Monica Aldama Inspires NBC's Comedy 'Stumble'
When Jeff and Liz Astrof decided to turn Netflix's documentary Cheer into a comedy series, they knew Monica Aldama, the cheer coach central to the docuseries, had to be part of it.
From Documentary to Comedy
Stumble, NBC’s new primetime comedy, pays tribute to cheerleading—and specifically to Cheer, the Netflix docuseries that brought the sport’s thrill and culture into the spotlight.
The showrunners, siblings Liz and Jeff Astrof, found themselves captivated by Navarro College’s championship cheerleaders and their determined coach Monica Aldama, featured in Greg Whiteley’s acclaimed series which premiered in 2020.
Changing Perceptions of Cheerleading
The original Cheer documentary shattered the stereotype of cheerleading as just sideline support—highlighting the sport’s impressive athletics, fierce competition, and diverse team members from various social, economic, and racial backgrounds, male and female.
The Genesis of ‘Stumble’
Jeff Astrof was convinced to watch the documentary by his sister Liz and quickly became hooked.
“I said, ‘You know what we should do? We should do a show where Monica goes down to the worst college in America. We’ll call it ‘Stumble,’” he recalls during a recent video call with Liz.
The idea stayed with them for a while before it finally took shape and moved forward.
Author's Summary
Monica Aldama’s story inspired the NBC comedy Stumble, which creatively honors the sport and culture of cheerleading introduced by Netflix’s Cheer.