Cheer Up Baby
starring: HALLE FLETCHER & NOAH ANDRE
Jane, the mascot of the high school cheerleading team is bullied by the school tyrant. When her house is destroyed by a tornado she is forced to move in with her childhood nemesis who she hasn’t seen in years…
REVIEW
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It says something about where certain verticals have gone this year that I now approach a synopsis with bullying in it with trepidation.
Thank goodness then for Ideali Projects and Danny Farber as although there is bullying here it is pared back, and serves the story rather than being sensationalist.
We are back in safe hands people. A cute fun high school romance, where our leading lady finds her courage, brings together the outsiders to form an alternate cheerleading squad and finds true love along the way.
This captures all the awkwardness of high school and first love, there are so many mistaken / accidental kisses here. But when everything is revealed it is worth waiting for. Ep 44 has one of the best ever love confessions. It is so good.
And I think it is made by the fact we have a fresh cast who do look closer to high school age than some vertical casting.
Halle Fletcher is super as Jane. I mean we are stretching here that glasses make her plain, but it is more about her body language, and how William coming back into her life helps her decide to reassert herself. My one wish is that there had been time for a longer dance segment in the cheer competition at the end given Halle's dance pedigree. One day I will get my dance vert, and Halle needs to star in it.
And casting directors should be stampeding to cast Noah Andre. Basically run and book him. Because he has charisma, charm and on screen presence plus he can act - his face when it is raining contraception is a hoot, and the hurt/bewilderment when Halle pulls away again.
Also shout out to the alternate cheer squad who are great fun.
And finally Douglas Jung - how could you? (Sorry forgot the whole acting thing.) Very upset when Josh made a power move against William.
I really hope this does well as the leads deserve to get lots more roles, and we need to prove that you don't need lots of gratuitous violence to make a successful vert.
I want more comedy, fluffiness, and cute romances like this.
💖 Top swoonworthy moment:
Episode 44.
I’m not saying more. You have to watch it.
🦹🏼♂️ Top villain award:
Sophia is the typical high school bully. It feels awful that I have to write this but honestly one of the best things about this is that the bullying never goes too far - it doesn’t become the abusive / violent / degradation that is happening in too many shows.
It is mainly tripping Jane up, and trying to manipulate things. And that is a MASSIVE RELIEF. I know we need a bully for the plot but we don’t need to be subjected to so much nastiness and traumatised by it.
😂 Comedy gold:
We have an incredibly supportive mum here - which leads to the funniest scene when William finds the gift she left for him… Raining contraception!
🎺 Unsung hero:
I love everyone on the alternate cheer squad, and in an ideal world they would have had even more screen time - my stand out moment has to be Mario and his epic swoon.
✍🏼 DETAILS
Director Danny Farber | 2025
Available on DramaBox
