And in the span of just two nights, ABC hopes to pack its "Thin Ice" skating special with a season's worth of drama.

"'Dancing with the Stars,' 'So You Think You Can Dance,' those shows are just wildly popular," "Thin Ice" judge (and DWTS winner) Kristi Yamaguchi said. "I think the elements that make those shows popular is something skating absolutely has."

It was just a matter of finding a way to tap into it.

"Thin Ice," which begins Friday, brings together 10 of the world's top professional skaters (from singles, pairs and ice dancing) to face off in a couples competition with a total of $220,000 on the line. The catch -- because with reality TV, there's always a catch -- is that competitors are paired with new partners, performing to everything from Lady Gaga to Ne-Yo.

Beyond that, literally the only guidelines skaters and their choreographers -- a group that includes celebrity choreographer Fatima Robinson, Yamaguchi's "Dancing with the Stars" partner Mark Ballas and hip-hop choreographer Hi-Hat -- were given by "Thin Ice" executive producer Terry O'Neill was "Entertain us." Defining what ranks as entertaining is going to be the challenge, skating legend and "Thin Ice" judge Dick Button said. But it's one Button, likely much to the fans' delight, is ready to take head on.

"It would be very unfair for one of us judges to just go, 'Ooh, ooh, it was lovely, you're my good friend and I love you,'" Button said. "Uh-uh, that ain't the name of the game. As a judge, you have to be willing to state your opinions.

"And unfortunately, I do that too often."

The scoring from the judges (Olympic gold medalist Katarina Witt joins Yamaguchi and Button) will count for 50 percent, while viewer and audience votes will comprise the other half. The latter is what sets this competition apart from previous skating events.

"It's putting a number to the applause," skater John Zimmerman said. "That will be interesting to see how that compares to the judges' scores. If you look at the [reality] shows that are long lasting, the audience has an impact."

For 2002 Olympic gold medalists Jamie Sale and David Pelletier (pairs) and two-time world silver medalists Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon (ice dancing), taking part in "Thin Ice" means not only giving up their on-ice partners, but taking a break from skating with their spouses. Sale and Lauzon are skating together while Dubreuil is skating with U.S. singles skater Michael Weiss and Pelletier is skating with Elena Berezhnaya. (If you feel like you need a flow chart to keep it all straight, you're likely not alone.)

The key is setting oneself apart from the competition -- be it through technical elements like jumps and spins, choreography or good old-fashioned type-casting.

"We're totally the underdogs," Pelletier said, already practicing his pitch. "We live at the other ends of the world. We didn't have a chance to meet until like two weeks ago on the ice. She has two children. I have one child. I just lost my pregnancy weight. We are in for a tough time."

It might almost sound like a convincing plea if you didn't know that between him and his partner, they have three world titles and two Olympic gold medals.

Lauzon, who like Pelletier is skating against his wife, is simply relying on the time-tested reality show staple, the alliance.

"One way or another, [the prize money] still goes in the same bank account," he said.

Part 1 of "Thin Ice" airs Friday at 8 p.m. on ABC and will feature a special performance by Vancouver bronze medalist Joannie Rochette. Fan voting opens at the start of the show and ends Saturday at noon. The special concludes Sunday at 7 p.m.

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Oh, those pesky Olympic rules. Such a nuisance.

And so they'll have no rules when a contingent of ice skaters land their triple-axels in a competition at MGM Grand at Foxwoods.

Well, no rules except one: to be entertaining.

It's quite a collection of athletes, led by Joannie Rochette, who just won a bronze medal at the Vancouver Olympics, just days after her mother died of a heart attack.

The competition is called "Thin Ice," and it'll air live on ABC Friday and Sunday nights. The skating will happen on a 85-by-150-foot rink that has been built inside MGM Grand's Premier Ballroom.

The judges who will be rating the proceedings know from skating. Everyone comes bearing an Olympic gold medal.

Kristi Yamaguchi won the gold in 1992 (and, lest you forget, also won "Dancing with the Stars").

The other judges are each not just Olympic champs but two-time Olympic champs: Katarina Witt and Dick Button.

Yamaguchi says of "Thin Ice," "This is an avenue where the skaters can really freely express themselves and not worry about points they're trying to rack up to win. You'll see not only the top in skating, technically, but you'll see them do things you'd never see at the Olympics, whether that means back flips or, as a couple on the ice, just being able to play off each other and their characters and personalities."

They've matched them into five couples who have never skated together before. Rochette, though, will not be competing but performing a tribute to her mother.

Among the competitors are the likes of Stéphane Lambiel, who came in fourth at the Vancouver Olympics; David Pelletier of Canada, 2002 Olympic Champion; and Shizuka Arakawa, 2006 Olympic Champion.

The show's executive producer Terry O'Neil says, "The surprising and striking thing for me is how competitive the skaters and serious the skaters are taking the event. When you say reality show, I think people think it's going to be a skate and a giggle, with a pro and celebrity or a pro and an amateur. What we've gathered instead are the greatest 10 pro skaters in the world."

The final results will be determined in equal parts by the judges' and viewers' votes.

Pro skaters have not had a place to compete in years. They've done exhibitions and toured, yes, but haven't compete. They're fired up to get that chance.

"If you thought you were coming to watch an exhibition or some old, retired pros who had given up their creative juices or competitive juices, be warned: they are coming to win and compete," O'Neil says. "It's not the money. There's very little difference between first and fifth ($60,000 and $30,000 per couple). ... It's an opportunity for athletes to get back in their mode."

"Thin Ice," tonight-Sunday, Premier Ballroom, MGM Grand at Foxwoods; shows at 6:30 tonight, 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Friday, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m. Saturday, and 12:30 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday; televised live on ABC, from 8 to 9 p.m. Friday and 7 to 8 p.m. Sunday; $40-$100; 1-866-646-0609, mgmatfoxwoods.com.

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