"Go Figure" Randy Gardner Documentary on PBS in February 2022

[overedge]

This documentary was directed by an adult skater, so you know it's going to be good. The director also did the "'Breaking Bad' On Ice'" video that went viral. The documentary's soundtrack music is by Eric Radford.

Here's the schedule from the documentary website - check your local PBS station for times etc.

PBS Broadcast Calendar | Gofiguredocumentary

www.gofiguredocumentary.com

 

[Sylvia]

Thanks @overedge ... can you edit your thread title to "starting in February 2022" ?

 

[overedge]

The trailer for the film: https://www.gofiguredocumentary.com...d9a7e6465cff7bf&wix-vod-comp-id=comp-jct69oo2

 

[AngieNikodinovLove]

Going through my DVR for the next two weeks to make sure everything with the words figure and skating is being recorded lol I came across this just now. It’s on PBS and I will watch it as well

 

[BaileyCatts]

What? Why my city not on this list!

 

[FiveRinger]

What? Why my city not on this list!

Mine wasn't either. Hopefully they'll add it

 

[Frau Muller]

Xfinity-Comcast On Demand usually keeps PBS shows (including specials) for a while, for later viewing. This one might show up?
p.s. not there yet

 

[AngieNikodinovLove]

I started watching this today and I’m halfway through. I’m kind of emotional watching it. The one man show he did was right here in West Hollywood. I wonder when he was doing that.

I clicked on his Wikipedia page and clicked on personal and sad about learning he was adopted and then finding his birth mother.

I had to take a break watching this. I’ll watch the rest tonight.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove]

Oh wow I just watched the second half and it had everything I just referenced from his Wikipedia page.

I was often on and off with the water works during this program.

And then when they start playing the ice castles theme music and he started talking about his lifelong soulmate partnership with Tai I lost it

So in 1980 they were favorite for the Olympic gold medal in Lake Placid but they withdrew during the warm-up because of the groin injury?

If you watch the credits you see that Eric Radford composed the music for this

I lost it again when it ended with “Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner won the world championships in pairs figure skating in 1979. No other American team has done that since.”

And then of course I lost it once again when it said that film was dedicated to his birth mother

Highly recommend!!!

 

[MacMadame]

I'm watching it now.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove]

I'm watching it now.

Let us know what you think. So good. I wonder if he lives here in West Hollywood. I should go sniffing around

I did vaguely remember reading that he was dating Robin cousins back in the late 70s. Is Robin still alive?

This was such nostalgia for me. You know I’ve had the John Curry book on my dresser for like six or seven years now here. I think now is the time to finally read it. I just don’t want to be sad. I mean even Randy Gardner’s parents took him to one of those Ex gay places

 

[MacMadame]

I did vaguely remember reading that he was dating Robin cousins back in the late 70s.

That was a complete shock to me. So if I knew it, I had forgotten it. Most of it I had heard before but the newer stuff -- like him being married now -- was new to me.

It was really nice to see Tai and Randy skate again and to have them talk together about their experiences. Usually, I read interviews with just one of them or the other.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove]

That was a complete shock to me. So if I knew it, I had forgotten it. Most of it I had heard before but the newer stuff -- like him being married now -- was new to me.

It was really nice to see Tai and Randy skate again and to have them talk together about their experiences. Usually, I read interviews with just one of them or the other.

It was so good. And sad at times. I can’t believe no USA pairs ever won the world championship since then. How far did kitty and Peter Carruthers get?

 

[MacMadame]

It was so good. And sad at times. I can’t believe no USA pairs ever won the world championship since then. How far did kitty and Peter Carruthers get?

Silver

 

[Frau Muller]

As we see on the USFS instagram with all US Olympic gold medalists congratulating Nathan, no US pair has won Olympic gold yet. Several single men and women, and one ice dance team.

 

[annie720]

I just saw this and enjoyed it! It was nice seeing them in their early days and with John Nicks. The story about his birth mom was new to me. He resembles her.

 

[smurfy]

I just watched it - thanks for posting about.
Wonderful! And I teared up at the end. What a beautiful story and how it was told.
Tai & Randy have been favorites of mine - just gorgeous skating.
Loved the music by Radford.
Interesting that Randy was adopted, as was Scott Hamilton and the Carruthers.
Makes me think about fate and what we could have missed out on.
And the Protopovs story with the letter!
And his birth mothers reaction upon seeing him and her being a fan.

 

[Skate Talker]

Sorry wrong thread. While I'm here correcting that, I did get to see Go Figure and enjoyed it a lot. I remember Tai's situation as being very bad, but that is not Randy's story to tell so I'm glad it was only touched upon as to how her unhappiness countered Randy's enjoyment of life on the road with Ice Capades.

 

[Sylvia]

Scroll down to check for June - July 2022 broadcasts in your area: https://www.gofiguredocumentary.com/screenings

 

[viennese]

I watched the documentary on the PBS app. It's wonderful. I didn't know anything about Randy and Tai other than the story of the injury at the 1980 Olympics.

I had to stop in the middle, too. His meeting with his birth mother is filled with sadness and incredibly sweet at the same time.

Absolutely gorgeous, elegant skaters - as kids, as top competitors, and now, too.

 

[alizadavida]

Still not seeing it in Boston. I have had the honor of skating with him twice.

 

[mtnskater]

I watched this last night. Denver PBS broadcast it this week. So touching and lovely. Thanks to Randy for telling his story so beautifully and so moving. I highly recommend watching this if you can.

 

[Aceon6]

Still not seeing it in Boston. I have had the honor of skating with him twice.

I guess the app is our only option. Weird that WGBH didn’t jump on it when it was made available.

 

[Susan1]

I saw this listed when I was looking through the onscreen guide. Randy Gardner? Huh. DVRd it and just finished watching it. It was a little disjointed, but good. They were so good. I remember how devastating it was when they couldn't skate at the Olympics. But with just network news at the time, we didn't really know what was wrong. And there was all that stuff later about how Tai was so mad and wouldn't speak to him and everything. They are probably still saying that on the internet somewhere.

Interesting that Randy was adopted, as was Scott Hamilton and the Carruthers.
Makes me think about fate and what we could have missed out on.
And his birth mothers reaction upon seeing him and her being a fan.

She even mentioned about being "glad" she gave him up or he wouldn't have become what he did.

Is Robin still alive?

Yes. I looked it up. He is 64. OMG - I had to look up if Dick Button is still alive. I think I would have heard, huh? Yes - 92 years old.

 

[Sylvia]

USFS' post today: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfZZY6Gtx4u/

Tomorrow is the last of our Instagram lives for #pridemonth and we’ve got a very special guest! ⁠
⁠
@gofiguredocumentary will be joining @eliothalverson for a conversation at 1 p.m. ET [Thursday, June 30]. You're not going to want to miss it!

 

[Sylvia]

Gardner & Halverson are live now …

ETA link to their replay video (22 mins.): https://www.instagram.com/tv/CfcCafkpIO2/

"You have to love your best life. It's so important."

Rewatch @gofiguredocumentary and @eliothalverson's #pridemonth conversation about generational differences and progress, wearing labels with pride, and their advice to young skaters as well as their families. #pride

 

[Jubak]

I saw this listed when I was looking through the onscreen guide. Randy Gardner? Huh. DVRd it and just finished watching it. It was a little disjointed, but good. They were so good. I remember how devastating it was when they couldn't skate at the Olympics. But with just network news at the time, we didn't really know what was wrong. And there was all that stuff later about how Tai was so mad and wouldn't speak to him and everything. They are probably still saying that on the internet somewhere.


She even mentioned about being "glad" she gave him up or he wouldn't have become what he did.


Yes. I looked it up. He is 64. OMG - I had to look up if Dick Button is still alive. I think I would have heard, huh? Yes - 92 years old.

I used to see Dick pretty regularly up until pre-Covid. His partner really has to take care of him all the time now. He's on a rollator walker but has lost a lot of mental capacity (as of 2 years ago). He was still pretty sharp 10 years ago but have to cut him slack. Lovely man. He gave up on watching figure skating awhile ago as he hated the new judging system & feels it makes all the skating look the same.

I didn't see anything about Randy's documentary here in NYC PBS channels.

 

[Sylvia]

Schedule | NJ PBS

Visit the NJ PBS Schedule to find out when your favorite program is airing and livestreaming.

www.njtvonline.org

NJ PBS​

• MONDAY JANUARY 9, 2023 4:30 PM
  Go Figure: The Randy Gardner Story
  GO FIGURE: THE RANDY GARDNER STORY intimately documents the life and career of two-time Olympian Randy Gardner. Together with his Olympic partner Tai Babilonia, they formed the iconic figure skating pairs team known as "Tai and Randy." The film shares one man's quest to finally come to terms with his true identity so that he can be a light to others.