I lurk a lot, and post rarely, but flicking through the forum this morning you woul think that Saturday's show was a complete disaster with one couple stumbling around the floor after another. Did everyone really hate it so much? I LOVED IT ALL.

All I know about dancing has been learnt from SCD - and in this I'm not alone. My take on Saturday night is that there were at least 5 great dances (and Ben and Fiona were really pretty good). Mark and Dave were entertaining. The frocks and set were fab, and as I'm tone deaf, the music sounded good too with songs I knew!

Please tell me this forum is not just one negative moan. I know I could move to the Appreciation threads, but I really enjoyed it all. Surely it wasn't just me?!

Not just you - I thoroughly enjoyed the show too Enjoyed watching most of the performances and first time actually laughed at Dave !

I really enjoyed Saturdays show as well! I thought it was the best week yet! At last I felt a real affinity with them all.

I loved it - and so did the mute and FF buttons on my remote

Without Natalie I found it boring and switched off.

I really enjoyed it.
No Bruce to mute & I felt it was more of a competition without Natalie.

Ditto

I made it through,but it was an endurance event, rather than a pleasure with no Natalie.

If she takes the understandable decision to withdraw, I'm done for this year because it was just SO average.

The lack of Bruce was a highlight though.

Sorry but I find that really hard to believe.
Lets face it.................you are an addict.

Well said Diamond Doll! I'd be really interested to find out how many of those who are forever threatening never to watch again are actually as good as their word. Not quite sure how that could be done though!

I'm really not or more accurately I'm not always, missed series 3 & 4, missed series 7 sulking, drifted out of series 9 because I couldn't get into it and Jason Donovan was not good for my mental health. This series is a lot like series 9 for me without Natalie, it just doesn't hold my interest.

I just talk A LOT.

Please see above, I don't threaten lightly or forever, just ask the girls in the non appreciation thread, I can give lessons in flouncing.

I did sort-of enjoy it (let's face it, there's so little real dance on TV bar this), but just found it lacklustre. My biggest frustration is with those dancers who could do so much better.

Due to last week being so horrendous and the fact there was no Natalie this week so it felt like normal Strictly again, I really enjoyed it!

Some lovely dances and the right person went.

With no Natalie this week, I'd felt rather deflated. Highlight of the show was Patrick's American Smooth, apart from that, the show was really boring & the dancing was mediocre.

I was really looking forward to Natalie's Jive this week.
I wish her a speedy recovery and hopefully she will be performing this week at Blackpool

Your posts are always worth reading so please don't flounce.

Awww, thanks sweetie. Although I'm just as capable of talking codswallop as everyone else.

Lol, I would love to be part of that class

I enjoyed Saturday night because several couples visibly improved in my eyes. And best of all no Brucie (and ratings didn't dip, so the ratings are not dependent on Mr Saturday Night, and they now have enough proofs that they can get rid of that lousy and expensive mistake).

But I missed Natalie all the same.

Same as all the above, I did watch it but its was flat without Natalie,there were a couple of pleasant dances but I have to admit to picking up a book which was near to hand to stay the boredom.I actually missed Brucie...I am not a fan but I find him a rather necessary part of the show and can zone in and out when he is on....I dont like Tess at all, the gurning and false smile to camera gets on my wick.

But am glad that others enjoyed it..

I enjoyed both shows and they were miles better than Halloween week which I used to love (Scott & Natalie's VW ).

For a while I stopped posting on the live show thread because it was spoiling my enjoyment of the show. I was amazed at how different my impressions were when I just watched and didn't post. Gradually I've crept on again, but for the rest of the series I think I'll stay off here until after the show.

I did miss seeing Natalie dance but I still did enjoy several of the other dances, as I have done each week.

I do not mind Bruce but I do like Tess and Claudia co-presenting the main show just as much as the results.

I do find I am starting to feel more of a sense of anticipation about the dances and the outcome each week, it feels like the end game is getting closer and maybe that's why.

Abbey had a very good Waltz early on,
Sophie had a very good Charleston early on,
Ashley had a very good AS early on,
Mark danced a very good 'Salsa' showdance early on,

Susanna is very consistent but not interesting enough.

Natalie is consistently very good - as expected.

The scores have been enormous - you get 6 for just turning up, or 9 for not being absolutely terrible.

It feels like the most controlled series we have yet seen and the most dumbed down.

I like the fact there is no clear cut winner - Natalie is too good so under the viewer rules, she won't win!

Usually, the fit bloke wins and we've seen more shirtless men this series then any other. Ben seems a tad dull but I guess Ashley could win but Hollyoaks has less of a fan base then McFly.

I would like to see someone like Susanna or Patrick to win to show that dance isn't about youth and roaming around shirtless.

So would the BBC, as they're "their people."
They always have a few of theirs in this show with "a bit of potential."

Unsurprising, as it's their show.