At least Len is slightly consistent in marking them down for rule breaking - the other two are ridiculous!

In Derek and Shawn's Quickstep last season they broke every rule in the book and still scored 9, 8, 9.5!! I say that as someone who loved that routine! It's one of my all time favourite dances. Derek knew they were breaking the rules and expected to get hammered by the judges, but gambled on public support for it's entertainment value. He made the right decision imo, but CA and Bruno ought to have had a smidgen more integrity about the marks .

When he did a jive with Maria that contained almost no jive (because she had busted feet) they were praised to the skies! I can't hold that against Derek, btw, because he was doing the right thing by his celeb - helping her limp through a number that she just couldn't have done any other way. Nonetheless, the judges could/should have been sympathetic to her predicament, but still mark them fairly.

I think that's what makes people mad about Derek. That and never getting a dud . Yes, he's had some average celebs and made them look fantastic, but never a complete turkey. I do accept that the celebs request him, but do you really think if Wynonna had insisted on Derek as a partner they would have gone with that?

To be honest, if I were one of the producers, I wouldn't give him a dud either! Many of the most memorable dances have been his and the show benefits from his creativity, but you have to accept that that's going to stick in the craw for a lot of fans and some of the pros. *shrug*. The other pros should up their own game rather than brood or bitch about it, but that's another discussion .

I just think it's one of those 'unfairnesses' of life that it's best not to get too het up about because the overall outcome is a better show. Mind you, if it's my own favourite on the rough end of the unfairness, I love to moan about it

I'm on the fence about Derek. I thought he was great this season with Kellie (not so much mugging and jerkiness ). Sometimes he irks me, sometimes I'm mad about the favouritism, but I always think he's a bit of a genius.

Pinched from the Zendaya and Val App thread

GMA appearances with all four finale couples - 2 videos

http://www.dis411.net/2013/05/22/vid...a-may-22-2013/

OTRC Aly and Mark Finale interview

OTRC Karina Smirnoff Finale interview

OTRC Zendaya Finale interview

OTRC Kellie and Derek Finale interview

Kellie and Derek interview/performance on Kelly and Michael

Thanks to everyone for the links......see you in Season 17

but the paso still got two underserved Tens, so Len giving it a 7 only riled the fans up more. It's obvious manipulation to get people to vote for Kellie and Derek.

The quality of the dance was far and away better than most that get the 10 score. If content was lacking, fine deduct a point. But the standard of what she did has to count for something and a combined total of 27 was a fairer score than the 30's that Jacoby/Aly have gotten this season.

Indeed, if we were to look back on this latest cycle there's a strong argument to be made that Derek/Kelly were judged the most harshly. Compare their dances/scores to those of Jacoby (who was always hunched over with pigeon toes and who did the same cheap jump/splits/slide every single dance) or Aly (who was made to gyrate like a stripper between stomping around flat footedly) and it's difficult to see any favors being thrown their way.

But in truth the scoring is seldom fair or consistent. But because so many wish to hate on the successful/talented of this world people remember every little point Derek may have gotten but ignore the countless other cases of over marking.

Zendaya was the person who was under marked the most they repeatedly got lower scores than she deserved while others got the same scores when they barely danced and had less content in their dances compared to her.

It has nothing to do with me hating the successful because I don't like Derek. I think it's unfair that he constantly gets giving celebs that have the potential to win. He get's given his own special dances to perform on the results show while the other pros do not.

I agree
Derek is extremely talented and a very good choreographer arguably the best on the show but how will we ever know what the other pros are capable of doing if they are not given a chance to shine ? not giving good partners ? TPTB/producers/the show favor him too much and that's a shame.
Give him someone with no rhythm whatsoever and lets see how he is going to cope; someone like Wynona or Kate Gosslin....
-At least Mark had his fair share of duds, even Julianne had her fair share of duds, Cheryl, Kym, Karina......all had their fair share of duds but NOT Derek, SMH ...

But how can they ever up their game when they're given inferior celebs (in terms of dance potential not in terms of celeb status) to work with and Derek mostly gets top draw? How can dancers like Tony or Tristam ever improve and realistically compete when they have to do older celeb duty whilst Derek & Mark are usually given the bright young things to work with.

The favouritism towards Derek doesn't bother me either because although I do enjoy DWTS - I'm not overly invested in it as I am in Strictly and like you I sort of understand why they do it - as well as being a great dancer/choreographer and very popular - I think he's seen as an all American boy, but if it happened on Strictly I would seriously get annoyed about it!

BIB My points exactly. In Marks defense , he had his own fair of duds so one cant really say that he has been favored to the extent that Derek is.
Cmon Mark had to dance with Bristol 2 times, poor guy . Not to mention Kim Kardashian and Melissa.So Mark had his own share of duds.

Thankfully at Strictly , the pros get their turn to shine, its more " fair " . I couldnt even imagine how pissed off I will be if they had a " Derek " at strictly.

I have been watching this show since season 4 and I used be so much more invested in this show than I was with strictly but now I'm just tired of the same people getting the good dancers. I now prefer Strictly to DWTS.

It's a similar situation to SCD when this forum was getting annoyed with Aliona being given partners with the best potential to win.

What saddened me a bit about her getting 4th is that the other week in one of her VTs she was saying how it really hurt her coming 4th in a gymnastics competition. While I know it's not the same, they do put a lot of time into this show, so I did feel for her.

Yes that annoyed me intensely on SCD - the fact Aliona did her first 3 series and never had a partner over 32 and two of those partners were obvious ringers and then you had someone like Katya who was never given a decent partner before she was dropped - there was an obvious favouritism towards Aliona. At least last series Ali was eventually paired with an old celeb - pity we never got to see her with him!

I agree. I would not be surprised If she gets given another good partner this year.

Fair point about Mark edy I forgot about those


Yes that's what I'm dreading - another series of Aliona with another ringer winding Len up Her fans will no doubt be delighted though and claim she's a misunderstood genius <<< I don't usually use rollyeyes but I couldn't resist

I usually hate Aliona's gimmicky choreography. She has too many props in her dances for my taste.

Well, I did say it was another discussion...

Just focussing on what other pros have done with the hot, young fitties when they have had the chance (rather than who has had their fair share of the the cookies), I don't think some of them have made the most of those opportunities. They may have taken them far into the competition and they may have got them to a good standard of dancing, but, in the main, I honestly don't think they have often produced the same level/number of memorable dances as Derek.

Tony's had more than his fair share of duds to dance with, but he's had one or two good ones too - he won Allstars with one - but not a single one of his routines has stayed in my mind. Not one! I like Tony - he's lovely - but I can't, hand on heart, say he's an enormously creative choreographer. I just don't expect to be amazed or excited when he's next up to dance and you could say the same for many of the others too.

Mark is very hit and miss, but when he's on song, he can produce the goods. A couple of Val's routines with Kelly have lingered in my mind (too soon to say about any from this year, but the salsa probably will).

You mention Tristan, who I love. I actually think the feeling was that his partner this season had real potential despite being older so it's a shame she was injured. But from Tristan's own mouth, he doesn't really enjoy coming up with choreography. He likes to teach. I'm not suggesting he couldn't come up with some lovely routines but I don't think it's his forte. If you were in the producers shoes and you want to be sure of getting some spectacular dancing, would you have switched Kellie and Dorothy?

As for dud duty, some pros are brilliant at making the most of it (and I suspect Derek wouldn't be one of those ) and some of them plod through the process like it's a chore. I know this is her first season as a 'full' pro, but Sharna had one of the worst dancers in DwtS history and she managed to make one or two routines that were truly memorable (in a good way, not in an Ann Widdecombe way ). I really hope she gets the chance to work with a good celeb next time, because I think she might have that magical something that's beyond being a 'good' teacher, and a 'decent' choreographer.

Thanks for this and the other links

Don't disappear just yet! We've got ages to wait until our favourite uploader puts the results show up ...and then there's Afterbuzz due soon...

I don't think Derek will be on next season so I'm really excited to see how the season will unfold. If they spead the wealth I'm excited to see what the pros can do with a contender.

Me too. I have a nasty feeling they'll cut the number of celebs back (to 10 perhaps), which means fewer opportunities for the pros, however they share them out

I agree, I was also impressed by Sharna. She is the perfect example of someone forcing the issue by performing well instead of just moaning and whinging.

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainmen...LLB0hghscGknRJ

Len, Carrie Ann , Mark, Derek and Cheryl are not coming back either .

This is the beginning of the end .

Hmmm. I don't fully trust this article....might be a lot of gossip at this point. I think they are still sorting out what they are going to do.

I say keep Len and dump Carrie Ann & Bruno. Len actually has credible ballroom credentials.

While they are getting rid of folks...for the love of GOD PLEASE GET A BETTER BAND & SINGERS. Countless dances have been ruined by bad covers.

You make some good points fridgesoup - perhaps a pro like Tristan is content and feels less pressure in taking the older celebs under his wing and yes it is a great pity about Dorothy - she really seemed keen to do the show and could have done some really special routines if she'd been fit enough.

Sharna was a great addition to the cast and it was certainly an impressive achievement to get a celeb who was lacking in self esteem, popularity and dance ability that far into the show - that is one good thing DWTS does have over Strictly - in Strictly they seem to give most of the new pros the good celebs straight away these days whereas in DWTS they now make the new pros earn their stripes before they'll consider giving them a contender - Val had to it before he was given Kelly and Zen, so hopefully if Sharna's back they'll give her a good celeb next time.

BIB True and tristan is long overdue of a decent dancer; give the poor guy a break already Dwts !!!