For the Love of Kristi

It’s a happy, happy day when I can actually blog about skating AND a prime-time TV show at the same time.

A career-long involvement with television and video, paired up with the fact that I’m at home with two small kids most of the time, leads me to sip from a pretty steady stream of exceptional TV programming. But as I’ve said here before, nobody needs me to detail the finer points of The Office, Bones, or How I Met Your Mother. Or who to vote for on American Idol. Or to lament the fact that Guiding Light now bears closer resemblance to an endless high school video project than it does the longest-running daytime drama in history.

Nobody needs me to recap Kristi Yamaguchi’s stellar performances on Dancing with the Stars, either. They do that with brilliance and razor-sharp wit at so many websites already, I think I’m much better off simply pointing you to one of my favorite online indulgences, Television Without Pity:

http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/dancing_with_the_stars/season_6_performance_10.php

What I would like to do is express sincere joy for the extravaganza that DWTS has become. Though I was admittedly a little slow on the pickup with this show, I became a regular viewer when Helio rose to such prominence (most racing fans in Indianapolis consider him a sort of Hoosier by now, anyway). It was then that I wondered if they’d ever tap a figure skater to take part. My guess was no; it wouldn’t be considered “funny” enough. (See Adam Carolla or Penn Gillette for better examples.)

How I love to be wrong sometimes! Even though I know it’ll be a while (if ever) before another figure skater graces the DWTS dance floor… and even though I’m not convinced the viewing public will “let a woman win” and give Kristi her little disco ball trophy…ABC has, at long last, won me back.

Well, almost won me back. It may take another skater or two to get me past their much-too-early cancellation of Sports Night.

For one of Kristi’s finest TV moments long before she learned how to tango, check out her OGM performance from 1992—it’s the Clip of the Day, of course.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=dozwFZ5NoNs