While it's not great, and there is some seriously subpar acting skills on the part of the young leads, it is still mildly entertaining, and since I had the displeasure of sitting through Stick It (the similarly themed movie) this wasn't so bad by comparison. Admittedly, I'm judging this by the fact that it is geared for the barely post-Disney Channel audience and not necessarily expected to be a heavy drama with any real weightiness or importance. The show isn't trying to change the world, just show cute girls in leotards starving themselves, trying to control their hormones and twisting and turning through the air.

Basically there are three girls (Lauren, Payson and Kaylie) and they are the elite girls at their Boulder gym facility. Its all-consuming. They get there at the crack of dawn, their parents are expected to contribute and be involved, they have to be home-schooled and have strictly enforced guidelines about dating (not allowed at all during finals time). They have ruled the roost for years and they don't take kindly to scholarship student Emily, who struts in just as they are battling it out for their shot on the National team. Emily's got a heap of issues of her own -- her brother is in a wheelchair, she's been bounced all around the country, her mom's kind of trashy (in an awesome way) and selfish (in a less awesome way), she has to work at a pizza joint to help pay rent and she's an outsider. But she proves herself, despite all the bitchy comments and sabotage going on behind her back. And in the end, that comes back to bite everyone in the butt, when Lauren loses her top three spot. The spoiled gal and her dad (who seems to run, or fund, the gym) up and leave with their coach (the adorable Erik Palladino... who I really thought would have a better career than this), deserting the remaining girls right before their big competition.

Peri Gilpin and Brett Cullen (Goodwin from Lost!) play somewhat sane parents (to Payson and her younger gymnast sister) and I think I'll grow to like them as the series moves on. I was mostly excited to see Candace Cameron (now Candace Cameron Bure) again. I miss DJ now that she's all grown up, and I thought for sure she'd next be on Dancing With the Stars or something of that ilk. Instead, she's here playing the assistant/secret girlfriend/mistress to Lauren's father, who's name is Steve Tanner. If they get married and she becomes Lauren's stepmom, she'll be a Tanner again. I have to suspect that was on purpose, right? It can't just be a coincidence that they are using that last name... at least I would hope not.

Anyway, it's light, and aside from the poor teenage delivery of the lines and utterly predictable nature of the show, it's fine summer fluff, especially for the target demo. I am out of that demographic by a long shot, but my aforementioned love of the sport and the lack of shows occupying space in my TiVo right now, will likely keep me hanging on, at least until Greek comes back in August.