I know! Unthinkable in previous years, when I would have been literally glued to the TV. Social life on hold for the whole series, I used to devour every second. Now I tape it and whizz through the boring bits, which become longer and longer every week.

I used to watch or tape every single ITT. This year I reckon I haven't watched 20 minutes since the start.

This series has failed to grab me. The thought of Darcy and Alesha on the judging panel irritates me beyond endurance. The thought of Ricky and Natalie dancing bores me to tears.

Am I alone? Has the glitter ball become tarnished? Has SCD has its day? Has last year's voting fiasco devalued what used to be an eagerly awaited treat as the cold winter nights drew in?

I feel sad and let down. Am I alone? Or do others agree?

SCD hasn't had it's day judt because your interest is dwindling. Millions and millions of people are still tuning in.

I'm also going out tomorrow night but after 10 o'clock.

I have to say I have been posting on SCD forum boards for many years and I have never sensed such a feeling of apathy and discontent about a series.

I'm not only going out - I'm going away!

I don't think my interest in Strictly as a franchise has diminished - but what HAS gone is my interest in this particular series. Not completely - I'm still watching it and I'm clearly still on here, but... I'm finding it difficult to care now. I feel like I'm being dragged along unwillingly rather than actively wanting to watch.

I do have every faith that once this series is done with, next year's will relight my enjoyment - but the only thing I'm looking forward to seeing this series now is Jade's tango. The rest just seems that it will be so... dull.

Watch on the iPlayer. It solves a multitude of annoyances.

I'm finding that if I watch live, then I get annoyed that I cant fast forward it - and wander off to do other things during bits I don't want to watch. I've fast forwarded programmes so much they're at least half their length much of the time. I'm finding I'm doing that to ITT a lot as well.

Jade's tango....I can't wait for that!

I'm worried that for some reason she won't actually do it - does anyone know if she definitely will? I got the impression that when Tess asked her during her 'crying withdrawal' interview that she didn't really want to commit. Maybe it was just all the emotion of the moment.

Anyway, to go back to the OP's point... I'm kind of in agreement. I'm frustrated that the best dancer is likely not going to win or even be in the final, and dreading another 2 person final. Since Jade left I haven't felt that I've really supported anyone whole-heartedly as I have in previous seasons. Maybe it's because the likes of Ricky and Ali don't really appear to love the dance whilst they are dancing. Technically they are good but they don't have that passion and drive. It doesn't make for as exciting viewing! I do like Chris but I don't want him to win.

Saying all that, there's no way I'm going out tomorrow night until after the show's over!

Should I get a better offer I too will be absent tomorrow. I'm not even sure I'll see the live final; after all it is Christmas and I have a December birthday

I'd like to see a Chris/Ricky final - but if it doesn't happen it won't break my heart.

If we get to see Jade and Ian's tango, and if it lives up to expectations, it will simply intensify my disappointment that due to a malevolent turn of fate, potential winners left too soon.

I listen to ITT whilst in the kitchen on wireless speakers most of the time.

As a PVR user, timeshifting by about 15 minutes is how my TV viewing is done on most shows except the news.

I'm going out on semi final night too.

I have different feelings about this year's series too - when considering how I felt about previous series.

However, I don't think that any of that signals the death of my affections for SCD, or that it indicates that SCD is on its last legs (pardon the pun ).

I'm going out on Saturday because I have to. OH has arranged something in good faith, believing that it would appeal to me - and it would be churlish of me to say 'no' because I want to stay in and watch SCD

I've never recaptured the feeling of engagement I got from watching the series when Mark and Karen won. I haven't even managed to recapture the feeling of engagement I had with each of them!

That doesn't mean that that I haven't enjoyed SCD since then. I have. It doesn't mean that I'm not enjoying this series. I am.

I don't feel that the levels of apathy and discontent on this board this year are any worse than they have been in the years I've been reading and posting on here. I do think that it has been emphathised by the fact that the appreciations threads now have a separate home.

In previous years, you could look at the list of threads on the front page and see a mixture of 'appreciation' threads, 'discontented' threads, 'BBC bias/conspiracy' threads, and 'genuine discussions' threads (plus other categories).

However, the 'appreciation' threads tended to dominate - giving a more positive air to the forum. At first glance....

The discussions about the so-called 'BBC bias towards Chris' remind me strongly of the same debates about Emma Bunton in the first year I posted here. Right down to seeing some of the same names, making the same arguments .

Seriously, though, I am sure that it would be possible to pick out some of the old posts about Emma/BBC bias an, by changing the names of the couple in question, make it look as if they'd been taken from a discussion about Chris/BBC bias. (Others saw 'bias' towards Mark R and Matt Dawson - resulting in a drunken washboard contribution to the 'Strictly Bridget Jones' thread )

In the intervening years too there have been discussions about bias towards dancer 'x' - and dancer 'y' and dancer 'z'. So, for me, very much a case of same ld, same old'.

The discussions about there being 'no dance off/BBC motives' also remind me of the discussions about last year's 'voting fiasco'.

Last year, Tom Chambers received the highest number of votes from the public on the night. However, because of certain scoring issues (ie a draw between the other two couples) he would have inevitably been in the dance off. So, the dance off, and the elimination, were cancelled at the last minute.

The BBC were criticised for not having foreseen this problem, and having the whole thing turn into 'a fiasco'.

I don't know enough about statistics and scoring to be able to state categorically that there is no way that the highest scoring dancer (on the public vote) could end up in the dance off.

I can understand the BBC wanting to avoid the risk of that happening. I can also see that the simplest way to do that is to scrap the dance off - leaving the onus/blame on the public for not 'supporting' whoever goes out.

I'm just no good at this 'conspiracy theory' malarkey, am I?

They need to freshen it up somehow. Either with locations in different parts of the country each week or something *new*.

Maybe they should get the celebrities who want to take part in the show to audition in front of a live audience in theatres around the country beforehand?

I lost my passion for this series once Jade withdrew and then Natalie was voted off because the dynamics were changed beyond recognition.

My opinions:

Ricky hasn't had the freedom to enjoy each dance for its own sake and so project that to the viewers, because of the almost frenetic desire by his partner to always be the best no matter what - failure, perceived or otherwise, is not an option.

Ali doesn't give herself permission to enjoy the dance, let loose and get into the character for fear of losing the technical perfection that she does achieve. Her Samba eg was technically perfect but emotionally devoid.

Chris will do whatever Ola tells him to do and so becomes her accessory in the dance. I'm not saying it's not entertaining, or that he's not enjoying it, just that it's not Chris' interpretation. I feel every week that it is Ola's journey - not Chris'.

I will still watch the show but I'm not emotionally involved now since the 2 main characterisations of the Strictly experience have gone.

I think it's horses for courses. I wasn't a great fan of series 4 because there was no one in there I really liked. For others, it's their favourite series.

I thought it was just me

I have watched every year, glued to the TV and loving every minute. This year I am actually considering not watching at all

It makes me feel sad but I have honestly lost all interest with the lack of a dance off and a 2 person final when we know who is going to win anyway.

On a completely O/T note...

The OP's title could reflect the thoughts running through the minds of the three semi-finalists, and their professional partners...

I can't imagine a light - very light - entertainment programme having the capacity to let me down or make me feel sad.

I'm going out tonight but I will watch on iplayer later. The most exciting thing for me about tonight's semi is that Austin and Erin are coming back to dance. I simply haven't invested emotionally in any of the couples this year and I think the standard of dancing/performance is lower than the past few years.

Thanks, OP, I felt like posting something like this yesterday!

I do not watch both ITT and SCD live anymore, record them both and determine what bits I still care to see. However Bruno on the dance machine would be worth it live....

I have been watching since Series 1, but find this series too predictable and lacking in energy and entertainment.

Me too - can`t wait to see them dance tonight .

Only actually been in to see one episode live. Won't be in tonight or next week. So only had one chance to vote, and it was so early in the series I hadn't a clue who was who.

Every week we have to avoid the news, not read texts on the phone etc until we have seen it from the recorder.