Archive for Monday, January 2, 2006

A&E series ‘Rollergirls’ drags like a bad documentary

By Kevin McDonough

January 2, 2006

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The television year begins in earnest after the holiday weekend with new shows and returning series.

Set in Austin, Texas, the weekly drama "Rollergirls" (9 p.m., A&E) follows several female stars of a local roller-derby circuit. While episodes include plenty of sports action, the story unfolds like a documentary, chronicling the day jobs, frustrations and family dynamics of players with names like Cha Cha, Lux and Venus Envy.

Given all of the baroque flourishes of this subculture, the tone of "Rollergirls" remains resolutely devoid of humor. The program's producers lack either the budget or the expertise to present the derby competitions with much cinematic flair, so you can see why they decided to concentrate so much effort on the interpersonal rivalries and nearly Disney-fied tales of bonding and empowerment. If you're looking for a tacky, over-the-top take on roller derby, you're out of luck. For the most part, these "Girls" are often dull.

¢ The silly summer reality series "Beauty and the Geek" (8 p.m., WB) returns for a second viewing. As if the WB schedule didn't seem confusing enough, the Frog network will air "Geek" every day this week. For the uninitiated, this gender-role comedy pits teams of socially challenged male geniuses against dim, disinterested and pathetically uneducated sorority types.

Mixed pairs compete in varying tests of brains and social skills, with the last surviving tandem vying for a $250,000 prize. Tonight's challenges include a spelling bee and a dance contest. Despite ample opportunities for cruelty, last summer's "Geek" had moments of near-touching understanding between players. In the end, the women always come out looking worse. While one can turn a nerd into a "player" (the social trajectory of a vast number of Hollywood executives), the women have a much more crippling handicap. Stupidity is forever.

Today's other highlights

¢ Live coverage of the Tournament of Roses Parade (10 a.m., HGTV).

¢ Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff take over the late Peter Jennings' anchor desk on "World News Tonight" (5:30 p.m., ABC).

¢ Furtive footage on "Surface" (7 p.m., NBC).

¢ "Biography" (7 p.m., Biography) profiles Cher, the first of a weeklong salute to stars of the 1970s.

¢ West Virginia and Georgia meet in the Sugar Bowl (7:30 p.m., ABC).

¢ A patient seems too brave to be true on "House" (8 p.m., Fox).

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