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TV: Strictly Come Dancing
http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=5069
Author:  Rachael [ Tue Sep 30, 2008 2:07 pm ]
Post subject:  TV: Strictly Come Dancing
Couldn't believe there wasn't already a thread on this :wink:

I unashamedly love it :D
It marks the countdown to Christmas and it's wonderful cross-generational, proper family viewing ....

I have no favourites as yet and I'm just loving the swirl, the colour, the egos, the tension etc
Hooray for the next few months viewing!!
Author:  Becky [ Tue Sep 30, 2008 2:13 pm ]
Post subject: 
I only got into Strictly at the end of last year (something to do with the lovely Gethin Jones :wink: ) but I'm hooked now!

I like the fact that "It Takes Two" is on every day just as I get home from work, it's a nice way to unwind.
Author:  janetbrown23 [ Tue Sep 30, 2008 2:40 pm ]
Post subject: 
Drools over Gethin. I am the same , never watched it before last year, pooh poohed those who did as I don't do that sort of programme and am now totally hooked on it all. I would love to see Cherie Lunghi go all the way, she is so elegant and it would be a great boost for the more mature ladies. Please could someone make a cuddly John Sergeant doll, it would sell in its millions.
Author:  Mona [ Tue Sep 30, 2008 2:45 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Please could someone make a cuddly John Sergeant doll, it would sell in its millions.

Isn't he just so sweet?

I missed the men last week as I was on holiday, so Saturday was my first view of this series. I was a bit sorry to see Gillian go out. There really was very little to choose between the women, noone really awful, and more consistent across the board than the last couple of years. I await this week's show with interest.
Author:  Carys [ Tue Sep 30, 2008 7:53 pm ]
Post subject: 
I am a huge SCD fan (such a huge fan that my ex work colleagues got me a Gethin autographed picture for my birthday...) but I am finding it quite hard to get into this series. I think it is because I don't really like any of the celebs that much. I think at the moment Christine and Matt are my favourites but that could very well change.
I to was impressed with Cherie, I hope she doesn't fall to pieces with her latin though.
I was glad to see the back of Flavia in week one, as she really annoys me! Vincent must have been so pleased to have Rachel Stevens to dance with in this series after the pain of Flavia and Matt stamping over his heart last year.
Author:  Mez [ Wed Oct 01, 2008 2:23 am ]
Post subject: 
There is a new dancer on SCD from New Zealand apparently - Hayley Holt. Don't know if any of you are rugby union fans but she is the girlfriend of the All Blacks captain, Richie McCaw.
Author:  Lexi [ Wed Oct 01, 2008 11:22 am ]
Post subject: 
I'm so happy it's back on (and tickets are already booked to see the live show in January :D ). I think Christine and Matt are my faves so far but there's a long way to go so things might well change.
Author:  Aquabird [ Wed Oct 01, 2008 7:26 pm ]
Post subject: 
I'm soooo glad it's back! :D Colour, glitter, dresses, fantastic world pro dancers, dear old Bruce and Tess, and of course the judges moaning, fighting, grimacing, and metaphoring for Britain.

Anyway...my early favourites are Austin and Rachel. I like Christine too, think she might be the dark horse. I'm glad there are no absolute no-hopers this year (OK, Gary wasn't brilliant, but a 1????? He wasn't that bad! Even Kate Garraway got a mark for each foot!), so hopefully the sympathy vote won't be as big this time. I like the new American pro, Brian, I think he's a fantastic dancer.

Has anyone noticed how Brucie keeps reading from cards this series? I know he's always had an autocue on the show, but the card-reading was really obvious to me, especially in the results show on Sunday, and it grated on me a bit. I wish they'd let him say his own stuff, cos I love him and I think he's so funny, but the scripted gags are a bit :oops: sometimes. The show wouldn't be the same without him, though.

Oh dear, I've written an essay again. I always do when posting about this show, cos I love it so. :oops: :lol:
Author:  janetbrown23 [ Wed Oct 01, 2008 8:06 pm ]
Post subject: 
I really do think its time to put Bruce out to pasture to be honest. Having said that I have no idea who would take over the Hosts position.
Author:  Carys [ Wed Oct 01, 2008 8:43 pm ]
Post subject: 
I think Bruce should go to, I really dislike his political jokes that have emerged this seires... And if the show producers refuse to give Anton a good partner then I think he should replace Bruce!
Author:  Han [ Thu Oct 02, 2008 12:29 pm ]
Post subject: 
I agree the Bruce is getting a bit past it. Or if everything he's saying is scripted then please can we get some new writers?? It's just making me cringe, which is a huge shame because I am already more into this series than I ever have been before (I blame Claudia and ITT - I've never watched it before but it's brilliant!)

I actually really like Lisa and Brendan, am I the only one? This maybe because she does the radio show in the morning and I like the fact that they keep talking about Strictly.

But yay(!) it's back :D :D
Author:  Emily [ Sun Oct 12, 2008 11:44 am ]
Post subject: 
So, predictions for who's leaving tonight? I wish Jessie would go, she's probably the weakest girl and her hair really annoys me (shallow, I know)! But I think she has a lot of support from the Eastenders fans. Think it might be Jodie, but I hope not.
Author:  Aquabird [ Sun Oct 12, 2008 12:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
Cherie and Rachel are probably safe because they were at the top of the leaderboard, but any of the others could easily end up in the dance-off. If it's Jessie against anyone, I think she'll be the one to go. If it's Jodie against anyone except Jessie, I agree she'll probably be the one to leave.

I was really impressed with Cherie, both this week and the last time she danced. I usually hate watching the rumba, because apart from Colin Jackson I don't think anybody's done a really good one so far, and if it's not done right it makes me cringe, but Cherie's was actually very good! If she can do fast Latin, e.g. the jive, I think she'll go far. Either way, she's flying the flag for the older contestants, so good on her.
Author:  Catherine [ Sun Oct 12, 2008 5:37 pm ]
Post subject: 
I hope Jessie goes too - I thought she should have gone 2 weeks ago. Gillian was better than Jessie IMO. Jessie was definitely the weakest last night and I get really annoyed at the way she blows a kiss at the camera at the start!
Author:  Carys [ Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:45 pm ]
Post subject: 
I was glad Jessie went, I thought Darren was just dragging her around the floor in the dance off-don't know why Len would have saved her!

I'm very impressed with Cherie, thought her Rumba last night was Amazing!
Author:  Becky [ Sun Oct 19, 2008 9:52 pm ]
Post subject: 
What did everyone think of the result? I was disappointed, thought it should've been Andrew and Mark in the danceoff, I wouldn't have minded which one left.

I enjoyed the pros Paso and thought Alesha Dixon looked amazing. I'd love to be able to even stand up in those lovely heels, let alone dance in them!
Author:  janetbrown23 [ Sun Oct 19, 2008 10:14 pm ]
Post subject: 
I sometimes think the men should have to try a week dancing in heels.
Author:  Lexi [ Mon Oct 20, 2008 10:35 am ]
Post subject: 
I was quite surprised that Heather was saved as I thought Don performed better in the danceoff. I can't stand him though so I'm not particularly upset :lol:

Think my favourite dance of the night was Jodie and Ian's American Smooth, followed by Tom & Camilla. It makes such a difference when they use appropriate music (for once Camilla got this right!). Lisa and Cherie were both technically good but I just thought their routines were lacking a bit of feel.
Author:  tiernsee [ Mon Oct 20, 2008 12:21 pm ]
Post subject: 
I agree with Becky that the dance -off should have been Mark and Andrew. I'd also agree with Lexi that I thought Don performed better than Heather in the dance off (I think Len summed this up well on the night). I like Don, remembering him from those Rising Damp days so was disappointed when he was voted out.

Best performance for me had to be Cherie and James again, though John's samba for entertainment value!
Author:  Rachael [ Mon Oct 20, 2008 1:27 pm ]
Post subject: 
Becky wrote:
What did everyone think of the result? I was disappointed, thought it should've been Andrew and Mark in the danceoff, I wouldn't have minded which one left.


You are soooo right!!
They're so laboured that I watch between my fingers!
Mark, bless him, seems like a really nice guy and yes, great physique, but he just can't dance and he's so awkward!! No wonder they put him in that shirt to detract from his dancing!!
And Andrew Castle - again, bless, but tries too hard and just doesn't have it - though obviously in a different stratosphere from Fiona and Kate! :lol:

What is it about John Sergeant?? He's just so great - maybe it is his "raw sexuality"?!! :wink:
NB - He needs to be careful he doesn't land in the bottom two or the judges will have him out in a flash and he's far too entertaining and lovely to go too soon!

I'm loving Cherie and James - great partnership and he's choosing very good music which shows her off wonderfully ...

Poor old Don and Heather - I don't think it was time for either of them to go - hey ho ....
Author:  Becky [ Mon Oct 20, 2008 1:51 pm ]
Post subject: 
Rachael wrote:
Becky wrote:
What did everyone think of the result? I was disappointed, thought it should've been Andrew and Mark in the danceoff, I wouldn't have minded which one left.


You are soooo right!!
They're so laboured that I watch between my fingers!
Mark, bless him, seems like a really nice guy and yes, great physique, but he just can't dance and he's so awkward!! No wonder they put him in that shirt to detract from his dancing!!
And Andrew Castle - again, bless, but tries too hard and just doesn't have it - though obviously in a different stratosphere from Fiona and Kate! :lol:

What is it about John Sergeant?? He's just so great - maybe it is his "raw sexuality"?!! :wink:
NB - He needs to be careful he doesn't land in the bottom two or the judges will have him out in a flash and he's far too entertaining and lovely to go too soon!

I'm loving Cherie and James - great partnership and he's choosing very good music which shows her off wonderfully ...

Poor old Don and Heather - I don't think it was time for either of them to go - hey ho ....


You're so right too :lol:

I voted for John on Sat, simply because I find him entertaining to watch. I nearly fell off my chair laughing when he said about his raw sexuality (I'd had a glass or two of wine by this point :wink: ). OK, he's definitely not the best dancer but for putting on a performance, I would rate him well above Andrew and Mark.
Author:  snowmaiden [ Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
Oh I loooove strictly. Agree with all said about Mark - but my goodness, doubt many folk were actually watching him dance! :D Utterly cringeworthy though.

Love Cherie - think she is really elegant looking and very musical. And think Jodie has really improved from the first week.

Also loved Darcey Bussell this week although v unfair that her legs are endless!
Author:  Catherine [ Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:07 pm ]
Post subject: 
I made myself late for work this morning by staying to watch Kenny Logan and Craig Revel-Horwood on BBC Breakfast! Bill Turnbull told Craig it was the wrong result (which I agree with, as I thought Dom was much better than Heather in the dance off) and Craig said that although Dom's performance was 'cleaner', Heather 'performed' it better, showing that she'd taken on board Len's remarks and had improved - and he blamed the public for putting them both in the bottom two! Kenny also pointed out that a good performance can cancel out bad dancing. He's to be on the tour next year.
Author:  Aquabird [ Mon Oct 20, 2008 7:19 pm ]
Post subject: 
I missed the last few dances because I was going to a party on Saturday, but nobody that I did see really blew me away. I thought Cherie's dance, although good, was far too slow for an American Smooth; I agreed with Craig that I expected it to be much more dynamic. Lisa was pretty good, but the rest were meh for me. I hated Mark's dance (am I the only one who doesn't fancy him?) and agree that he should've been in the bottom two, along with Andrew. I think it'll be between those two and Heather and possibly John for the chop this week.

In Andrew's case, I think his dancing does suffer from the fact that Ola is much smaller than him. He's got to hunch over her, hence the 'question mark' look (I love that expression! :lol: ). He'd probably be a bit better if he was dancing with a taller pro, like Camilla or Erin.

And my driving instructor is the spitting image of John Sergeant! I can't look at one now without thinking of the other! :lol:
Author:  Cathie [ Mon Oct 20, 2008 8:55 pm ]
Post subject: 
Cherie's wonderful, but the entire school is supporting Mark as he came and did our presentation evening. I got to shake his hand and have my photo taken with him twice! Mummy was so jealous, I don't quite get it :roll: .
Author:  Carys [ Mon Oct 20, 2008 9:55 pm ]
Post subject: 
What Mark was wearing on Saturday was hideous it was putting me off my wine...
I felt sorry for Don, didn't think he should have gone. I think I'd have liked Andrew to have left.
Does anyone else think that Aleesha's new single is awful, she is so talented that they could have come up with something better for her I think.
Author:  Aquabird [ Mon Oct 20, 2008 10:11 pm ]
Post subject: 
Carys wrote:
Does anyone else think that Aleesha's new single is awful, she is so talented that they could have come up with something better for her I think.


I quite liked it. :oops: :lol: Not exactly No. 1 material, but quite catchy. And I was so jealous that she had all the male pros dancing round her!
Author:  Elbee [ Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:53 am ]
Post subject: 
Carys wrote:
What Mark was wearing on Saturday was hideous

Yes, wasn't it awful! :shock: I couldn't look at him! I would have been happy with Mark or Andrew going, but Don could have lasted a bit longer. I hope John stays, his dancing isn't as good as some of the others but he's so entertaining to watch :D
Author:  Emma A [ Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:47 am ]
Post subject: 
Seeing as I don't have a television (but am reading your comments with interest), can some kind person post a list of the contestants vying for the title? 'John' is John Sergeant, I assume, and 'Cherie' is Cherie Lunghi, but I've no idea who the others are :oops: Please help!
Author:  Aquabird [ Tue Oct 21, 2008 11:20 am ]
Post subject: 
Ladies:
Cherie Lunghi
Rachel Stevens
Christine Bleakley
Lisa Snowdon
Jodie Kidd
Heather Small

Men:
Austin Healey
Tom Chambers
Andrew Castle
John Sergeant
Mark Foster

People who have been voted out: Phil Daniels, Gillian Taylforth, Gary Rhodes, Jessie Wallace, Don Warrington

I'd only heard of about four of them before Strictly. :roll:
Author:  Emma A [ Tue Oct 21, 2008 12:12 pm ]
Post subject: 
Aquabird wrote:
I'd only heard of about four of them before Strictly. :roll:

Thanks, Aquabird - me too...
Author:  Han [ Tue Oct 21, 2008 9:06 pm ]
Post subject: 
I'd actually heard of most of them this time around - or at least recognised them vaguely. They do tend to have a lot of people who are known for BBC programmes though. The number of sports people involved often surprises me though - but I'm not sure why.

Aquabird - the BBC website has a Strictly Come Dancing section with lists of everyone who's involved and videos/pictures etc.

I love these series! I think the girls are particularly impressive, although I also really like Austin and Tom (not such a fan of Mark either). I am however wondering how long I am going to continue liking John - part of me was a little bit annoyed by his apparent conviction that the public would save him, he came across as a little arrogant. Is that just me? I loved his waltz in the first week but I worry that he's just not bothering about the dancing anymore because he's just relying on the public to keep saving him for comedy value.
Author:  Aquabird [ Thu Oct 23, 2008 9:09 pm ]
Post subject: 
Has anyone seen this? The presenters and judges have been immortalised in The Beano!
Author:  Carys [ Thu Oct 23, 2008 9:50 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hehe I don't think Bruno or Tess look much like their real life selves but the rest are all pretty impressive. I wonder if it's been mentioned on It Takes Two, I've seen most of them this week and didn't see anything about it.
Author:  Aquabird [ Thu Oct 23, 2008 10:53 pm ]
Post subject: 
Now that you mention it, Carys, it's odd that it hasn't been shown on ITT yet - it's the kind of thing they'd love. Maybe it'll be shown on tomorrow's show.

Minor whinge: we still don't get ITT in Scotland on Thursdays. :cry: :evil: I know there's always YouTube and iPlayer to catch up, but it's not the same as watching it live. :poke: BBC
Author:  Lexi [ Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:20 am ]
Post subject: 
Thoughts on this weekend's shows?

For me, it was definitely the right result to send Mark home. Andrew was vastly improved this week and performed much better in the dance-off so definitely deserved to stay.

I was a bit underwhelmed by most of the performances though and thought the scoring was quite inconsistent. Austin was good but lacked a bit of feeling and Tom's routine seemed very rushed. I thought Cherie was totally overmarked. Apart from the terrible beginning, the routine was slow and dull and it bored me.

Bit disappointed by the girls doing the paso as well. Jodie looked so promising in training and then it just didn't work :( I rather liked Lisa's routine apart from the weird head thing she was doing.

Rachel and Vincent's routine was lovely. And John, what can I say? :lol:
Author:  Becky [ Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:34 am ]
Post subject: 
I mostly agree, Lexi. I thought Jodie and Lisa's pasos were ok and was very disapponted with the rest. Nobody was able to pull off the drama and excitement needed I thought. John's was the most entertaining :lol:

The Viennese waltzes were better, I agree that Tom's looked rushed but the others were good.

Cherie was definitely overmarked, that was a big mistake at the beginning.

It was time for Mark to go, Andrew had made a big improvement.

I'm not sure about next week, it may be harder to judge as everyone is doing a different dance and I expect will play to their strengths.
Author:  janetbrown23 [ Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:44 am ]
Post subject: 
The fact that Jodie was dancing with a cracked rib may/must have affected her dancing. I was disappointed this week with the paso. I think John must be the next to leave if you judge by the dancing and not by cuddly teddy entertainment.

This week everyone will be doing a different dance which will make it interesting to see how the judges manage.
Author:  jilianb [ Tue Oct 28, 2008 4:40 pm ]
Post subject: 
I agree that it was time for Mark to go. He's a lovely man but he just can't dance. I love Austin & Tom, think it might be a battle between them for the final.

Everyone doing a different dance this week will be interesting and may make the judges marking difficult.
Author:  Aquabird [ Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:29 pm ]
Post subject: 
Definitely right that Mark should have gone. If Andrew has a Latin dance this week that doesn't require him to be in hold, like the Jive, he might do pretty well, because he won't have to worry so much about his posture. But if he's got another Ballroom dance, I think he's in trouble.

I think John is on borrowed time now - he's sweet, but the public vote won't carry him through the whole competition. If he stays in at the expense of genuinely good dancers I won't be happy.

I was disappointed with all the Pasos, thought the Viennese Waltzes were much better. I loved Rachel and Vincent's, and also Austin and Erin's. Heather wasn't too bad either.

BTW, if Andrew and John go in the next couple of weeks, there will only be 2 men left in the competiton, with 6 women! :shock:
Author:  Becky [ Wed Oct 29, 2008 8:56 pm ]
Post subject: 
My old English teacher was on It Takes Two tonight - she and her husband were supporting John Sargeant when they asked the public. It was a nice surprise to see her :D
Author:  Aquabird [ Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
What did you all think of this weekend? I think it was probably right that Andrew went, but top marks for how graciously he took it, what a gentleman.

Jodie and Ian did the dance of the night for me, I thought it was beautiful. It was only a bit of dodgy footwork that let them down. Austin, Lisa, Tom and Rachel were also excellent - although I must admit I yelled "WHAT?" at the telly when Len whacked out a 10 for Austin. Austin was the first to dance - what if someone else had come out and done better? He would've had nowhere to go!

I think Heather or John will be the next to go, or, if there's the usual 'shock exit', possibly Christine. If she doesn't fare well with the judges on Saturday, she'll be in the dangerous lower-middle position on the leaderboard.

A couple of random points:

I like it that there's no clear winner this year. Last year, it was pretty obvious by this stage that Alesha was going to win, but I think the glitterball could go to one of maybe three or four people this series.

Tom's Paso face had me in fits of laughter. Great dance, definitely the best Paso of the series so far, but I couldn't look at the expression without giggling.

I loved Bruno's leg extensions! :lol: :lol: :lol: He's pretty bendy for someone in his fifties!

And YAY that Strictly won the NTA last Wednesday!!! :D :D Simon Cowell's face was absolutely priceless. :lol: :lol:
Author:  tiernsee [ Mon Nov 03, 2008 10:01 pm ]
Post subject: 
Completely agree, loved Jodie and Ian's dance. Disappointed that Cherie didn't do better as she has been the star of the series so far for me.
It was a tight call between Heather and Andrew, probably the right person went on the night.
I think the series is probably between Austin and Tom, although Jodie or Cherie may provide a challenge. Lisa is good but let down by her partner.
Good fun series though, just wish they had kept the dance off show on Saturday rather than Sunday, it's so obvious it isn't live!
Author:  Lucy [ Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:06 pm ]
Post subject: 
I'm going to see this filmed on Sat. Very very excited!!
Author:  janetbrown23 [ Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:24 pm ]
Post subject: 
You lucky, lucky thing Lucy please tell us all about it afterwards.
Author:  Caroline OSullivan [ Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
Lucky you Lucy :D
Make sure you get there very early though, have seen several stories on the SCD message boards about people not getting in even though they got there before the time on the ticket :(
Author:  Carys [ Tue Nov 04, 2008 9:59 pm ]
Post subject: 
Lucky you Lucy! I didn't manage to get tickets this year :(
When I went last year I think I started queing at about 1 and managed to get in fine.
Author:  tiernsee [ Mon Nov 10, 2008 1:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
What was it like Lucy? Hope you had a good evening?

Favourite this week was Tom and Camilla (surprisingly), glad to see Cherie back on form, hope she can do some good latin dances now.

What a shocker though! Poor Rachel being in the bottom two - completely undeserved, hope she bounces back from this. I think John Sargant is great (and the judges comments totally uncalled for) but perhaps is time for him to hang up his dancing shoes now!
Author:  Emma A [ Mon Nov 10, 2008 1:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
There was an interesting feature in Saturday's Times about SCD this series, with a bit about the inexplicable voting habits of the UK population (inexplicable, that is, to the judges!). The article mostly followed Lisa Snowdon and her partner, and Austin Healey and his - and seemed to reckon that Austin would be a cert to win.
Author:  Aquabird [ Mon Nov 10, 2008 7:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
I pretty much expected to see Heather in the bottom two again as she never seemed to have the public behind her, but I was shocked to see Rachel there. She must have come last in the public vote, because she got such a good score from the judges. I don't think Heather would have lasted much longer anyway, but I was sad to see Brian go - I really liked him.

I was much more impressed by the celebs this week (except for John), and I agree with whichever judge it was who said that the Ballroom is generally better than the Latin this year. The only Latin dances I've enjoyed so far are Cherie's Rumba and Rachel's Jive, whereas I've liked lots of the Ballroom dances.

Who do you think will go next? Personally, I think John should go now, but he still seems really popular, so I have a horrible feeling someone good will go. :(
Author:  Catherine [ Tue Nov 11, 2008 11:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
I think Rachel may well go out next week or the week after - she's good but given what happened this week, I wonder how popular she is with the public. I would say that Jodie and Christine aren't safe either.

I really think it's time John went - but I think the Judges should have learnt by now that the harder they are on someone, the more likely they are to be saved by the public. I sometimes wonder though, if John's not bothered about putting much effort into his dancing because he knows the public will save him anyway. Last year, when Kate kept being saved, she did at least seem sorry that she was being kept in at the expense of other, better, dancers but John just seems to be enjoying that fact.
Author:  Lucy [ Sun Nov 16, 2008 9:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
Bit later letting you all know about it, sorry. It was wonderful!! We got there early (about 1ish) and que'd in the rain until 3.45. Lucky that we did as the first 30 people got to sit downstairs and we were number 29 and 30!! The seats were ok but you couldn't see all of the dancing because the cameras got in the way some of the time.

The studio was tiny, far smaller than I'd imagined it would be. Very tacky but looked fab. The costumes were amazing, expecially Lisa's black and white dress.

Rachael should never have been in the dance off. Also real sympathy for Heather as everyone recognised that John should of been there (she got the only genuine standing ovation of the evening, all the rest we were told to do).

Seeing Beyonce was a great bonus, shy was so shy before she performed and then so professional whilst singing.

Thought the standard last night was better than when I was there last week. The judges seem to be learning not to be too harsh on John so hopefully he'll be in the bottom two and go this week. His dancing so poor compared to the others.

I still don't have a clear favourite, first year that has happened. They all seem equally to have their ups and downs. Don't particularly want Austin to win as he seemed a little smug and to almost presume he was going to win already. Jodie was lovely, just presumed she was going out but she's not good enough compared to the others to actually win. Just wish people would vote for the best dancer!!
Author:  Carys [ Mon Nov 17, 2008 5:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
I'm really sad Cherie went last night, though I did think Lisa did dance better than her in the dance off. It is time for John to go I think.

I think they should try and organise it so the contestants dance the same dance each week as that'll make it fairer. Cherie and Lisa have both been consistently scoring higher than Christine and Jodie but because they were doing latin as opposed to ballroom on Saturday night got lower scores.

Also is Len getting on anyone else's nerves this series? He's coming across as really big headed to me, i.e on Saturday interupting Bruce's Cha Cha Cha joke with "No I don't" in response to Bruce saying he called it the Cha Cha-it seemed very unprofessional to me. He did something else similar to that as well, which I can't remember.
Author:  Aquabird [ Mon Nov 17, 2008 6:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
John should have gone three or four weeks ago, IMO. I really thought he would go this week, because the judges didn't crucify him and he got a decent score, but no, he's still there. Even Kate Garraway was out by this point last year; I hope it's not going to turn into another Christopher Parker situation. :shock:

I was really pleased to see how Rachel came back fighting this week after last week's dance-off; that makes the second Rumba this series that I've thought WOW, the other being Cherie's. Best dance of the night for me, followed by Tom's Salsa.

Carys wrote:
Also is Len getting on anyone else's nerves this series?

Yes. I hate the way he talks over the other judges. By all means disagree, that's the whole point of having four of them, but he doesn't have to be so rude about it. It was particularly noticeable this week when Craig couldn't finish what he was saying because Len and Bruno were shouting him down. IMO Craig and Arlene are usually the ones talking sense!

(I'll get off my soapbox now. :oops: :P )
Author:  tiernsee [ Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
Quite agree Aquabird. I've found the bickering between the judges really annoying this series, especially shouting Craig down.

I'm really disappointed Cherie went. She was so professional, hard-working and managed to convey her acting talents in all her dancing.

Support now transferred to Jodie, but I do worry if she will remain if she gets a latin dance. I just love the relationship between her and Ian and they look like they are really having fun.

Any predictions for the final 3? I'm guessing Austin, Tom and Rachel (not too sure on the girl could be any of them). I think Austin will win (hope it isn't Tom as he comes across as smarmy) and I'd be quite happy with that, especially for Erin as I thought she should have won some seasons ago when she danced with Colin Jackson.
Author:  Chris S [ Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
In the Daily Express today Arlene makes several nasty comments about John. She goes on to say that he spends time sitting down reading his paper when he should be practising like the others. Since she is in her sixties surely she must realise that a man in his sixties cannot dance for six hours a day - it would probably kill him. He obviously is taking the competition seriously or he wouldn't have bothered to learn the routines. I hope he gets to the final.
Author:  Catherine [ Tue Nov 18, 2008 6:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
I think that if the judges just shrugged their shoulders and got on with the job, instead of going on and on about how John should be out, they would probably get their wish. The more negative they are and the more fuss they kick up, the more publicity and sympathy votes he gets.

I agree that it would be better if they did the same dance or half did the same latin dance and the others did the same ballroom. I find it easier to work out who is good, bad and mediocre.

As for Len - :roll: The way he leans right back in his chair and looks either bored stiff or incredibly superior is very rude. I wonder if he's bored by it all now?
Author:  Simone [ Wed Nov 19, 2008 2:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
What does everybody think about John Sargeant quitting?

I do feel it was time for him to go, but hate to think he's been pushed out.
Author:  Becky [ Wed Nov 19, 2008 2:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
I'm shocked that he's pulled out. I did vote for him for the first few weeks as I felt he put on a better performance than Andrew and Mark, but stopped voting for him the week Heather went.

I wonder how they'll play it now? I hope they won't have an eviction on Sat and then have a 3 person final. I don't think that will happen though as they've got a 45 minute results show to fill.

I can't wait to watch It Takes Two tonight!
Author:  Chris S [ Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
I feel sorry that John pulled out. As TV licence payers we deserve to be entertained, and whatever you may think of his standard of dancing he was the most entertaining guy on the show. These competitions are getting far too serious.
Author:  Catherine [ Wed Nov 19, 2008 4:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
Simone wrote:
What does everybody think about John Sargeant quitting?

I do feel it was time for him to go, but hate to think he's been pushed out.



I think that sums up what I feel about it. It was time for him to go but not in this way. I can't say I blame him though - he must be constantly being harassed by reporters. Apparently he's returning on Saturday for a farewell dance though.

Becky - when Kelly Brook dropped out last year, they still went ahead and evicted someone and I suppose it would be pointless to go ahead with the programme if nobody's going to be evicted - not much point in giving people scores if there's no danger of them leaving!
Author:  Emma A [ Wed Nov 19, 2008 4:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
Catherine wrote:
I think that sums up what I feel about it. It was time for him to go but not in this way. I can't say I blame him though - he must be constantly being harassed by reporters. Apparently he's returning on Saturday for a farewell dance though.

Perhaps he felt that he wouldn't be voted out due to his popularity, and decided to circumvent the vote by quitting?
Author:  Alison H [ Wed Nov 19, 2008 4:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
He's more or less said that he thinks it'd be a travesty if he won.

I feel rather sorry for him: he's been put in an impossible position. It's not his fault that people keep voting for him when he's not very good!
Author:  Carys [ Wed Nov 19, 2008 5:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
Although I did think it was time for John to leave I didn't want him to quit as I wanted three people in the final. It hasn't been the same these past two years with just two couples. I too can't wait for It Takes Two tonight, must make sure I get my dinner ready in time for it!
Author:  Becky [ Wed Nov 19, 2008 5:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
It Takes Two is on for an hour tonight as well, 6-7pm, so it'll start half an hour early.

Luckily the SLOC is at home today so he's promised to change the recorder for me - he's been warned there'll be trouble if he forgets!
Author:  Simone [ Wed Nov 19, 2008 5:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
Must get SLOC to do the same - I won't be home 'til 6.15!

ETA: I suppose I could just go home early though :mrgreen:
Author:  Carys [ Thu Nov 20, 2008 7:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
I loved the hour long ITT yesterday! Thought John was quite arrogant when he kept saying he quit because there was a strong possibility he would have won-he wouldn't!
On Loose Women earlier on today (I'm a student so allowed to watch daytime trash) they said he is rumoured to have really quit because he had a cruise booked and he didn't want to miss it! :shock:
Author:  Sarah_G-G [ Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
I haven't managed to watch ITT yet (I'm in France and trying to follow the series via youtube... As I only have the Internet at work at the moment due to the French version of 7 days, in halls at any rate, being *much* longer than the English version (more like 25 days at last count an still not connected!), I'm having to prioritise when I can watch things!) but I'm finally up to date on the dancing at least :D I have mixed feelings about John resigning. In terms of dancing ability, he should have gone weeks ago but I didn't mind as much as I did with Kate last year because he at least was entertaining and seemed to be really enjoying himself so the performance generally wasn't bad even if he couldn't get the technique. With Cherie going though, I was quite desperate for people to stop voting him in so those of us interested in the dancing could watch people who actually danced every dance! However having said that, I think it's really sad that he obviiously felt he had to go. I assume it can't make for a pleasant working enviornment if you know that popular as you are, all the other couples are becoming more and more resentful that you are staying in above couples who could actually be really good. The professionals especially feel that way I expect, as they're all very competitive and have competed for years- it must be incredibly frustrating for them to know that someone who isn't a good dancer is being voted in because he's got a good personality. I expect it's getting more difficult for them to hide that frustration as well, in which case I feel really sorry for John who never asked to be popular despite his dancing and has apparently said himself that he should never win. The onlt thing I wish is that he'd been voted out fairly. Maybe after seeing Cherie go, people might have got a shock and realised that if they want to see good performances in the future, they need to stop voting for the funny "everyman" and start supporting the good dancers.
Author:  Aquabird [ Fri Nov 21, 2008 12:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strictly Come Dancing
I don't think John would have won, because let's face it, in every other series so far the best dancer has won in the end, but he might have got pretty close to the final if his fan base is as big as people think. I'm personally not fussed that he's gone, but I feel for the people who liked him and were voting for him.

I'm sure someone on Wednesday's ITT said that it was going to be a two-person final now. :( I was looking forward to having a three-person final again this year.
Author:  tiernsee [ Tue Nov 25, 2008 2:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
Sad John has gone and it was a nice farewell from him and Kristina. Hope he enjoys his cruise!

Very sad to see Jodie go. Her relationship with Ian was one of the highlights - they seemed to get on so well and really enjoy the dancing. Not a bad jive either considering she had flu!

Must say I'm not too interested in the remaining contestants - hope Austin will win, wouldn't mind Lisa or Christine but really hope it isn't Tom (too smug) or Rachel (too boring).

Would have liked a 3 person final as well - still there is always the Christmas special to look forward to!
Author:  Aquabird [ Tue Nov 25, 2008 8:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I think the right couple went, but I'm still sad because they were just such an entertaining couple. If Christine doesn't get good marks this week, she might well be in the danger zone. Lisa, though good, doesn't seem to be that popular with the public, so I don't think she'll make the final - I think it'll be between Austin, Tom and Rachel, and I wouldn't really mind who won it. First time that's happened, actually, it's always been a no-brainer for me before.

I actually really like Tom now, wasn't too keen on him at first. His Tango was great, and for me he really stood out in the Saturday Night Fever routine. Although I did spend a good part of that dance going :shock: at the size of the flares on Rachel's jumpsuit thingy. They all looked like they were having good fun, though - I wanted to join in!
Author:  Sarah_G-G [ Sun Nov 30, 2008 3:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
They were all so good last night, I can't believe how high the standard is this year! Even last year there weren't as many people getting such high marks the first week they did two dances (I went back and checked previous scores on wikipedia :oops: ). Funnily enough although Christine's dances were clearly not of the same standard as the others, if you compare her score with the ones from previous series, she's about average for that week, even though yesterday she was about 10 marks below everyone else! I find it interesting as well this year that almost all of the really good dances have been ballroom. Usually there's a bit of a split between contestants who prefer ballroom and those who prefer latin, but I think they've all been quite ballroom-orientated this year, except for a couple of rumbas really. I mean, that's not to say there haven't been good latin dances but all the contestants seem to say variations on the theme of "Well, I'm glad to be doing another ballroom dance this week" / "This week I have to tackle another latin dance" etc. I don;t know, maybe that's just my imagination.

Last night, I loved all the traditional, slow ballroom dances, actually, and Austin's Paso was spell-binding, wherever the steps came from! I adore the traditional paso music as well and I think that might be the first time I've heard it used on strictly. Rachel's paso was far better than I was expecting it to be, to be honest, so it's a shame she lost her balance once or twice. Between the two of them, they're the best pasos this series by a long way! Lisa's cha cha cha was also the best we've seen this series and better than I was expecting but it still didn't have the same "wow" factor for me that really good cha cha chas have. Her ballroom was beautiful though so small blame to her if the second dance wasn't as spectacular!

Also, was it just me or was Len being a bit odd marking-wise (again)? He said he saw a real fault in Tom's waltz and explained that it happened every time, which the other judges agreed with, but had consciously decided to give him a 10 anyway. :dontknow: I take his point that if they really were looking for absolute perfection, no-one would ever get a 10 but surely if you see a major, repeated flaw in a dance, it can't really be given a perfect score... I suspect he was being kind because it was another very good dance from Tom, who desperately wanted a 10 but always seemed to just miss out on them, but I don't see that someone consistently getting 9s really needs to be given a 10 to stop them from losing heart, which I understand is why he sometimes over marks the less natural dancers in the first few weeks. On the other hand, so far as I can make out he then docked Austin 2 points because... he didn't like Erin's choreography? I assume maybe he felt the routine wasn't difficult enough to warrent a 10, maybe (like the way gymnastics and spring board diving is marked) so he took a different top score as his starting point but, well, I'm not sure that makes a lot of sense. It just seems that he docked 2 marks for the fact that he couldn't tell if Austin would have done the other paso steps well or not. I don't know, maybe it does make sense, and I was expecting a 9 from him because he disliked the routine, but it was the fact that he didn't give any criticism for the way the dance was danced. I'd have expected a 9 from him. Especially after overlooking Tom's major flaw to give him a 10. Say what you like about Craig and Arlene, and they can both be unfairly blunt, harsh and personal in their remarks, at least you know the marking is consistent. And I don;t think I've ever seen Bruno get carried away and mark too harshly because the routine wasn't to his liking.

Sorry if that looks like a bit of a rant! Mainly I'm just overexcited that for the first time since week 1 I've actually watched the main show and then had to wait for the results, just like everyone else! It means I can actually comment on the show without doing so weeks after everyone else watched it... Yay for finally having the Internet at home! No idea who's going out tomorrow. It should be Christine but who knows at this stage? I won;t be too upset if she stays one more week anyway, as I still have confidence that there's the potential there to improve enough to give a really good performance in a couple of weeks. It's got to the point where I just don't really want anyone in the dance-off though!
Author:  Carys [ Mon Dec 01, 2008 9:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I was sad to see Christine go last night she is so nice and always seems to be smiling, but I think that it was right for her to go as she was not as good as the other contestents. Still it is a shame.

I loved Austin's Paso, think it was my dance of the series so far. It made such an impression on me that I voted for the first time this year-for Austin of course! I think Len is a bit of a fuddy duddy, he's very inconsistent with his marking at times and if he dislikes a certain aspect of a dance then he'll penalise it no matter how good the dance is.

I don't know who is going to win, it is so open this year. I think I want Austin to win now after his Paso but I also wouldn't mind if Tom won because Camilla is my favourite professional dancer. I don't particularly want Rachel to win as despite being a good dancer she is so dull, a tea spoon has more personality than her!
Author:  Sarah_G-G [ Mon Dec 01, 2008 10:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I agree, it was sad to see Christine and Matt go out even though it was clearly the right result. They just seem like a lovely couple and performance-wise, I think Christine has been one of the only ones able to go out on the dance floor and look to be saying "This is absolutely the only place I want to be right now- this is the best fun ever! Look at me! Come dance with me- you'll see how great it is as well! Can't you see how brilliant this is?" I like that in a dancer! The absolute thrill of being there. I think I've seen it on Tom when he did the quickstep, and Austin in the cha cha cha but that's about it for this year. The best anyone else has managed is "This is really fun!", which isn't quite the same, if that makes any sense at all. It's the sense of performance Alesha had last year and Jill Halfpenny when she did her jive (didn't see the rest of that series so can't comment on the rest), that really reaches out to the audience and includes them in the dance.

Right now I suspect we're going to have a male winner again this year as Rachel and Lisa have both been in the bottom two twice. I think Lisa might go next week, depending on what dances she does, who's in the dance-off with her etc. I don;t know why I think that, I just have a feeling. Rachel may make it to the final but I'm not sure she has the public support to win it unless she pulls something amazing out of the bag that will appeal to the public, probably a fast latin dance. I think she's too self-contained to gather much public support in a personality contest, however lovely she may be in person. Also I might be wrong but I have a feeling that as professionals, the two women left are more popular than the two men. Brendan at any rate doesn't ahve a massive fan base, whereas Camilla's fans will want her in the final if possible after her near miss last year, and Erin's fans may well still remember how close she cam to winning with Colin Jackson and suport her as a result. I don;t know, it's all just speculation really! I think we're going to have a close, exciting final though.
Author:  Aquabird [ Mon Dec 01, 2008 8:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
Austin's Paso was awesome. :D So unbelieveably OTT it was, well, unbelieveable. I think it was right that Christine went, but it's a shame because she's so likeable, and you could tell she was really popular with all the other dancers. Though did anyone else think she looked like she'd walked right out of the Phantom of the Opera in her Tango dress?

I don't mind which of the four couples left reach the final, they've all done at least one really good dance IMO. I think it will really depend now on how well they do on the night - a knock-out performance like Austin's Paso could swing it for them with the undecided voters (like me), but if they have one bad dance it could spell disahhhhhrrrrster, as Craig would say. I personally think it will be a male winner this year. The two girls have both been in the dance-off twice, so the boys must be getting more votes, and as it's the public vote that decides the winner in the end, that's what counts.

Is anyone going to see the tour this year?
Author:  tiernsee [ Tue Dec 02, 2008 1:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
Unfortunately missed the show on Saturday night (at the Sound of Music at the Palladium - excellent) but watched the results show on Sunday. Sad to see Christine go but on the basis of the dance-off it was the right choice.

I think we will have two men in the final and hope Austin wins (always found Tom a bit smug). I'd like to see an Austin, Lisa and Rachel semi but don't think I will. Prediction probably Lisa out next week and Rachel the week after.

Looking forward to the Christmas special!!
Author:  Carys [ Sun Dec 07, 2008 3:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
Who do you think will be out tonight?It's very hard to call, especially as three of the couples had 39. I hope Austin is saved by the public (I voted for him) though if he is I have no idea who the judges will choose to save. I think if Tom is in the dance off with Rachel or Lisa then he will go but don't know who the judges will save between Rachel and Lisa.
Author:  Aquabird [ Sun Dec 07, 2008 5:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
If it's between Rachel and Lisa I think they will save Rachel. If it's Tom against either girl I don't know. He might just edge it over Lisa, but I don't think they'd save him over Rachel. I think Austin is the one in danger ; the thing about the dance-off is that the judges can only base their decision on that performance alone. They can't take into account previous performances, potential to do better, etc. So if Austin is in the dance-off against any of the other three, who all got 39, he's probably toast. Even though he is actually probably a better dancer. It's just the luck of the draw that the dances he got this week haven't been his strongest.
Author:  Sarah_G-G [ Sun Dec 07, 2008 11:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
Ooh, exciting show last night! I've not seen the result show yet as I'm waiting for someone to put it on youtube but I know the result for once as I stumbled across it on an unmarked spoiler thread on digitalspy (*grumbles halfheartedly as knew it was a risk just going on the site*). I suppose it's the right result as much as any result would be right at this stage of the competition. I did feel sorry for Austin getting those dances that week though- he was only 1 point behind Lisa overall, wasn't he? Just unfortunate that the dance-off is one time when being equally split between ballroom and Latin won't help you at all! And unless his salsa improved dramatically, it won't have been better than Lisa's waltz last night I'm sure (like I said, I've not seen the actual dance-off yet). The show does seem to have been a bit ballroom-waited as a whole this year, in my opinion. As in, the vast majority of the really good dances ahve been ballroom. Loads of good foxtrots and waltzes, hardly any good cha cha cha, jives, salsas and sambas. Ah well, can't be helped. May have to wait for the Christmas special to see something amazing in that line, at this rate! Personally I don't think Lisa's jive was all that much better than Christine's a few weeks ago- if Lisa edged it slightly in technique I'd say Christine edged it slightly in performance so... :dontknow:

Can I just say though, I loved the dresses last night (well, this morning so far as I was concerned)! And I thought the singers in the ballroom in particular were really good. I think I even saw slightly more footwork than normal! And Aquabird I totally agree with you about Christine's tango dress last week- thought she looked like she'd stepped out of some kind of gothic movie convention. :lol: Rachel's dress this week was *far* better!

Still no clear favourite for me! Rachel was the most consistant last night in my opinion, so deserved her spot at the top of the leaderboard, but she was only there by a very narrow margin, and on a week where Lisa and Tom had Latin dances that were unlikely to suit them! One jive related question though- just how tall do you have to be to be "tall"?! Only, surely Christine dancing with Matt can't have been loads shorter, nor Kelly last year when she danced with Brendan, nor Alesha for that matter! Or are Matt Cuttler's partner's excluded from the "tall girls can't jive" thing because they're "bubbly." :roll: I don't know, maybe Lisa is a few inches taller than those three, which makes all the difference? She did a good performance though, I'm not trying to knock that, just the assumption that "tall girls" can't jive, which always seems to be made on ITT etc. Makes it harder to look tidy if you're 6foot as opposed to 5foot nothing, maybe... Same as it makes me laugh that every single dance is refered to at some point as being "one of the most difficult ballroom/ Latin" dances (cue serious faces and vigorous nodding). :wink:
Author:  tiernsee [ Tue Dec 09, 2008 3:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
Really sad to see Austin go - but Lisa's waltz was definitely better than his salsa - luck of the draw I suppose as to which dances they have to do. I was disappointed with Austin's American Smooth and he seemed to me rather tired and washed out - perhaps he has been overdoing the dancing.

Very sad to see him go. Guess Tom will be in the final, probably with Rachel but who knows. All my favourites have gone but the three who are left are all good dancers.
Author:  Lexi [ Wed Dec 10, 2008 12:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I'm sad about Austin as well :(

Watching Rachel's tango made me really wonder about my assessment of the dances :lol: I know she's technically very good but I found it so dull to watch. The judges all rave about how much passion she put into it and I just didn't see it at all! *is clearly going a bit mental*

Oh and Len is really really annoying me :banghead: Craig is about the only judge who actually makes constructive points about the performances and Len keeps ranting over the top of him.

I think I'll support Tom now, I enjoy watching him dance much more than the other two. I found him a bit smug at first but he and Camilla are really endearingly excited to still be in the competition and I love them.
Author:  Carys [ Wed Dec 10, 2008 12:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I to did not like Rachel's tango-thought I was the only one! I just find Rachel really bland and boring.

Think I shall be supporting Tom from now on to, though I do like Lisa more than I thought I would but she doesn't seem to get much public support.
Author:  Becky [ Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I thought the same about Rachel this week and I couldn't understand how everyone raved about her waltz the week before when her dress obscured her feet!

I'm supporting Tom too, I think he's great. He has such enthusiasm and puts on a performance.
Author:  Sarah_G-G [ Wed Dec 10, 2008 9:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I'm going to be the odd one out here and say I quite liked Rachel's tango once I got into it, but I was a little confused by the lack of sharpness. Found it mesmerising- more like an Argentine tango than a ballroom one I thought. Wasn't convinced I saw any emotion in her face I'm afraid, though! Maybe you had to be in the studio to see it?

Another Tom supporter here- he's the most likely to look really *happy* while doing a dance! I really hope his jive goes well on Saturday though, seeing as he's up against the two girls doing ballroom again. Slightly worried as I reckon he could win the final on public vote but if he's in the bottom two, he has a riskier dance than the other two, I suspect. :?
Author:  Carys [ Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I thought Tom and Camilla had already done a jive this series? The one where Camilla was dancing in boots.
I think they should all do the same dances in the semi finals as that would make it fairer.
Author:  Aquabird [ Thu Dec 11, 2008 12:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I liked Rachel's Tango too. I think Vincent is one of the most creative choreographers of all the pros. Sometimes he does make the dances a bit too complicated (e.g. Salsa), or too flashy (Paso), but other times he gets it perfect (Foxtrot). IMO, of course. And, er, I think he's quite cute. :oops: :lol:

On ITT tonight it was said that they're doing the Argentine Tango plus a second attempt at their own favourite dance, with different music and choreography. I'm looking forward to Tom's Jive - I wasn't that impressed the first time he did it, but now that he's much more experienced I think he'll have really improved. I think I want him to win now.

I think he is safe to reach the final; he's never been in the dance-off so must be getting more votes than either of the girls, so even if he comes bottom with the judges on Saturday, he will probably get the most public votes and so go straight through. I think Lisa will be the one to go this week. (Then cue Brendan ranting at the judges and storming off in a huff. :P )
Author:  Carys [ Thu Dec 11, 2008 11:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
Yes but saying that Aquabird in the last series Gethin had never been in the dance off until the semi final when he was bottom of the leader board and he then went out in the dance off... I really hope for Camilla's sake that she and Tom make the final.
Author:  Aquabird [ Thu Dec 11, 2008 2:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
True. I think it will again depend on how well they do on the night, especially in their chosen dance. If they don't sort out the mistakes they made last time (e.g. Lisa's gapping in the Quickstep), then the judges will pounce on them. That's why I think she's in danger - it still looked a bit dodgy in the training footage they showed on ITT yesterday.
Author:  Sarah_G-G [ Thu Dec 11, 2008 10:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
Carys wrote:
I think they should all do the same dances in the semi finals as that would make it fairer.


I agree and actually think the same about the quarter finals if there are only 4 of them, especially, though I understand the producers will think it makes the programme more exciting if everyone does a different dance. Still, at least this year they get to choose their second dance. Arlene made some comment last week about how it was the first dance-off where the dance mattered so much. I agree for this series but disagree overall- really, what were the odds of (Gethin's) Paso beating (Matt's) Waltz last year? Waltz being one of the easiest ballroom dances (whatever is said on ITT, it's certainly one of the highest scoring dances on Strictly) and Paso one of the hardest Latin dances (i.e. one of the lowest scoring). I remember being worried about Gethin last year the minute I knew what all the dances were...

One thing, if Tom doesn't make it through there are going to be a *lot* of disgruntled fans complaining that the final two aren't actually the most popular dancers. If you haven't already, take a look at the BBC or DigitalSpy message boards if you would like a lesson in how to construct a conspiract theory! I don't post on either board, but some thread are actually funny in their intensity. :roll: Ah well, I think it'll be a good semi final! We have three good dancers doing chosen dances that I like (I never can make my mind up about the AT) and, more importantly, that *they* like and anything could happen depending on the leaderboard and the public vote! Can't remember the sums by the way, but it is possible Tom could get through even if he received the lowest marks from the judges. I think it's if he gets the highest public vote and the person at the top of the judges' leaderboard gets the lowest.
Author:  Aquabird [ Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I used to love Digital Spy - I've never posted, but I've lurked there since about series 3 - it used to be fun and fluffy and happy, and now it's full of negativity and hate threads, and I almost dread going there now. :( Although I agree about the conspiracy threads, Sarah - some of them are so ridiculously funny I can't actually believe what I'm reading! :lol:
Author:  Sarah_G-G [ Sun Dec 14, 2008 4:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
So, what did everyone think about the semi-final and the result last night? I enjoyed the show as I thought all the dancers did themselves proud. Of the Argentine tangos, I thought Rachel's was amazing in terms of technical ability and there was a strong performance element to go with, and I loved Tom and Camilla's for the story, though I take Len's point that maybe there wasn't enough content- not knowing the dance beyond having watched it in 2 semi-finals, I'm not really sure what "content" is needed I have to admit. I liked Lisa and Brendan's the least but that's purely a matter of taste as it certainly looked very good so far as I could tell. Didn't like her dress much though! As for the other dances, jive did prove to be a risky choice for them but I loved the energy and I'm sure that even a week or two ago he'd have been given four 9s, it's just that that standard is expected in the semi. The quickstep was excellent technically even if I didn't like the song for it much (I prefered their other routine, to be honest!) and the American Smooth was nice, if a little disappointing for me as it felt more like a show dance than a foxtrot based smooth. Tom's jive was weaker than the quickstep and smooth in my opinion, so he did deserve to be bottom of the leaderboard.

And the results... I was stunned but delighted! Hadn't seen that coming at all and to be honest I wish they'd done this the week John Seargent pulled out rather than as a last resort in the semi final, but now we get a three-couple final again and it makes the final result much less clear! If they had gone ahead with the dance-off, everyone would have known without a doubt which of the 2 girls was more popular just a week before the final, which would have made it a lot less exciting in my opinion. At least last year there was a doubt there because Alesha was top of the leader board and had been bottom two the week before, so without the voting figures being released, you didn't know exactly how popular people were. With the two girls tied at the top nothing would have been in doubt. As it stands, the final is essentially being judged even more on versatility as 7 dances will contribute to the overall score (vote-wise anyway, I haven't been able to work out what happens with the judges' scores) instead of 5 (or is it 6 instead of 4 now there are 3 couples in the final?). Also I was so excited for the couples themselves who were clearly all so nervous before the results and thrilled to be through to next week! I felt particularly for Camilla who you could just see had resigned herself to going through the same old nightmare of falling short just at the final round. Out of the celebrities I'm still not certain who I want to win, but of the pros I'd love it if Camilla could go all the way this year, if Tom dances better next week than he did this. Essentially we now have a two-part final, and last week was the semi, which pleases me as a four couple semi makes much more sense and Austin going out in the semi seems better somehow. :roll:
Author:  Aquabird [ Sun Dec 14, 2008 10:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I thought Rachel and Vincent's American Smooth was far too slow. Sure, she danced it brilliantly and it was a lovely routine, but if they hadn't stated it was meant to be Foxtrot-based I'd have thought it was more like a Waltz. I bet they'll do something similar for their show dance next week, as the slow, emotional dances seem to be her forte. Their AT was probably the best technically, but I personally preferred Lisa and Brendan's. I thought Lisa put the dramatic side of the dance across better. Her quickstep was really good too, and I was glad she seems to have sorted the gapping. Not sure I'd have given it a 10, though...

Tom's dances were definitely poorer than the other two and IMO he did deserve to be bottom, but it was a shame. Like Austin, he did the wrong dances in the wrong week, and it nearly cost him his place in the final. And speaking of which, I squealed like a fan girl when Tess said they were all through! :D They all looked so shocked and happy, bless them, and I was so pleased for Camilla; you could tell she was convinced she and Tom were about to be shown the door. I'm so glad it's going to be a three-person final again - hard to believe the last time it was a three-way final was back in the Goughy/Colin/Zoe days. :shock:

I have no idea who's going to win, but I'm delighted for whoever does, so roll on next week! :D
Author:  tiernsee [ Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
Thoroughly enjoyed the dancing on Saturday. Tom was the weakest and why he did the jive was beyond me - he should have stuck with one of his ballroom dances. Bad choice and not great choreography. Had someone gone that night, Tom would have been a fair choice (despite all the conspiracy theorists on digital spy!).

For me Lisa and Brendan impressed the most. Given that Vincent is an AT specialist I expected his AT to be good but I really enjoyed Lisa's (not sure if it was worth a 10 though, Len!)

Looking forward to the final. Prediction (and I have been truly dreadful at these this year) Tom to win, Rachel second and Lisa third.
Author:  Catherine [ Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I'm pleased all three got through to the finals, though Tom did deserve to go out since he was the weakest of the three.

One thing that stuck out for me on Sat night was Tess' interview with Austin. I didn't like the way she had her back to Erin and some of her questions to Austin were a bit silly - 'how much would you have liked to be back up there' sort of thing when I should think everyone knew how disappointed Austin and Erin had been to leave the previous week. And wasn't that the Duchess of Kent sitting behind Austin? I know Royalty isn't everything and she's a minor royal at that but some sort of acknowledgement would have been polite, I think.

Also, I've often been puzzled by the Judges when they describe a dance as 'wonderful' or rave about how brilliant someone was and then only award a '9'. If it's not worth a 10, surely it would be useful for the couples to know what the faults were?

I'd like either Rachel or Tom to win.
Author:  jonty [ Mon Dec 15, 2008 5:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I love Strictly, but this series I've taken to watching it on playback on Sundays rather than the live show so that:

1) I can fast forward all the bits with Bruce Forsyth telling 'jokes' that to be honest make me cringe. Sorry, but it's time he grew old gracefully like we all have to in the end. Every time he trots out that 'I am not doddery' catchphrase it simply draws attention to the fact that he is. He's had a good innings, but enough's enough.
2) I can fast forward Rachel and Vincent. I don't find them interesting as dancers and I don't find them interesting as people.

On the basis that it looked as if Tom was about to get his marching orders on Saturday, I was pleased the decision was as it was. Of course, what I hoped was that Rachel and Vincent would go, but since that was never going to happen, I was pleased they all stayed in! Len and Bruno have both been irritating me this series. They marked far too high at the beginning, so they have nowhere to go except 10s for dances that are anything but perfect. And Bruno gives me the heebie-jeebies the way he ogles the young girls. Not nice! Craig and Arlene have far more useful comments for all the dancers. It's not the same without Austin and Erin, though. Wish they'd stayed in.
Author:  Becky [ Sat Dec 20, 2008 11:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I'm so happy! Tom's showdance was fantastic, really entertaining.
Author:  ness [ Sun Dec 21, 2008 1:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I agree. I'm so glad he won his showdance was fantastic and showed why he is the most entertaining.
Author:  Carys [ Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I felt so sorry for Tom after stumbling in the Foxtrot, but he recovered so well when he did the Salsa.

After the first show I voted for Lisa as I wanted her and Tom in the final two and I thought she was the most vulnerable. I was bored to tears by Rachel's Foxtrot, Tom's and Lisa's were both so more entertaining.

Tom's showdance was amazing and I voted for him in the second show, even if Lisa had made it through to the second show I'd have voted for Tom as he did the best show dance of all of them. And also I was so pleased for Camilla to have finally won as she's been so close so many times.
Author:  tiernsee [ Mon Dec 22, 2008 11:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I actually preferred Rachel's showdance to Tom's. Tom's reminded me of something you used to see on Saturday night at the London Palladium, I wouldn't have been surprised if Bruce and Anton had joined in!

Not surprised by result, not too bothered either (unlike others on digital spy - some of those threads !). Lisa's show dance though was very strange, even had she got through I doubt whether the weird contortions would have won!

Did anyone else notice what happened between John and Bruce at the end, I missed it but have heard that Bruce was quite unpleasant to him - not a great way to end a series - but then again not a great series of SCD.
Author:  Sarah_G-G [ Wed Dec 24, 2008 8:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
Ok, finally watched the final yesterday *and* am back in England again so may actually be able to watch the Christmas special live tomorrow! :D I felt for Lisa, ending up with a perfect score (two very good dances, not sure about the perfect scores, I admit, but to be fair the judges more or less had to do that as they'd left themselves with nowhere else to go) and then going out in third place but at the same time couldn't help feeling that was more or less a foregone conclusion. Truthfully I could have done without seeing the results of the public vote from the week before at the beginning of the show, even though I understand why the BBC had to do it. I did know who won before watching admittedly, but *knowing* the results of the vote and knowing the scores before would be so close made things a bit more predictable, in my opinion. :? Admittedly I was amused by the fact that despite dire predictions by DS message board fanatics, the vast majority of the voting public clearly had *not* realised the week before that they couldn't possibly save Tom, to judge by the fact that he still won the public vote :lol:

I felt awful for Tom tripping in the Foxtrot as it forced the judges to mark him down, and I bet he'd have ended up with three 10s and a 9 without that, so his scores wouldn't have looked nearly as bad next to the girls' if only he'd not done that :( Loved his salsa though and I've watched his showdance twice already! Rachel's was great too but I liked the fact that Tom's was completely different to what had gone before and the choreography just seemed to flow seemlessly. I also felt that both he and Rachel seemed totally relaxed for their showdances as compared to what had gone before so their enjoyment really came through. Tom's song worked really well too- I just had the biggest smile on my face the whole way through the routine! Lisa's showdance was... not to my taste. Some of it just didn't work and it was so acrobatic that it lacked the emotional connection of Tom's and Rachel's routines. I also hated Lisa's "dress" (but truthfully was expecting too after seeing the design on ITT, however much the panel tried to say it would be amazing!). Yes, she has the figure to carry it off but that doesn't mean she needs to do it! It just increased the impression that the dance was more of an acrobatic routine than anything else. I would like to give her the benefit of the doubt and say that she'd had performed it much better if she'd still been competing but in all honesty whoever danced that routine I doubt I'd have been overly taken with it, and also I think dancing your last dance on Strictly is going to be as much motivation to dance well as competing for final votes. I sort of wish she'd just danced one of her previous 2 dances again and been remembered for that.

I was delighted with the final 2 (would have been happy if Rachel won as I could see she was the best technical dancer and you could tell from her performance that those dances were her favourites, plus her performance level in the showdance was even better than what had gone before, suggesting that when *not* performing for judges' scores, she's probably be even better) and with the final winner. He might be more Darren Gough than Mark Rampakash (sp?) but I love watching him perform and again, suspect he'd be even better when not waiting for judges to tell him what he'd done wrong. I also loved seeing the former champions come back and dance with their old partners! All in all it was an excellent final show :D

Tiernsee- I *think* John seemed to be hovering around the trophy while Tom and Camilla had gone over to be congratulated and then interviewed and all the others were milling around in a group, so Bruce said something like "John, you haven't won!" I think John may have said something back but wasn't wearing a microphone, and then Kristina was there and the two of them went back into the group. Not really sure what that was about to be honest! :dontknow: That's from memory, having been pre-warned that something happened, but I don't think it was anything major.
Author:  Catherine [ Thu Dec 25, 2008 12:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
Bruce just said 'Sorry John, you're not the winner' but I think he was just having a joke although John was hovering around the trophy and was in shot of the camera the whole time so it may have been a serious attempt to chase him away.

I was pleased Tom won, though I would hav e been happy if Rachel had won too - I think it was definitely the right pair in the last half of the final. I was sorry that Craig didn't give Rachel a 10 for her Rumba, especially since they had obviously toned it down, mindful of his comments the previous time but on the whole the scoring was fair... though if newspaper reports are anything to go by, the scoring for the Xmas Special was another fiasco!!
Author:  Aquabird [ Thu Dec 25, 2008 12:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: TV: Strictly Come Dancing
I would have been happy for any of the finalists to have won, and I did actually vote for each contestant, although it took many attempts before I got through to vote for Lisa. Tom's showdance was awesome, I loved it. Rachel's was good too, but I preferred Tom's because it was just so different. Lisa's was dire. She just looked really awkward and gangly. If she'd got through to the last two, that dance wouldn't have done her any favours at all, almost a la Colin and Erin with the dummy dance. I'd have liked to have seen her do a nice American Smooth/Quickstep/Foxtrot kind of dance, as that was her strength.

Looking forward to the Christmas Special tomorrow, then the tour in February. I only just managed to get tickets for one of the Glasgow shows this year - I left it a bit late. Still, I got them, and I can't wait. :D
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