and improve their lives along the way.”

The cast for “Stumble” includes Jenn Lyon, Taran Killam, Ryan Pinkston, Jarrett Austin Brown,...

NBC is adding to its comedy roster.

The network has given a series order to Stumble, a show centered on the coach (Jenn Lyon) of a community college cheerleading team. The series comes from creators (and siblings) Jeff and Liz Astrof and Universal Television.

Stumble joins fellow first-year comedy The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, starring Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe, on NBC’s slate for 2025-26. The network’s schedule for fall currently has two open spots for half-hours on Mondays and Fridays, and it seems likely (though NBC hasn’t formally said so yet) that the two newcomers will fill those slots. Second-year shows St. Denis Medical (Monday) and Happy’s Place (Friday) are slated to be the other halves of hourlong comedy blocks on those nights.

A day after ordering Stumble, NBC said it wouldn’t go forward with comedy pilot from Rutherford Falls creator Sierra Teller Ornelas,...

NBC has a pilot for a new cheerleading comedy, Stumble, in the works, and Kristin Chenoweth has now been officially added to the main cast. Those without much Broadway knowledge would likely still recognize the actor from the screen, particularly after Kristin Chenoweth’s Wicked cameo, an acknowledgement of Chenoweth earning one of her three Tony nominations for originating the role of Glinda. She’s also appeared in BoJack Horseman, Pushing Daisies, Glee, The Descendants, and the Netflix romantic comedy Our Little Secret, along with far too many other stage and screen credits to mention.

But Kristin Chenoweth’s best onscreen performances may not all be behind her. As reported by Deadline, Chenoweth is now joining the cast of the cheerleading mockumentary series Stumble as a series regular. She’ll be playing the perky, 1989-obsessed Tammy Istiny (pronounced Iss-tih-knee), who takes over for former junior college competitive cheerleading coach Courteney...

Exclusive: Tony and Emmy winner Kristin Chenoweth has joined the cast of Stumble, Jeff Astrof and Liz Astrof’s single-camera cheerleading comedy pilot for NBC. Set to recur should the pilot go to series, she joins series regulars Jenn Lyon, Taran Killam, Jarrett Austin Brown and Georgie Murphy, Ryan Pinkston, Anissa Borrego, Arianna Davis and Taylor Dunbar.

Written by the Astrof siblings, Stumble is a mockumentary about the ridiculously high stakes competitive world of junior college cheer. It centers on Courteney Potter (Jenn Lyon), a top junior college cheer coach who is pushed out over a controversial video and forced to take a job at a little know school.

Chenoweth will play Tammy Istiny. Her last name is pronounced “Isstinny,” but everyone thinks it’s “Is Tiny” (which does not sound farfetched given Chenoweth’s 4’11” frame.) Courteney’s longtime assistant coach, once a star flyer herself, Tammy lives and dresses in her heyday,...

Exclusive: Ryan Pinkston (Young Rock), Anissa Borrego (Ths Is Us), Arianna Davis and Taylor Dunbar round out the series regular cast of Stumble, Jeff Astrof and Liz Astrof’s single-camera cheerleading comedy pilot for NBC. They join reviously cast Jenn Lyon, Taran Killam, Jarrett Austin Brown and Georgie Murphy.

Written by the Astrof siblings in their first collaboration, Stumble is a mockumentary about the ridiculously high stakes competitive world of junior college cheer.

Pinkston will play Stevie who dropped out of junior college four credits shy of graduating. Over a decade later, he re-enrolls and joins Courteney’s (Lyon) new team as a thirtysomething “senior.”

Borrego, who trained as a gymnast and cheerleader growing up, will play Krystal. A true Cheerlebrity, Krystal is the star flyer at Sammy Davis Sr. Junior college.

Davis, a professional dancer, will play Madonna, the narcoleptic tumbler who ironically provides the cheer team with energy.

“Stumble,” an NBC comedy pilot described as “a mockumentary about the ridiculously high stakes competitive world of junior college cheer,” has added Taran Killam, Jarrett Austin Brown and Georgie Murphy to its cast.

They join previously announced star Jenn Lyon, who plays Courteney Potter. Courteney is “tied for the winningest coach in junior college cheer history” but “has a huge fall from grace when a ‘scandalous’ video emerges of her partying with her team, forcing her to take a job coaching at a small crappy school in a town with an unpronounceable name.”

Killam will play Courteney’s husband and high school sweetheart, Boone E. Potter. Boone is the football coach of Sammy Davis Sr. Junior college.

Brown will play Dimarcus, “the starting quarterback who leads the team in rushing yards and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.”

Murphy will play Sally, who “grew up in the foster care system before moving into...

Exclusive: Taran Killam (High Potential), Jarrett Austin Brown (Don’t Turn Out the Lights) and Georgie Murphy (Small Achievable Goals) have been cast as series regulars opposite Jenn Lyon in Stumble, Jeff Astrof and Liz Astrof’s single-camera cheerleading comedy pilot for NBC.

Written by the Astrof siblings in their first collaboration, Stumble is a mockumentary about the ridiculously high stakes competitive world of junior college cheer.

Killam will play Boone E. Potter, the football coach of Sammy Davis Sr. Junior college, married to his high school sweetheart and cheer coach, Courteney (Lyon). Brown will play Dimarcus, the starting quarterback who leads the team in rushing yards and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Murphy will play Sally who grew up in the foster care system before moving into her car at 18. Not a great cheerleader, but Courteney sees potential in her.

Liz Astrof and Jeff Astrof executive produce alongside cheerleading coach Monica Aldama,...

Jenn Lyon has been cast in a lead role in the NBC comedy pilot “Stumble,” Variety has learned.

The pilot was originally announced back in March. As previously reported, the logline for the show states that it is “a mockumentary about the ridiculously high stakes competitive world of junior college cheer.” The project was originally set up with a put pilot commitment at NBC in late 2024.

Lyon will star as Courtney Potter. The character description reads:

“Tied for the winningest coach in Junior College Cheer history, Courteney has a huge fall from grace when a ‘scandalous’ video emerges of her partying with her team, forcing her to take a job coaching at a small crappy school in a town with an unpronounceable name. Can she win the championship with a rag tag team of misfits? She can. She must. She … might not.”

Lyon is best known for her leading role...

Jenn Lyon (Claws) has been cast as the lead of Stumble, Jeff Astrof and Liz Astrof’s single-camera cheerleading comedy pilot for NBC.

Underlining just how tight the job market is post-peak TV with well-paying series regular role opportunities few and far between, there were six well known actresses who tested for the part, I hear. Most of them have led series, movies or Broadway productions, with major award winners in the midst.

Written by the Astrof siblings in their first collaboration, Stumble is a mockumentary about the ridiculously high stakes competitive world of junior college cheer.

Lyon will play Courteney Potter. Tied for the winningest coach in Junior College Cheer history, Courteney has a huge fall from grace when a “scandalous” video emerges of her partying with her team, forcing her to take a job coaching at a small crappy school in a town with an unpronounceable name. Can...

The finale of Cheer Season 2 ends with a power struggle rocking North Texas. Vontae Johnson and Tvcc triumph at Daytona Beach, leaving Monica Aldama and her newly unseated championship team, the Navarro Bulldogs, to fight for their next win. But what’s been happening with the teams since the dramatic competition took place in April 2021? Find out who’s practicing again for next year and who’s left Corsicana, possibly for good.

Maddy Brum True to her word, Brum is back at Navarro to compete for that elusive 2022 championship ring. She’s been cheering at football games and hanging with her Bulldog besties, and we’re ready to see her fly high once again.

Gillian Rupert Joining Brum is fellow flyer Rupert, who’s also ready for a dub. After a tough end to this...

Exclusive: Emmy-winner Jeff Blitz is set to direct and executive produce Stumble, a single-camera comedy pilot from writers/executive producers Liz Astrof (Pivoting) and Jeff Astrof (Shining Vale) and executive producers Monica Aldama and Dana Honor.

Written by the Astrof siblings, Stumble is a mockumentary about the ridiculously high stakes and competitive world of junior college cheer.

Liz Astrof and Jeff Astrof executive produce alongside cheerleading coach Monica Aldama, known for her appearance on the Netflix docuseries Cheer, and producer Dana Honor through her Defining Eve Productions. In addition to directing, Blitz will executive produce the pilot only. Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio.

Blitz is an Emmy-winning director of a dozen episodes of NBC’s The Office as well as co-creator/showrunner of Comedy Central series Review for which he directed the entire run. He recently served as an executive producer...

Kiernan Shipka has a new job in the Industry.

The Mad Men and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina vet has joined Season 4 of the aforementioned HBO/BBC series, our sister site Deadline reports. She will play Haley Clay, “an executive assistant at payment processor Tender.”

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Also boarding the show are Toheeb Jimoh (Ted Lasso) as Kwabena Bannerman, a trader at Mostyn Asset Management; Jack Farthing (Poldark) as Edward Smith, a troublemaker and...

NBC has given out a pilot order to the single-cam project “Stumble.”

The show is described as “A mockumentary about the ridiculously high stakes competitive world of junior college cheer.” The project was originally set up with a put pilot commitment at NBC in late 2024.

Jeff Astrof and Liz Astrof are writing and executive producing the pilot. Dana Honor is executive producing via Defining Eve Productions, with cheerleading coach Monica Aldama also executive producing. Universal Television is the studio.

Both Jeff and Liz Astrof, who are brother and sister, are veteran comedy writers and producers, but this marks the first time they have teamed up to create a series.

Jeff recently created the Starz series “Shining Vale” and previously co-created the NBC mockumentary series “Trial & Error.” His other credits include “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” “Grounded for Life,” and “Friends.”

Liz recently worked on the ABC comedy “Not Dead Yet...

Exclusive: NBC has given a pilot order to Stumble, a single-camera comedy from writers/executive producers Liz Astrof (Pivoting) and Jeff Astrof (Shining Vale) and executive producers Monica Aldama and Dana Honor.

As Deadline reported earlier this month, the cheerleading half-hour had been among two comedies heating up for a pilot order at NBC. The other, a single-camera headlined by Tracy Morgan from Tina Fey, Robert Carlock and Sam Means, was picked up to pilot last week.

Stumble is a mockumentary about the ridiculously high stakes and competitive world of junior college cheer.

NBC landed the project for development late last year in a competitive situation with a put pilot commitment. It is written by veteran comedy showrunners, siblings Liz Astrof and Jeff Astrof, in their first team-up to create a series together.

Liz Astrof and Jeff Astrof executive produce alongside cheerleading coach Monica Aldama, known for her appearance on the Netflix docuseries Cheer,...

Exclusive: In a competitive situation with multiple bidders, NBC has landed single-camera comedy Stumble with a put pilot commitment. It is written by Liz Astrof and Jeff Astrof, each a comedy showrunner in their own right teaming up for the first time to create a series together.

Stumble is a mockumentary about the ridiculously high stakes and competitive world of junior college cheer.

Cheerleading coach Monica Aldama, known for her appearance on the Netflix docuseries Cheer, is executive producing the comedy, which is expected to feature a female coach character. Liz Astrof and Jeff Astrof also executive produce alongside producer Dana Honor through her Defining Eve Productions.

With the pitch landing at NBC, Stumble will be produced by sibling Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

The Astrof siblings have worked together, with Liz serving as a consulting producer on two series co-created/executive produced by Jeff, NBC’s...

Netflixs 2024 docuseries, Starting 5, offers an in-depth exploration of the personal and professional lives of NBA superstars LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, and Domantas Sabonis. Produced by Kevin Durants Boardroom, the series goes beyond basketball, delving into the players' cultural influence, personal challenges, and triumphs. It captivates audiences with intimate interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and a focus on how these athletes shape fashion, mental health discussions, and social justice movements, making it a must-watch for sports and culture enthusiasts alike.

If you enjoyed Starting 5 for its compelling mix of personal stories, sports action, and cultural commentary, youll likely appreciate other movies and TV shows that provide similar thrills and insights. From acclaimed sports documentaries to gripping real-life dramas, there are numerous films and series that highlight athletes lives on and off the field like Starting 5, while also showcasing their impact on wider societal conversations. Whether you're...

In Cheer, Navarro College head coach Monica Aldama works with her team for months to get ready for nationals. But how does such a talented and dynamic group get put together in the first place?

It’s no question that trying out for the world’s most famous cheerleading squad can be scary, to say the least — especially since only 40 people, a lot of whom are returning members, make the team each year. But Aldama tries to make the process as comfortable as possible. “I've always been very big on trying to make the tryouts feel very laid-back so that the person that is trying out can be more relaxed,” Aldama says. “A lot of times, they're very nervous and sometimes even intimidated, because they're coming into this college environment and into a team that's really good.”

And “really good” is an understatement. The Navarro Bulldogs are a beast in...

Monica Aldama‘s son Austin Aldama, has been arrested on child pornography charges.

You may recognize the 51-year-old as the coach of the co-ed cheerleading team at Navarro College, which was the subject of a Netflix TV docu-series titled Cheer.

Aldama‘s son, who is 27 years old, was arrested for 10 counts of possession of pornographic images of children, TMZ is reporting. He was booked, but has been released on bond under stipulations including random drug testing, random searches to his electronic devices, and prohibited viewing of any X-rated material.

Prosecutors are saying they have evidence of materials featuring children under the age of 10 in video files.

This is not the first child pornography case to hit the Navarro area. Jerry Harris, who starred in Cheer, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for child pornography.

Monica Aldama is retiring from coaching.

The 51-year-old Navarro College coach, who was prominently featured in the Netflix hit reality TV cheerleading series Cheer, announced the news on her social media.

“If you had asked me 30 years ago where my life was headed, I never would have thought I would be coaching cheerleading, certainly not for 3 decades,” she began in a lengthy post on Instagram.

Keep reading to find out more…

“As a young, naive 22-year-old, I had big plans for my future. I just knew I would make it to Wall Street one day and build my business empire. It’s funny how life works though. God knew what He had in store for me and what my purpose was going to be. I took what I thought was going to be a temporary job coaching, but here we are 30 seasons later.”

“God knew exactly what my passion was,...

Monica Aldama, the cheerleading coach from Netflix‘s docuseries Cheer, has revealed that a lawsuit accusing her of covering up sexual assault has been dismissed. The lawsuit stemmed from a cheerleader who claimed that Aldama, squad members, and school staff at Navarro College discouraged her from filing a report after she says she was sexually assaulted by a team member during her first semester. She also claimed that Aldama told her, “If you keep quiet, I’ll make sure you can cheer anywhere you want.” Aldama denied the accusations at the time and has now revealed that the lawsuit against her has been dropped. On Saturday, November 11, the coach shared a lengthy Instagram post where she opened up about what she’s been dealing with for the past six months. “It’s 10:00 pm and I am just finding my voice today. I have been at a loss for words since 9:00 am this morning,...

Everyone loves an underdog, but it’s possible nobody loves one more than Greg Whiteley. With Netflix hits “Cheer” and “Last Chance U,” the documentarian trained his eye on undergraduate athletes whose programs lack the resources or respect of a Big Ten institution. Each show made a compelling case for its subjects’ skill, tenacity and right to a bigger spotlight; “Cheer,” in particular, made stars of its protagonists, a charismatic squad of Texas students who performed death-defying stunts with a smile.

The second season of “Cheer” was forced to reckon with the fallout of its own success, taking some focus away from its namesake sport to address squad member Jerry Harris’ being sentenced to prison for soliciting sex from minors, as well as coach Monica Aldama’s stint on “Dancing With the Stars” and the uncomfortable transition from challenger to heavy favorite. Thankfully, Whiteley’s latest effort offers a fresh start.

“Wait, the name at the top of this website reads ‘Den of Geek’ and now they’re talking about sports? Don’t they know I’m gangly and uncoordinated?”

Yes, dear reader, we know that. Truth is, we’re all gangly and uncoordinated as well. But that doesn’t mean that we geeks can’t occasionally get together and enjoy the dramatic majesty of competitive sports. Sports documentaries have always been a part of the entertainment ecosystem. Of late, however, it seems as though there’s more of them for the casual sports fan or even fully sports-phobic TV-watcher to enjoy.

ESPN’s “30 for 30” sports documentary initiative kicked off a new era of TV sports documentaries in 2009. And since then, the offerings have only gotten better. With streamers like Netflix fully into the fray there have never been as many compelling sports stories being told as there is right now.

A former cheerleader for Navarro College says she was sexually assaulted by a fellow, male cheerleader in September 2021 and has filed a lawsuit.

The Bulldogs squad is considered legendary by many in the cheerleading world, its notoriety amplified by the Netflix docuseries “Cheer”, which ran for two seasons.

Allegations detailed in the 20-page lawsuit filed in a Dallas court include: an overall culture of abuse, violence, hazing, and cover-ups within the program. It names the cheerleader’s alleged attacker, the college and head coach Monica Aldama.

According to the lawsuit, the former cheerleader called Aldama and told her about the assault.

“Let’s not make this a big deal,” Aldama said, according to the lawsuit. “I want the best for you and I will help you cheer wherever you want.” She then hung up.

Read More: 'Cheer': Monica Aldama on the Toughest Moment in Season 2 and LA'Darius Fallout (Exclusive)

Several days later,...

The college that was seen on Cheer, the Netflix docuseries following the cheer team in Texas, is once again in the news. Navarro College, with head coach Monica Aldama (who became known following the aforementioned show on the streaming service and went on to compete on Dancing With the Stars), director of athletics Michael Landers, Title IX coordinator Elizabeth Pillans, and the person accused named, is being sued for allegedly concealing a student’s sexual assault in fall 2021, Entertainment Weekly reports after reading a complaint filed on April 26. According to the lawsuit, the student is accusing one of the male members of the cheer squad, invited over by her roommate when she was sleeping, of climbing into her bed. She said, according to the report, “that she tried to call for help and eventually was able to push him away.” She also claimed that among those who told her not...

Monica Aldama, who starred in the Netflix docuseries “Cheer,” allegedly told a former student to “keep quiet” about being sexually assaulted.

Cheerleader Madi Lane claims she was sexually assaulted in 2021 by teammate Salvatore “Salvo” Amico during her first semester at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, according to court documents obtained by TheWrap.

After Lane told Aldama about the alleged assault, she said the coach told her, “Let’s not make this a big deal. I want the best for you and I will help you cheer wherever you want.”

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“You just need to drink it off.. that’s what Navarro girls do, they drink. We don’t tell anyone. We just keep it to ourselves,” Maddy Brum, the team’s unofficial captain, allegedly told Lane.

Aldama told TMZ that she’s “heartbroken by...

Dancing With The Stars professional dancers Jenna Johnson and Val Chmerkovskiy have announced the birth of their first baby on January 10. Jenna and Val met on the show, and they quietly began dating in 2015. They got engaged in Venice, Italy in 2018, and were married in April 2019 at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. They spent their honeymoon in St. Lucia, and later exchanged vows again in Jenna's Utah hometown in June 2019. In July 2022, Jenna and Val announced that they were expecting a baby after a two-year struggle with infertility. In August, they announced that the baby would be a boy.

In an Instagram post, Jenna and Val announced the birth of their baby boy. Jenna posted a black and white photograph of Val cradling her hand in his, while the baby holds her thumb.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy (@jennajohnson)

The caption reads,...

The Television Academy on Tuesday announced its first batch of presenters for this year’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which will be held over two consecutive nights, Saturday, Sept. 3, and Sunday, Sept. 4.

The first group features some 2022 Emmy nominees including W. Kamau Bell (We Need to Talk About Cosby), Colman Domingo (Euphoria; Fear the Walking Dead), Marcia Gay Harden (The Morning Show) and Randy Rainbow (The Randy Rainbow Show).

Other presenters include Monica Aldama and Morgan Simianer (Cheer), Skylar Astin (So Help Me Todd; Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist), Christine Chiu and Kevin Kreider (Bling Empire), Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance), Chris Hardwick (Talking Dead; @midnight), Jon Huertas (This Is Us), Jane Levy (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist), Ralph Macchio and William Zabka (Cobra Kai), Simone Missick (All Rise; Iron Fist) and Niecy Nash (The Rookie: Feds; Reno 911!).

The 2022 Creative Arts Emmy Awards will take place at the Microsoft Theater.

Click here to read the full article.

Cobra Kai stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka are among the first group of presenters announced for next month’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

In addition, the Television Academy and executive producer Bob Bain on Tuesday unveiled several other names who’ll take the stage to present at the ceremony, which takes place over two nights, Sept. 3 and 4.

The first group of presenters also includes Cheer’s Monica Aldama and Morgan Simianer, Skylar Astin, W. Kamau Bell, Bling Empire’s Christine Chiu and Kevin Kreider, Cat Deeley, Euphoria’s Colman Domingo, Marcia Gay Harden, Chris Hardwick, This Is Us’ Jon Huertas, Jane Levy, All Rise’s Simone Missick, Niecy Nash and Randy Rainbow.

Organizers said in their announcement that the group of presenters “reflect the diverse talent and storytellers throughout the television industry and represent some of the year’s most popular programs across many genres and platforms.

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official awards predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis; Awards Circuit Column, a weekly analysis dissecting the trends and contenders by television editor Michael Schneider (for Emmys) and Davis (for Oscars); Awards Circuit Podcast, a weekly interview series with talent and an expert roundtable discussion; and Awards Circuit Video analyzes various categories and contenders by Variety's leading awards pundits. Variety's unmatched coverage gives its readership unbeatable exposure in print and online, as well as provide inside reports on all the contenders in this year's awards season races.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Emmys Collective

Visit each category, per the individual awards show from The Emmys Hub

To see old predictions and commentary,...

The first season of Netflix’s “Cheer” won three Emmys in 2020 for Best Unstructured Reality Program, Best Directing and Best Picture Editing. Two years later, the popular docuseries is nominated for those exact same three awards. “I try to pretend as a documentarian, as an artist, to be above such things as awards, but I’m really not,” smiles nominated director/producer Greg Whiteley. “I was super excited and flattered and I’m really looking forward to the ceremony, and it’s been fun to plan with my wife what we’ll do that night.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

The last time around, the Creative Arts Emmys went virtual because of the pandemic, but this year the ceremony will be back to normal. “It was so fun to be a part of even that virtual festivity … [but] I’m really looking forward to this, to being there in person,...

Variety is pleased to announce that Amanda Seyfried, Murray Bartlett, Brendan Hunt, Lily James, Himesh Patel and Danny Strong have been added to the lineup for its second-ever Virtual TV Fest: The Nominees, featuring five panels airing virtually on Aug. 10 to an audience of voters. To register for the event, head to variety.com/tvfest.

Variety TV Fest: The Nominees expands its popular TV Fest franchise to include panels with Emmy-nominated actors, directors, producers and writers in the comedy, drama, limited/anthology, documentary and reality competition/nonfiction series categories.

The comedy series panel includes:

Paul W. Downs, “Hacks” John Hoffman, “Only Murders in the Building” Brendan Hunt, “Ted Lasso” Amy Sherman-Palladino & Dan Palladino, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Paul Simms, “What We Do in the Shadows”

Henry Winkler and Anthony Carrigan, “Barry” Moderated by Michael Schneider, TV Editor, Variety

The drama series panel includes:

Dan Erickson, “Severance” Peter Gould, “Better Call Saul” Ashley Lyle,...

Jerry Harris, who was prominently featured in Season 1 of Netflix’s Cheer, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for soliciting sex and pornographic photos and videos from minors, USA Today reports.

In September 2020, Harris was arrested after 14-year-old twin brothers alleged that he repeatedly harassed them online and in person when they were 13 and he was 19. One of the brothers also accused Harris of asking him for sex at two cheerleading competitions.

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Cheer‘s Jerry Harris will face 12 years in prison on federal charges surrounding child pornography. On Wednesday, he was sentenced to federal prison after being indicted on seven counts of receiving and attempting to receive child sexual abuse images between 2017 and 2020.

He originally faced a 15-year sentence for 12 counts but ended up being indicted for seven after pleading guilty to the charges in February. In a statement to Rolling Stone in February, Harris’ attorneys wrote that Harris “wishes to take responsibility for his actions and publicly convey his remorse for the harm he has caused.

Congratulations! You just scored a backstage pass to the hottest tickets in town.  After Covid-19 put a pause on live entertainment, your favorite artists are ready to hit the road and entertain audiences safely with brand-new tours and experiences. And regardless of where you are, we're offering an all-access ticket to every must-see concert of the year. Welcome to E!'s Backstage Pass. This summer, we can, we will, we must see Cheer Live on tour. National champion coach Monica Aldama always knew that Navarro cheer was bigger than just Texas. So when the Netflix star was presented with the idea in 2020 to take the show on a national tour, she was all ears. "It's...

In Gold Derby’s latest roundtable group panel, leading reality TV producers, directors and stars discuss how the Covid-19 pandemic affected their various shows and how working in the medium has given them thicker skin. Our Meet the Experts: Reality TV panel includes participation from Monica Aldama (star of Netflix’s “Cheer”), Sue Aikens (star of National Geographic’s “Life Below Zero”), Nneka Onuorah (director of Amazon Prime Video’s “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls”), Paris Hilton (star/producer of Peacock’s “Paris In Love”) and Jonathan Murray (producer of Paramount+’s “The Real World Homecoming”). Watch the group panel above. Click on each person’s name to watch an individual chat.

The panel begins with Hilton and Murray reflecting on their original celeb-reality show “The Simple Life,” which aired two decades ago on Fox. “I’ve gotta say, Paris, I apologize, I underestimated you,” admits Murray. “You are a force.

“We had no idea when we were filming this that it would be so big,” reveals Monica Aldama (“Cheer”), the coach of the Navarro College cheer team and the star of Netflix’s docuseries. “It is cheerleading, and cheerleading does have a stereotype, so we weren’t really prepared for what was to come.” Aldama joins Gold Derby as part of our Meet the Experts: Reality TV panel (watch the exclusive video interview above).

The inspirational coach continues, “Our lives kind of went from zero to 100 really fast [after Season 1]. We were just taking it in, all of these wonderful opportunities came our way. But obviously with something this big comes some devastating things as well. So the past two years have been, if you’ve watched Season 2, lots of ups and downs and difficult times.”

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“The good thing about living in a small town...

Five top TV reality stars and producers will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2022 Emmy Awards contenders. They will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Thursday, May 26, at 6:00 p.m. Pt; 9:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our senior editor Denton Davidson and a roundtable chat with all of the group together.

RSVP today to our entire ongoing Emmy contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.

This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2022 contenders:

Cheer (Netflix)

Synopsis: In the small town of Corsicana, Texas, a hard-driving head cheer coach demands perfection from her team of competitive college athletes.

Bio: Monica Aldama is featured in this docuseries as Navarro College Cheer Head Coach.

The producers behind Netflix’s breakout hit Cheer didn’t go into Season 2 with a plan on what to cover — and fortunately they didn’t have to. The show’s massive success and how fame impacted head coach Monica Aldama became the tale to tell, and whether it would put her competitive cheer team at Navarro Community College in Texas at a disadvantage.

“I don’t think anybody knew that this show was gonna be so big. I certainly didn’t. It’s cheerleading. It has a stereotype,” said Aldama, speaking at Deadline’s Contenders Television: Documentary + Unscripted event along with the docuseries’ director/executive producer Greg Whiteley and Vontae Johnson, head coach of rival Trinity Valley Community College. “I was just hoping people in the cheer community would watch it. I had zero expectation and we basically went from zero to 100 really fast. None of us were prepared for...

What does it take to get Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness to show up on time for shoots on their Emmy-winning Netflix series? “Tough love,” jokes fellow cast member Bobby Berk.

That’s one of the many revelations — humorous and otherwise — you can expect from Deadline’s all-day Contenders Television: Documentary + Unscripted virtual event, which gets underway Saturday at 9 a.m. Pt and takes you inside the hottest nonfiction series and films competing for honors this TV awards season.

Click here to sign up for and watch the livestream.

Among the 21 series and 60 stars, creators and showrunners being showcased in the all-day event, Lucy and Desi director Amy Poehler reveals how she uncovered the “human story” of television icons Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, mining a trove of never-before-heard audio tapes of the showbiz couple. W. Kamau Bell tells us about taking on a fallen TV icon, Bill Cosby,...

Break out the back handsprings, Navarro are champions again. The stars of Netflix's Cheer took home the trophy in the Advanced Large Coed Junior College division at the Nca Daytona National cheer competition on April 8. Head coach Monica Aldama was, of course, on hand for the proceedings alongside fan favorites LA'Darius Marshall, Morgan Simainer, James Thomas and Gabi Butler. While the hit reality show hasn't officially been renewed for season three, if it does come back we know it will end with a big Navarro Bulldogs party in Daytona. Navarro was able to reclaim the top prize from their rivals Trinity Valley Community College—more on them...

Director Greg Whiteley is giving a crash course in Cheer. In a recent interview on the Reality Life With Kate Casey Podcast, the documentarian broke down the many intricacies of cheerleading and revealed what drew his attention to the tiny town of Corsicana, Texas. To kick things off, Greg delved into his introduction to Navarro and Monica Aldama, recalling how he was in the middle of filming Last Chance U when his crew noticed the cheerleaders on the sidelines. "In an effort to do things differently, we went and filmed one of their practices," he explained, "and it was strangely intense." After that, he began researching the top college cheer teams and found out about...

Photo: Cheer Season 2 ‘Cheer’ season 2 is doing what many other shows cannot, evolving without completely reinventing. Perhaps this is thanks to the competitive nature and premise of the show, a drama series about competitive cheerleading, and the amount of surprising skill and dedication that goes into perfecting the sport. And yes, the characters and creators classify the bone-tiring, technique-dependent, and highly competitive actions of the protagonist cheerleaders as a sport. Especially with new prestigious spots opening up on the team, the fighting for said coveted spot gets fiercer as the season progresses. The production team has to not only consider this but also find an accurate and realistic way to capture the past two years of the careers and lives of the different rosters. The new roster includes Jerry Harris, Lexi Brumback, Gabi Butler, Monica Aldama and Morgan Simianer who are all various athletes competing on the show. Related article:...

Rival Texas schools Navarro College and Trinity Valley Community College each were paid $30,000 for their participation in the second season of Netflix’s “Cheer,” a price that was set in the initial location fee agreement between Navarro and the show’s production company before “Cheer” became a smash-hit streaming sensation.

As first reported by Variety‘s sister site Sportico, “In 2018, Navarro signed a deal with a production company in which the school agreed to be paid $30,000 for the rights to film a season of a then-untitled cheerleading documentary, according to a copy of the rights agreement obtained by Sportico.”

The pact has a built-in exclusive option for “Cheer” producers to renew at the same $30,000 fee each year for five additional academic years, giving the production company “exclusive rights to film and exploit the Cheerleading Athletics as part of the Series” during the contract’s term period.

“Everybody thinks we made...

The Cheer producers have some explaining to do. Season two of the docuseries premiered on Netflix last week, reuniting viewers with faces old and new. Among the newcomers are the cheerleaders from Trinity Valley Community College, which is located about 40 miles down the road from Corsicana, Tex., where Monica Aldama and the bulldogs train. The Tvcc Cardinals are coached by Vontae Johnson, a footballer-turned-cheerleader with a no-nonsense attitude. He is joined by assistant coach Khris Franklin, as well as team leaders Jada Wooten and Jeron Hazelwood. Together, they've trained to become one of Navarro's fiercest competitors at the National Cheerleaders Association's...

Warning: The following details the events of Cheer Season 2, Episode 5 and beyond.

When Cheer Season 2 kicks off, coach Monica Aldama and last season’s breakout cheerleaders are grappling with fame and the opportunities that come with it.But by Episode 5, a far less complimentary type of media attention takes over.

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Those viewers who expected the Netflix docuseries to edit around Jerry Harris until the fifth installment addressing his...

A far less interesting version of “Cheer” Season 2 would have ignored how much of a phenomenon the show immediately became upon its January 2020 debut. Weeks before the pandemic brought most of the world to an unsettling halt, Netflix’s docuseries was an unavoidable smash hit, making overnight celebrities of its Texan cheerleader subjects whether they wanted the spotlight or not. They went on “Ellen,” “Dancing with the Stars,” and the Oscars red carpet. They became Instagram influencers and TikTok stars. They became characters both relatable and aspirational for millions of viewers across the world who suddenly felt incredibly invested in the results of a cheerleading competition. In its second season, “Cheer” could’ve just followed that story all over again, yielding decent results. It could’ve gone the “Tiger King 2” route, only briefly acknowledging the series’ impact before reverting back to old storytelling habits. Instead, both by choice and by wild circumstance,...