Angry at TNN, Heyman created the character “Cyrus” played by wrestler Don Callis as the voice of “The Network.”  Cyrus was an annoying killjoy heel who would ruin matches and interviews all in the name of “The Network.”  Fans grew to resent “the Network” and, just as Heymen intended, fans began to direct that anger at TNN itself. or the Table Races (D’Von… get the tables!) Atkinson was the first third generation skater in roller derby history. No Lindsey Francis in a bikini bumper? Nevertheless, some cross-promotion between the two programs did occur, notably when ECW wrestlers such as Axl Rotten and Tommy Dreamer appeared on RollerJam as "enforcers" for the Florida Sundogs against the New York Enforcers. The first episode of the show was taped in November 1998, a week after Thanksgiving.[4]. Under the name PageBoy Entertainment, Bagwell and Land pitched their idea for an exciting and modern version of roller derby using the trendy new inline rollerblades to television networks. They’d use colorful nicknames and “gimmicks” such as Devo, the escaped convict who skated for the Nevada Hot Dice, or El Numero, a luchador who was a member of the New York Enforcers. Land, a fan of roller derby in boyhood, was inspired to bring the sport back to television by an obituary for roller derby legend Joan Weston that he had read in the New York Times in May 1997, and shared his idea with Bagwell, his mentor, who gave him a positive response. Nowicki would eventually play a dual role on screen, playing not only Commissioner Kenneth Loge III but also Florida SunDogs manager Leonard Loge III. In another pro wrestling connection, the first and later part of the second season was filmed at Universal Studio’s Stage 21 in Orlando, Florida. Fabricated storylines and made up characters became more heavily featured around season 2 and 3, especially after ECW joined the Friday lineup. RollerJam Photo Album By Shawn Halman This Photo Album Is Dedicated in Memory to Rollerjam And Its Skaters Rollerjam Debut January 16, 1999 On TNN, And Ended On January 19, 2001. In one of the more pro wrestling type storylines, current CBS Sports Network play-by-play commentator James Bates was hired to play “the Prophet.” The Prophet was used as Kenneth Loge III’s lackey in the “crusade for morality” storyline. With all due respect to the Voodoo Penguin, Taker Fan & the late twtf.com, getting picked up by 411 meant that I had arrived. [2] Between January 1999 and January 2001,[3] Bagwell and Land, under the name Pageboy Entertainment, collaborated with CBS to stage this new televised revival of roller derby. The first few weeks of the show's second season, which ran from August to October 1999, were taped at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. All Rights Reserved. It’s like a traveling circus with fighting on roller skates… or something like that, I thought. August 14, 2004 is one of those dates that I’ll always remember. Enter your email address to subscribe to TRN and receive notifications of new posts by email. Leo Seltzer’s fictional granddaughter “Lisa Seltzer” was soon added to the show, played by former Mouseketeer and actress Lindsey Alley. The “Last Man Standing” was a tie-breaker event with no penalties and no time limit in a full-team version of a wrestling Battle Royale match. The first episode was taped in November of 1998 and RollerJam was on its way! Every television season climaxed with the most important event of the year, the WSL’s version of WrestleMania that they called The Demolition Derby. RollerJam was the brainchild of Knoxville, Tennessee-based television impresarios Ross K. Bagwell, Sr. and Stephen Land. country.com A new book on the history of the Roller Derby is in the making. Despite strong funding and four seasons of broadcasts on TNN, RollerJam never became a “live” attraction. One of the first things they did was hire Jerry Seltzer, son of roller derby creator Leo Seltzer, to be commissioner of the new league. Jerry Seltzer quit the league after the first season citing his disgust with the scripted pro wrestling theatrics. As the competition cooled off the viewers began tuning out of pro wrestling as the industry headed for a down period. As the ratings declined for both ECW and RollerJam TNN decided to pull the plug. Bedridden and fighting through his final breaths, he's a source of deep sadness for his wife, who's succumbing to overwhelming grief. Two notable veterans from Roller Games, "Rockin'" Ray Robles and "Latin Spitfire" Patsy Delgato, were featured in the second season of RollerJam. Francis would turn manipulative and cunning, cheating her way to a victory by secretly joining the rival New York Enforcers. Lua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 22: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). Skaters of both teams fought to eliminate the opposing players by knocking them over the rails or into the infield of the track until one skater was left standing. RollerJam was derived from the original roller derby, but newer skaters used inline skates to modernize the sport (several skaters, mostly older ones, used the traditional quad skates). RollerJam featured several teams of skaters competing in the fictional World Skating League (WSL). As roller derby fans grew unhappy with the turn towards a more entertaining show than sport, the real pro wrestlers weren’t happy either. In 2002, a year after the show ended “Rollersport” was formed as an attempt to revive the sport as a true athletic competition by acquiring former RollerJam skaters using their inline skates and a new track. Like many others though I was utterly OBSESSED during the wrestling boom of the “Monday Night War.”  It was in my high school cafeteria one day when my friend Joe asked if I was going to watch “RollerJam”? Child of the 90's. Match up features Telisa Miller and Stacey Blitsch. Texas Rustlers versus Chicago Riot. What is that? I must have been over on the other channel watching WCW’s Nitro and missed it. The initial teams, each consisting of seven men and seven women, were the New York Enforcers, California Quakes, Florida Sundogs, Nevada Hot Dice, Texas Rustlers, and Illinois Riot (the original names of the latter three teams were the Las Vegas High Rollers, Texas Twisters, and Illinois Inferno; their names were changed prior to the start of the first season). Filter and Browse options 11 Results Much like pro wrestling organizations that go on tour to increase audience interest and revenues, the hopes for taking RollerJam on the road never materialized. Veteran actor Tom Nowicki was hired to take over as commissioner under the name Kenneth Loge III. Several trademarks for the proper noun "Roller Derby" are currently in effect in multiple countries. During the 1940s roller derby became extremely popular as a true sport but in the ensuing decades, however, it predominantly became a form of “sports entertainment.”. In a similar move to ice hockey, the referee could also assign players to a “penalty box” for violating rules or face ejection from the game. A successful pitch to The Nashville Network (TNN) was made and a deal was signed. Lindsey and Jamie Conemac jam, with Lindsey pushing Jamie into the rail. RollerJam continued on for a few more months, likely only because the episodes were already filmed, before airing its final episode on January 19, 2001. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Using high flying stunts, brute physicality, beautiful women, muscular male athletes, compelling storylines, bright colors, and outlandish characters made RollerJam perfect for its time and a wonderful addition to my teenage memories. Jerry Seltzer served as on-screen WSL commissioner, although he only made a few appearances. To help their mother and say their goodbyes to their father, grown-up siblings Louise (Marin Ireland) and Michael (Michael Abbott Jr.) return to their family farm. A clear cut heel turn, if I ever saw one. The WSL also employed some familiar faces to pro wrestling fans. An entertainment exhibition involving a contest between teams of roller skaters, first used in commerce in 1935. Gamble appeared with WWE a handful of times as enhancement talent or a background actor. Roller derby? Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Professional roller derby was considered near death after the moderate success of the late 80’s tv show “RollerGames” and the flop of 1996’s “Roller Derby USA”. Tom Nowicki is an American actor who has appeared in several feature films, television series, mini-series and movies of the week. A clear cut heel turn, if I ever saw one. RollerJam tried some fan-friendly rule changes from the original to gain the viewer’s interest and attention. RollerJam used ingredients to attract the youth of the ’90s that would make me watch all over again today given the opportunity. https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=RollerJam&oldid=2357497, First-run syndicated television programs in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, About Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Tom Nowicki is an American actor who has appeared in several feature films, television series, mini-series and movies of the week. The next few episodes would then concentrate on the difficulties of the racer switching to the new style of wheels and then eventually cover the redemption part of the story. Fabricated storylines and characters in the mode of professional wrestling were being featured more than actual competitive skating, raising the ire of many skaters and fans of true roller derby. Details coming soon! RollerJam called it the “RollerJam Arena” but today pro wrestling fans know it as the “TNA Impact Zone.” The show would temporarily move to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for the first half of the second season and film in the former American Gladiators studio at CBS Studio Center in Hollywood for the show’s final season. To prevent a match from going long, RollerJam created the “Tiebreaker Match Race” where one skater from each team would race 5 laps around the track and the first to cross the finish line won the game for their team in exciting sudden-death overtime. The most points ever scored in one jam was 28 in Period 3 of a game between the New York Enforcers and the Illinois Riot. The match continued until all skaters had been knocked over the railing to the outside or into the track’s infield. He is a member of the Actors' Equity Association and the Screen Actors' Guild who is best remembered for his lead appearance on RollerJam (1999–2001) and also appeared in the television pilot of L.A. Wrestling fans know Paul Heyman as a genius when it comes to promotion and wrestling storylines. This irritated many of the skaters and fans of true competitive roller derby causing the ratings and interest to begin declining. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. To gain further fan interest, RollerJam held special events or matches much like pro wrestling gimmick matches or big “pay-per-view” events. TNN would later become “The National Network”, then “Spike TV” and is currently called “The Paramount Network.”. Without the scripted sports entertainment, and the nation’s changing interests following 9-11, the fan following just wasn’t there and in 2003 the project collapsed. © 2020 The Retro Network. Tom Nowicki is an American actor who has appeared in several feature films, television series, mini-series and movies of the week. Tom Nowicki is an American actor who has appeared in several feature films, television series, mini-series and movies of the week. Join Facebook to connect with Lindsey Francis and others you may know. His parents Buddy (Jr.) and Dru Atkinson and his grandparents Buddy (Sr.) and Bobbie Atkinson all skated for Leo Seltzer's original derby. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. He is a member of the Actors' Equity Association and the Screen Actors' Guild who is best remembered for his lead appearance on RollerJam (1999–2001) and also appeared in the television pilot of L.A. Danny Wolfe talks to Lindsey Francis: Lindsey's changing her ways - she's only two steps away from completing her program. RAW debuted on TNN on September 25, 2000, and despite the rumors that ECW and WWF would coexist, ECW was canceled just two weeks later.