Is Strictly Starting to Crumble?

I can't help but feel that Strictly Come Dancing is hemorrhaging too many familiar faces and fan favourites of late on all fronts and you wonder whether it means we are witnessing it begin to crumble into decay and ruin. In the the last two years or so we have lost a number of long-term pro-dancers in Natalie Lowe (the latest), the Jordans, Robin Windsor etc etc etc and now the lynch-pin judge in L.en Goodman and of course S.ir B.ruce. The new pro-dancers I have yet to really warm to but hopefully that will come with time and the new head judge Shirley Ballas will have a tough job to replace L.en. The show needs stability now I think. We have had enough changes for now and these are changes that may or may not turn out to be for the better but we shall see. I am worried for the future though but bring on the new series in September.

I feel that SCD started crumbling 2 years ago CC. I think a rest would have done us all a favor a year off and possibly a new SCD juniors or Seniors would have been welcome. I wasn't a Natalie fan just never warmed to her but sad see her go.. I'd have liked to have seen a return of Robin/Aliona.. Too many Clifton's in now...
Like all shows SCD needs to evolve and change however the dance world doesn't change re competing. ....I would like to see less cheese VT's and murder on the dance floor by OTT stars and the butchering of music choices...

Good question CC, and I agree with your thoughts too Sax.

For me the magic has started to fade, but that said, I did enjoy 2015 simply for Jay McGuinness.  I'm not sure if it's just one issue, probably more a combination of things. Like you said Sax, poor musical choices I felt spoilt 2016, there were so many mismatches between music and dance. Too many themes. Yes, I agree with you, feels like a bit of a Clifton 'takeover' among the pros, and there hasn't been enough chance to get to know the other new pros. And having been originally pleased that T.ess and C.laud succeeded B.rucie, I now feel that their double act is a bit too panto and scatty.

I know there's the perennial discussion about whether it's an entertainment or dance show, but to my mind the balance has tilted too much towards rather superficial entertainment. Am hoping the new judge will bring a bit of gravitas and technical judging, and that the VTs will revert back to showing the training and the relationships between c.lebs and pros.

Interesting thread CC and interesting thoughts - Jingle and Sax. I think sadly that one of the problems with some of the best-loved pros leaving the show is the fact that the series has now been on so long and with a dance performing career being relatively short, I think a few of them would have 'retired' awhile ago but for SCD extending their careers - the performing must start to take its toll along with the fact that life moves on with marriages and babies in the mix too - and sadly it has deprived us of a lot of our favourites who have really made the show what it was.

I'm really in mourning for the loss of Nathalie - she wasn't someone that I initially warmed to but over the years I have really enjoyed watching her and she is one of the last of the 'greats' for me. She is a real ballroom girl - not like some of the newbies and I have often thought that she has not always had the best partners but she has always made something of them - I loved the partnership with Greg last year. I think she is a brilliant teacher - it is this aspect of SCD that I worry is being lost.

To me it has always been important that the pros are good teachers - you can be a brilliant dancer and performer - like Janette Manrara for example - but not necessarily a brilliant teacher. I feel that there just is too much 'posing' on SCD nowadays - too many of the pros do not teach the basics and rely on the props, thrills and spills - or rely on getting help from choreographers. I feel a lot of the dances are becoming too diluted and 'themed' - I think the show needs to be careful not to go too far down this route as it will lose its uniqueness and potentially start to become a parody. I don't know what they are frightened of - I'm sure the ratings wouldn't drop if there were a few less 'themes' - the best and most 'entertaining' dances on the show are usually those that stay true to the dance and are not themed. Totally agree with you about the music choices as well - the rot has really set in with the music and it often spoils it for me. Even some friends of mine who are very casual viewers mentioned this last year - not sure who they think they are 'entertaining' with this sort of thing? I too initially liked the T ess and C laud partnership but the silly scripted slapstick given to C laud last year was cringeworthy.

Lest it seems like I am already ranting - and we are still miles away from the new series I actually really enjoyed 2016 more than 2015 which was a bit of low series for me. ITT was the best ever series last year. I gelled with last season's crop of contestants more and I enjoyed the 'mid-field' contest (Rinder and Greg etc) and of course the splendid Ed Balls. I also liked some of the new pros - I thought Ed's partner Katya seemed a really good teacher and would like to see her husband Neil with a celeb partner. However, there are still too many 'Burn the Floor' types amongst the pros and I hope that whoever replaces Nathalie is not another Jason Gilkerson clone.

Whatever happens I still love the show and I'm interested in how the new judge fares. I agree that all shows have to change and develop to stay around but agree with all of you that this has to be in the right way. xxxx

Yes I still love the show and will be glued to the new series but I can't help but feel that a lot has been lost in terms of real substance such as the old favourites pro dancers, the lynch pin head judge and Brucie. It needs stability now and hopefully the new judge beds in very well and some of the new pro dancers can begin to establish themselves a bit more.

As long as it's not ott Cliftonville I'll be ok. I'd like to see a new presenter a male personally I'd have loved Graham Norton or Ant & Dec! C.laudia less slapstick routine just her usual dirty self with the couples. Tess with a male may steady her again.

I'M concerned re Zoe and ITT after her bf's untimely death...

Hello everybody

I've enjoyed reading everyone's comments, and agree with most.

I like the idea of an extra senior Strictly. Maybe it could be a 2 nighter before or after the main season. It would level the playing field, and reduce the automatic 'no hoper' tag the older contestant often have to endure from the beginning of the main show.

For me, the music is key. I don't mind if it's traditional, or sometimes more modern, as long as the rhythm is right for the dance.

Unless the standard of the Salsa or Samba is dramatically improved, and unique to it's own style, I would like to see maybe another Latin dance for a change. I love to see a good Samba, but don't like the continual Sals-ba fusion.

I didn't realsie Nat had left. I shall miss her. I guess as she's newly married, her priorities will change. Another tall girl will be needed that's for sure.

B4p wrote: Hello everybody

I've enjoyed reading everyone's comments, and agree with most.

I like the idea of an extra senior Strictly. Maybe it could be a 2 nighter before or after the main season. It would level the playing field, and reduce the automatic 'no hoper' tag the older contestant often have to endure from the beginning of the main show.

For me, the music is key. I don't mind if it's traditional, or sometimes more modern, as long as the rhythm is right for the dance.

Unless the standard of the Salsa or Samba is dramatically improved, and unique to it's own style, I would like to see maybe another Latin dance for a change. I love to see a good Samba, but don't like the continual Sals-ba fusion.

I didn't realsie Nat had left. I shall miss her. I guess as she's newly married, her priorities will change. Another tall girl will be needed that's for sure.

She was on Breakfast Time the other morning and said she's leaving to do other things. She's always wanted to do stage shows and will be doing one of those in the West End and maybe tour which she wouldn't have been able to do whilst doing Strictly.

Hello everbody and glad you're all here and well and ready for another season of Strictly lunacy..  

The original question from C.C needed asking without a doubt because there is a distinct air of seediness around the show, like a nightclub's shabbiness in the daylight after the glitter in the darkness. Mauve angel made a great statement when she said"

Feel that there just is too much 'posing' on SCD nowadays - too many of the pros do not teach the basics and rely on the props, thrills and spills - or rely on getting help from choreographers. I feel a lot of the dances are becoming too diluted and 'themed'

For me the original idea has gone way too far down the celebrity route rather than the dancing one. How many of us can actually claim recognition of type without being told and even then don't agree with it? Basics, why learn to dance when what they are taught in dance schools bears no relation to the Strictly Come Freestyle Weighlifting and Absailing for beginners of T.V?

Why not an opinion  vote from the public on all the points that come up regularly on hee: Crap music, too much toothpaste videos of Blue Peter and Ceebeebies level, too much trying to fit a Paso Doble (if we care to remember what a paso doble actually is) to suit Justin Bewhosi't latest dirge, or a samba to Mozart's Requiem, a tango to The CVornish Floral Dance, etc etc? How many re appearances of park benches and street lamps are needed to portray a foxtrot or waltz?

Okay, my examples are extreme, ridiculous even, but are they any more so than what the great fight for T.V ratings has become in the name of a ballroom and latin dance show?  I know I'm living in the past (aren't we all?) in missing Erin, Lillia, Ian, Camilla and all the rest who once made Saturday night a thrill and a pleasure, ( soon to be joined by an ageing Housewives choice because whilst he's a ballroom maestro, he won't be able to do a triple toe loop or throw his partner over a chandelier) but unless somebody with a clip board and a pen stuck behind their diamond ear-rings wakes up to what's needed, the show will end up just a pleasant memory of yesterday.

Okay, anybody fancy a quick Riverdance???

TANGOLERO wrote:Hello everbody and glad you're all here and well and ready for another season of Strictly lunacy..  

The original question from C.C needed asking without a doubt because there is a distinct air of seediness around the show, like a nightclub's shabbiness in the daylight after the glitter in the darkness.

How many re appearances of park benches and street lamps are needed to portray a foxtrot or waltz?

First sentence - You have summed it up brilliantly (as always)

Second Sentence - LOL (the park benches and street lamps are probably being dusted down already!!)

As for Riverdance..............Yes I'll join you...............

A great post as always Mr T - looking forward to the 'lunacy' starting again!!!!

I agree Mr T... far too many dances diluted and I cannot recall as many stand out dances as we have had in previous series... Austin's Paso to me stood out and gave me goosebumps in the opening few seconds.. The serene E,rin with her ballroom oh my Colin Jackson such a brilliant pair... C.a Milla, Lillian and Darren,Ian all seem so long ago and of course V.incentives and F.lava oh how I miss them...

I'm fed up with sibling/husband/wife Cliftonville spars for the trophy. We just need Karen now to make it a triple crown

I want to see a j.our ney yes I said it! Basic steps building each week not gizmos,props,petticoats up by their ears,shot out of a cannon or jive dancing with an elephants trunk!, stop the faff, stop the dire music choices or choose ex pros to give music knowledge and choose music. I'd like to see less theme weeks and more basic,pure dance...

All fair points Sax and I can't say anything you don't already know, but the trouble is, Strictly isn't Come Dancing, a show for Ballroom and Latin lovers, but a fully fledged ratings magnet, thus moneyspinner for everyone from Granny Clampet to the 2017 Shirley Temple Too many folk are happy-clapping sheep these days, well proven by the amount of tattooed female weightlifters wearing ripped jeans (fashion you know, and "distressed" is the word, pretty much sums up my feelings) and males with 1930 Peaky Blinders haircuts and Joey Essex paint on beards, that populate society attempting to hike a living on the "celebrity" bandwaggon. You may find it hard to believe, but I actually don't give one about 95 % of folk on T.V. The other 5% are probably footballers and Erin Boag.( Camilla, Natalie and Aliona, what were you thinking of deserting me ?)

On Strictly this time we could well see Shirley May dressed in full fox-hunting regalia doing a Venetian Waltz to "Yes Sir, I can Boogie" or even Katie False-knockers asking for " Furry Leash" music thinking it's a feminist bondage chant. Lord knows what we'll get, but probably no common sense or decent music; that would be asking too much I fear. Vincent and Flavia, you say, yeah, I wish, but they're as gone as Fred and Ginger sadly. We'll be there despite ourselves, still hoping for good dancing, judging and music. One out of three ain't bad.
So..Roll out the G.I uniforms, the park bench, the street lamp and even Kevin dressed as Mr Tumnus leaping out of an M.F.I wardrobe. Silly season approaches... Bring it on.

TANGOLERO wrote: Vincent and Flavia, you say, yeah, I wish, but they're as gone as Fred and Ginger sadly. We'll be there despite ourselves, still hoping for good dancing, judging and music. One out of three ain't bad.
So..Roll out the G.I uniforms, the park bench, the street lamp and even Kevin dressed as Mr Tumnus leaping out of an M.F.I wardrobe. Silly season approaches... Bring it on.    

oh yes!!!!!!

Please please let it not be Grayson Perry. I couldn't bear guessing is it a dress or suit this week? Please let it hot be Chris Evans or Jeremy Clarkson or boring Matt le Blanc. No to Miss look at me Jordan/Katie Price.
I'd like to see a few more seniors in the line up and a different seniors competition only....

Another two pro-dancers have left the show with Joanne Clifton and Oksana Platero joining Natalie Lowe in exiting the show. The three new pro-dancers to replace them have been named as Amy Dowden from Wales, Diane Buswell from Australia and Ukrainian Nadiya Bychkova.

Already one of the new dancers has had coverage about being on play boy cover & in it as well. Hardly a good start for family shoe. Karen I wish her luck with her new flash dance show... Good to see a Welsh pro in too.....
I really hope one day to see Jonny Wilkinson or i can dream G o t Jon Snow in SCD.....

P's
Forgot his name but guy from Gain & Stacey Matthew? Not James I have a big mouth& not funny anymore

saxonsiren wrote:Already one of the new dancers has had coverage about being on play boy cover & in it as well. Hardly a good start for family show. Karen I wish her luck with her new flash dance show... Good to see a Welsh pro in too.....

I'm glad to see some home grown talent too sax. I've copied the piece about the new Pros from the Beeb site, onto the Pro dancers thread.

Without doubt the new Pros will all be talented dancers, but as we've seen in previous years, this doesn't always translate into teaching ability, or having the vision to come up with new and exciting choreography each week.
How good is their magic skills? Can they make a silk purse from a sow's ear? Polish the rough into a diamond? Use some sleight of hand, disguise or  smoke and mirrors, for the strugglers?
If dodgy music is dished up yet again, (for the 3rd or 4th year running), then clever choreography could be the real deal breaker. That is, unless the contestants end up learning new variations of 'dancing round the handbags in the middle of the floor'.
Tactical choices of dance order, will also be crucial. Over recent years, the more difficult dances have sometimes been 'dumbed down', and done early, in order to get them out of the way.

My wish for this year we'll one of many!

No Jive
No Paso
No Tango

In the first 6 weeks! I want to see these routines when the celebs have a few basic steps as a foundation & partnerships have settled down. We,the viewers can then see the start of blossoming talent,skills learnt and a decent go at the routine.
I do not want to see Mrs Miggins in week one thrashing her arms around wildly with a mop for a dire Tango.

I do not want to see Mr Bean having a wibbly wobbly limbs all over the place like a Predator on Viagra overdose Jive

Let's have basic,basic,basic dances first few weeks and 2, TWO, DOS, DUX Only (are you getting the hint yet BBC SCD producers) dances all couples do NOT 5 or 6 different ones....

Let's stop the MUSIC butchery please. Let a professional panel say of dancers choose types of music that go with the dance. The professionals can choose out of 3 options given them...

Let's retrain the cameras to focus on feet yes I know feet! We can see footwork,basic steps and more. Pop a square in corner so we can see the footwork and the couple on larger shot.....

Stick a "B,runo only allowed to fall off chair 4 times throughout the series.

Now please,please through gritted teeth start a 0.5 mark to be allowed a 5.5 say 6.5 it will stop a lot of even Stevens couples in middle of board plus a 0.5 can show a better performance .
Or and it's a huge step two sets of marks! I know fancy that two! One for performance/entertainment & the other for Technical Merit.... nope only had decaf tea....

I'm just starting ranting before its started

More and more I'm losing interest in what should be a dance competition show and is fast becoming a media circus. L en has taken to advertising on T.V (for places he probably never goes anyway) and commenting he wouldn't have An ton as a head judge, and "celebrities are in a rage to get their pics in the paper partying and getting their gear off. What's it all got to do with ballroom and latin dance? So sorry for Jamie Rednap as he seems a decent bloke and Louise is behaving like a teenage party queen instead of a married woman with children. A bit of fame has really turned her head it seems. The Jordans ( although they aren't in the show) are the new Beckhams of publicity and....oh, I'm tiring of it all. Really disappointed that the show producers just go for spectacle instead of dance.You only have to look at the judges now: An unknown American as head judge, a ballet dancer, a camp show choreographer obsessed by crooked fingers and stick-out asses and....B runo? A real line up of ballroon talent....Bring it on....yeah..

Hear hear Mr D (how could Natalie,Aliona & E,rin desert you!)
Louise used to have a real complex about women and Jamie and her own looks & figure! According to the godforsaken trivia mags I had to read at 4-30 am on a 10 hr night shift to help time go by...So maybe she has come out of her shadow and Jamie's maybe hone a bit OTT but needed it? I'm trying to be kind in my thoughts quite difficult after 4 weeks of house bound and no weight bearing! 2 weeks to go!

As long as in the mix of oversized personalities we have a few decent chances ill be fine. Rugby I say Rugby player overdue to star this year. I'd like to have seen Cavendish appear but injury prevents.. Maybe Wiggins?