Sorry if this has been made a gazzillion times but I just couldn't resist! Strictly tonight was TOP CLASS. Just when I thought the show was getting dull they whip out a show NEVER TO FORGET.

I'm shellshocked.

Highs:
Ali's BEAUTIFUL VW,
Laila doing what I thought was a great Latin dance,
JILL HALFPENNY!
Penny Lancaster returning,
Alesha's "I had to endure THAT" comment, hilarious!
The right people in the dance off with the right people going!
Amazing Pro Dance!

Lows:
Laila's Paso being far better than Ali's was and getting 3 less points, Laila getting a 7 from Len for every latin dance she does. So apparantly the Jive was as good as the Paso.

What were your highs and lows?

Amazing show! Well done BBC!

Don't apologise OP, that show was worthy of a few threads! My highs were the atmosphere in the ballroom - fantastic fantastic fantastic! - Ali and Brian's victory, the right person going home (although weirdly, I enjoyed his dance ), Jill Halfpenny, awesome, and, shocked as I am to be saying it, Brucie's number - hope that proves he's not quite at retirement point yet. Oh and I loved the pro waltz, the ladies' dresses and the chandeliers - so romantic!

i agree an excellent show.....much more effort made by the couples......brilliant atmosphere....

I agree.

I thoroughly enjoyed tonight's show from start to finish.

The standard was higher - I think the atmosphere in Blackpool really brought the best out of our celebs.

I was especially proud of Laila and Chris. Tonight, they gave me my two favourite dances of the series so far

Omg it was so fabulous, I am gonna watch it on iplayer later on! So fantastic. Laila vs Ali final, PLEASE. I loved Laila's Paso, for me it was the dance of the series followed extremely closely by Ali's VW. Both had me entranced!

Oh, yes, Sid, forgot to say, Chris and Ola were brilliant tonight, their dance was completely in keeping with the atmosphere of the show, magic! My favourites tonight.

Another thread....but who cares...It was by far the best show of the series....I`m going to swear now...but I can`t help myself....Television centre.....Is so f%&*I$g dull and bland.What an atmosphere tonight.....I hope the bean counters at the BBC realise that you have to pay just that little bit extra for quality.....Ok it costs more to take the show on the road but it was worth every penny of OUR MONEY.

Yeah baby, team Cola were the icing on top of a fantastic cake for me tonight closely followed by the brilliant Jill Halfpenny. Lilia dancing with Brendan, what a pleasant surprise.
Rod Stewart, great choice even though I'd seen the same performance on DWTS. Penny partnered with the delightful Matthew C not a great choice.

BTW, I thought James Jordan did a great bit of presenting last night on ITT. The Jordan's are really growing on me after a few series of not thinking much of them.

Well done Beeb, some great televison.

*Screams in mind*

It all came together for them at last

The joy on Chris' face when he saw those '9' paddles was magic!

To studio really is woeful, the one on DWtS is so much better.

I enjoyed all the dances one way or another apart from Craig, and, unusually, Phil's rhumba. There was a great atmosphere. Camera work haywire though. And bizarre marking as ever. Ricky W made a mistake at the end? There were a good few at the beginning and in the middle from where I was sitting. Laila's paso massively better than Ali last week but under marked as usual.

Love love loved it
Highlights , Ali and Brians magical VW
Chris and Ola and everything they do /
Flavia being so relieved she almost could help her self whooping with joy
Rod steward ,
Jill Halpenny and a wonderfull and happy audience
A FAB NIGHT

JILL HALFPENNY! Sorry for shouting, but we were so pleased to see her. What a great surprise!

Other highlights included Laila and Anton's VW and Alesha's remarkably frank comments to Craig (although I wish she hadn't dragged Zoe into it).

I was much amused by the obvious seismic impact of Jade's jive. She and Ian output a fair amount of horsepower, and the thought of Len's false teeth being disrupted by the vibrations from the floor had me chuckling.

My only disappointment was that she wasn't doing the QS. A leap off Blackpool's much higher than normal steps would have been really something!

I was buzzing for ages after it - I thought it was excellent, excellent, excellent

I finally knew what the fuss is all about going to Blackpool, having not watched series two.

Brillant show! Love all the dances except Craig's.

Yes, I too loved it! I'm so glad other people thought so too, because often boards like this end up really negative, probably due to the fact taht the people who post on them are huge fans of the show and as a result have really high expectations that are too easily disappointed.

My best bits:
- All the dances bar Craig's and Ricky G's (and sort of Tuffers, but I was expecting to dislike that a lot so was pleasantly surprised).
- The pro Viennese Waltz- just magical!
- The overall atmosphere and the impression that all the couples backstage were having a fantastic time.
- Jill Halfpenny!
- A drama-free dance off.

Best show since series 5 final!

My highlights -

The atmosphere in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom
Team Cola on top form again - magical!
Jade and Ian's Jive - fabulous!
Natalie dancing Vincent's hard choreography without putting a foot wrong - whew! and well done her!
The Pros doing the VW - double magical!
Seeing Jill dance again - fantastic surprise!
Another exciting 'This is the moment of truth' - could hardly breath and was yelling at the screen when Team Cola and Jade & Ian got through!
Flavia heading straight for the stairs after the judges voted them off after the dance off - classic!

My lowlight -

The audience booing Alesha for telling Craig he wasn't as good a dancer as he thought - thank goodness somebody had the gumption to be straight with him.

9/10 for me and can't wait for ITT tomorrow night!

Best show so far this season.

Highlights -

JILL HALFPENNY!! Love her and Darren dancing together again in Blackpool great surprise
Pro dances
Lilia and Brendan
Team Cola
Blackpool - great atmosphere
Ali and Brian
Natalie and Vincent made me
good overall standard of dance
Flavia running off the stage

Lowlights -
Alesha blaming Craig for Zoe going out it was the public that put her in the bottom 2 not Craig
Len telling Natalie Lowe that he was going to take off points if she kept blaming herself other pros have done this in the past and he never took points off and she did get overexcited and made mistakes
Pointless dance off
Laila paso - sorry didn't enjoy it at all thought it looked messy throughout hated the lifts if it was Brendan the judges would have been

Loved all the dances - even Craig and Phil. Ali's was magical, the dance of the series, I even enjoyed Ricky W for a change, though that might have just been that he was dancing to The Kinks.

Pro VW was gorgeous.

I squealed when I saw Jill Halfpenny, I thought she was better than Aliona, Lillia and Brendan together was strange but it worked.

I even liked Rod Stewart, he's no Levi Stubbs (Four Tops lead singer) but that was great and I liked seeing Penny though I never liked her as a contestant.

Note to producers: Bring back more contestants, Ramps and John Barnes & their pros doing a salsa would be fine by me, an Austin paso and Rachel AT would also be great.

Only one low: Alesha - nasty and spiteful to Craig. you don't have to endure it my love, get off your overpaid backside and resign.

Omg yes please!

My favourite show of this series (possibly ever) Still smiling!

Loved Team Cola - magic - their little faces said it all!!
Ali and Brian's VW
The whole atmosphere


Low point - Alesha having to endure watching Craig - she could always just leave!

Yes it's expensive to go to Blackpool but there are plenty of other studios in and around London where you could seat 500/600 people and therefore spread the tickets around more too. Fans (genune ones not the celeb guests) = atmosphere which lifts everything.