A Little Bit of Honesty.

it's late but just thought I'd put this on here whilst it's in my mind and visit the Honesty thread - Thanks for bumping it up Mr T.

I totally agree, there is certainly no finer sight than the dancers in full ballroom gear and dancing in sequence as they did during the B rucie tribute - it was lovely and I wish it could have gone on for a bit longer.

I like what I see with this year's contestants, there are some interesting personalities and I thought that in the main the pairings seemed right - only Oti and Jonnie seemed a little awkward to me - although Jonnie was very nervous - he really scrubs up well for me as does Jo McFadden. I'm sure that Chizzy and Susan will be fun - at last Mr C lifton has someone that isn't a clone of all his partners that have come before - I've always wanted to see how he would do with a more 'challenged' contestant - as Susan freely admitted that she might shape up to be. Debbie interests me and glad to see that AJ has been given a 'grown up' partner! Found Aston very amusing! a good pairing with Janette I think. The only one I didn't take to so much w as Alexandra - bit gushy and stood out as a 'ringer' from day one.

Agree with you Mr T - could do without the 'slapstick' again this year from C laude and T ess but guess it is still going to be in there!!! s Roll on week one!

I had identified three as possible ringers as soon as the celebs were announced. Aston has been a judge on a dance show before and done Xmas Strictly and admits he is acrobatic as well which will no doubt be thrown in to wow the crowds. Alexandra has done several West End stage musicals with CRH as producer so dancing has to be involved. Joe also been in stage shows as well but of the three he is one I may now eliminate as ringer but not sure.

Good morning gang ((()))

No great surprises on the launch show, so far, so expected.

I have one very big gripe though. Dear BBC, who do I have to smooth talk in order for you to stop the cringeworthy Claudia practical jokes? Appalling, not in the slightest funny and so so beneath her talents. STOP NOW!

I absolutely agree with you Fifty. Poor Claudia's  pantomime bits, like smashing the watch or bringing in the sparkly 'breakfast news' fell as flat as a lead balloon I thought. I wonder how many scriptwriters it took to think up these unfunny moments....whereas Claudia is an expert ad libber and infinitely more watchable just being herself.

Other than that gripe, I did enjoy the first show, and admit that the tribute to B.rucie brought a lump to my throat. It was very nicely done.

In terms of the pairings, I ended up liking people who I thought I wouldn't and vice versa.  I thought Mollie King was really sweet and self deprecating, and I'm really looking forward to her progress. On the other hand, I wasn't so sure about Susan at all, bit too OTT for me.

Goodness, there's so many new or nearly new female pros aren't there, I felt like I hardly recognised any of them.

Loved the Reverand's sense of humour and hope he stays in for a while....although he looked totally lost in the group dance.

Love Jonnie! He's my favourite.

Already it feels like it's going to be a good year....roll on Sept 23rd  

Monster Mash?...... Monster Rant coming up...

Probably better to get this off my chest before the show proper starts and then stick to honest comments, right or wrong. Tickets will be on sale soon to lock me in the stocks, take turns to shower me with fake tan, cover me in glitter and bombard me with curly salmon paste sandwiches and soggy doughnuts while the band play rap music.  (All ticket profits to the Bubble Bath Company to buy the producers new Bentleys) Ahem.....

So....I'll watch Strictly this year as I always have and like so many of you, because I love dance, and dance we'll get as the pros are so multi dance talented. It's what the show has become in the T.V moguls pursuit of ratings and He is. And we obey him. that's my problem. Quality will always be regarded as secondary to quantity in ratings wars; that I think is an indisputable fact. What bugs me (personally) is that it seems we have lost all the maturity 11/12 ? series of the show should have evolved it into and turned it into a farce (sorry).

Family entertainment matters, of course it does, and Strictly is that without doubt. Unfortunately all the gee-gaws associated with that are overcoming the show's stated purpose; that of a Ballroom and Latin dance show. ( Well, that's how it started out to leave the hole in our lives left by Come Dancing ) That didn't last too long as soon as the kiddie-poppers took over and started demanding all things bright and beautiful and a fit for eight year olds "entertainment/pantomime" show. ( This is our Saturday Evening stay-at-home viewing choice, is it not?)  All very well, but I got the distinct feeling (growing yearly) that all the sad gimmicky weekly videos of "the short trip to Dusseldorf" soft and idiotic trips on ghost trains and contestants (and pros) behaving like combinbations of school picnics and prom nights, that are put together by past members of Blue Peter, Grange Hill, Muffin the Mule, Thunderbirds and Pippy Longstockings.

Is the era of ballroom actually nearing its end? ( Our local Palais was finally demolished this week ( seriously) despite petitions, pleas and prayers from those who remembered its glory days, mainly because most of the town councillors, property-developers and demolition contractors have never been in a ballroom in their lives (In truth, outside of dance schools, how many actual ballrooms are left?) and it was just an old building getting in the way of progress for such wonders as hotels, student residences and eateries.  

I digress....Halloween..xxsake? Why do we need childish ghost stories and what has it all to do with music and dance? I really feel that gimmicks, and the queens of such that present the show,( smashing a watch with a hammer?? Come on)  have made it all as sensible as  certain  other T.V offerings that make me wonder just how much more our intelligence can be insulted...? Put a late night dance show on please, producers, even if it means missing a third repeat of Eastenders or something. Do that and I'll miss out on Strictly in favour of a decent D.V.D.

Okat, rant over and sorry if I spoiled any egg and bacon breakfasts.I'm actually, quite a mild quiet sort of bloke who, in addition to being a life-time dance lovers,draws and paints, runs a.dmin on a football supporters website, reads Jane Austen, walks our Shih-tzu  and has two great grandchildren. ...

Launch show for me always hit & miss. Tbh I'd love to have the pairs revealed over a week on say One show and be interviewed after announcement. The launch show just fills in with current singer plugging record aka god awful miming Shania Twain this time. We have a few group dances from the pro's and as you say pasted smiles on judges as really there for decoration only!

Pros

We had SCD back!
Dave & the band back
some lovely dresses
Fabulous tributet to B.rucie


Cons
Awful slapstick painful interludes between Tess and C.laudia..
Brendan looking non plus re reveal celeb
Lack lustre re big names this year
Brian's hair colour? Dyed? Just looked orangery

TANGOLERO wrote:
 All very well, but I got the distinct feeling (growing yearly) that all the sad gimmicky weekly videos of "the short trip to Dusseldorf" soft and idiotic trips on ghost trains and contestants (and pros) behaving like combinbations of school picnics and prom nights, that are put together by past members of Blue Peter, Grange Hill, Muffin the Mule, Thunderbirds and Pippy Longstockings.

Is the era of ballroom actually nearing its end? ( Our local Palais was finally demolished this week ( seriously) despite petitions, pleas and prayers from those who remembered its glory days, mainly because most of the town councillors, property-developers and demolition contractors have never been in a ballroom in their lives (In truth, outside of dance schools, how many actual ballrooms are left?) and it was just an old building getting in the way of progress for such wonders as hotels, student residences and eateries.  
...

ok - so we're all agreed that the C laudia slapstick/'jokes' are awful and unbecoming  - someone has said that she is a great ad-libber and they should just let her be herself.......... Sounds familiar? lest we forget that they did the same to B rucie - made him use the autocue with manufactured lines and ending up crucifying him - wonder what the C laudia thing might do to the ratings this year as it is becoming more and more pronounced and embarrassing - as someone (apologies for not remembering who) has said - what kind of salary are they paying people to come up with this sort of drivel.............shades of W1A  (which incidentally starts a new series next week)   I know that W1A is supposed to be a parody but makes me wonder if it is that far from the truth????   I even saw C laudia in a trailer........watch it if you have never seen it....................   anyway I am completely digressing into another thread.................

Mr T -   I love your rants!!!!!   I have quoted the part that I totally agree with - I have always watched SCD live as I think you can't beat watching the 'real thing' - but more and more last year I found myself recording it and watching on delay as it meant I could fast forward all the inane bits - and I know a lot of you do the same thing.

I'm  saddened by the fact that your local palais closed -  I feel that every town in Britain is now becoming a clone of everywhere else - with the overpriced flats in the town centre that everyone wonders who lives in them? the requisite chain stores and requisite chain restaurants. Our town centre is going through a 're-generation' and being branded as more of a night time place with more restaurants than you can shake a stick at -  our lovely friendly and individual noodle house sold out to a  'well known' noodle chain - I think it is the same whether you go north, south, east and west in the UK -  and I agree many places are being cleaned up and made a lot more pleasant to be in, but sometimes - as with your Palais - they lose places that are part of their soul and I think this is a big debate in its own right...............................   (weren't Wetherspoons even interested??)  

So to get back to dance - Mr T   I want to try to give you some hope -   you ask if the age of ballroom is dead?  I don't think so.   It is alive and kicking in South East London - ok I suppose we have always been a bit of a hot bed but there are at least four Schools in my area who are doing really well.  When I was on holiday at the Hungarian Grand Prix I had the pleasure of meeting a young man of 17 who was with his parents who lives around here and is very much into both motorsport and ballroom/latin  (my kind of kid!)  he does competitions at Blackpool etc and goes to a flourishing dance school which caters for all ages.  In addition,  Classes such as Fitsteps are out there which use ballroom and latin rhythms and our favourite SCD past stars have all got their shows which I think are well patronised.

As for the modern SCD -  I still fly the flag that good dance wins through and the original heart of the show is still in  there somewhere - Ed B alls being a case in point, someone who was pegged as the buffoon but who actually learned and stayed in.    I don't particularly like the early weeks because it is all about effect - and jostling for position/fanbase etc - I like it once it settles down.   We are a bit stuck with the 'burn the floor 'crowd - but Ore and Joanne won last year on doing a lot of classics -  'Singing in the rain' and their fantastic classic showdance which beat Oti and Danny with their annoyingly non-technical dramatic stuff and Kevin and his pretensions to contemporary dance which never seem to really work out -   I've probably offended a lot of people - but my point is that the classic SCD stuff won out and usually does!!!!

New judge 'Sharlene' - seems to be making the right noises about technical ability and footwork - so please take heart Mr T -  fast forward over the **** and keep ranting          

Can I make a suggestion for this year's series? Start up a new thread to discuss it easily identifiable. Something simple like Strictly 2017.