Skating with Celebrities is a reality show on the FOX network that began airing on January 18, 2006. It is advertised as an edgier, bloodier version of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Its first season ended on March 2, 2006. Reality television is a genre of television programming in which the fortunes of real life people (as opposed to fictional characters played by actors) are followed. ... The Fox Broadcasting Company is a television network in the United States. ... January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dancing with the Stars is a reality show airing on ABC in the United States. ... March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Synopsis

The show pairs six champion figure skaters with six celebrities who have various degrees of ice skill (Deborah Gibson, for example, is a skating novice; Dave Coulier played ice hockey in Canada; Jillian Barberie trained as a competitive figure skater into her teens). Each team is composed of one man and one woman and they have to perform a new routine each episode. As part of their new routines, each celebrity must demonstrate a specific figure skating skill (the first episode required a spin with no less than three revolutions; the second episode required synchronized footwork covering no less than half the length of the skating surface). Deborah Ann Gibson, credited as Debbie Gibson (born August 31, 1970 in Brooklyn, New York[1][2]), is an American singer who was initially a teen idol appearing repeatedly on the cover of such teen magazines as Tiger Beat. ... Dave Coulier David Dave Lee Coulier (b. ... Jillian Barberie (born Jillian Warry on September 26, 1966, in Burlington, Ontario) is a Canadian actress and television hostess. ...

Each pair receives scores from a trio of judges (assembled like the American Idol panel--a tough male British industry insider, a softer-edge female American star performer from the recent past, and a moderate American professional man associated with the business side of the artistic endeavor) for technical merit and artistic impression. The scores are added together to create a cumulative score. No team was eliminated in the first episode; instead, the scores from episodes one and two were added together and the couple with the lowest score was eliminated. Beginning with the third episode, the pair with the lowest cumulative score in the episode is eliminated from the competition. American Idol: The Search for a Superstar, commonly known as simply American Idol, is an American television show. ...

In the series' seventh week, the team of actress Kristy Swanson and Olympic Bronze Medalist (figure skating) Lloyd Eisler defeated the team of television personality Jillian Barberie and U.S. pairs champion John Zimmerman to win the show's first championship. Kristy Swanson On the cover of Playboy, November 2002 Kristy Swanson (b. ... Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler book cover Lloyd Edgar Eisler (born on April 28, 1963 in Seaforth, Ontario) is a Canadian pairs figure skater who competed with Katerina Matousek at the 1984 Winter Olympics, and they finished in eighth place. ... Jillian Barberie (born Jillian Warry on September 26, 1966, in Burlington, Ontario) is a Canadian actress and television hostess. ... John Zimmerman IV (born November 26, 1973 in Birmingham, Alabama) is an American figure skater. ...

Skating with Celebrities aired in the U.S. at the same time as its UK equivalent, Dancing on Ice, which featured nine British celebrities partnered with international figure skaters, including a number of Americans. The contestants pose at the Natural History Museum Dancing on Ice is a British reality television show, in which celebrities and their professional partners dance on ice in front of a panel of judges. ...

Cast

The show is hosted by Olympic Gold Medalist (swimming) Summer Sanders and Olympic Gold Medalist (figure skating) Scott Hamilton and judged by Olympic Gold Medalist (figure skating) Dorothy Hamill, renowned skating coach Sir John Nicks, and journalist Mark Lund. Summer Elisabeth Sanders (born October 13, 1972 in Roseville, California) is a sports broadcaster, actress and Olympic medalist in swimming. ... Scott Hamilton Scott Scovell Hamilton (born August 28, 1958) is an American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist known for his originality and engaging on-ice personalities. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Sir John Nicks is an American figure skating coach. ...

The six celebrities joining the show are Olympic Gold Medalist (decathlon) Bruce Jenner, television personality Jillian Barberie, comedian Dave Coulier, actress/singer/songwriter Deborah Gibson, actor Todd Bridges, and actress Kristy Swanson. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Jillian Barberie (born Jillian Warry on September 26, 1966, in Burlington, Ontario) is a Canadian actress and television hostess. ... Dave Coulier David Dave Lee Coulier (b. ... Deborah Ann Gibson (born August 31, 1970) is an American singer who was, along with Tiffany in the late 1980s, a very popular teen idol who appeared on the cover of teen magazines such as Tiger Beat multiple times. ... Todd Bridges Todd A. Bridges (born May 27, 1965 in San Francisco, California) is an American actor. ... Kristy Swanson On the cover of Playboy, November 2002 Kristy Swanson (b. ...

The six professional skaters who are pairing with the stars are five-time U.S. pairs champion Tai Babilonia, three-time U.S. pairs champion John Zimmerman, Olympic Silver Medalist (figure skating) Nancy Kerrigan, four-time World champion Kurt Browning, three-time U.S. pairs champion Jenni Meno, and Olympic Bronze Medalist (figure skating) Lloyd Eisler. Tai Reina Babilonia (born 1960) is a U.S. figure skater, the partner of Randy Gardner. ... John Zimmerman IV (born November 26, 1973 in Birmingham, Alabama) is an American figure skater. ... Nancy Kerrigan (born October 13, 1969 in Stoneham, Massachusetts) is a two-time Olympic figure skating medalist. ... Browning skates during the 2000 Stars on Ice tour Kurt Browning (born June 18, 1966) is a prominent Canadian figure skater who was extremely popular during the late 1980s and 1990s. ... American pairs figure skater Jenni Meno first partnered with Scott Wendland and won two medals at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. ... Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler book cover Lloyd Edgar Eisler (born on April 28, 1963 in Seaforth, Ontario) is a Canadian pairs figure skater who competed with Katerina Matousek at the 1984 Winter Olympics, and they finished in eighth place. ...

The teams receive assistance in their practice sessions from a trio of champion skaters who now work as choreographers: Five-time U.S. national ice dance champion and Emmy Award-winning choreographer Michael Seibert, U.S. and world figure skating champion and director/choreographer Randy Gardner (Tai Babilonia's longtime skating partner), and three-time U.S. ice dance champion Renee Roca. Michael Seibert was an American figure skater. ... Randy Gardner is a U.S. figure skater, the partner of Tai Babilonia. ... Tai Reina Babilonia (born 1960) is a U.S. figure skater, the partner of Randy Gardner. ... Renee Roca was an American figure skater. ...

Criticisms

A number of critics in both the media and on internet boards have noted the wide disparity of experience between the celebrity skaters; Jillian Barberie in particular has been called a "ringer" due to the fact that she was a competitive figure skater as a youngster and thus her skillset is significantly higher than the others (for example, while most of the other celebrities struggled to do simple revolutions on the ice in their first routines, Barberie did a layback spin as her required element in one of the programs). Other observers have noted that Barberie's skills may have worked against her, as judging and public expectations may have been higher for her and thus any mistakes magnified. Barberie herself has noted in interviews that Swanson had previous skating experience as well but that it was deliberately downplayed in the final editing. Ringer is a term with several meanings: In colloquial English language, it refers to a specialist who is clandestinely brought into a group or team to bolster its capabilities. ... Maria Butyrskaya A layback is a required spin in figure skating, in which the torso is bent backwards and the free leg is lifted toward the back, almost always in an attitude position (This is sometimes known as an attitude spin). ...

Another criticism has come from reviewers who note that Swanson and Barberie were paired with male skaters (former Olympians Lloyd Eisler and John Zimmerman) who are known for both their excellent pair work and sheer physical size and strength, enabling the pairs to do flashier, more professional-like stunts (Eisler, for example, performed an upright spin with Swanson wrapped around him, a move he used to do with his former pairs partner Isabelle Brasseur). By contrast, the other four celebrities were matched with either singles skaters (Deborah Gibson and Kurt Browning; Dave Coulier and Nancy Kerrigan) or the female half of a pairs team (Bruce Jenner and Tai Babilonia; Todd Bridges and Jenni Meno), significantly hindering the level of stuntwork the team can pull off. This did not stop some of the other teams from trying more difficult things, however; Todd Bridges learned to lift Jenni Meno over his head (after some tutoring from Meno's husband and skating partner Todd Sand), and Bruce Jenner learned how to support Tai Babilonia in a basic death spiral move, one of the more complicated pairs stunts for a novice to learn. Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler book cover Lloyd Edgar Eisler (born on April 28, 1963 in Seaforth, Ontario) is a Canadian pairs figure skater who competed with Katerina Matousek at the 1984 Winter Olympics, and they finished in eighth place. ... John Zimmerman IV (born November 26, 1973 in Birmingham, Alabama) is an American figure skater. ... Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler book cover Isabelle Brasseur (born July 28, 1970) is a Canadian figure skater. ... American pairs figure skater Todd Sand won the bronze medal at the 1991 World Figure Skating Championship with partner Natasha Kuchiki. ...

Criticism of another sort emerged as the first season headed toward its climax: Lloyd Eisler's wife Marcie told Star Magazine that while the series was being taped in the late summer and early fall of 2005, Lloyd and Kristy Swanson had begun a romantic relationship, straining the Eislers' already strained marriage (the couple had been separated since early summer 2005 but were, according to Marcie, still "working on the relationship") to its breaking point. Reportedly Swanson forwarded "steamy e-mail" [1] to Marcie as a confirmation of the affair, and the Eislers formally filed separation papers on November 30, 2005. Representatives for Eisler and Swanson have confirmed the pair had indeed begun dating but denied that the two of them became involved until after the Eislers had separated for good. Star Magazine is a magazine owned by American Media Corporation specializing in celebrity gossip and scandals. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 31 days remaining, as the final day of November. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Episodes

Episode 1 (Featured Skill: Spins)

Notable Moments

• The teams skated to music from the movies.
• During rehearsal, Dave Coulier, a hockey player, was frustrated at the fact that he kept tripping in his figure skates, so he filed off the toe picks to make them more like hockey skates.
• Lloyd Eisler and Kristy Swanson ran into their first complication as a team: Swanson, as a left-hander, spun in the opposite direction from Eisler. Choreographer Renee Roca told Eisler that they would simply have to choreograph the routine to take advantage of the difference rather than have each try to adapt to the other's spinning. The awkwardness of this decision showed as their shaky routine landed them in last place.
• This was the only episode where Jillian Barberie and John Zimmerman had the highest score alone. They tied with Eisler and Swanson in episode 4.

Scoring

Scores (Nicks/Hamill/Lund/Total)

Episode 2 (Featured Skill: Synchronized Footwork)

Notable Moments

• The teams skated to 70s music.
• Kurt Browning and Deborah Gibson skated to a version of "You're The One That I Want" from the movie Grease with Gibson singing the female vocal part.
• Jillian Barberie pulled a groin muscle during rehearsal, the first of many injuries she would suffer during the competition.
• Eisler and Swanson rebounded from last place in the first episode to receive the highest score in this episode.
• Todd Sand taught Todd Bridges to lift Jenni Meno above his head, which he did to open their routine. Bridges fell during the routine, however, costing them points and leading to their elimination.

Grease (1978) is the name of a film directed by Randal Kleiser and based on Jim Jacobs and Warren Caseys musical, Grease. ...

Scoring

Scores (Nicks/Hamill/Lund/Total)

Episode 3 (Featured Skill: Unassisted Single-Legged Lunge)

Notable Moments

• The teams skated to Motown music.
• Randy Gardner taught Bruce Jenner how to support Tai Babilonia in a rudimentary death spiral, a move that garnered them the highest scores of the night.
• This was the only episode where neither Barberie/Zimmerman nor Eisler/Swanson finished in first place.
• John Zimmerman fell going into the last move in his and Barberie's routine, costing them first place.
• Dave Coulier and Nancy Kerrigan did their routine in drag--her in a man's suit and mustache, him in a padded suit shaped like a female figure skater's costume and a bouffant wig--as a response to Sir John Nicks' criticism about Coulier's lack of grace that ended in the rhetorical cry, "Where is your feminine side?" It was very similar to a routine Lloyd Eisler used to do with his professional partner, Isabelle Brasseur, called "Patricia The Stripper".[2]
• Eisler and Swanson had two major mistakes that nearly cost them the competition--Swanson tripped during their synchronized footwork segment and fell to the ice, and Eisler smacked her chin against the ice as they went into a combination lift/spin done very close to the ice's surface. Swanson's chin was cut when it hit the ice, prompting judge Dorothy Hamill to ask, "Are you O.K.? That looked like it hurt."
• Deborah Gibson had trouble doing the lunge due to an injury, and Kurt Browning had trouble trying to incorporate more traditional pairs elements (particularly lifts) into their routine due to the two of them being so close in size. The difficulties were too much for the team to overcome, and they were eliminated.

Death spiral is an element of pairs skating performed with the man in a pivot position, one toe anchored in the ice. ... A bouffant (pronunced: bü-fänt, bü-fänt) is a type of hairstyle characterized by hair piled high on the head and hanging down on the sides. ... Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler book cover Isabelle Brasseur (born July 28, 1970) is a Canadian figure skater. ...

Scoring

Scores (Nicks/Hamill/Lund/Total)

Episode 4 (Featured Skill: Side-by-side Jumps)

Notable Moments

• The teams skated to Top 40 pop music.
• Eisler and Swanson and Barberie and Zimmerman tied for first place with the highest scores in the series to date. This would be the last time Barberie and Zimmerman would have the high score in the competition.
• Both Jillian Barberie and Bruce Jenner had to be rushed to the hospital during practice for this round; Jillian Barberie suffered a strained rib cartilege during practice when John Zimmerman hoisted her into a two-armed "detroiter" lift, and Bruce Jenner got his toe pick caught on the ice while practicing spins and fell face-first, resulting in a cut above the eye requiring 16 stitches to close.
• Bruce Jenner was supporting Tai Babilonia in a pairs glide move in an otherwise uneventful routine when Babilonia realized they were about to run into the "kiss and cry" dais. She quickly stepped up onto the dais and was able to get back onto the ice smoothly, but the misstep cost them points and landed them in third place.
• Dave Coulier admitted during practice that he was afraid of falling and getting injured and thus had difficulty learning the required jump. The pair eventually did a single waltz jump at the start of their routine before they went into their skating in order to fit the required element in, and it cost them the competion as their low scores led to their elimination.

Scoring

Scores (Nicks/Hamill/Lund/Total)

Episode 5 (Featured Skill: One-Footed Edge Glide)

Notable Moments

• The teams skated to music selected by the judges for each individual team.
• The lowest two scoring teams would compete for a spot in the finals in a skate-off.
• Eisler and Swanson skated a slow, romantic routine that included a one-armed death spiral; the judges gave them the highest scores yet in the series and first place heading into the finals.
• Barberie and Zimmerman were criticized for cribbing elements from past routines and for not adding more complex elements (such as the death spiral that both of the other teams had done), and their scores were knocked down accordingly.
• Bruce Jenner was criticized for letting Tai Babilonia do all the artistic tricks while he merely supported her from move to move. The team's scores were knocked down accordingly as well.
• Jenner and Babilonia and Barberie and Zimmerman participated in the final skate-off; the judges selected Barberie and Zimmerman to move on, and Jenner and Babilonia were eliminated.

Scoring

Lowest two scores compete in skate-off

Scores (Nicks/Hamill/Lund/Total)

Episode 6 Finals, Part 1 (Featured Skill: Multi-jump sequence, Spin with 4 revolutions, Above-shoulder lift)

Notable Moments

• The teams skated to music of their own choice.
• The four eliminated teams returned to skate several exhibitions as time-fillers between the two competitive routines.
• Barberie and Zimmerman had a major slip-up coming out of a complex above-shoulder lift (Zimmerman lost his grip on Barberie as he was supporting her in a forward-roll dismount and she landed on her bottom rather than on her feet; they recovered just in time to avoid hitting the sideboard); though they recovered to skate the rest of the routine nearly flawlessly, their artistic scores were marked down significantly, putting them into second place at the end of the first part of the finals. Despite this, they still received the highest score they had ever received in the competition.
• Sir John Nicks made a point to praise Lloyd Eisler for "finally learning to extend your leg" during a pairs glide element in the routine. Eisler responded good-naturedly that it had only taken "one year of retirement" for him to figure out how to do it.

Scoring

Scores (Nicks/Hamill/Lund/Subtotal)

Episode 7 Finals, Part 2 (Free Skate -- no required technical elements)

Notable Moments

• The teams skated to music of their own choice.
• Before their final competitive programs, each team skated an encore of their favorite routines from the series.
• Lloyd Eisler managed to lift Kristy Swanson into a one-handed "detroiter" lift-spin as part of a near-flawless final routine that gave them a score of 59 out of a possible 60 points, the highest score in the competition.
• Jillian Barberie attempted a single-axle jump but fell on the landing, effectively ending their chances to take the lead. The judges praised the effort and gave them high technical marks, but not enough to overtake Eisler and Swanson's lead. Barberie later said in a joint appearance with Mark Lund that she'd successfully landed 22 axels during practice, most of them in a row as they practiced their final routine, so her fall during the routine itself surprised and disappointed her.
• During their victory lap, as Eisler went to lift Swanson overhead, John Zimmerman (who was still on the ice being interviewed by Scott Hamilton) had to duck out of the way to avoid being hit by Swanson's skates. Both teams laughed about the close scrape afterward.

Scoring

Scores (Nicks/Hamill/Lund/Subtotal)

Australia

The US version will air in Australia on Network Ten, starting on April 14. Network Ten is one of Australias three commercial television networks. ... April 14 is the 104th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (105th in leap years). ...

External link

• Skating with Celebrities website