Make It or Break It, Volume One

On the surface this ABC Family series focusing on four teenage gymnasts competing to land a spot on the U.S. Olympic team looks like a spin-off of the feature film Stick It, right down to the addition of a working-class girl named Emily (Chelsea Hobbs), who joins the nationally rated Rocky Mountain Gymnastics Training Center in Boulder and becomes the odd one out among the daughters of the ambitious and affluent, including Lauren (Cassie Scerbo), Kaylie (Josie Loren), and Payson (Ayla Kell). But Make It or Break It is ultimately not so much about rebellion as it is about issues facing most modern teenagers—girls in particular—further exacerbated by the stress of training in the rarified culture of national competition. The array of conflicts and challenges—coming from boyfriends, parental pressure, and self-expectations—add up to a soap opera catalog of emotional crises, but the series addresses these issues frankly and honestly. The 10 episodes of this two-disc set, which take the competitors through the collapse and rebuilding of the team under a new coach and the march to the Junior Nationals in Boston, comprise the first half of the 2009 debut season. DVD extras include the featurette “Making It” (in which the young stars discuss balancing the physical demands of their roles with their performances) and deleted scenes. While the show does deal with mature subject matter, including sex, these topics are handled respectfully and responsibly. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)