I'm enjoying it too!

I do think this is the worst series ever in one way - the music.

I agree and actually I think the sacking of Arlene this series started on a sour note just like the sacking of Nicole starting the last series on a sour note. Like last year - the best dancers aren't engaging as people and the most engaging people aren't the best dancers - we don't have a JS this year but sadly since Jade has had to pull out we've lost our Austin Healey too. I always look for someone who ticks both boxes not I can't get excited about Ricky W good though he is and I love Chris but unless he can improve radically I don't think his dancing is good enough for him to win so I'm not sure whom I want to win this year. It's still ok but it's all gone a bit flat for me.

I don't think the dance-off is to blame nor the alleged public bias against the beautiful ladies or the good generally nor the lack of star power amongst the celebs (a lot of the people I've really loved in the past have been folks I'd never heard before the series started) it's just that you never truely know whom will be good and/or engaging before they set foot on the dancefloor - who could have predicted Chris would be the guy we all loved at the start of the series (you can't say he's exactly an A-lister either) or that Joe Calzagy would make Mark Foster look good in comparison. Such things are often the luck of the draw. I do think that things could be improved next year by replacing Alesha with Karen for next year (I would have said bring back Arlene but if Martina's exit is where it started going wrong than Arlene who was as blind about Rav's talents as Len wouldn't have helped that and she's said a few other things that have made me question her judgement).

I agree. Len effectively got rid of their only ace in week one by voting off Martina. As a sportswoman she must have had the potential to do really well, but would she have? Sadly, we'll never know.

I have to agree with those who say this is the worst series; I love the show generally, but this series is very boring, for me personally, because on the whole, the celebs are so boring.

Ricky G & Craig, 2 peas in a pod!

Laila - a real whiner.

Natalie (or should I say 'Na-alie') is enthusiastic and tries hard, but is hardly great to watch dance

Chris - soooooooooooooo irritating

Phil - as Chris!

Jade - a huge loss

Ali - nice dancer, but lacks any wow factor

Ricky W - I know lots don't like him, but for me he is the only one who makes the show worth watching

And me! I've not enjoyed a series so much since series 4! I'm hardly away from these boards and ITT is once again a must watch. I'm even voting every week, something I haven't done since Colin (and yes I did vote for the muppet dance )!

If I were to criticise the series it would be:
[list]Losing Arlene to someone who wasn't what she said she was on the tin (empathy has been lacking several times in Alesha's comments).[/list][list]Too many couples at the beginning.[/list][list]Not splitting the programme - but I think it's been posted on here that they will be doing that soon.[/list]

As others have said there have been a number of if`s but`s and maybe`s....I have to agree Len has made two questionable calls....Martina going over Lynda and Likewise Phil over Ricky,Len should have thought of the bigger picture and taken account of Phil`s previous performances rather than eliminating him because he made one mistake in the Dance-off.....In some ways fate has conspired against the show this year... Zoe leaving early was one of those quirks of the public vote.....and likewise Jades Injury...and to a Lesser extent Laila`s....Would we still be having this discussion if the remaining celebs were;

1-Ali
2-Chris
3-Jade
4-Laila....partnered with anyone but Anton
5-Phil
6-Ricky..W
7-Zoe

I`d have thought the above list would have made a pretty decent final 7 in any previous year of Strictly

Didn't enjoy last nights show at all. The only good thing on it was Darren and lilia's jive. Found all the competitors lack luster, gutted Jade had to withdraw and desperately sad for Ricky G going out on such a low point.

This is without doubt the 'worst' SCD since I've been watching. (The Ramprakash series).

Let's start with the finalists - Ricky and Ali.....Or at least two of them. (We all know they'll be there unless they face a dance-off together)

Ali - nice woman and great dancer but over-marked and compromised by some shocking choices in music. Also the dullest celeb since Rachel Stevens - Rachel will never lose that crown!

Ricky - Seems like a decent bloke and obviously the best dancer. Won't win though - Nobody likes his partner!

Laila - Really poor at latin but that's Anton's fault. I cringe when I watch him try!

Chris - The most likeable but limited. He'd be out now in any other series I've seen.

Natalie - This woman has gone way too far in this competition. She's over-marked, not good enough for the end of November, drones on and on about how she can't believe she's in her favourite show! I fast forward through her appearances on ITT - extremely irritating and Tufnell and Lucker are better dancers!

Oh.......That's it! There's nobody else..........Poor series!

Totally agree with all the above. I think they should rest it for a year or so and figure out how to get back the old time sparkle. I've watched since halfway through series2, and the last show was by far the worst of any I've seen. And the slebs this year are just sub par compared to previous years, there hasn't been one wow dance yet that has made me stand up and applaud anybody.

I think also that previous series had pros left in that were superior choreographers, Karen, Lilia, Brendan, Camilla etc. Those that are left don't seem able to come up with routines that stick in the memory sadly and as for the music.....

I think that some sort of Champions league might be a better idea for next year, with as many former champs, runners up and 'those that should have been there' celebs as the beeb can round up No eliminations, no public vote til the last week and just the judges scores totted up week by week. We'd be guaranteed great dances in every show, everyone would already be familiar, and instead of bickering the autumn away we could all just sit back and bask in the sunshine of the show

A bit fanciful perhaps, but I can't find anyone this year who I can be bothered to either like or dislike...

I LOVE IT!

Goes nicely with my "year off" post earlier in the thread. Great Idea

A champions league is a great idea. Your suggested format might need tweaking a bit but the concept is good if the Beeb could persuade the celebs to return.

Now, which celebs would people like to see back and which pros (bearing in mind that some may be unavailable/double booked) would they be paired with?

It's only because Jade & Ian have gone.

I've been preferring this series to last year up til Jade's injury, which has put a big dampner on it.

I have to agree that the costumes have been vile this year. I can only remember one I liked so far.

I guess there's been a lot of cost-cutting there?

When all is said and done, nothing has gone right this year for Strictly. The cast list, the scheduling, the Alesha decision (not her fault and she is having a good go imo), the lack of a results show, celebrity guests pulling out, injuries to contestants, the debate over Bruce, Bruce's illness, choice of dancers.

Quite a list really. Strictly is cursed too-so many times forced into a two person final. If its Ali and Ricky (despite the fact that they are doing all they could possibly do), this could be the lowest rating final ever because the public havent really warmed to the show this year and as a result dont really connect to any of the participants to bother if they do well or not.

The BBC needs to take a deep breath come the new year and start again.

I am also of the view that this has been a poor series. It's not just the celebs (who have, I agree, been generally lack lustre) but the whole package. The wardrobe department have tried to be too clever/off the wall with the outfits, the dynamics on the judging panel are no longer there and the new additions to the pros haven't worked particularly well for me although I know some people like them.

I don't necessarily agree with all the suggestions for change though. If anything they need to go back to where they started and think about what it was that worked so well in those previous series, although it will be difficult to recapture that freshness and innocence.

I've just returned from Los Angeles where I was lucky enough to see last week's DWTS and, boy, have the BBC got it all wrong! Every single aspect of the US show is better: the dancing, the presenters, technical matters of lighting and sound, the band, the singers. There's still a wow factor which is completely missing with SCD. Of course the dreadful Len and Bruno do their best to ruin it on both sides of the pond but there's so much good with DWTS that they don't succeed as much. There is nothing as good as Mya in SCD and Joanna would win the Brit version hands down but has been eliminated in the US.

I agree that it has only been the last two weeks with the injuries that have put a dampner on the show and I'm hoping the two new dances on Saturday will bring back the fun aspect.


Thank God we don't have someone like Mya on SCD! She is a professional dancer and shouldn't be on the show in the first place (she's the only celeb I've ever said that of on DWTS or SCD btw). Also the dancing on DWTS has far less technical content than on SCD and much more 'faffing about' as Len would say - what you call the WOW factor. The shows may be based on the same model, but DWTS is a different kettle of fish with a budget that doesn't come out of the licence fee. I love the DWTS and SCD could do with a set make over and learn a lot from some the changes that DWTS has made since it started - especially about keeping the excitement going - but SCD still wins in comparison with DWTS for me. SCD needs the budget of DWTS and the dances of SCD!

This cannot be overstated.

A crazy, almost incompetent decision by Len Goodman. And one which sadly set the tone for this very disappointing series.

the show has lost it's fizz for me this year as last year don't have a favourite but was rooting for Ian and Jade and that has dampened the show even more for me.

The producers got it badly wrong this year they should forget ratings battles - they don't need to generate advertising funds and to go back to basics the biggest disaster is the the length of the show and changing the panel which did not work then again Len for me has been a disaster this year some of his decisions have been bizarre.

I do think the show needs some new energy injecting into it I would start with the music and spend some money in getting one of the established dance bands in to cover it

I've only seen the last three so can't really judge but out of the three I have seen this has been the most meh.

I'm glad i'm not the only one thinking this. I love Strictly, but the BBC should sack the exec producers for cocking this up.

Its too long! 2 and a half hours is too long, and 15 minutes isn't enough time to vote. They should have had a break for the lotto show and Casualty. I'm glad they binned the taped results show on a Sunday though.

The 'celebs' Who are they? I know you're not going to get Brad Pitt, but christ, the bottom of the barrel was scraped this year. As many have already said, its a dead cert for the final 2, which means the next few weeks are pointless.

There's no characters now that Joe has gone...the celebs are fame seeking blandness. The bizarre fixed look on Hollins face makes me scream! He's no way in the same league as Kaplinsky, Ramps, or Alisha

Alesha tries her best, but I find some of her comments unpleasant. I understand that as a 'peoples champ' she filled a void, but she has no right to critique the dancing, as she does not have the experience to be a judge. Her comments are greeted by tumbleweed in the audience, and she needs to GET HER ELBOWS OFF THE TABLE!

The studio looks like its falling apart - look at the big gaps in the floor last week!

With Jade’s retirement, the show is over for me, so it’s time for a premature review.

Zoe and Chris, to me, are the story of the Jordans this year.

Zoe was a very slow learner, but a learner, and James simplified the routines but still made them look classy. Great work by both of them and they deserved to go much further.

Ola has always produced entertaining routines, with great music choices, interesting choreography, and interesting costumes. Only the Rumba and Foxtrot to drool over dance wise, but maybe an illustration that you can’t remember things if you brain is tired from working. Brilliant partnership though and both their personalities shine.

Ricky Whittle is maybe another example of work load producing brain fade during routines. Great physique and natural athletic abilities, plus a bit of rhythm = the best performer so far. I’m not convinced that his humility is entirely felt, but I can understand why that might be.

Ricky Whittle’s main challenge should be from Ali. If timid isn’t the right word for Ricky, it certainly is for Ali. The answer when necessary, is to do a bit of acting – aggressive or raunchy acting. She is an actress? Unfortunately, Brian seems to have resorted to typecasting. Several almost great latin performances haven’t matched the excellent ballroom.

If Ali is fluff, Jade is tough. Strange that Jade was scared of looking foolish at ballroom, because she was taking to it like a swan gliding around a lake. Her raunchy performances in the latin were a bit rough to start off with, but she was getting more finesse and technique each week. If ever a couple deserved to not have their journey cut short, it was Jade and Ian. I think there was a lot more to come.

I thought Martina would have been a similar competitor to Jade, but by week one, she was still walking like a cowboy. Not that that couldn’t be fixed, as she did show potential even then, but with such movement and timing on the tennis court, you would think that she might have been much better by week one – especially with Matt’s coaching. Tennis and dancing are starting to seem like oil and water.

Rav stayed in at Martina’s expense, and at the time, I could understand the decision, because he did dance the Rumba well in the dance off. The following few weeks made it look less like a good decision. Rav and Aliona seemed to have a mutual lack of confidence in each other and didn’t seem like a team. Rav also seemed difficult to teach.

Another in that category was Richard. Lilia was like a gold miner on an iceberg. To be fair to Richard, he knew the situation and was the perfect pupil – apart from not being able to bring any (and I mean any) natural dance talent to the party. At the end, it was a monumental achievement to produce the dances he did, but a bit of a waste of Lilia’s talent as regards the public’s entertainment, but Richard now has achieved his dance potential.

The comedian Dylan Moran once advised - “Never try to realise your potential – its potential.” Craig tried to realise his potential, and it’s still potential. He believes there’s a dancer in there somewhere and to an extent I agree with him. When he was messing about, freestylin, he had co-ordination and timing (even though Flavia had a corset on him at the time and said “They’re going to show that, you know.”) Flavia also said he had moments of brilliance in training (ie. He would do something right.) There was never a connection between Flavia and Craig. I have described their relationship as like a substitute teacher looking after a boy in detention whose diet consists entirely of Jaffa Cakes and Coca Cola. If Lilia was gold mining on an iceberg, Flavia was herding cats up a river. Craig is a nice guy and a real trier, but probably the most difficult person to teach that they will ever have on the show. Gold medal and a big hug for Flavia.

Ricky Groves looked like a no-hoper at the start, but he overcame severe facial nerves and called on his acting skills to produce some memorable performances. Erin’s Fried Chicken Paso was a work of genius and it took a genius to make it work – step forward Ricky. At the end, he wasn’t a great dancer and seemed both disappointed and too down on himself over that. He did lose weight, looked good (even handsome) in the roles he assumed, and showed he could act well and dance a bit. Should be well satisfied (I think) and well done Erin.

Jo was one of those who arrived on the show needing a pick-me-up. Brendan showed another side to his character and was the ideal partner for Jo – totally supportive and caring. Dance wise, not a lot happened, but Jo’s dizzy, cute personality was popular, and if you leave the show having had a lot of support, it’s been worth while.

The other Joe arrived as a favourite, until he made the mistake of moving, then the odds lengthened – a lot. There isn’t a lot to say, other than it’s not a good idea to wait until you are in the dance off to show that you can dance a bit.

Lynda was the latest in the line of Darren’s scale rebalancing for getting Jill Halfpenny. It always had the potential to be a short stay, but there were plenty who were worse than Lynda, it’s just that some of them were still in when she left. Women usually look forward to the costumes. I hope Lynda doesn’t look back at them, for her sake.

Natalie didn’t look like most people’s idea of a dancer, but she has surprised them by dancing around the shop for several weeks now, with very little china broken. Lots of people say that they are more interested in the performance than worrying about technique, and lots of people are voting for Natalie. To be fair though, Vincent has been making the routines difficult and Natalie can both remember them and perform at the same time – not many have done that this year.

Anton seems to have finished his sentence and finally been given a chance. Could he take it though? Would he be good enough to handle the Latin? Well, they are still in and there is still hope - especially if that hope is based heavily on the Paso routine. Laila arrived with similar equipment to Alesha – apart from the brain. Alesha’s brain likes to enjoy life and Laila’s brain likes to worry. Voters prefer happy people.

Phil was lucky he played cricket instead of tennis - ergo, he can dance. If the government had issued Katya with a license to use a Tasar on just below the stun setting, I think Phil would have been dancing to at least the semi-final. Good partnership, and again, out before their time.

There have been some nasty parts of the series so far starting with the animosity towards Alesha before it even began, Martina going in the first week, the racist remarks by Anton and the BBC and much of the board backing him, the nastiness towards Ricki W and Natalie for the crime of being dull and wanting to win, the hamming it up of smaller injuries and the loss to injury of Jade, and now the blaming of Laila for not getting in with Anton and ignoring his HUGE part in that…