I think this is the first year we`ve had four genuine contenders for the title. Anyone of them would have been a worthy even though I didn`t support all four.

There were no shock exits this year and no-one left before their time - Colin unfortunately didn`t live up to my expectations .

A good year all in all

The only real duffer was Johnny Ball but even he wasn't in the Paul Daniels league. Jerry Hall couldn't dance but she sure could promenade and she went the following week - even Nancy lasted longer than that! Everyone went out more or less at the right time. I expected Sid and Ola to last longer but you could see the car crash coming during their ghostbusters routine. I also thought that Dani and Vincent would do better in the final but hey ho.

I thought it was a very good year. Possibly the richest dance-talent ever.

Can't say I exactly 'took' to any of them personally but dance-wise they were a great bunch.

It has felt a bit like going through the motions this series.

Really the producers need to have a re-think about how they cast the show and how they put the celebs with the right partners. Colin / Kristina was particularly ridiculous.

Each result has been predictable - not that I wanted a "wuz robbed" incident, but there has been little intrigue. It was really obvious that there were the rubbish dancers and then the potential finalists from the start.

Highs:
Lisa being unexpectedly good at the start
Michael and Natalie's relationship
Tess being more human (and visibly expressing her discomfort when Bruce groped her)
Darcey being better than I expected
Erin Island!

Lows:
Lisa not improving after showing such promise
Louis & Flavia doing the Dirty Dancing routine so early on in the run when it really should have been a show-stopper for the final / semis
Generally the way that simplistic narratives for all the cast are hammered home each show, it's been hard to "get to know" any of them. She's small! He's a sportsman! She's menopausal and her dancer is tough! She's not a ringer, honest! He can't act!

Quite honestly a lot of it has been boring - I've been on the Island with Erin (and I suspect Artem was there a lot of the time).

Maybe with better camerwork, proper training VTs and a ban on using songs that have been used more than once in the show it would be different, but I'd like to see a massive shake-up for the next series.

Very flat year, culminating in a very flat final with all the tension of aged knicker elastic. A two couple final might well have made more of a fight but splitting votes three ways killed it.

Last year was similar but you had vague hopes for Chelsee to maybe overturn the McFlea juggernaut. Where series 8 did manage a surprise ending.

Call me sadistic but I missed having a Kate Garraway style dancer this year. In past years there have been some obvious joke candidates so in 2013 please can we have a truly bad dancer to satisfy my evil streak who isn't necessarily obvious from the start.

I thought it was the best series of SCD, and imo the finale didn't disappoint.
I am so delighted for Louis and Flavia...

A very good lineup of celebs to start off.
Darcey fitted in well and its a good choice to have her back next year.
Wembley was better than last year, but still not good enough.


Viewing figures were slightly down on last year.
I dont know if Craig was being interfered with (eg the speech over the lift in the first Waltz) but it looked like he was not the normal Craig - too inconsistent.
Botched pairings (sometimes deliberately) resulted in some celebs not reaching their potential.
Dire meercat and various other VTs.
Camera work wasn't good enough - again by not showing them full length. We have large HD TVs now, so they can afford to back off a little to show more.
Seemingly too much interference in the choice of music and dances by the producers, which stilted the pros options and performances.
Karen is a good dancer, nice person and gave it 100%, but although there were some good routines I suspect she lacked some of the experience needed in training and choreography.
ITT wasn't as good as last year as it seemed too scripted and a bit rushed.
Costumes were not impressive enough, except on the pro dancers.
Hair and makeup had disasters at the start eg. Victoria.
Hopefully McDonald will be godeting somewhere else next year.
Not enough pro dances.

Two new producers in charge was a risk. It could have turned out worse - I think they just about got away with it and might be back. They didn't seem to learn much during the series though as several of the problem items continued (maybe did back off a bit on interfering with the pros choices?).

Especially this, i turned ITT off as soon as he appeared, devote more time to Choreography Corner.

Not a vintage year for me, Series 4,5 and 8 for me.

Agree with all these points.

I have not enjoyed it as much as previous years mostly because it has seemed more manipulated than ever.

The introduction of many dances so early on so they can play to the strengths of certain dancers. We saw the same dances too many times, Denise's Jive 3 times!!!!!
The music choices often seemed forced onto the couples to further the producers agenda. Victoria's bicycle paso?????? obviously not Brendan's choice. Too many charlestons.

All a bit too cabaret. A beautifully danced waltz/foxtrot/quickstep can have far more impact for me. Michael and Natalie's ballroom for instance.

I gave up on ITT because it was just too CBBC.

I am pleased for Flavia that she won (she really had to work hard) but that has to be the dullest winning partnership ever. Excited? they could barely raise a smile.

So yes please, a big shake up next year!

I've loved this year actually! I thought the final was brilliant, because all 4 couples were so good that it was anyone's guess who would win. I hope next year's is as good.

Not vintage for me, I thought Louis would win from the off, whoever he was partnered with. Kind of watching week by week plod on to an inevitable outcome.

The only highlight for me was the magic Natalie performed with Michael. I really wished she had been holding the glitterball aloft last night!

Great year, one of my favs.

Best final I can remember. Other years have had 1 outstanding dancer like Aleesha, Harry, Kara, Mark R, but never before 4 so closely matched.

Darcey - wonderful addition.

Did miss the fact they didn't do all the dances, & dislike cheesey sets & scripted VTs.

I agree the 4 were closely matched, but Louis was always going to win I thought, so there was no excitement.

I disagree about Harry and Kara though. Chelsee was outstanding, and according to polls on here going to beat Harry.
Matt was also outstanding and it was anyone's guess whether he or Kara would win.

Agree completely about Darcey though. Wonderful

I only watched the final this year(I`d become bored with the show)....and in all honesty I thought it was the best final in years...Not sure if that was because it was the best final in years...or merely my perception because I had`t become caught up in all the usual Forum antics and for the first time since series 2 I sat down to watch the final with no pre-conceived expectations

Totally agree with the OP! I've only been into SCD since series 4, which was wow, then there was 5 which was WOW.
6 = Yay.
7 = god awful.
8 = WOW.
9 = meh.
10 = Yawn.
This has been the first year that I haven't voted once, cos I just couldn't bring myself give a damn.

Much better than last year which had a cast full of egos (Lulu, Edwina, Russell & Nancy) and dullards (Harry, Jason & Alex). I think all the celebs this year came across as genuinely well and very gracious towards each other and the experience.

One of the strengths of Strictly for me is it's very consistent. Of course some casts are better than others but the format is very solid. I thought this year had one of the most enjoyable finals though.

If pushed, I can pick standout years and mediocre years but overall the show is as attractive to me as when I first started watching.

An excellent year.

I thought Nicky was a good dancer too. And Lisa wasn't at all bad. Just not as good as she thought she was. Plus Robin didn't teach her very well.

Michael and Fern also produced some good dances. And poor Sid could have done SO much better.

So that's 9 who were there or thereabouts. Definitely.

They only had to learn one new dance - the showdance

Celebs are in a difficult situation - if they leave early then they have time for pantos or whatever else they do, if they stay till the end apparently <don`t know how true the report is!> they can earn up to 100k for the series - which isn`t a bad wage by any means so I think they do alright if they can last the series.

Series eight was a dreadful final IMO which I thought was a real pity as all three finalists were very good - all the showdanes last night were better than that series eight ones which were all dull and/or rubbish.

I thought Colin being royally stitched up was a lowlight but apart from that. Not too bad - no real wows but no real real FFS - Lisa provided a bit of a scare but apart from that.

A few problems (Forsyth, some mismatches, some dances favoured) but I really enjoyed it. I don't think any of last year's finalists would have made it this year and that's not just bitterness because I was supporting Holly! The top four were so closely matched. I enjoyed it.

I thought year 2011 was the dullest ever and nearly gave up on the series and thought about not watching this year. I am so glad I did because it is a favourite one for me - really memorable. I loved Kimberley and Pasha, Dani and Vincent, Michael and Natalie and Louis and Flavia. Last night two of the dances - Dirty Dancing and the showdance from Louis and Flavia were the WOW dances of the series for me, I am so pleased they won and deserved to win. (Keep calling it the Dirty Dancing dance - sorry).

Where were you when Michael was kicking wildly out of time or Lisa was cockroached on her back? Maybe they have to dress up as a clown before people notice.

The audacious lifts of the final not enough, or where you looking for more footwork?

Odd that, everyone else who talked about it made it sound more exciting that way. Whatever.