The Stumble Cast on Combining Comedy with Cheerleading
I stepped onto the set of Stumble — a new NBC mockumentary about competitive junior college cheerleading — and it was an exciting experience. On a Brooklyn soundstage, the production had created a full-size replica of a junior college gym.
Production Team Credits
- Writer: 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 to Mainstream Culture
In 2025, a show like Stumble was long overdue. Over recent years, competitive and professional cheerleading has firmly captured public attention. Since 2020, when Netflix’s Cheer premiered and became a global sensation, cheer culture has steadily entered the mainstream. That documentary inspired many viewers to believe they could perform cheer stunts at home.
Following Cheer's success, Netflix released America’s Sweethearts, a documentary about the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, deepening audiences' understanding of the dedication behind the glamour.
"Both programmes revealed the real people behind the sheen, tapping into the cheerleader as a figure beyond the bitchy high school archetype."
Author's summary: Stumble arrives as a timely comedic mockumentary that explores the evolving and widely appreciated world of competitive junior college cheerleading with authenticity and humor.