Entertainment

'Cheer Squad' & These TV Shows Have Spirit

by Laura Rosenfeld

This summer, we've seen the series premieres of many memorable reality TV shows, but there's one show that not only capped off this season but is also helping us get ready for back-to-school: Cheer Squad. This series has given us a front-row seat to all of the cheers, jeers, and tears that take place as Canada's Great White Sharks attempt to win their third straight Worlds Champion title. This all leads up to Friday night's exciting conclusion as we find out if the cheer team, which hails from Cambridge, Ontario, can accomplish a three-peat. Whether or not the team takes home this coveted title yet again, there's going to be another Cheerleading Worlds Championship next year, and I would love to know if Cheer Squad will return for Season 2 to chronicle that.

It looks like I'll unfortunately be left hanging for now. Neither ABC Spark, the Canadian TV channel on which Cheer Squad first premiered, nor Freeform have announced any plans to renew the show for Season 2. Of course, that doesn't mean the show won't be picked up for another season. We'll just need to wait for an official announcement before we can start cheering ourselves.

It's even tricky to predict when Cheer Squad Season 2 would premiere if it is renewed for another season because its run on American TV has been unconventional with a new episode bowing each weeknight on Freeform since the show debuted on Aug. 22. That seems like a way for Cheer Squad to experiment and see if there's an audience for the series. If there is, we could see more Cheer Squad on our TV screens in the future.

But in case you're in need of some spirited programming in the meantime, many other reality series have documented the ups and downs of being a cheerleader — and I'm not just talking about the physical ones.

Cheerleader Nation

The cheerleader is one of the archetypes of the American teenager, and Lifetime put it under the microscope in its reality series Cheerleader Nation, which followed the members of the varsity and junior varsity squads at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, Kentucky. With athletic and adolescent reputations on the line, you better believe Cheerleader Nation brings the drama. You can watch it all unfold over at Lifetime's website now.

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making The Team

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are probably the most famous cheerleaders in the world. So of course, earning a spot on this squad is no easy task. Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team takes you inside that process — and boy, is it competitive. Season 11 of the series just started and airs on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on CMT, but you can catch up on Season 10 through the network's website with a cable log-in.

Cheer

CMT debuted another cheerleader-centric TV show in 2012, the aptly-titled Cheer. This series followed a competitive cheerleading team whose members had to balance their cheer duties with school and everything else that's going on in a young woman's life. It doesn't look easy, and I can't imagine it was in real life. If you want to see what I mean, you can purchase episodes of Cheer through iTunes.

Cheer Perfection

Cheer Perfection was TLC's exploration of the competitive cheerleading scene, but this series focused on younger, kid athletes. The show, whose two seasons are available for purchase on Google Play and Amazon Video now, also had a Dance Moms vibe with coach Alisha Dunlap trying to lead her team to victory.

Bring It!

With an exclamation point at the end of this show's title, you know it means business. Bring It! doesn't follow a cheerleading squad, but rather, it's about the competitive dance team the Dancing Dolls and its coach Miss D. But you'll find all of the athleticism, competitive spirit, and high-pressure of belonging to a competitive cheerleading squad in this show too, which you can check out in the show's third season now airing Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on Lifetime.

L.A. Clippers Dance Squad

L.A. Clippers Dance Squad brought us into the world of pro basketball cheerleaders when it premiered in March. With returning members as well as newbies being forced to audition each season for a spot on the Clippers' dance team, no one can afford to slack off. You can watch the intense first season by purchasing episodes through iTunes, through Amazon Video, or Google Play.

But maybe if you cheer loud enough, more new episodes of Cheer Squad will be on the way before we know it.

Image: Adam Gagnon/Freeform