Plot: What’s it about?
The World Wrestling Federation is loaded with talented performers, wrestlers who are the prime example of athleticism, charisma, and overall entertainment. The men and women sacrifice a lot to be part of the WWF, but even that is not the start of their hard work, as only proven talents are signed to this federation. The wrestlers have toiled in the independent circuits, working for little to nothing, spending countless weeks on the road, with no promise of a chance at the major leagues, just their own inner drive. But for thirteen individuals, the road to the WWF will be a little smoother and while it won’t be easy, it won’t be hard as most paths to the largest sports entertainment realm in the world. Out of thousands of applicants, MTV and the WWF selected five women & eight men to be part of an intense training program, where only one of each sex would endure. This means constant training, learning to take bumps, high end weight lifting programs, and all sorts of other challenges, but the winners gain the ultimate prize. One woman and one man will outlast the others, prove themselves as tough enough, and get WWF contracts.
Although I was skeptical about the format and I wasn’t pleased with the final choices, Tough Enough has won me over, no doubt about it. It starts off a little slow, but as soon as the competition starts, Tough Enough turns into one terrific television series. I was surprised by how candid the series is, as we get to see a lot of WWF superstars out of character, which is rare, even in this era of sports entertainment. The contestants are often in awe of the pros and look at them as fans, but the wrestlers don’t often return the emotion. Instead, guys like Tazz and Triple H grill them about how hard the lifestyle is, how much pain is involved, how much time you spend on the road, and how important respect for the business is, among other topics. As a fan of his, I was also glad to see Al Snow as the central trainer and while he does cut the kids more slack, he never hesitates to put them back in their places, not even for a second. The show is well edited and put together also, so all the suspense, drama, and emotion is in place. If you’re a fan of professional wrestling or just love reality television, then be sure check out Tough Enough.
It seems like Paramount has learned its lesson about television shows on DVD, as we’re given the complete first season in one pack here. I think this is a wise move, as it allows them to push the entire season at once and that means even the weaker episodes sell, as opposed to just the most popular ones. In addition, it is excellent news for fans, as it lets us scoop up all the episodes in one fell swoop. I think this saves viewers cash of course, but also shelf space, as one nice box holds all the volumes of the season. I know this series is shorter than most and that means space is not much of an issue, but complete seasons is the way to go, without a doubt. This set includes three discs with all thirteen episodes of Tough Enough’s debut season, complete with bonus footage and some great audition tapes. I commend Paramount for their solid work on this set and of course, I hope future seasons are given the same commitment.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in full frame transfers, as intended. I found that the episodes look better than they did on MTV, with a sharper, more defined image available, thanks to the abilities of the DVD medium. The way Tough Enough was filmed doesn’t allow for a pristine, reference level transfer on the usual DVD standards, but the episodes look excellent and simply put, I doubt they could look much better on DVD. The colors and contrast seem in top shape, while compression errors are minimal, to say the least. In the end, I think Paramount has issued these episodes in fine form and while the material has some inherent faults, fans should be delighted here.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is a basic audio track and given the nature of the material, it works out well enough and covers all the needs. I think some extra power behind some of the slams, bumps, and drops would have been nice, but this mix supplies all the basics, which turns out to be adequate. As this is a reality based series, it needs a more reserved, natural audio presence and that is what this mix is able to achieve. So don’t expect your system to hit new highs in terms of performance, but the included mix is more than effective, so no worries.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a selection of humorous submission tapes, as well as some extra footage added into some of the episodes.
