Strictly Dancing

[nuttycyclist]

I don't normally watch this, but in light of the "John shouldn't be here" sulks from the judges I couldn't resist watching now.

But...  Len's just said the the remaining two people in the dance off "one of you shouldn't have been here, it should have been John". 

Have I got the wrong end of the stick?  If it's a competition that some people shouldn't be allowed to win at, should there have been auditions to only let good dancers in?



I'm voting John next week 
^{(The only reason I didn't yesterday was 'cos the phone was engaged)}

[GruB]

It is about entertainment but also about talent.  John has none for dancing.  I can see what the judges are saying but that is the main risk with an audience controlled show.  The public vote is very powerful.

Personally I don't vote for anyone. I'd rather waste my money on bike bits.

[toekneep]

I haven't watched much of this series until the last couple of weeks but I did watch most of the previous series. For me it changes as it progresses. In the early weeks the entertainment comes, to some extent, from the incompetence of the contestants but as the competition moves on then it changes and the quality of the dancing takes over. John is a crap dancer but very entertaining so at this stage of the series I find him a hindrance.

I would love to be party to back stage meetings at the BBC, they must be desperately tempted to fix the voting but recent history might be haunting them I suspect.

[pcolbeck]

Johns going to win ! The public love him.

[Hummers]

It has gone too far.

The John Sergeant was endearing for a while (the dragging Paso made him a legend - "dancing pig in Cuban heels")  but Cherie Lunghi being voted off was wrong on two counts;

1. John Sargeant should have been in the dance off and
2. Despite struggling with the speed of the moves, IMHO Cherie's performance was better than Lisa Snowdon.

Despite all the bluster, I also wonder if John and especially his partner Kristina, are deeply embarrassed by this and would rather had left last night.

Bring back vote rigging, I say.

H

[clarion]

Cherie Lunghi being voted off is wrong.

What are we talking about?

[Si]

It's just the same as previous years, this time with an old fat bloke rather than a younger GMTV female presenter.

Why rig the votes when all this storm in a tea cup is sucking in so many that might not ordinarily watch it (see OP)?

I'm sure that the judges are encouraged to put it on a bit - it certainly gets them on more TV shows and in more papers.

and all the extra money from the phone calls probably isn't hurting the bbc much either.

It's just a rerun of Rick Whaller on that X-Factor forerunner again.

[toekneep]

It's just the same as previous years, this time with an old fat bloke rather than a younger GMTV female presenter.

Why rig the votes when all this storm in a tea cup is sucking in so many that might not ordinarily watch it (see OP)?

I'm sure that the judges are encouraged to put it on a bit - it certainly gets them on more TV shows and in more papers.

and all the extra money from the phone calls probably isn't hurting the bbc much either.

It's just a rerun of Rick Whaller on that X-Factor forerunner again.

I think some of it goes to Children in need doesn't it?

[Jaded]

You'd think by now with things like Rickrolling, Eurovision and the bicycle winning the R4 invention competition that the BBC would be wise to the risk of audience participation.

[Jezza]

I expect to see the Sergeant issue raised in the House of Commons shortly.

[Tom M]

There was some comments made (can't recall by whom) about it "making a mockery of the programme".

I'm sorry? A mockery of Strictly Come Dancing? 

[nuttycyclist]

It has gone too far.
...
1. John Sargeant should have been in the dance off and
...

Do you consider that, in view of the fact the viewers are voting against the judges, that there should have been an audition allowing only "good dancers" to participate?

If John was good enough for the first show and allowed to participate, why shouldn't he be allowed to progress to the final if that's what people want to see?


And to be perfectly honest, having watched Saturday's show (the first of all the shows I have watched) John was the only person I enjoyed watching.  Everyone else was doing weird double jointed movements and got me lost.  John was somebody I enjoyed watching dance, and as a result I really don't understand why the judges are so upset that he's still there.

[peterh]

It's just the same as previous years, this time with an old fat bloke rather than a younger GMTV female presenter.

Why rig the votes when all this storm in a tea cup is sucking in so many that might not ordinarily watch it (see OP)?

I'm sure that the judges are encouraged to put it on a bit - it certainly gets them on more TV shows and in more papers.

and all the extra money from the phone calls probably isn't hurting the bbc much either.

It's just a rerun of Rick Whaller on that X-Factor forerunner again.

I think some of it goes to Children in need doesn't it?

Not this year, I think.

[LEE]

Can I ask if anyone cares?

[toekneep]

It's just the same as previous years, this time with an old fat bloke rather than a younger GMTV female presenter.

Why rig the votes when all this storm in a tea cup is sucking in so many that might not ordinarily watch it (see OP)?

I'm sure that the judges are encouraged to put it on a bit - it certainly gets them on more TV shows and in more papers.

and all the extra money from the phone calls probably isn't hurting the bbc much either.

It's just a rerun of Rick Whaller on that X-Factor forerunner again.

I think some of it goes to Children in need doesn't it?

Not this year, I think.

I have just had a look at the web site and I think you are correct. Now that is interesting because I got the idea that Children in Need benefitted from Mrs. TKP. Although she has never voted she has been keen on the program and obviously picked up the idea from previous years. I wonder how many voters are under the impression that some of their money is going to a good cause.

[Rob S]

And to be perfectly honest, having watched Saturday's show (the first of all the shows I have watched) John was the only person I enjoyed watching.  Everyone else was doing weird double jointed movements and got me lost.  John was somebody I enjoyed watching dance, and as a result I really don't understand why the judges are so upset that he's still there.

That's because you don't watch the show, and you've only watched it now because of the coverage in the press about John.

It's a dance competition that is entertaining. What is the point of any of the other contestants doing 5 hours a day in practice working on their posture or their timing if John goes through the motions and gets through do to sympathy and car crash syndrome?
There are plenty of popularity contests already...Big Brother, I'm A Celebrity, Love Island etc etc. This is supposed to be about skills learned.

[nicknack]

I'm inclined to agree with Rob S. My wife and daughter watch it religiously, so if I'm in the same room (where this 'puter is - not in line of sight though) I catch it too. They voted off Cherie Lunghi for gawd sake! There's no point in getting up off me backside to see what's happening now.

[peterh]

It's just the same as previous years, this time with an old fat bloke rather than a younger GMTV female presenter.

Why rig the votes when all this storm in a tea cup is sucking in so many that might not ordinarily watch it (see OP)?

I'm sure that the judges are encouraged to put it on a bit - it certainly gets them on more TV shows and in more papers.

and all the extra money from the phone calls probably isn't hurting the bbc much either.

It's just a rerun of Rick Whaller on that X-Factor forerunner again.

I think some of it goes to Children in need doesn't it?

Not this year, I think.

I have just had a look at the web site and I think you are correct. Now that is interesting because I got the idea that Children in Need benefitted from Mrs. TKP. Although she has never voted she has been keen on the program and obviously picked up the idea from previous years. I wonder how many voters are under the impression that some of their money is going to a good cause.

Children in Need have benefitted from previous series.

This year the call charges have dropped a lot (probably after the revelations of last year), so the 'profits' after the phone networks have taken their cut will be much reduced.  There wouldn't seem to be a way that a charitable donation from the programme could come close to previous ones - perhaps they've decided to keep it low profile this year?

[nuttycyclist]

And to be perfectly honest, having watched Saturday's show (the first of all the shows I have watched) John was the only person I enjoyed watching.  Everyone else was doing weird double jointed movements and got me lost.  John was somebody I enjoyed watching dance, and as a result I really don't understand why the judges are so upset that he's still there.

That's because you don't watch the show, and you've only watched it now because of the coverage in the press about John.

It's a dance competition that is entertaining. What is the point of any of the other contestants doing 5 hours a day in practice working on their posture or their timing if John goes through the motions and gets through do to sympathy and car crash syndrome?
There are plenty of popularity contests already...Big Brother, I'm A Celebrity, Love Island etc etc. This is supposed to be about skills learned.

Mrs Nutty is a huge fan, watching every daily show as well as the weekend shows.  I know full well what's occurrin', but have always left the room to do something more interesting when it comes on.

With regards practice, I understand that John is putting in at least as much effort as any other competitor.  2 stone lost in weight isn't it?  You don't lose that without a hell of a lot of exercise and dance practice!

Looking at Saturday's performance compared with "the marching one" the other week (yes I saw that as I was called into the room to watch specifically) I think that John is improving leaps and bounds, and as such fully deserves to be in the competition still.

The others had a head start on him, being fit athletic people.  He's ignored the fact that he was a short fat old man, put the effort in and is getting better all the time.

On that basis, and that basis alone, he deserves to remain in the competition.


Also, with Mrs Nutty being an ex professional dancer, and me being the prat with 3 left feet, I have the greatest respect for John.  There's no way I could be doing what he is.  (Last time I tried the dance floor for a ballroom thingymejig Mrs Nutty banished me from the room - and it takes a hell of a lot for her to not dance!)


VOTE FOR JOHN!

[Si]

Looking at Saturday's performance compared with "the marching one" the other week (yes I saw that as I was called into the room to watch specifically) I think that John is improving leaps and bounds, and as such fully deserves to be in the competition still.

not really  level playing field comparing ballroom to latin: as he showed in week one or three, he can do ballroom - his waltz was very good (although done very much in his own personal style),  as soon as he is onto another latin he will be declining again. 

Hope he stays in long enough to do a Rumba 

But anyway, if he'd been in the first series he could probably have made the last three on ability alone.

[Rob S]

Looking at Saturday's performance compared with "the marching one" the other week (yes I saw that as I was called into the room to watch specifically) I think that John is improving leaps and bounds, and as such fully deserves to be in the competition still.

not really  level playing field comparing ballroom to latin: as he showed in week one or three, he can do ballroom - his waltz was very good (although done very much in his own personal style),  as soon as he is onto another latin he will be declining again. 

Hope he stays in long enough to do a Rumba 

But anyway, if he'd been in the first series he could probably have made the last three on ability alone.

Well he's doing the rumba this week!!

And Nutty, although he is putting effort in to learning a routine he still isn't any good and the routine is very much a vanilla version. You don't need to be super fit to show you have timing or can have a tango expression on your face rather than the same one as the samba or look as though you are leading rather than being lead. Don was similarly aged yet did a great tango with smouldering expression etc.

[JT]

I think part of the appeal of Strictly is that it doesn't feel like a reality show. Generally it's all good clean family fun and the celebs are all nice to each other. The nastiest it gets is a bitchy comment from Craig.

And it's getting trounced in the ratings by X Factor. So the brouhaha over John Sargeant is doing the show no harm at all.

[Tiger]

Ye Gods - people are actually taking this crap seriously! The purpose of these programmes is twofold - to maximise phone income for the programme makers, and foster the 'careers' of the celebs involved so they can increase their appearance fees to open January sales and get more panto work. Those that get voted off have simply failed to be entertaining enough in their scramble to keep infront of the public for as long as possible.
It is cheap to make 'entertaining' screen fodder - a soap - but with the enormous bonus of a monster phoine income.  It is nothing to do with dancing and might just as easily be about balloon art - although the 'judges' have to work to give it credibility. Important thing to remember - it is telly - not real!
There are editors and story managers involved - the brouhaha with John S is simply a phone call drive that is working to the programmes primary objective. It was even on BBC national news last night (nice bit of cross promotion) National News? Absolute madness.
The problem for future soap contests is that the JS thing hjas blown the cover - nobody wants to abandon this enormously lucrative cash machine format by admitting what crap it is.

[Si]

Well he's doing the rumba this week!!

With the obligatory open fishnet shirt and spray on tan I hope! 

[redshift]

It is nothing to do with dancing and might just as easily be about balloon art - although the 'judges' have to work to give it credibility. Important thing to remember - it is telly - not real!
There are editors and story managers involved - the brouhaha with John S is simply a phone call drive that is working to the programmes primary objective. It was even on BBC national news last night (nice bit of cross promotion) National News? Absolute madness.

+1 to all of the above.  Especially the bit about dancing.  It is not, and never was about being a dancer.