A masterpiece of theater: A&E presents roller derby

During a Web chat the other day, a reader asked for my favorite guilty pleasure. I replied "Bull-riding on Outdoor Life Network," because I wasn't thinking of roller derby — then.

Tonight at 10, A&E debuts "Rollergirls," a super-lively documentary series that captures the growing roller-derby craze and offers final proof that the once-artsy cable channel has said adios to its Jane Austen days.

That's OK. For one thing, "Rollergirls" is a lot more female-empowering than marriage to Mr. Darcy. For another, it's a well-balanced hoot. The reality-style tracking of the competitors, who hail from Austin, Texas, offers loads of personality along with abundant displays of flesh and NASCAR-style wrecks.

This fishnets-and-philosophy approach might seem like a cover for exploitation. But the producers, who also created the MTV hit "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County," are sincere. And the results aptly reflect today's roller-derby scene, currently undergoing a third or fourth revival since its Depression-era origins.

To riff on an old advertising tag, the sport has come a long way, baby — especially for women. Begun as a rival to dance marathons, male and female roller derby re-emerged in the 1950s, when television was desperate for content. (For fans, that's the period when the fabled San Francisco Bay Bombers emerged.)

Similarly, an extreme version of roller derby was developed for TV syndication in the 1980s. "Roller Games," executed in the style of "American Gladiators," spiced up the game with obstacle courses, innovative photography and fully developed back stories for the "characters."

Still, classic roller derby was pretty much out of the picture until a few years ago. That's when it suddenly found favor among young women and experienced a grass-roots revival. The historically coed sport became mostly a ladies' game.

Today, more than 40 all-female and mostly self-organized leagues exist nationwide, according to the Web site usrollergirls.com. Among them is Seattle's Rat City Rollergirls, launched in April 2004 (ratcityrollergirls.com).

The RCRG league's 2005 season was won by the Derby Liberation Front team, whose motto is "Smash the state, learn to skate." However tongue-in-cheek (and you never know in Seattle), that slogan nevertheless captures the indie spirit of today's game.

"Rollergirls" conveys the same flamboyant independence, even if the costumes owe more to "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas."

The series develops along familiar lines. Each episode is seen through the perspective of one or two players, all the while pulling us a little deeper into the lives of everyone. As with most off-kilter and potentially suspect enterprises (wrestling, prostitution, politics), a certain amount of effort is put into convincing the audience that these folks are just like you and me.

Yet "Rollergirls" never feels formulaic or as if it's striving too hard to sell us. The off-screen interviewing must have been skilled, because the women appear relaxed and pretty uncontrived, despite those few inevitable moments of self-awareness for the camera.

Or maybe the producers and director just know they have a good thing. Episode 1 juxtaposes two women from rival teams, the Rhinestone Cowgirls and the LPDF (whose full name can't be spelled out here, but is aggressively female in the spirit of Bust Magazine).

One woman, whose competitor name is Venis Envy, is an art student entering roller-derby competition for the first time. The story pits her against a crafty, engaging veteran named Lux — the old-good-girl-vs.-bad-girl setup.

But where that scenario might have been the entire focus in lesser hands, "Rollergirls" transcends dumbness and simplicity. It looks for tension in the seams. A priceless scene between Venis and her supportive-but-visibly-conflicted mom adds complexity. Lux proves lovable for more than her shapely, track-burned thighs.

The show is balanced in other respects. The color-drenched photography makes everything look especially appetizing, and the editing provides a nice mix of quick cuts and sustained exchanges. It's nice to see a reality series that doesn't strain to intellectualize pop culture, but doesn't trash it, either.

Mostly, though, it's the characters that make "Rollergirls" a pleasure. I hope the series catches on long enough for the denizens of Rat City to get their turn on the track.

TV notes: "Battlestar Galactica" has its series debut Friday, but fans can get a sneak preview tonight when Sci-Fi Channel airs "Sci Fi Inside: Battlestar Galactica." Those on the go or longing to be sprung from grid bondage also can download the half-hour special through iTunes.

Kay McFadden: kmcfadden@seattletimes.com