SCD 2017 Weekly Highs & Lows

Blackpool Highs & Lows

Highs
Gemma & Alijaz American Smooth
Alexandra & Gorka's Quickstep
Gemma, Alexandra's dresses & Gemma's earings
The singers & band
Watching the joy on Brendan & An ton's face dancing in the Result Show pro slot.
Michael Ball & Alfie Boe.
Brendan dancing with Nadyia on the Result Show.
T ess & Cl audia more restrained.

Lows
Just realised that even Gorka was wearing a waistcoat. The gold coloured jacket I saw was in the opening sequence, not on the Quickstep.
Too many lifts at the expense of dance
Themes overtaking the dance every week now.
The male dancer's costumes, especially Davood's Bond mistraviganza.
The judges
Peter Kay on Strictly 2 nights in a row (I usually like him)

HIGHS
Gemma and Alijaz's American Smooth
Joe and Katya's Salsa - felt it showed real skill
Alfie Boe and Michael Ball's New York New York n u mber in the results show.
The Pro dance to Alfie Boe and Michael Balls New York New York n umber
Peter Kay and Lenny Henry reading off the auto cues at the end of their segments!
Always enjoy the grandeur of the Tower Ballroom whatever.........



LOWS
Debbie being in the DO
Susan not being in the DO
Some of the music and themes for the main show - not right for Blackpool.
Feeling like Blackpool was done on a bit of a budget this year? (just a thought)
Davood's 'Moobs' (Man B**Bs)

Highs

- Gemma in contention again with a really special performance.

- Don't care that it was a mess I'm watching Joe's Ride On Time Salsa over and over cos it was GAYMAZING.

- Alexandra & Gorka never let me down and I'm so glad they're there.

- Tears for Fears. What can I say, I love a bit of 80s, in that sense B.rendan is my spirit animal!


Lows

- Debbie landing in the dance-off but also her slightly ungracious reaction to being there (she was RAGING!!!)

- Debbie taking all the flack on social media and elsewhere for being over-marked when Susan's scores were even more baffling.

- Reducing the Blackpool ballroom to a tacky circus. Wasted opportunity to make the most of the setting.

- Davood's moobs on display.

- Gonna miss Jonnie's sticky-out-arse but also his partnership with Oti - the kind of partnership that make Strictly the show we love.

Highs

Blackpool week

Gemma's dresses

GEMMA Having 2 tens


Lows

Blackpool week -flat as a dodo's heartbeat

Judges constant harassment of Jonnie and bum and posture

Dire omg dire choices from Odious musical director

Debbie dress & make up

Too many back up dancers

Highs.

Didn't mind the pro opening slot last night as it was carnival/fairground and that's Blackpool. The Northen soul number was good as entertainment, and Alfie Boe and Michael ball brough a real touch of glitter back into things with New York,New York (Lisa Minelli did it first back in the seventies before Frank Sinatra got in on the act.) Great show song well done and for once the dancers fitted right in there. Excellent.

Gemma and Mollie getting through, because one never knows with Strictly.
The rest wasn't much to write home about as exceptional. Decent yes, and the Tower Ballroom was as glorious as ever, but only Gemma's ballroom display switched the lights on.

Lows:

The predictable set up of trapdoor victims. Bugies can fly, so dropping out isn't an option. Not a surprise in sight as Jonni left the floor. He's been great but his time had come and it was him or Flora McDonald going home.
Gushgate and the nutty professor music choices.

mauveangel09 wrote:
Davood's 'Moobs'  (Man B**Bs)

Oh god I typed the same thing without reading that mauve!

Sid wrote:

Oh god I typed the same thing without reading that mauve!

TANGOLERO wrote:Highs.

...New York,New York (Lisa Minelli did it first back in the seventies before Frank Sinatra got in on the act.)...

And in a much better version too for the film of the same name. I love the key change up a gear in Liza's film version. It really makes the song sound triumphant. Frank S couldn't sing it as it went too high for him so they made the key change just go back to the original key. It sounds ok I suppose, but for anyone who knows the original, it always falls a little flat. It's saved only by the fact that it's sung by one of the greatest singers of all time and great in comparison to any singer of any other genre - pop, classical, swing, jazz, whatever.

Highs
Gemma with a great performance at last and with a bit of luck it'll give her enough confidence to improve even more in the future.
Joe's exciting Salsa
Alexandra's Quickstep
Peter Kay causing chaos in the Clauditorium
Lenny Henry ditto
Opening of the main show

Lows
Debbie and Giovanni in the DO
Davood's horrendous shirt and Nadiya's horrendous dress.
Michael Ball and Alfie Boe crucifying New York, New York.                                              
Alfie Boe's voice jumping up and down and waving at everyone in the most ghastly manner.  
Alfie Boe trying to settle on a note and failing miserably.                                              
Alfie Boe's piggy black eyes making him look like a mass murderer.  
(OK I'm biased. I think he's rubbish. At least Michael Ball can hit a note in tune.)                                
A couple of hellish music choices for dances.
Too many extras - dancers, props swings etc etc
Vile VTs back again.

Twirlie wrote:Lows
Michael Ball and Alfie Boe crucifying New York, New York.                                              
Alfie Boe's voice jumping up and down and waving at everyone in the most ghastly manner.  
Alfie Boe trying to settle on a note and failing miserably.                                              
Alfie Boe's piggy black eyes making him look like a mass murderer.  
(OK I'm biased. I think he's rubbish. At least Michael Ball can hit a note in tune.)

One person in the Allsewn household said pretty much the same ( well not the mass murderer thing tbh although he did say they murdered the harmonies ) That's  my son, who is a classically trained musician and has said for ages how rubbish he is. When he was still at the conservatoire he worked at symphony hall in Birmingham and was working one night when they were on. He was not impressed.

Can I ask Twirlie and Allsewn are you judging "New York" as a classic rendition by two people who are both fine singers, or just two guys having fun with a song in keeping with the audience mood (as was the case with Tears for Fears who even did their spot as a clap-along without dancers). "New York" is belted out in this fashion all over the place and I found it did its job just fine....?

Just my opinion, no more.

Highs

Gemma and Aljaz's AS
Gemma's dress and earrings
The gold dresses worn by Alex and Gorka's backing dancers
The teeny, tiny section of Northern Soul done at the beginning of the results show (before the pros just did their usual stuff)
Mollie having to take her shoes off in Nana-Up-North's house
Giovanni being so lovely when Debbeh couldn's speak after knowing she was in the dance off
Tess's yellow dress
Kevin and AJ making faces behind Alex as she gushes

Lows

Katya and Joe's outfits
Liftastic dances which end up not looking like the dance they are supposed to be (enough with the lifts already!)
Alex dancing more (out of hold) charleston in her QS than Mollie did in her actual charleston
Debs being in the bottom two
The horrible, messy opening number on the main show (and clowns - the stuff of horror and nightmares!)
The sound levels for Tears for Fears
Davood in that shirt - all tits and guns (also the stuff of nightmares....)
The production team throwing everything and the kitchen sink at the staging so there was no real drama or statement

I have to say I loathe New York, New York no matter who sings it.... I hide my ears or leave the room/pub when it's played... Always have I think I got fed up when karaoke hit and every blooming Christmas /New Year party ended with it,..no,no no no no NO!

I liked the style of Davood's shirt just not the mm healthy bust on show

allsewnonbyhand wrote:One person in the Allsewn household said pretty much the same ( well not the mass murderer thing tbh although he did say they murdered the harmonies ) That's  my son, who is a classically trained musician and has said for ages how rubbish he is. When he was still at the conservatoire he worked at symphony hall in Birmingham and was working one night when they were on. He was not impressed.

I was classically trained too. My working life started as a singer with Scottish Opera although most of it was spent in musical theatre. In fact I don't know of a single singer either in classical music or musical theatre who is impressed by Mr Boe.

TANGOLERO wrote:Can I ask Twirlie and Allsewn are you judging "New York" as a classic rendition by two people who are both fine singers, or just two guys having fun with a song in keeping with the audience mood (as was the case with Tears for Fears who even did their spot as a clap-along without dancers). "New York" is belted out in this fashion all over the place and I found it did its job just fine....?

Just my opinion, no more.  

Of course you're entitled to your opinion Tangolero. It's just not my opinion. I'm judging this as an attempt at a classic rendition by two people, one of which is still a fine singer - the other one never was (in my opinion) - and both of which were paid rather a lot of money to perform for us. The thousands they were paid is far too much for me to tolerate them as "just two guys having fun with a song" . The music Tears for Fears played may not have been to my taste, but there was no doubting their quality. Whether a well warmed up audience claps along to a song or not, is not (in my opinion) a benchmark of the performers' quality.

There you go - horses for courses Tangolero - horses for courses. I'm glad you enjoyed it though.

Even to my untrained ear the singing seemed a bit off...but each to their own. Thank goodness for this friendly forum where all opinions and discussions are welcomed.

allsewnonbyhand wrote:Even to my untrained ear the singing seemed a bit off...but each to their own. Thank goodness for this friendly forum where all opinions and discussions are welcomed.

Hear, hear.  

Highs
The opening of the Results show
Oti in the opening of the Results show
Nadiya, Mollie and Claudias' Dresses in the main show
Davood and Nadiya
Susan and Kevin's attitude to the DO
Susan and Keven's speeches at the end of the night.
Claudia sniffling after those speeches. They all really liked her which is always nice to see.

Lows
The PasoDoble-thon - a mess
Ghastly VTs - yet again.
Tess's dress in the main show.

I couldn't find much to complain about this week, which makes a pleasant change.

Highs
Mollie's quickstep and improvement
'Fashion' group dance in results show
Gorka and Janette's dance in results show
The right result in DO


Lows
Concept of Gemma's samba
'Kiss kiss' in Clauditorium - AJ looked mortified
Only 3 more shows

Highs

- Debbie and Joe, and they're the two I want to see fight it out for the Glitterball

- The Paso-thon was very entertaining

- Oti owning the cat walk

- Hearing the panel show their appreciation for Davood and Nadiya's more traditional outfits and routine. Hint to wardrobe.

- Susan's humour in certain defeat.


Lows

- Alexandra and Gorka have less chemistry than an unsupervised science class. It really showed in the Rumba.

- Apart from Alex, no really decent Fun Latin from any of the other females

- Claud urging Mollie and AJ to kiss, what are we - 10?

- Strain between Kevin and Karen

- The very literal interpretation of music is really beginning to grind my gears. There was no need for an ACTUAL umbrella!

Sid wrote:
- Alexandra and Gorka have less chemistry than an unsupervised science class.

highs
Some lovely dresses this week, in particular Mollie and YASB
Debbie's AT - apart from the nude lipstick- she won me over with that dance
Susan's humour in the DO and lovely speeches from her and Kevin
Oti- she owned that catwalk!
Mollie and Gemma avoiding DO
Gorka and Janette- she does do those more  freestyle dances so well
lows
silly music/ themes- esp  for Gemma-  as Sid said literal translation of lyrics-no need for the bed either!!
Rigathon- didn't really get to see it properly, so it was impossible to tell if it really was rigged

Actually not too many grumbles from me this week, my main beef was with Gemma's music all of last week- I'll let it go now especially as she avoided the DO

Week 10

Highs
The Pro Dance 'Fashion'. Oti stole the show.
Joe & Katya's Quickstep
Debbie & Gio's A. Tango
Susan on the Paso Doblethon, looked like she was washing Kevin's cape for all she was worth - 'I will get those Blackpool stains out'.
The male dancers outfits. Apart from Joe. They all looked top drawer. Loved AJ's silver jacket.
The judges were back in business

Lows
Alexander's Rumba
Tess's knobbly knees

Highs
Joe and Katya's Quickstep
Debbie and Gio's Argentine Tango and the music that went with it
Being pleasantly surprised by Mollie and AJ
the 'Fashion' routine
Really enjoyed the paso- thon and the music that went with it
Kevin and Susan's music
Kevin and Susan's dignified exit

Lows
Not many of them this week.......... a great show overall
but......
Some really silly low scores from CRH
Gemma and Alijaz's music and theme - most other people had suitable music this week
Still too many themes for themes sakes
Debbie feeling the need to do the splits at every opportunity - twice in the AT and one in the paso - 'quit the splits debs'!

Highs

Davood & YASB dance
Davood in old fashioned ballroom tails for the Gent's 
YASB dress gorgeous floaty and elegant device

Better costumes all round save one


Lows

That Cape Dress for Tess!

Alijaz's strange "nod off" in dance choreography 

Susan leaving I know right decision just will missue her

Awful tune for Gemma

Yes I'm fed up of the splits over use now too from Debbie

That Bloomin mess of a group bash about on floor fanny around with the cameras ordeal-athon 
 & the judges picking Alex who I barely caught a camera shot of

HIGHS
The opening dance, Oliver!, of the main show.
The opening number from Dreamgirls of the results show.
Mollie and AJ
Debbie and Giovanni
Claudia's red outfit for the results show.


LOWS
Joe and Katya's number (sorry everyone - just can't enjoy it.)
Phantom music for Davood's AT (The AT wasn't a low, just mediocre.)
Shirley's "20% more acting" comment to Gemma. A calculated bitchy remark IMO.

I'm too tired to write any more. I might edit this list tomorrow morning.