With Alesha Dixon gone to ITV, why does SCD need four judges? The American version, Dancing With The Stars, has three judges. Len, Bruno and Carrie Ann Inaba. It runs smoothly with three judges.

The same could work with Strictly Come Dancing.

I'd love three judges, but even though it's not a major issue, it would be harder to compare stars with past contestants due to different scores and ranges, etc.

This.

It doesn't. It's only had three for the past three seasons.

?? Dancing with the Stars has always had three judges.

Why did the Village People need six singers?

It's to have a diversity and fewer judges would mean less time wasted on trivia and there might have to be more dancing, the BBC wouldn't want that.

Alesha was a controversial appointment, the controversy (good for the ratings) has blown over, apart from the few comments on here.
She became quite harmless and didn't really add much to the judging pantomime.

They'll want another controversial "headline grabbing" appointment.
It's the BBC, "it's what they do."

Len, Craig, Bruno and a muppet

I could go for the 3-judge idea if they required each of them to mark out of 20, especially if the points were to be split explicitly between 'technique' and 'performance'.

Otherwise, obviously there's an argument against an all-male panel and presumably there's more likelihood of ties if they're marked out of only 30 in total.

We don't need 4, although I agree that it would be harder to compare the contestants' scores with previous years. Also, if there were only 3 then I think one should be a woman, so either Len, Bruno or Craig would have to go (hopefully not Craig).

No replacement, and use the money on better "celebs".

Use the opportunity to revamp the scoring, the undeserved "10"'s were becoming a mill stone around the shows neck.

I don't mind either 3/4 judges. As long as dance-off isn't reinstated with 4 judges - I don't really like judge votes with 4 judges because of the tie rule.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16385243

It needs four because it's always had four and would look strange with just three, as if there was someone missing.

In fact the more qualified judges, the more likely that their collective view of the dancing is an accurate one. Basic statistics. If it wasn't for the constraints of expense and time, it would be better if there were 10 judges. Then the foibles of each individual judge would be smoothed out to a greater extent.

There should undoubtedly be four judges since we know the program runs smoothly with four. As I have said elsewhere, the best choice is Arlene Philips or failing her, someone of similar background and standing and distance from the competing pros.

I really would not want Arlene back again having not enjoyed her the first time round

But no it does not need 4 judges, Len too for me could easily go , keep Craig and Bruno and have young female judge

Translates as: Well, and after all we did for you!

You would get used to it

Three makes for the eternal triangle, and there is always the chance two will gang up against the one leaving him in the cold.

Are there more famous successful quartets than trios? E.g. Beatles, Abba. Can anyone confirm this? If we are going to have 4 judges I would be just as pleased to have 2 men and 2 women, after all in the Shepherds Bush audience women outnumber men by 6 to 4, and nationwide even more so.

I know it's just your opinion which I respect, but why should one be a woman?

Why is a woman needed to point out the stuff that three qualified or experienced men can point out?

I think they should just go with Len, Craig and Bruno (even if he does get on my nerves) as a fourth judge isn't required.
By reducing it to three each jusge will be given more time to give their opinion without being rushed by Bruce.
Or they could continue to have the same amount of time but the space left where Aleisha would have spoken could be given to the pro dancer to have a right of reply, which most seem to want to do anyway.

As far as four are needed because you can't compare with past contestants/ What a load of cobblers! Why can't you?

Contestant gets a total of 24 for the tango. You then look at the previous contestant say Colin Jackson. Upu look at what marks he got from those judges.

(made up marks)
Craig - 6 Len -7 Btuno - 7

6+7+7 = 20

Next years contestant got a higher score of 24 than Colin Jackson who got 20.

How is that hard to do and compare scores?

There have been some very famous and successful trios

The Beverley Sisters
The Batchelors
Rod Jane and Freddy
Peter Paul and Mary
Mary Mungo and Midge

its doesnt need 4 judges, I think it would work perfectly well the 3 judges

sorry, double post

They don't need to find a permanent replacement for Alesha, but instead have guest judges with gravitas and who are not afraid to be critical e.g. like Neil Patrick Harris, Debbie Allen and Travis Hall who were great on SYTYCD US last year.

Too true, three is a good number too, shame I never tried menage a trois.

But if Three Musketeers was such a good combo, why did they inflate into Four Musketeers?

The pharoahs liked 3-sided pyramids,
but dance floors are 4-sided.
The Pentagon, captive of vanity, went 5-sided, and look what happened to them on 9/11.
I think we need a poll to definitively decide between 3 and 4.

With miserable old Len and barmy Bruno we need a fourth judge with some sense and also dance experience. By the way that doesn't mean that being a contestant on the show is good enough to judge others.