Lifetime’s Dance Moms is a little horrifying, but is the type of program that might suck you in should you chance upon it at the wrong moment. This is mostly due to dance studio instructor Abby Lee Miller, who runs a tight and selfish ship, forcing the gals into inappropriate costumes and shaming them into performing better. Without Abby Lee Miller, however, Dance Moms would be just another show about mothers sacrificing for their daughters, ala Toddlers & Tiaras. Lifetime seems to believe bringing two cutthroat coaches to the forefront is the perfect fodder for another reality show.
Laura Vigilante and Adam Schmidt are figure skating coaches. In the figure skating world, potential prodigies must be pushed hard, often to the chagrin of the parents. According to THR, Lifetime would like to explore the coaching-pupil dynamics of figure skating in a spin-off series to Dance Moms and Dance Moms: Miami. Ice Moms, like the Dance Moms franchise, will be produced by Collins Avenue.
Lifetime Networks executive vice president of programming Rob Sharenow says the figure skating world is especially cutthroat, and Lifetime is ready and excited to show some of the backstage aspects of the competitions.
We’re bringing the format to the intensely competitive world of figure skating and revealing the explosive dynamic between the kids, parents, and coaches who all want to be the best. We’ll show all the blood, sweat and tears it takes to be a champion on ice.
Cutthroat or not, it could be a little tough for Ice Moms to compete with two similar programs on air, unless the fan base for the show stems specifically from figure skating families. So, if you are down with demanding coaches railing on a few kids, keep an eye out on TV Blend to find out when Lifetime sets an official air date.
