The Stumble Cast on Combining Comedy with Cheerleading and Cast Friendships
I stepped onto the set of Stumble — a new NBC mockumentary about competitive junior college cheerleading — and it was definitely thrilling. On a Brooklyn soundstage, the production had constructed a full-size replica of a junior college gym.
Creative Team
- Words: Lauren O’Neill
- Photography and Creative Direction: Lewis Vorn
- Videographer: Marie Koury
- Makeup: Anissa, Arianna - Mikey Clifton, Georgie, Taylor - Erin Acker
- Hair: Taylor - Michael Zambrano; Anissa and Georgie - Beth Rolon; Arianna - Gayette Williams
- Styling: Georgie solos - Zoe Gofman; Arianna solos - Venetia Kidd; Anissa solos - Marissa Pelly; Cheer costumes - Leah Katznelson and Angel Peart
Cheerleading's Rise in Popular Culture
By 2025, a show like Stumble was long overdue. Over recent years, the spotlight has firmly shifted onto competitive and professional cheerleading. Since 2020, when Netflix's first season of Cheer debuted and became a global sensation — even inspiring viewers to try back handsprings at home — cheer culture has increasingly entered the mainstream.
"Both programmes revealed the real people behind the sheen, tapping into the cheerleader as a figure beyond the bitchy high school archetype."
Following Cheer's huge success, Netflix also released America’s Sweethearts, a documentary about the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, further exploring this world.
Summary
Stumble captures the evolving and authentic story of cheerleading, blending humor with heartfelt insights into the lives of junior college athletes.
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