BTW glad you enjoyed the video clip of Natalia skating, credit to the lovely Poths for finding it on youtube.

Yeah I thought there was a different judge last year, any one got a pic of her as Innocent fairy(Kate) asked??? hi by the way Kate

Hi Kat *waves*
I've not been over on the appreciation thread for a while
I promise to drop by sometime this week

Shame about Kres - it was like 'hairspray watch' with her big hairstyles each week during the previous series!

I cant remember what she looks like

Actually I do now, American, big hair, she was fab!!!

That audience have obviously never watched SCD and heard Arlene go on every single week about arms and hands.
They obviously also don't appreciate the finer points of a performance. One thing I always noticed with Chris and Jayne - and it's something they still have! - is that they are in split-second harmony. For example, their arms and legs are perfectly aligned. If you cut out their silhouettes they would fit perfectly.

Like no other couple ever. That's the point, they are the best *couple* ever in the history of icedance, even though some people persist in naming other ladies ahead of Jayne - her technique is spot on too.

I still don't remember

I can't find any pics of her!

Just think: 1980s, big hair, shoulderpads, Dynasty-style

Did she have dark hair? If so, it's coming back to me now
I didn't even remember there was a judge called Kres Until someone on here mentioned it

She had big strawberry blonde hair. She was very good

OK, I don't remember her

I was cringing at the reaction to some of Natalia's comments. There were two occasions where she was clearly talking about someone's bodyline (the arms was the main example) and it was taken as being meant in an entirely different way.

I also don't know if I wasn't listening clearly enough but I definitely heard her introduced as a World Champion but thought they hadn't mentioned Olympic Champion as well. It would have been nice if they had been able to show clips of the judges skating in their eligible days, even very short snippets, as they were introduced, because they don't really make much of their achievements (although I'm kind of wondering what Jason Gardiner's is...). Along the same lines it'd be nice to do the same for the pros. Have to admit that I haven't heard of most of them, so it'd be nice to know their skating background rather than the dubious "US/Russian/Canadian Gold Medallist/Principal Skater" which pretty much explains nothing.

Kres

Really liked her last series........
Last edited by emj : 22-01-2007 at 23:13

Great post Annie, it was cringeworthy the way poor Natalia was howled at every time she spoke, when she was making perfectly good comments if people bothered to listen, not helped by the dim Holly it has to be said, who seemed to deliberately take things the wrong way - either that or she was told to, in a stupid atempt to bring in a 'SCD Arlene porning over the men' kind of way.

The show was perfectly fine the way it was last year, with 11.2 million viewers, so why change it?

I'm still waiting for them to give the Pros, other than T&D, a look in.

I too wish they'd let the pro's speak more. Defrosted is the perfect opportunity to let us see more of them. I seem to recall that the pro's on SCD didn't say very much at first, but I think the BEEB caught on that many of them have their own fans and now we see and hear much more of them. Hope DOI pro's start getting the same opportunity, I for one would love to get their take on the pitfalls and pleasures of working with complete beginners.

I also agree with the comments about the way Natalia was treated, it was embarrassing. She did seem very kind in her marks and comments, unfortunately much of the audience didn't seem to know who she was or have much respect for her. Of course, those of us that watched Chris & Jayne in their competing career couldn't help but know, but many viewers are younger than that ,so yes, they should make it clear in the intro's.

Thank you
Thing is, it's not been much help - I don't recognise her! Seems all I do is complain!

[quote=nelliek]I have to say that I never liked Natalia and her partner Alndrei Bukin's style of ice dancing (more like the pairs than ice dance to me), so I was pleased that they were always second in competition to T&D -
European championships in 1982 and 1984.
World championships in 82, 83, and 84, and the Olympics in 84.
Natalia and Andrei won the Europeans in 83 (think Jayne and Chris couldn't skate for some reason) and it was at that championship that Karen and Nicky (the judges) won a bronze medal.
After T&D turned professional in 84, Natalia and Andrei then went on to win European and World titles in 85, 86, 87, and 88, and the Olympic title in 88.
So basically if you diss Natalia you also diss Jayne and Chris.
I also suspect that she speaks better English than most viewers speak Russian.

Nelliek, the championships you are referring to was the 1983 European Championships in Dortmund when Jayne & Chris couldn't compete because Jayne had a injury. At those championships Karen Barber & Nicky Slater took the bronze behind Natalia Bestemianova & Andrei Bukhin.

Come the world championships in Helsinki in March 83 Torviil & Dean won gold with their Barnum on Ice routine that got nine sixes for artistic impression

and gold medalist in 1988...

Is that who Karen's husband is ? I am trying to remember what he looked like when he was skating but I certainly remember his name - yes rather he is rather bald and a little plump too - Karen still looks lovely. I always wonder if she ever wanted to marry Nicky - there never was any romance though was there ?

Hear Hear - the most perfect ice dancing couple ever ever ever

Not that I know of, I think they were only ever Dance Partners. Stephen won the British Men's Championship in the late 1980s, and represented GB internationally, I think he's a couple of years younger than Karen. He was Prince like, tall, blonde and stylish, so a bit of a shock to see him bald now.....