Buckhead meets the big screen as Westminster takes an unexpected turn into the world of reality television. The school, long known for its academic rigor, sprawling campus, and competitive sports programs, is now preparing to debut Keeping Up with the Wildcats, a brand-new docuseries that promises an authentic, and occasionally hilarious, glimpse into everyday life for students and teachers.
Premiering this fall on an as-yet-undisclosed streaming platform (though sources close to the production hint at a deal with Hulu), the show will feature a rotating cast of students, faculty, and staff– and even the occasional squirrel– as cameras follow them through hallways, classrooms, and Mawk (middle floor Hawkins).
“We wanted to showcase the real Westminster,” said Roothie Vemedhun, a member of WCAT. “We’re a community full of driven and diverse people, and there are stories here– meaningful, funny, and sometimes downright chaotic– that deserve to be told.”
The concept for Keeping Up with the Wildcats began with an internal brainstorming session among Westminster students during JanTerm, and what started as a mock pitch for a satire project quickly snowballed into something bigger. Administrators were intrigued and parents were a bit skeptical; however, the school agreed to greenlight a full-scale production.
Though a lot of the show will lean into the funny and ridiculous parts of student life, such as the caffeine dependence causing students to line up in Hawkins and the Guan Cafe for an iced caramel macchiato, the production team and student producers are also trying to make space for more serious topics. Nothing is finalized, but future episodes could include segments on academic pressure, identity, mental health, and what it actually feels like to live at the center of a high-achieving, high-expectation environment. Ideas for upcoming episodes include interviews with juniors talking about balancing school with extracurriculars, a candid conversation between teachers about burnout, and a closer look at how students handle things such as work-life balance and time management. Counselors are expected to appear in at least two episodes, offering advice like “breathe deeply,” “get more sleep,” and “please stop scheduling six APs and four clubs — you are one person, not an admissions brochure.”
News of the show has only recently started spreading yet has already sparked a mix of excitement and suspicion around campus. Some students are all-in and already joking about who the “main characters” will be. Others are keeping their heads down and avoiding eye contact with anyone holding a mic. In general, though, everyone involved insists they’re aiming for something real — a look at what actually happens between first period and after-school activities. Just real life, like the way it feels when trying to survive back-to-back tests and someone takes your usual spot in Malone.
If the pilot goes well there’s talk of turning Keeping Up with the Wildcats into a recurring series, a kind of living, streaming yearbook that captures the rhythm of each school year. There have even been whispers of spin-offs: a deep dive into the robotics team, a cooking challenge in Malone, or an episode centered on the great Homecoming dress-up week.
Whether it turns into a viral hit or just gives the school something to laugh about for years to come, Keeping Up with the Wildcats is already doing something rare: it’s getting everyone — students, teachers, and yes, even squirrels — to look around and pay attention to the weird yet wonderful world they’re living in.
