Hi all - just as the thread title says really

I have enjoyed most series of Strictly and always looked forward to the final, but am seriously thinking of giving it a miss this year!

There is not one couple who I have felt a connection with, no-one that I have been waiting to see perform each week in expectation.
I have loathed the extensive use of props and Brucie's repetitive "look, look" at the end of every dance since episode 1 almost.
The series started with higher scores than usual, 7's and 8's for first dances, which to my mind has led to a lot of unrealistic scoring ever since.

But it is mainly the complete lack of interest in who wins this year which is a real puzzle to me - especially when some people are saying that this series is brilliant, superb etc.

Anyone else feel the same way, or am I a one off?

I agree about the blatant overmarking – possibly so they can keep saying it's the best series ever, but what on earth will they do next year, get some ‘11’ paddles?

Also, this time there hasn't really been a 'journey' contestant apart from maybe Alex, and she's out now.

I slept through most weeks until Holly's paso.
May not watch the Final.

I'm in this group, too. I wish I wasn't but I really can't raise any enthusiasm for the show this year. The X Factor-esque hysteria and overly scripted marking and comments have been turned up to fever pitch, and the advent of 'comedy' sketches is just painful.

We recorded the semis and watched it later - which meant much of the nonsense could be FF'd through - but the tone of the show is now such that the only way it can go is even more OTT.

I'm not especially an Alex fan but I did think she at least had some sort of character - which is more than the three finalists have. Jason is over-earnest, Chelsee might be funny if her inexplicable cosmetic surgery wasn't so distracting (and disturbing) and Harry appears to have no discernible personality at all ... I keep seeing people referring to him as 'nice and unassuming' - sorry, but that just translates as 'dull' in my book. :yawn:

No idea whether or not I'll watch the final. Maybe if I'm in. But I'm more interested in the final of The Killing II ...

I agree, the overmarking has driven me nuts. But also I think that the reason they don't seem to have journey contestant is that since they've changed the format to a live reveal, the celebs don't seem to get grounding in ballroom and Latin anymore, they just learn the routine and move on, they don't seem to actually learn "to dance" so they can't take what they've learned previously and apply it to the next dance where it applies.

I am usually a Strictly obsessive, this year I have dipped in and out, missed a huge amount of weeks and don't care who wins, that is so for me. I'm glad it's finishing this week and never thought I'd feel this way.

I agree I have got very annoyed this year with a few things

The blatant over marking of certain contestants compared to others of a similar standard which led to a disconnect with what the judges said and what they gave marks for

and the fact that each contestant appears to have to have a story attached to them even though it is not true, for example each week Holly was told to not hold back when I don't think she was, she was just doing a more laid back elegant sort of dance.

Jason has been praised all along as was Anita for their acting skills, isn't this a dancing programme? and to be honest I found neither standard of acting comfortable to watch both over the top and very hammy.

The fact that week to week we were told that the contestants were improving when some simply did not .

And being told it is the best season ever for dancers which it quite obviously isn't , if you hold this year up against contestants of other years even last year it would not stand comparison

I object to being told one thing when my eyes are telling me another

Silly props and even sillier VTs grates on me no end, but this year I am attached to the show because of Chelsee and Pasha. Especially the latter.

Oh how i agree with the BIB - I WANT to like Chelsee but find her 'shape' distracting and not in a good way.
Don't get the Pasha love either, seems like a nice guy and excellent dancer but he's bog ugly in my eyes!

As they say "familiarity breeds contempt."

After so many series I'm now sick of the "hype" and silly content, the "here they are in training" Saturday night was "CBBC standard."

I record it now and fast forward through all the nonsense on the show and ITT.

So well put .
There are reasons for frantic oversell. Moira Ross no doubt arrived from DWTS USA with prior beliefs in oversell, but judges eagerly join in with wallets to grind private axes.

Strictly Tour is big business now, and all who rake in a share will watch number one -- bums on seats. Stricty books and memorabilia spinoffs are also becoming big sellers. The high-profit Tour is now wagging the non-profit Season.

Old fans walk away disillusioned by manipulation. So what, new punters are born one every minute. Roll up roll up, business is brisk.

I dont seem to have been as involved as much

I lost a lot of interest a few weeks ago when certain celebs seem to be flavour of the month and seemed to do nothing wrong

And that is the most disturing thing: the ratings for this series are really strong, and the media are flogging these big 'Strictly is on the up, X Factor is on the ropes' stories ...

So I dread to think what next year will be like ...

I'm fairly disconnected too. Last year (with Kara and Artem) I didn't miss a single show (inc. results and ITT) I was that obsessive but this year I watch if I don't have anything better to do. While some of the dances have been pretty good, I don't think any of the dances have blown me away like Scott's jive or Kara's VW. I have a favourite but I'm not too bothered about the final winner (except if Jason wins )
I feel that the general standard of dancing this year isn't great and Harry and Chelsee dance pretty well but I'm not sure either of them learnt much more than their routines.
One of the things about this show is that I don't feel I got to know the contestants or pros like last year. The VTs were scripted and they're seem to be very few candid moments. One of my favourite bits of last year was some of the cute/funny VTs.
Also this year I was not at all fond of some of the contestants; it seemed to me that they're were too many "entertaining" contestants and not enought "dancing" ones.
I'm looking forward to next year already in the vague hope that it returns to a better format with better dances, but I'm not exactly holding my breath.

"Manufactured" sums it up for me.
Final 3 was predictable from week 2 or 3.
None of them have really improved much.
The contestants don't seem to like dancing much - most are there for exposure, praise, the lulz, or the competition. Although I think Anita was there to dance.
We're forcefed stories that aren't really there.
Lack of honesty by ITT re dresses/choreography and lack of honesty by judges who give 10s for clearly deficient dances. Everything has to be "great", the contestants have to "love it", and be "so grateful". etc.
Oh, and, look, look, a standing ovation! Nah Brucey that's just people standing up to stretch their legs after watching mediocrity.

And the Comedy VTs have to go. I hardly feel I know most of the couples. Only Alex and James really bounced off each other, but their dancing was deficient.

Although Bruce is a bit doddery at times, I've seen him say elsewhere it'd be good for them to have a bit more improv opportunities. This is a fair point - 'Strictly' is run to such precision that organic moments are often not present. And these organic moments often form the basis for appreciation.

Finally, there's no point in having 10 point scores if you only use two or maybe three of the points. Judges are there to discern, not give 10s out like candy.

I feel exactly the same I'm definitely not in to it as much this year. I have watched every series of Strictly and used to absolutely love it and I've been to 3 of the shows on tour.

I have still watched every episode but I Sky+ them and only watch the dancing, judges comments and scores. The VT's are absolutely pathetic and should be scrapped, the judges scoring is a joke, especially Aleesha she is uesless, the audience noise is really annoying and nearly every dance gets a standing ovation.

It's still better than the dire X Factor because I love listening to the orchestra and singers and I do enjoy watching the dancing, but I don't think the standard of dancing is nearly as good this series.

I do a bit, but it's the first time since series 4 that my favourite hasn't made the final so that's probably why. Also maybe suffering in comparison to last year perhaps, most of Kara's dances were spectacular to me and I think it's kind of made this year's lower standard seem even worse than it actually is.

Oh dear, I've actually enjoyed it this year.
There are some annoying things, all of which have been highlighted by other posters. Those excruciating "comedy" VT's, the high marking (but to be fair, that started in previous series) and the almost obligatory "standing ovations" are among my irritations.
But I thought they brought in a good set of celebrity contestants. It's true, there was nobody that I really favoured..but, on the other hand, there was nobody I really detested either. I rather like that, looking at the programme impartially every week.
I guess it has been predictable, but previous series were also predictable after a few weeks, just not quite as early as this year. We have one of the best finals..in my opinion. No single competitor who is way out in front and no celebrity there because he/she is popular with soap fans or because they are the housewives choice. More importantly, the final is wide open..as I said in another thread, there will be millions of new viewers for the final, and lots of new voters. They are more likely to vote for what they "see on the night" without preconceptions or bias.

I hope someone from the BBC is reading this..I deserve free tickets for this post.