CBC Revives Battle of the Blades Skating Show!

[victorskid]

There is apparently going to be a "camp" this month where the pairings are to be decided, with input from Sandra Bezic, etc. Perhaps we won't hear about the remainder of the hockey players until the actual pairs are decided.

 

[HeatherC]

I am so excited for Amanda!! I may need to figure out a way to get up to Canada and see a taping again this fall (I was able to get there for one of the shows the last time Amanda was in the cast). Should be a fun season!

 

[Sonata]

This cast sounds amazing! I am so excited Gordeeva will be back.

 

[screech]

Gordeeva and Val Bure were brilliant on the show. I hope she gets another partner that has such smooth basic skating skills.

And it'll be nice to see both Katelyn and Andrew. There'll definitely be some playful trash talk there...

The press release also notes that Tessa and Scott will be guest judges on a few episodes. It also (erroneously?) mentions that Kurt is returning as head judge, with Ron Maclean back as the host. Is Kurt changing roles?

 

[greenapple]

Kurt Browning was the head judge of the final series in 2013. Sandra Bezic took on the role of mentor that season.

 

[Alvyne]

Only 7 figure skaters announced, does that mean that there will be only 7 teams, compared to 8 in the past seasons? Or maybe they will announce someone else later.

ETA: The press release says it's the complete line-up of figure skaters, so only 7 teams this time around I guess.

 

[Alvyne]

I also noticed it says (Season 5, 1×120, 6×60) in the press release. I guess it means one 2 hour long episode, and six 1 hour long episodes, so 7 episodes in all, vs 8 in previous seasons.

The show starts on September 18, so that means the finale would be on Octobre 31st. If Vanessa James makes it to the final show, she would be ok to do Internationaux de France that weekend (though it would be a very short turnaround).

 

[starrynight]

It should be a fun dynamic to have two parts of a dance team competing against each other. It reminds me a lot of Dancing With The Stars with Meryl and Charlie. That was a really interesting thing to watch too. It was interesting to see what a team who had skated together for so long looked like with other people.

There's always a lot of politiks in shows like this about the pairings, I think. Particularly about which pro gets the more famous star etc (which can often dictate who stays in for the longest in the series). It'll be so interesting to see who gets who.

Really glad that they will have two female hockey players in this season. That should be fun and a good opportunity to show diversity in both hockey and skating I think.

Andrew is used to skating with a relatively tall partner (Kaitlyn is 169cm) - But it will be a bigger adjustment for Eric probably!

I've been watching some of the videos of Tessa Bonhomme & David Pelletier and they looked fantastic. Even though there was a relatively small height difference, they did a lot of great lifts that were very impressive.

4 Tessa David - Battle of the Blades Week 4 Season 3

Tessa Bonhomme & David Pelletier - Long Time Running - Score:17.1

www.youtube.com

Tessa Bonhomme and David Pelletier skate to "It's Only Love" by Bryan Adams & Tina Turner

Tessa Bonhomme and David Pelletier skate to "It's Only Love" by Bryan Adams & Tina Turner on Battle of the Blades

www.youtube.com

 

[Satellizer]

Gordeeva and Val Bure were brilliant on the show. I hope she gets another partner that has such smooth basic skating skills.

I was just thinking with Katia coming back, I wonder if David Pelletier will be making an appearance as a coach? Seeing as they are a couple and he works with hockey players on the regular.

 

[Lanie]

Wait, what, David Pelletier and Katia Gordeeva are an item?

 

[Garden Kitty]

Back on the tax issue, there was an interesting article about how the UK would tax Coco Gauff's Wimbledon earnings. I think most countries will tax money earned in that country including prize money, but the UK and US also tax a share of the endorsement earnings of foreign citizens based on the number of days an athlete works in that country,

Superstar Coco Gauff To Face High, Complicated UK Taxes

Coco Gauff is Wimbledon's breakout star. She is about to learn the tax complexities of playing all over the world, especially in high-tax nations like the UK.

www.forbes.com

 

[Satellizer]

Wait, what, David Pelletier and Katia Gordeeva are an item?

Yea, for a few years now. If you know where to look there's some chummy pictures of them with both their kids lurking around.

 

[starrynight]

How does the elimination process work on Battle of the Blades?

 

[Laura4]

Wait, what, David Pelletier and Katia Gordeeva are an item?

Kinda looks like it. The two attended Stars On Ice in Anaheim California (Sui/Han were there too):

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

And there is also this video clip of the two skating together:

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

 

[livetoskate]

Aww... glad to see Katia is happy!

 

[liv]

Wow. I knew they skated together for the shows... but didn't realize it had progressed beyond that. Well, she's my favourite pairs skater ever, so I"m happy if she's happy.

 

[Desperado]

Such an informative thread!

My curious mind wonders if Katia and David became a couple before or after they skated together for the 20th anniversary of Sergei’s death... I thought they were great and Katia always looks so happy when skating pairs.

Glad to see her back on BoTB. She and Marina Zoueva were very serious in creating good programs and Bure was up to the challenge. Maybe we could expect another Russian player...

My selfish heart is very disappointed in not having Shae-Lynn be a part of the upcoming season though. I loved her programs with Claude Lemieux and Patrice Brisebois.

 

[aftershocks]

Kinda looks like it. The two attended Stars On Ice in Anaheim California (Sui/Han were there too):

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

And there is also this video clip of the two skating together:

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

There are a number of SOI Youtube videos of Gordeeva/Pelletier:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD5XfETdaGc SOI Japan 2017 (Ed Sheeran's Photograph)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrYaCFnpbLA SOI 2016

Interestingly, David Pelletier and Elena Bereshnaya performed together for an ABC show, Thin Ice, coached by Bereshnaya's significant other, Steven Cousins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jA-mXz9BJQ judged by Yamaguchi, Witt, and the ever irrepressible, Dick Button.

 

[cholla]

The show starts on September 18, so that means the finale would be on Octobre 31st. If Vanessa James makes it to the final show, she would be ok to do Internationaux de France that weekend (though it would be a very short turnaround).

But that means she and Ciprès won't be at French Masters which are held Sept 26 to 29...

 

[starrynight]

Would injury be a concern for Vanessa? I’ve read that some of the other pro skaters did get injuries associated with skating with an inexperienced partner - being dropped, falls etc

 

[Satellizer]

Would injury be a concern for Vanessa? I’ve read that some of the other pro skaters did get injuries associated with skating with an inexperienced partner - being dropped, falls etc

I remember Marie-France Dubreuil fell on her head, she continued for a few more weeks, but later found out she got a concussion.. That was Season 1 though. Hopefully the show execs will better train the players how to best avoid/prevent slipping your partner when doing elements and lifts.

 

[Sonata]

Wow. Somebody is bitter about the show coming back. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/art...osses-go-in-search-of-ratings-and-ad-dollars/

From the article: "Was Canada pining for the return of Battle of the Blades? Were there torch-lit processions in towns and cities that I didn’t hear about? Nope. The show was done before and can be done again. That’s what commercial TV executives do when they’re desperate for ideas."

I believe the author is misinformed (or maybe I am?) because if I recall correctly, Battle of the Blades was a ratings juggernaut (at least in the first few years) and when it ended, it was with a view about bringing it back in the future if possible.

I'm not going to argue at length about what the role of public television should be, but I thought was remarkable about Battle of the Blades was that:

1-Ratings were great (this is a big deal when talking about CBC in Canada)
2-People watched it together as a family
3-It allowed viewers to learn about many parts of Canada through profiles of the athletes and their charities
4-It provided work for a mostly Canadian cast of athletes, choreographers and broadcasting staff.

I admit to not watching the last few seasons mostly due to lack of interest in the skaters featured, but I do see a place for this show on Canadian tv. I remember watching a profile about a hospital in Saskatchewan and thinking how cool it was to see a profile about somewhere that's not in BC/Alberta/Ontario/Quebec. That's the kind of service this show can provide.

 

[starrynight]

I think the author was suggesting that showing Battle of the Blades is a ‘sell out’ for ratings and isn’t high brow enough for the public channel.

Yeah lol maybe reality TV is probably more suited to commercial networks. But I’m sure skating fans are just happy to have it broadcasted anywhere.

 

[Scrufflet]

I am thrilled to have BOTB back! I went to several shows live over the 4 seasons and enjoyed them immensely. Doyle's article is knee-jerk nasty. He trashes CBC for doing things wrong yet does not offer any specific solutions or program ideas. Take it with a grain of salt. Ignore him and prepare to enjoy the season ahead!

 

[Sonata]

I'm also happy to have it back! Part of what's annoying is that there is a huge photo of the BOTB judges accompanying John Doyle's article, which makes it seem like the show is the poster child for all that's wrong with the CBC. It's not like BOTB is Real Housewives or The Bachelor/ette. If BOTB is too commercial, then how was it justified to have commercial NHL hockey playing for decades on CBC? And if it were not so difficult to get music rights, it would be the kind of show that would sell well overseas on a platform like Netflix. Arguably, looking at online or streaming revenues is turning into the norm for any network, even a public broadcaster, and BOTB would be great for streaming. Schitt's Creek, a CBC show, has done really well on Netflix and just got nominated for multiple Emmys in the U.S., a big win for a Canadian production.

This article is from the same person who lamented the loss of So You Think You Can Dance Canada years ago (although it was on CTV, a private broadcaster). I think the article is biased based on his personal taste and it helps propagate a view that figure skating is not to be taken seriously.

 

[manhn]

Also, one of the actors on Kim's Convenience got the lead in a Marvel movie. CBC has a lot to tout right now.

 

[victoriajh]

This cast sounds amazing! I am so excited Gordeeva will be back.

the QUEEN returns!!!
I am so behind... her and Ilia broke up?

 

[SkateGuard]

"We are not the U.S. This is Canada and CBC TV exists to inform and entertain Canadians."

Yes, it does, and CBC does a marvellous job of what they do. Schitt's Creek, Murdoch Mysteries, Frankie Drake... the content hasn't been this good in years. Also, not only is the idea of a hybrid hockey/figure skating entertainment show decidedly Canadian, both sports have a rich history in this country. And guess what? There are a lot of people out there who couldn't give (to quote Dick Button) two "rusty hoots" about hockey and only watch the show for the figure skaters. There's my rant... time for more coffee.

 

[overedge]

Doyle's article is knee-jerk nasty. He trashes CBC for doing things wrong yet does not offer any specific solutions or program ideas. Take it with a grain of salt. Ignore him and prepare to enjoy the season ahead!

Actually he does offer solutions. He wants the CBC to encourage Canadians to create new shows and for the CBC to support them. He's also criticized the CBC buying the rights to do Family Feud Canada, which I have to say I agree with - I would sooner see original Canadian programming like Schitt's Creek rather than a recycled game show from the US.

 

[kalamalka]

"We are not the U.S. This is Canada and CBC TV exists to inform and entertain Canadians."

Yes, it does, and CBC does a marvellous job of what they do. Schitt's Creek, Murdoch Mysteries, Frankie Drake... the content hasn't been this good in years. Also, not only is the idea of a hybrid hockey/figure skating entertainment show decidedly Canadian, both sports have a rich history in this country. And guess what? There are a lot of people out there who couldn't give (to quote Dick Button) two "rusty hoots" about hockey and only watch the show for the figure skaters. There's my rant... time for more coffee.

The combination of hockey players and figure skaters is something that is VERY Canadian - Russia is the only other country I can think of where there are stars in and an audience for both - the US has the skaters in both disciplines, but neither sport has as high a profile as in Canada. And CBC has a long history of broadcasting both. I watched a lot of the original BOTB with my brother, who was a hockey player, and it was a good way to share our interests.

ETA: it was particularly annoying for John Doyle to lump BOTB in with Family Feud Canada.