1/31 U.S. TV Alert: "Skate For the Heart" on NBC | Golden Skate

1/31 U.S. TV Alert: "Skate For the Heart" on NBC

Sylvia

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
This Disson show is scheduled to air on NBC tomorrow (January 31, 2010) from 4:00 - 6:00 pm EST - check your local listings.

It was taped on September 19, 2009 at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Featured skaters: SASHA COHEN, EVAN LYSACEK, JOHNNY WEIR, JEREMY ABBOTT, ALISSA CZISNY, MIRAI NAGASU, CAROLINE ZHANG, TANITH BELBIN & BEN AGOSTO, KEAUNA MCLAUGHLIN & ROCKNE BRUBAKER.

Michelle Kwan co-hosted with Peggy Fleming. Musical guests included Jordin Sparks, Charice, Honor Society and KSM.
 

DesertRoad

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 31, 2005
So far, the camera has focused mostly on Jordin Sparks and her tortured tube dress, with a few brief cutaways to the skaters.

Speaking of tortured, Kwan still sounds like she's chewing on marbles when she's talking. What did they teach her in college?

Also, Silk is overpriced and horribly watered down. Vitasoy ftw!

Good god, this is awful: 5% skating, 95% close-ups of bands and singers that aren't even has-beens, just never-was. And Kwan gets less intelligible by the moment. Working for the Bush administration would do that to you.
 
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Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
So many great skaters in this show, but if they keep showing 2/3 of each program with the camera on the band and 1/3 on the skater(s) it is unwatchable. The duet of Evan and Sasha was cute, but she was only out there for like 30 seconds. I hoped they would do some lifts or something.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Johnny's Lady Gaga and B&A's Bleeding Love were shown in their entirety. A little better. But Johnny's Poker Face at Nat's was so much better!

The line up looks like they were trying to guess the US Olympic team...and it shows how much things changed this year.

Back in Sept, B&A were the ones to beat, despite not being US champions. Come Jan, they were second place. So D&W aren't here. M&B were US champions; not even going to Olympics, and only one of 4 ladies featured made it to Olympics, and she in 2nd place. The only thing they got right was the men.
 
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DesertRoad

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 31, 2005
Ouch, Jeremy Abbott, who could very possibly be the Olympic champ in a few weeks, is reduced to an optional backdrop for the Jonas Brothers' opening act.

Why? Why do they insist on showing us the band so damn much? Bands are for listening, not looking at, especially when they look that bad.
 

yunasashafan

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
There is someone apparently right next to the mic who's constantly screaming.. it's not even well-timed to the music or performance, just constant screaming.. so annoying!
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I think the bands have contract language that guarantees them a certain amount of face time on these shows.

Anyway, Michelle is doing great. :love:

Hey, what happened to the Bush reference? I was about to say how much more articulate Michelle is now that she is working for Obama. :laugh:
 
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DesertRoad

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 31, 2005
Quad the flutz? That director cuts away from Alyssa every time she spins. What is wrong with him/her? How can s/he, as a human being, not be fascinated by and attracted to that union of perfect form, perfect movement and blithe defiance of inertia? That director is on my list. :mad:

IHey, what happened to the Bush reference? I was about to say how much more articulate Michelle is now that she is working for Obama. :laugh:

Yeah, but she's working with Joe Biden. That does not help.
 
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jennylovskt

Medalist
Joined
Oct 20, 2006
Well, it's always good to see some of my favorite skaters. Don't really care what they skated though. Also as you all have said, their skating have been cut to minimum. It's difficult to watch. They must have hired some girls to scream close to the mic because the audience were pretty calm at the time.
 

tilak

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
There is someone apparently right next to the mic who's constantly screaming.. it's not even well-timed to the music or performance, just constant screaming.. so annoying!

Yep, that did it for me..I eventually had to turn the channel. Could NOT take the screaming! :sheesh:
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Does anyone hqve any inside information about how this show was financed? Did the skaters volunteer for the cause (prevent heart attacks), or did they get paid.

There were so many ads it made me think that this was one of those deals where the network does not sell advertisement, but rather the producer of the show buys the time slot from the network and then it is the producer tht is responible for rounding up enough sponsors to make it pay.

There were many ads featuring skaters that we never see on any other show (like Peggy Fleming yukking it up with the manufactuirer of a fish oil remedy). It made me wonder if there was a lot of "creative financing" going on, where skaters agreed to appear in ads cheeply or for free if the sponsors would support the show, or something like that.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
That's the trouble with shows of this kind, with live performers--the camera cuts away from the skater to show the singers. Makes me gnash my teeth! I try to remind myself that Jordin Sparks and other popular performers might bring in viewers and up the ratings, but it's so frustrating when you can't watch the skaters build their routines.

Of course it's great to have a chance to see any skaters on TV these days, and it's especially nice to see currently competing skaters such as Zhang and Nagasu in a relaxed format.

Political jokes aside, I feel that Michelle isn't yet adept as a commentator. Though she's plenty bright and has much experience in the spotlight, she doesn't have either natural talent or training in this area. By contrast, Peggy is able to invest her words with both clarity and feeling. I always wondered whether Peggy just gained practice, or whether she trained in some way. Her first attempts were very whispery and tentative, as I recall. Such training would benefit Michelle, not just for her skating commentary but to prepare her for what I imagine her eventual job will be, in foreign relations. This is a lady who will be giving a lot of speeches!
 

DesertRoad

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 31, 2005
The highest profile musical "star" at this dog and pony show was Jordin Sparks, and she's not that popular any more—her last album and singles tanked. The other musical acts they kept cutting to were even lower profile. One is an expired YouTube sensation, another is a band of 30-something guys with the delusion of going after the Jonas Brothers demographic. The focus on them defied sense, and outright insulting to the elite athletes performing.

I wouldn't bet on Michelle ever becoming a good commentator. She's had years to work at it, and she still doesn't get it. Chalk it up to one of those things MK just can't do, no matter how much she tries, like a true 3lutz, a good layback, or winning an Olympic gold.
 

paralegalmkfan

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
The highest profile musical "star" at this dog and pony show was Jordin Sparks, and she's not that popular any more—her last album and singles tanked. The other musical acts they kept cutting to were even lower profile. One is an expired YouTube sensation, another is a band of 30-something guys with the delusion of going after the Jonas Brothers demographic. The focus on them defied sense, and outright insulting to the elite athletes performing.

I wouldn't bet on Michelle ever becoming a good commentator. She's had years to work at it, and she still doesn't get it. Chalk it up to one of those things MK just can't do, no matter how much she tries, like a true 3lutz, a good layback, or winning an Olympic gold.

Your unquenchable love for Michelle Kwan is way too over the top.
 

ARipp42014

Medalist
Joined
Feb 1, 2010
I've watched parts of it yesterday and I couldn't help but cringe with all those teenyboppers being there for the musical acts and not for the skaters. Seriously, all you see are posters for that Jonas Brothers wannabes during Jeremy's performance.

At least Johnny Gaga "saved" the show!

As far as Kwan's commentary, not my cup of tea. She's a little dry. :(
 

inside edge

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 26, 2009
that's the trouble with shows of this kind, with live performers--the camera cuts away from the skater to show the singers. Makes me gnash my teeth! I try to remind myself that jordin sparks and other popular performers might bring in viewers and up the ratings, but it's so frustrating when you can't watch the skaters build their routines.

ita
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
By contrast, Peggy is able to invest her words with both clarity and feeling. I always wondered whether Peggy just gained practice, or whether she trained in some way. Her first attempts were very whispery and tentative, as I recall.

In Peggy's book The Long program (great title!), she says she was really bad at it at first and got better only with years of practice. Plus, she was terrified of Dick Button. :laugh:

Somehow she got it in her head that Dick Button had once been crtical of her skating and didn't like her. Fortunately, Button was able to clear that up -- he loved Peggy's skating and was very pleased to take her under his wing as a fledgling commentator.

No reason for the meanies to pick on Michelle in any case. She has no serious practice or training in this area, just some pep rally speeches for the State Department about work hard and get back up after you fall, etc. :) We'll see how it all turns out. Anyway, everybody loves Mivchelle, so THIS for the critics: :p
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Well Dick and Peggy loved Michelle when she was competing so I can't imagine that Michelle feels any annamosity from her fellows in the booth. She just seems self-concious when talking, something I never got from her when she was a skater. I guess she feels all eyes on her or something. I read once that the best performers are very shy in real life. When they are stage they feel like another person and thus can bare thier soul. I guess the ice was Michelle's stage.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Well Dick and Peggy loved Michelle when she was competing so I can't imagine that Michelle feels any annamosity from her fellows in the booth. She just seems self-concious when talking, something I never got from her when she was a skater. I guess she feels all eyes on her or something. I read once that the best performers are very shy in real life. When they are stage they feel like another person and thus can bare thier soul. I guess the ice was Michelle's stage.

I think you have something there, Tinymavy. Additionally, Michelle may have grown up being told to behave and not to reveal too much emotion, because she was in the public eye from such a young age. That can be very inhibiting after awhile. Besides, people's public speaking talents differ. My boss is amazing at it: he's warm and engaging and obviously feels exceedingly comfortable being the focus of all eyes. By contrast, I practically stutter, and I sound as if everything coming out of my mouth is an excuse, or a word from another language. At least Michelle's voice is a pleasant pitch. And, of course, she skates like a goddess.
 
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