I'd say:

No flying.

No Bolero.

IMO, flying shouldn't be part of the show at all - it just has too little connection with ice - and I'm tired of Bolero.

Indeed, they should do a different Torvill and Dean routine each year.

I agree with you, especially about the flying.

I think the girls do have an advantage, especially if they`re trained dancers, and I`m guessing that Suzannes routine in the air will be the best one out of all of them.

I think the idea of a fast and slow routine, on the ice, is a much better idea, and fairer too!

Zaraah is a qualified dance teacher so I think from a graceful point of view she will give Suzanne a run for her money - though I don't think she's as good as Suzanne at 'acting' the part and I'm willing to bet that Zaraah's landings will be inferior to Suzanne's.

But where does that leave Chris - I have heard he's had ballet lessons, so he could surprise us all.

Zaraah is a qualified dance teacher so she could do an equally great routine as Suzanne. Tbh I would rather they cut out the whole flying routines in favour of another new dance routine on ice.
Chris has had a few ballet lessons but not the same level of dance experience as the other two. He still may suprise people though.

One reason the men find flying hard is that the wires are too narrow for their shoulders to go through easily - Kyran looked ungainly last year because he was just too wide to fit through the gap.

But its boring to watch and has nowt to do with SKATING ability

That's a good idea. If they had to perform a set routing in the final that would be great and really give the untrained audience a chance to compare style and technique instead of worrying about the content. Sort of like set figures, but more dancey.

Utterly pointless. And very, very boring:yawn::yawn::yawn:

What I'd like to see is the finalists actually attempting one of the simpler "Compulsory Dances" done in competition.

These require much more technique and a lot more dancing together than free dance and they would all have to do the same steps so we would actually be able to compare them properly.

I've never enjoyed the flying routine and still don't. Complete waste of time if you ask me.

If I want to see pretend flying I'll go to the pantomime

That would be better but may be asking way too much for a weeks work. The compulsory dances are after all basically ballroom dancing on the Ice and as you can get to the final without much technical skating being done then I'm not sure these people could handle such a jump in difficulty. It would probally be like asking them to take part in DOI and SCD at the same time. Also ITV like the big lifts as those people who have very little knowledge of skating can be wowed and made to pick up the phone in a way that good footwork probally doesnt

To make it viable you would have to do something like I have suggested on another thread and make the scoring system from the judges encourage more technical skating. It needs a more formalised routine system in place for each week with more required elements involved (perhaps have it build up, first week 2 simple required elements, second week the first 2 + another ect ect until the semi's - possible make semis prop week - then give them a techical compulsory dance in the final and belero and a new interpretation of their favourite routine ) AND needs the judges to give out 2 marks, one on technique and one on presentation (and if you want to make techical skating even more important split the required elements out of the techical marks and have 3 marks given, Technique, presentation and required element)

If they have had to focus more on the basics of figure skating throughout then when given a compulsory dance they should be able to take it in their stride more

I agree too - I loved the flying routines in series one (especially Bonnie!) but even by series 2 it had got old.

However, I've more of a problem to be honest with the fact that they re-skate an old routine we've already seen - what's the point I know they're already skating 2 new routines when every other week they've learned one, but still, I wish they'd do something more original...

I think they're updating their old routines aren't they, which might actually be quite interesting to see and compare to their previous performance... see how they've improved.

As for Bolero... I was thinking about it.. and in many respects it is unfair.. because some people will naturally suit the style... and get lucky and others won't. Perhaps the finalists should do dif T & D routines!?!

It's a great idea to see a slow and fast routine from the couples.
I hated the flying routines last year. I'm not sure if their aim is to show something exciting but I am left completely underwhelmed. Waste of time IMO.

I think it's time they varied the "challenges" in the Final.

Just how many more versions of Bolero can be done?? It's turning into a bit of a vanity trip.

I am looking forward to seeing the flying, seeing as i will be there on the night I expect it will be far more exciting seeing it live than on tv...
I do agree about Bolero though, even though it was done so beautifully by T&D, I would like to see another one of thier routines being done, Barnham for one!!!!

I was trying to think of the Barnum routine too!!

Or the 'Let's face the music and dance' one they did last time they competed.

I don't think doing Belero is an issue really, its not after all like they are skating t&d's one.

They are simply given the peice of music and a start and finish point thats the same as t&d's and are then open to interpret it as they see fit.

If you watch t&d's one you will notice the level of techical skating and the relativly simplistic nature of the lifts (as they are Ice Dance lifts not the big Pairs lifts used in DOI). You can guarentee that if Zaraah makes it to do Belero her routine ups the level and amount of lifts and probally the same with Suzanne. Chris may do it also but he is probally less prone to it as its harder to do the big lifts with a celeb male so they may keep it more simplistic on the lifts.

And you can guarentee that they will almost certainly tame down the skating steps, even for Chris as thats a high level of skating thats probally above all of them.

So while they are dancing Belero their routines bare little resembalnce to t&d's one. Your just seeing them skate to the same peice of music, a peice of music thats used because its one of the most iconic peices of music in Ice Dance and because the start and finish that everyone has to use is one of the best and most iconic of t&d's routines

I would like to see a change too

I want Chris and Frankie to win but wonder how good Chris will look when flying compared to the girls!! Because the girls wear floaty looking outfits and generally brighter colours etc, they always seem to look so much more attractive and as Suzanne and Zaraah have been trained dancers, they may well have a huge advantage over Chris because with that and with their 'floaty' dresses they will probably look more impressive in 'flight' and get more votes!

I'm sure that as often happens, many people think they won't need to vote for Chris because they presume others will have voted for him! I hope he wins... as I think it's more difficult for the non-skater to be the man because the females are often led by the male as in normal dancing. Also the male has to do all the lifting which makes it easier for Suzanne and Zaraah.

Im looking forward to seeing this flying routine..I think Zaraah will pull this off because of her grace and elegance and the fact she makes the performances so emotional fingers crossed! Suzanne will be fine with it aswell because shes good at interpretating the music and feeling the performance she also lands her lifts etc well. I think Chris well he's shown he can do practically everything so this will be wicked...

They will all do well.

Enjoyed the flying the first time I saw it but now I am rather bored of it. Nothing to get excited about and I would prefer to see a good skating routine rather than flying around in the air. The novality of it all has gone now. This year is a bit disappointing as we all know Chris will win and there is very little excitement. The viewers do not seem to like Zaaarah (sorry if I spelt her name wrong) and Suzanne is lovely but seems to put the voters off a bit, perhaps she is too plastic and all the pathetic stories of her various "injuries" but still managing to get on the ice etc I think irritated people. I think Chris has it in the bag so there is no excitement about the Final.

I'm a big Chris fan and hope he wins but I certainly don't think 'it's in the bag' lol! I think he's got two very strong competitors in the final and it's all down to what happens on the night!! I'm a bit bored with the the flying routine as it does favour the girls - I'd prefer them to do a fast routine then slow - its a better way to compare - much fairer!

Think the whole flying routine is utterly pointless. Never met anyone who watches DOI that thinks differently, so how come it's still there?

There are loads of T&D routines they could emulate for the final.

Free dances: Barnum (as you say), Mack & Mabel, Face the Music

Original Dances (not compulsories but to a set rhythm) - Paso Doble, Rhumba (which I think they used twice)

OR they could get them to emulate something they've done professionally (in DOI or elsewhere). Song of India from their first pro tour springs to mind.

I'm not even sure they all need to do the same one either, although it does offer closer comparison than in the rest of the series if they do.