There have been several suggestions for improving the next series of S.C.D. However, a most important one seems to have been overlooked.
And that is that the entire studio audience should be chained to their seats. That would then get rid of the dreaded floor manager waiving his arms after each performance and, even better, the bumbling Forsyth would no longer be gasping "Oooh, Aah, Look at 'em, they're on their feet".

chained to their seats and gagged...

Camera Angles that show the dancers feet a lot more even if only a small square in the corner of the screen, perhaps on the Red Button

Chained to their seats, gagged and their arms tied behind their backs to stop them clapping out of time.

Lol nice one

I've heard they're going to one step further next series, and, taking inspiration from the Arab Spring, have the audience fire guns in the air in celebration of an amazing dance.

If they move to Salford, that's a given.

I don't have a problem with a standing ovation after an outstanding performance or a ripple of applause at a good move during a routine, but I do have a problem with cheering during a performance.

But what bugs me is that posters who have been at a live show this series have said the audience is actively encouraged to clap and cheer during performances and give standing ovations afterwards.

Obviously the producers want a good atmosphere in the studio, but what we've seen this series week in week out, just so false. Brucie's comments just finish off the over the top stage management.

We talk about the cattle prods on the seats at home every time the audience leap out of their seats. A standing ovation should only be given if you personally think it is worthy of one and only if the dance actually is outstanding. They shouldn't be given just for finishing the dance without falling over!
They really have become meaningless now.

Oooh, I think the studio audience might have to start paying for the services they receive

I complained about the yelling and shrieking by the audience and the reply was

"Thanks for contacting us regarding ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ on BBC One.

We’re sorry to note you feel the studio audience are being staged managed to cheer and scream during each show, which is ruining your enjoyment of the series.

‘Strictly Come Dancing’ is a live show for which many thousands of people apply for tickets. The lucky ones that do make it into the audience are inevitably very excited to be there and this comes across by their reactions. We would like to assure you that we in no way add to this and it certainly isn’t staged.

I hope this information is helpful and we've registered your comments on our audience log for the benefit of programme makers, commissioning executives, and senior management within the BBC. The audience logs are important documents that can help shape future decisions and also ensures that your points, and all other comments we receive, are made available to BBC staff across the Corporation.

Thanks again for contacting us."

Do they think I'm stupid!!!!!!

You really do standing ovations at home Ballroom-B?
You are a super-fan and I commend you for that. (copyright A. Dixon).

No I've never given a standing ovation at home or ever actually. Did my post imply that I did?
I'll rephrase that the cattle prods were being used on the studio audience every time they got up for a standing ovation.
I did however punch the air when I found out who the finalists were

I do sometimes get carried away and clap, yell out or punch the air like Bruno when I think somebody nailed their routine!

Are you always calm then?



Un_Be_Liev_Able.

They are 'elated' through low blood sugar and having to queue outside for hours, having left home at dawn, with no certainty of a seat. YES, they think we are all stupid.

The truth is I do get carried away and if I was in the studio they would have to chain me to my seat and I'd be blubbing at every routine too!

Awwwwww - are you Artem in disguise by any chance?

Not unless I've had a sex change when I wasn't looking!

Translated as: The lucky ones who get tickets who are about 90% made up of BBC staff or relatives of contestants or friends of friends of - you get the picture - are happy to obey our instructions to make as much noise as possible in order that SCD can be like the X Factor. So what if about 11million viewers at home don't like it. They are just the schmucks who pay the licence fee, come rain or shine. We do not put televison programmes on for their benefit.

My wife and I are gold medal dancers but the only time we received a standing ovation is when we did a demonstration for the patients at a local haemorrhoids clinic.

- I think!

Yep, the locals call it "Gun City."

We were driving along Trafford Warf Road this afternoon, the BBC's Media City is on the opposite bank of the canal, it's enormous.

There were a few hundred yards of builders hoardings between us and the canal. They are plastered with advertisements for all the ITV channels, so it looks as if ITV will have a complex on the opposite side of the ship canal facing the BBC's.

‘Strictly Come Dancing’ is a live show for which many thousands of people apply for tickets. The lucky ones that do make it into the audience are inevitably very excited to be there and this comes across by their reactions. We would like to assure you that we in no way add to this and it certainly isn’t staged.

In my teens I went to a lot of BBC radio variety shows, they were always staged, had a warm up man and the floor managers always asked the audience; "please laugh at the jokes." That was decades ago, do I think anything changed and audiences aren't encouraged?

As Ricky Tomlinson would say...................

They might not be encouraged collectively, but it sounded like the same voices on consecutive shows making the most noise.

I don't think it's that bad. I went to the Christmas special with my sister and cousins as a production guests. It was brilliant but the "schmucks" who had applied for tickets by ballot had better seats and they got to vote (we didn’t). All of which was fair enough. Yes, we were encouraged to make noise but we all would have done anyway.