Hellcats

Welcome back to your regularly scheduled programming! The new and old series have made for a triumphant return of Fall TV, but don't get too attached to any new shows just yet. Just today, The CW announced that it's giving full-season pickups to Hellcats, Nikita, and One Tree Hill, but not all shows have been so lucky (and there are some whose fate hangs in the balance). Here's a rundown of the network pickups and cancellations to help you keep up with all the behind-the-scenes action.

What's in: CBS just gave full seasons to all of its freshman shows (Hawaii Five-0, Blue Bloods, Mike & Molly, The Defenders, and $#*! My Dad Says). Over on NBC, Outsourced, The Event, and Law & Order: LA got the full-season greenlight, and Fox picked up Raising Hope.

What's out: Fox drama Lone Star was the first show to be canceled, followed by ABC's My Generation and NBC's Outlaw.

To see which shows could be next up on the chopping block, just read more

Now that all the new Fall TV shows have premiered (with one already canceled), I thought I'd check in on some of the freshman series to find out if you've been watching. Today, I'm looking at CW drama Hellcats.

The college-set cheerleading soap has had a few strong episodes since its pilot. Ashley Tisdale has proved she can be more than just a mean girl, while Aly Michalka is pretty charismatic in the lead. The relationships are starting to form (one of my favorite storylines has been the flirtation of Dan and Savannah) and as I noted in my first impression, I love watching the choreographed cheerleading routines (not to mention the recent street dance battle!). I'm going to continue to watch and see if I get hooked, but I'm more interested in your take; have you been watching this new series? What do you think?

Photo courtesy of The CW

From Felicity to Mr. Big's ex-wife, you're sure to recognize some familiar faces popping up in new places on the Fall TV lineup. A few of our favorite Friends are returning in January, while Captain Kirk, Lost-ies, and more are already back on the small screen. Check out the case files on these favorites!

Ashley Tisdale bared her belly and held onto her pompoms on the set of Hellcats in Vancouver yesterday. The actress plays college cheerleader Savannah in the upcoming CW series but is quick to point out her new character's distinctions from the one she played in High School Musical. Ashley's show may not be entirely groundbreaking, but the workouts are certainly keeping her bikini body in shape. She'll also be returning to her roots as Sharpay in the upcoming HSM spin-off, though this time she won't be joined by her real-life best friends and former costars Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens.

Now that I've given you a taste of the new shows coming this Fall, I've had a chance to actually watch the pilots for most of the newbies. You can only assess so much from promos and photos, so it's time to share my thoughts on each of the show's series premieres. First is The CW's new cheerleading series, Hellcats.

What it's about: Marti (Alyson Michalka) is a pre-law student who spends her time making fun of cheerleaders (like Savannah, played by Ashley Tisdale) when she's not studying. Her world is rocked when her mother can't afford to pay her tuition, forcing her to take desperate measures to stay in school. When she learns that she can earn money with an "unconventional scholarship," Marti finds herself trying out for the cheering squad, and eventually immersing herself in a world she used to scoff at.

Where it works: Riding the success of Glee, High School Musical, and Bring It On, Hellcats embodies that cheesy variety show vibe you can't help but love. Even in the midst of cringe-worthy dialogue and stereotypical characters, the cheering routines and dance sequences are so much fun to watch. Plus, this is The CW, and the show is a perfect fit for the network's demographic.

Where it doesn't: Hellcats has fun moments, but it's also severely lacking a fresh angle. Like I said, it borrows elements from a lot of things we've seen before, but doesn't really add a new twist. The pilot also tries so hard to establish Marti as the edgy, cynical girl, from her leather jacket to her fingerless gloves.

Am I hooked? I'll give it a few episodes to pick up, but I just don't know if I'm getting anything from the intersquad drama that's any different from other CW shows.

For more photos and a video sneak peek, just read more

The Gossip Girl panel was the main event for The CW at the TCA yesterday, but we also got a closer look at the network's spankin' new series. Shane West and Maggie Q took the stage first to discuss Nikita, followed by Ashley Tisdale and Aly Michalka representing their cheerleading series Hellcats.

• Getting into shape to play kickass assassin Nikita has been all work and no play for Maggie Q, who said, "I don't do anything but sleep when I'm not working. I have no life. I'm no fun. All I want to do is sleep and get ready for the next day. It's awesome."
• Girl power was a popular theme on the Nikita panel, with producer McG noting, "I think we're all very excited about the notion of empowered female characters, and we like those shows . . . it's just I like the idea of empowered female characters that don't apologize for being beautiful, but are very, very intelligent and multidimensional, and I think Maggie nails that voicing."
• Fun fact: Maggie Q first started training for action movies in Asia for films produced by Jackie Chan.
• Maggie also gushed about Angelina Jolie when asked which female action stars she idolizes: "What I like that's happening right now in films in the action genre, which didn't happen before, was they're using incredibly credible actors now in these big action roles. You see Angelina Jolie in a movie like Salt and she's very believable, but not because she's super tough or has more muscles than the next girl. She's an incredible actress, and that toughness comes from a place that's very internal, which is the reason why she's so good at what she does."

For highlights on Hellcats, just read more

School's almost out for Summer and so are most TV shows — but we can still study up on what's coming to us in the Fall. I've already taken a closer look at $#*! My Dad Says and Better Together, but now let's move to the guilty pleasure genre with CW's Hellcats.

• Who's in it? You'll remember Ashley Tisdale as drama queen Sharpay from High School Musical, and she's joined by fellow Disney alum Alyson Michalka.
• What's it about? Cheerleaders — but in college!
• Why it caught my attention: With Greek on the way out, I need a new show to help me reminisce about my college days. Plus, who doesn't love Bring It On?
• Show most likely to: Have the most catfights.

  To watch a preview, just keep reading