Rollergirls - The Complete Season One
Like professional wrestling, demolition derbies, and monster truck  rallies, the roller derby is a fascinating event, even for those who  regard it as the depths of lowbrow entertainment. And the reality  seriesRollergirlsplays on viewers' inherent curiosity in the  sport and the women who risk life and limb to do it by exploring their  lives on and off the track, with some surprisingly compelling moments.  The series focuses on players from the Texas-based TXRD Lonestar  Rollergirls, each with their own particular dramas: Sister Mary Jane is  contemplating a career move, Cha Cha contends with raising a child,  Punky Bruiser struggles to break into stand-up comedy, and Lux wrangles  a romantic commitment. The series does a decent job of balancing the  personal lives of these tough, tattooed athletes with the  no-holds-barred action of the derby, and for those convinced that  roller derby "girls" are one-dimensional bruisers cut from the same  cloth as wrestlers, there's quite a bit of emotion on display as well,  especially in several scenes which cover meetings the league holds for  players to discuss their feelings (!). Though perhaps not quite on par  with other sports-struggle stories asHoop DreamsorThe  Heart of the Game,Rollergirlsis an engaging program that  wears its heart on its bruised and battered sleeve. Extras include  profiles of the players featured on the show, as well as the original  casting tapes in which they discuss their lives in greater detail. An  "Anatomy of the Bout" and featurettes on derby lingo give newcomers an  excellent, if tongue-in-cheek explanation of the (few) rules exist for  the game.--Paul Gaita