Highs and Lows 2014

Highs

C.laudia and Tess' dresses
C.laudia as an air hostess!
Dave Arch in a Fez
Caroline and Pasha's dance
Kristina's dress

Lows
Awful music choice for Pixie and Trent
Over marking for Pixie
Undermarking for Caroline
Fusion of Greek/Argentine Tango/Hokey Cokey line up

Highs.

Irish dancers, Andre Rieu and Alfie Boe. Superb contributions to the show.
Dance off and result worked out okay because it wasn't unexpected and pretty fair. Now it will get tough.
Top dancing from the Pros this week.

Lows.
None really because I got the complaints out of the way last night.
Tess's dress looked like a vindictive "friend had taken scissors to her best frock for spite.
Love Claudia to bits, and she has great legs, but I've seen garden gnomes sitting on mushrooms with more elegance. Somebody have a word.....please.

That's it.

Highs

Caroline for the second week running.

Struggling to think of others...


Lows

The end of Sunetra's Strictly

Jake's bonkers theme - he was always fighting a losing battle

Mark - why can't he talk normally instead of in overly earnest mini-speeches all the time?!

10s just ain't what they used to be.

This weekend felt, at times, like Strictly Come Stereotyping

HIGHS

Caroline's routine
Simon's waltz to the lovely Edelweiss
Michael Flatley and the Lord of Dance troupe
Enjoyed the energy of the Bollywood dance but the 'real' dancers should have been in front!


LOWS
Sunetra leaving
B rendan leaving (but enjoyed his pro dance with Nathalie to Andre Rieu and Alfie Boe)
Zorba the Greek
Those awful backing dancers!!!!
THE CONSTANT BERATING OF CRH ABOUT HIS MARKS!!!! The others may not agree with him but they are his marks. I thought it
was really painful when C laudia was almost asking him to change his mark for Jake tonight in ' L ens L ens' - so embarassing. PLease stop this now SCD!!!!!

Main show only since I missed the results show.

Highs

Caroline and Pasha's Charleston
Pasha's superb disposal of the fallen fez - possibly my favourite moment of the show this year
Simon's Waltz

Lows

Props - horrible distraction
Backing Dancers - even worse distraction
Lighting effects - another distraction
Jake's AT/Zorba the Greek nonsense
Inconsistent scoring from the judges
Frankie's hair extensions (Why?)

mauveangel09 wrote:HIGHS


THE CONSTANT BERATING OF CRH ABOUT HIS MARKS!!!!   The others may not agree with him but they are his marks.  I thought it
was really painful when C laudia was almost asking him to change his mark for Jake tonight in ' L ens L ens' - so embarassing.    PLease stop this now SCD!!!!!    

I do so agree. It is a case of where for so long C.raig has been put in the pantomime villain role which is just about bearable but when they start rounding on him (and that is everyone as in the rest of the judges and the presenters and the audience) it becomes clear bullying to me and quite shameful. I did originally used to see L.en as the voice of reason and C.raig as just a miser but that has totally changed now. C.raig has my respect as he tells it as it is without sugar coating comments. Also it is clear to me that the dancers and pros take so much more pleasure from a nine from C.raig now than a ten from L.en - that says a lot.

Agree about the boderline bullying of C.raig as the villian. Mob mentality! Cull all of them, I say!

Just caught up with the weekend's dances and tonights ITT. A nice relaxing evening pigging out on Strictly.

Highs
Caroline's Charleston. Good to see her looking happy
Simon's Waltz. Very elegant
The Bollywood theme (didn't we suggest that the other week on the musical director thread, and that Jai Ho tune?)
Tristan nearer the front for a change in the Irish theme opening
The orchestra backing Andrew Rieu and Alfie Boe. The ladies in their colourful ball gowns looked like exotic chocolates

Lows
Extra dancers. Particularly Trent's wife (Gordana) who seemed to be one step behind the celeb female in every shot. Is she being primed for joining the show next year? DISTRACTING and in Jake's case - DISASTER darlings.
Tess with her verbal diarrhoea.
Jake being tied up like a kipper.
The judges and their infectious ten-itis

Sid wrote:  
Lows Mark - why can't he talk normally instead of in overly earnest mini-speeches all the time?!

A very pertinent question Sid. Celebrityitis I'd imagine. Dance or disappear Mark. Shut up and save your breath for saying important things like...."Taxi"..

TANGOLERO wrote:A very pertinent question Sid. Celebrityitis I'd imagine. Dance or disappear Mark. Shut up and save your breath for saying important things like...."Taxi"..

I have a feeling that Mark could sense his days are numbered. He seems realistic that way.

I mean, Simon had upped his game massively, now he's excellent with his ballroom while still very competent with his latin dances, except the slow rumba.

But in terms of youtube popularity, Mark and Simon are not much different in popularity. Jake, it must be said, is way ahead of these two purely in terms of youtube popularity (but dance technique wise, he's the worst among the boys, or rather the overall worst left in the competition).

So I predict if Mark doesn't outperform Simon from the judges' score in the quarter finals, he'll probably be at the bottom two and voted out by the judges again.

Gawd the way Mark carries on on Twitter, talk about laying it on thick!

"Have achieved so much more then my expectations and don't want it to end yet. Please vote and let this dream continue x"

"Thankyou for all of your amazing support. I have come so far considering I thought I would be gone so early. I'm so close to the final now"

"Please all get behind me next week and get me to the final. It would be a dream come true. I'm going to train every hour of every day next week to ensure I perform amazingly for you all. Let's get the under dog to the final !! Hat a dream !!"

"Once again reading your tweets I want to say thankyou thankyou thankyou for all your amazing words. It feels so humbling to have you all x"

He's very typical of today's reality stars Mr T. And that's why I disagreed with the guy from Heat magasine on ITT who was urging for more of them on our beloved show! Of course he wants more of them on Strictly to satisfy his readers....we don't!

Im bored this year there ive said it.Faffy backing dancers,props awful AWFUL music and no real personalities left. Im bored of the boos and hisses re the judges-rather see the hecklers pulled out the crowd thrown in the midfle of the dancefloor and made to dance for their freedom!

saxonsiren wrote:Im bored this year there ive said it.Faffy backing dancers,props awful AWFUL music and no real personalities left. Im bored of the boos and hisses re the judges-rather see the hecklers pulled out the crowd thrown in the midfle of the dancefloor and made to dance for their freedom!

Sad to say it, but Strictly is on a slippery slide to nowhere. The world of strict tempo and Cole Porter and Irving Berlin songbooks are no longer in vogue. The Lords of misrule may actually wake up one morning to find the show is dead in the water. The number counters, in search of being reality controversial and Simon Cowell watching, are ignoring the fact that they already had a top-notch show that pulled in the viewers, are missing the target by miles. Now, ever in need of tree-shaking and hymn sheet singing meetings to make the staff actually do something, they are resorting to who can dream up the daftest ideas. I'm seeing a "Burn the Floor" type dance show of weight-lifting to music and body-popping adaptations of such classic shows as One Direction do Brigadoon, Justin Bib and brace( or whatever he's called) Sings in the Rain, and lets dig up Madonna for Annie get your guns out....again.

Wake up directors, it's all going down the pan at mach speed. Outside influences are using the Strictly format to spice up their own agendas. Stick to what you know best or become just another boring reality show to turn off on Saturday night.

To be honest I don't think it has dipped to such catastrophic levels as others paint but there is much in the show's format that could do with tweaking and sadly I just don't see that happening as those running the show are so out of touch - as long as they get high viewing figures they will continue to think they know best. The bits that I'd like changed are:-

1. The scoring system by the judges having two scores - one for musical interpretation and the other on its technical marks such as was there fleckles, heal leads etc.

2. Leave the selecting of music to who it should be left to - the professional dancers. I mean why should the pros get lambasted by judges for being unable to choreograph a dance to the totally inappropriate pieces of music they get flung at them?

3. Leave it out with the bullying of certain judges (we all know who) just because he dares not to give a ten.

4. Minimise the use of props and backing dancers.

5. When selecting celebrities please make a strong effort to make sure none of them have any dance training of any sort. The greener they are the fairer it is for everyone.

6. It still grates when we get the Scotts, the John Sargeant's, the Ann Widdecombe's long outstaying their welcome at the expense of potentially far better dancers and so I'd put far greater emphasis on the judges scores and less on the voting public at least in the first half of the series. Later on when the dross has gone we get far more sensible voting.

That is all for now but no doubt there is more I'd change.

CC - I think point 5 on your list is why this series feels a bit flat to me. There's just a few too many 'ringers' in the line-up this time. My favourite Strictlys have been the ones where we watched non-dancers like Ramps, Colin, Darren etc learn, improve and transform. Sure I enjoy watching Pixie, Caroline and Frankie but there's no wondering how they'll fare each week (we know they'll always be good) and there's a certain inevitability about who'll get to the final. That excitement of 'not knowing' is missing. It's why I guess I'm still clinging onto the hope of Jake producing something special from his remaining dances...also rooting for Simon.

I agree Sid! Nothing between Frankie,Caroline or Pixie! Jake and Mark I hope put out a fantastic dance this week.We all agree two sets of marks be a better scoring system
I think possibly a junior scd dance series and a mature celebrity series be good to have. I do like to see a j.ourney and this yeR well its just about the j.ourney to the make up room and around the backing dancers
Zzzzzzz

Sid wrote:CC - I think point 5 on your list is why this series feels a bit flat to me. There's just a few too many 'ringers' in the line-up this time. My favourite Strictlys have been the ones where we watched non-dancers like Ramps, Colin, Darren etc learn, improve and transform. Sure I enjoy watching Pixie, Caroline and Frankie but there's no wondering how they'll fare each week (we know they'll always be good) and there's a certain inevitability about who'll get to the final. That excitement of 'not knowing' is missing. It's why I guess I'm still clinging onto the hope of Jake producing something special from his remaining dances...also rooting for Simon.

I certainly agree. I am unaware of past dance school or training that Pixie, Frankie or Caroline may have had but if they have then it sullens their dances for me. Strictly memorable moments are like Michael Vaughan surprising us with a wow of a quickstep from nowhere. Great dance and one he got to perform from having absolutely zero dance skills prior to appearing on the show. This series in that category (in those that are left) I am presuming it is only the three men that are left with no dance experience prior to Strictly.

CaledonianCraig wrote: I am presuming it is only the three men that are left with no dance experience prior to Strictly.

Jake Wood went to drama school

Mark Wright went to Sylvia Young stage school

Simon Webbe has appeared on the West End stage and danced with a boy band

Frankie Bridge went to stage school

Caroline Flack went to dance school

Pixie Lott went to Italia Conti stage school

Seems like a pretty level playing field to me

fiftynotout wrote:

Jake Wood went to drama school

Mark Wright went to Sylvia Young stage school

Simon Webbe has appeared on the West End stage and danced with a boy band

Frankie Bridge went to stage school

Caroline Flack went to dance school

Pixie Lott went to Italia Conti stage school

Seems like a pretty level playing field to me

Well dance school is a tad different to drama school as one teaches dance primarily whilst the other teaches drama primarily. I don't know how much dancing experience the women have had and my remarks were based on rumours posted on this forum so if anyone has more concrete facts that they done years in dance school or appearing in musicals that may confirm things.

Highs
Caroline's A Tango to some decent Tango music
Liked the floor graphics in Jakes Charleston where they looked like they were balancing on a ball.
The band & singers
Trent getting the last laugh over L en's 'lift-gate' tirade, by having Salsa and American Smooth next.

Lows
Caroline's hair. Looked like she'd had her head dipped in the deep fat fryer.
Pixie's Cha-Cha
T ess constantly quipping in when the judges are speaking and ripping Cr aigs 5 paddle up
The celebs being so 'needy'. The Pro's must be exhausted having to stroke ego's and prop them up all the time.
Waste-of-time-athon

B4p wrote: .Waste-of-time-athon

Spot on B4p. Couldn't agree more. Proves nothing at all, makes an unfair mess of the scoring and the male pros have an obvious advantage. Ninety seconds to judge dance efficiency in six couples? Pure time-wasting nonsense. Just another load of piff-puffery by the show moguls. Humbug.....

Highs
Caroline's dance
Better Music
Jake and Simon on form

Lows
Hair Im sure Caroline been got at by the hair cream the early breakfast news presenter gets gelled in!
Pixie's dress hated it
Watlzathon zzz
The Love God that is Leonard The Lion Goodman deciding he would now "lift' the lack of criticising on "Lifts" what next The Love God that is Leonard The Lion Goodman in the final start moanong about lack of toe pointing, lack of leading think we need fifth dance JUDGE please

TANGOLERO wrote:
Spot on B4p. Couldn't agree more. Proves nothing at all, makes an unfair mess of the scoring and the male pros have an obvious advantage. Ninety seconds to judge dance efficiency in six couples? Pure time-wasting nonsense. Just another load of piff-puffery by the show moguls. Humbug.....

A chance for them to manipulate the board before voting?

sax - L en made me laugh in his Dance History programme when he kept saying he couldn't do the Charleston because of his dodgy right knee. I don't remember him cutting Steve Backhall (The surgeons pension fund provider) any slack over his multiple injuries!

I know poor Steve looked worn out and frazzled but still tried to succeed! I fo wonder why L.en chise to speak out about the celebs before SCD finished! Could be the paparazzi at work with its stirring spoon and pot again? I do think an ex dancer ie Ian/A.nton/E.rin/Camilla be ideal as a fifth jidge and TWO sets of marks please for Merit and Technicality!

saxonsiren wrote: I do think an ex dancer ie Ian/A.nton/E.rin/Camilla be ideal as a fifth jidge and TWO sets of marks please for Merit and Technicality!

Amen to that