HELLCATS: A WORLD FULL OF STRANGERS {SERIES PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
One in this television series about a college student who reluctantly takes up cheerleading to avoid dropping out of school.
Marti Perkins is a Pre-Law major at Lancer University in Memphis, Tennessee. She lives with her mother, a campus employee, and has taken care of her since her father passed away. She describes the importance of football to Lancer University and of their cheerleading squad, called “Hellcats.” She and her good friend Dan make fun of the cheerleaders during their practice session, but stop when Marti notices one of them falling and suffering an injury.
Marti returns to her place later to find that her scholarship payment is three months late. She confronts her mother about it, who knew about it but kept it secret so that Marti wouldn’t worry. She doesn’t seem concerned, but Marti feels otherwise; if she doesn’t pay in a week, she’ll be unable to continue attending classes.
Meanwhile, at cheerleading practice, the injured cheerleader, named Alice, is told she’ll be out for six weeks, much to her displeasure. Vanessa, the cheerleading coach, needs to replace Alice in the next week or the Hellcats won’t be able to attend their qualifiers for the state championship.
Marti tries to get her scholarship issue worked out but the school cannot help her, directing her to seek out alternate scholarships. She discovers that cheerleaders receive a scholarship, but gets into a fight with Savannah, a cheerleader visiting the office. Marti reluctantly decides to try out for cheerleading, watching the film “Bring it On” for inspiration.
At the cheerleading tryout, Vanessa, Alice, and Savannah are judging applicants. Marti manages to impress them with her unconventional techniques, which she says she learned from “townie bars.” A male cheerleader, Lewis, talks with her and seems to like her. Meanwhile, the judges confer and Alice votes against Marti, while Vanessa believes her refreshing style is what the Hellcats need. Savannah is the tiebreaker, and despite her personal qualm with Marti votes in favor of her.
Marti moves into the cheerleader’s dormitory, known as “Cheertown.” She has a confrontation with Alice on the dorm steps, where she reveals she voted against her and voices her animosity for her. Marti finds that Savannah is her roommate, who says she is putting her personal differences aside for the good of the team.
Vanessa is informed that the cheerleading squad could be subject to budget cuts, eliminating the cheerleading competition, unless they can score a win at the national finals. She discovers that Lancer University may be bringing back an old football coach, Red Raymond, who she was once involved with. She and Red talk about old times and she mentions her new boyfriend. It is revealed that she and Red were both Hellcats when they were students at Lancer.
Marti arrives in the cheerleader’s co-ed shower, somewhat uncomfortable. She meets a fellow cheerleader, Patti “The Wedge” Wedgerman, who seems to like her. However, she also trades insults with Alice, who is confident that Marti will be gone once she recovers from her injury. While Marti is in the shower, Alice steals her robe and towel. She frantically tries to cover herself up when the boys arrive and she is forced to hide in a bathroom stall. Lewis creates a distraction, allowing Marti time to cover herself up.
While hanging out with Dan, Marti says her ambition is to one day move up north to work as a lawyer. Dan seems dismayed that she will one day leave Memphis. Later, Marti attends her first cheerleading practice and becomes influential in adding variety to their dances. Later, back in the dorm, Marti reveals her background as a gymnast in high school, but that she stopped due to an incident involving her mother’s attendance at an important final. From then on, she explains, her mother’s presence would prevent her from finishing her routines, so she stopped. Savannah reveals that Lewis asked for Marti to be his partner, displacing Alice. Alice appears by their door, listening the whole time.
Later, Alice goes to see Marti’s mother and convinces her that Marti wants her to attend the qualifier. The episode ends as Marti and the Hellcats arrive at the qualifier, Marti now more enthusiastic about her role as a cheerleader. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CW, The
- DATE: September 8, 2010 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:41:02
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 103919
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama
- SERIES RUN: The CW - TV series, 2010-2011
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Tom Welling … Executive Producer
- Allan Arkush … Executive Producer, Director
- Kevin Murphy … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Jae Marchant … Producer
- Rose Lam … Producer
- Nick Pavonetti … Associate Producer
- Lori Motyer … Associate Producer
- Kate Torgovnick … Based on "Cheer!: the Secret World of College Cheerleaders" by
- Nathan Wang … Music by
- Mary Ann Kellogg … Choreographer
- Aly Michalka … Cast, Marti Perkins
- Ashley Tisdale … Cast, Savannah Monroe
- Heather Hemmens … Cast, Alice
- Robbie Jones … Cast, Lewis Flynn
- Matt Barr … Cast, Dan Patch
- Gail O'Grady … Cast, Wanda Perkins
- Sharon Leal … Cast, Vanessa Lodge
- Elena Esovolova … Cast, Patty Wedgerman
- Aaron Douglas … Cast, Bill Marsh
- Andrew Airlie … Cast, J. Gilmartin
- Jeff Hephner … Cast, Red Raymond
- D. B. Woodside … Cast, Derrick Altman
- Jeremy Wong … Cast, Darwin
- Candus Churchill … Cast, Mona
- Jan Bobs … Cast, TV Sports Commentator