To be fair, series one was really a companion programme to Sports Relief. It was never really expected to be anything other than a one off money raising phantasmagorical spread over a few weeks - but even then, it ploughed the furrow in dancing versus entertainment with Chris Parker in the final.

I think the way it took off took them by surprised hence the reason series two followed hot on the heels in the same year.

By series 3 the main 'storylines' were in place. All it needed for completeness was an 'it's harder for boys blokey bloke sportsman, never danced me, I'm from Yorkshire, I've had a journey (from all of week one to week two, but hey)' winner. Step forward Mr Gough.

If the point of the show is to watch a celeb learn to dance with a professional dance partner then let the focus be on that and cut out all the fluff. The whole nonsense of the results show could be avoided - that was a change too far for me. The extra expense - the outfit changes - all when it's recorded straight after the main show on Saturday night. I know Bruce didn't want a late night but since everyone is there anyway, and things have changed with the presenters, can't we just have it broadcast live ?

Exactly! Plus in those series we actually saw dances, not messing around with props with a few spins and lifts in the middle. The pros chose the music, so got to be really clever with it (tempo change in Alesha's VW being a prime example that springs to mind), and the result was some really beautiful dancing. Since then it's been all style over substance, and the style isn't even good most of the time. Kara is indeed the honourable exception, along with Harry Judd's Quickstep.


I think there were moments in series 6, but series 8 was when it really started to go downhill with the props and themes in particular. Series 8 itself is almost forgivable because Kara was so good, but after that it's been an increasingly sharp decline into barely any real good quality, no-nonsense dancing.

Last week the results show pulled in 9 million viewers to BBC 1 - bearing in mind that it was recorded on Saturday night, so the actual outlay would be quite low - what else that they could put on is going to show those kind of figures?

In the olden days before phone votes were worrying and all the Blue Peter pets were correctly named then the phone lines opened immediately after the eliminated celeb had done their last dance - so the sooner the phone lines opened the better.

I think there is also an acceptance that a lot of times families watch the show together and putting the results show on later - you'd be looking at a 10 o'clock finish? would mean that this wouldn't be the case. Half would be in bed by then - better to run the results at the same time as the show to attract the same audience.

Besides, anyway, it means we the the Spoiler thread.

Wasn't there something to do with Tom and a honeymoon was well

Honestly, I think the tinkering with is at the same level it's always been - and probably less than for series 6 - it's just that they are possibly slightly less subtle about it and we viewers are more aware of it. The curtain has twitched and we can see the Wizard of Oz.

No it hasnt.

What I DO MISS about Strictly is the Daren/Lillia, Vincent/Flavia, The Jordans, Erin/Anton, Matthew/Nicole/Karen....the strong/lovely/partnerships/chemistry between the pros.........


IMO, They are trying too hard to make Kevin/Karen..Aljaz/Janette fill that void but its just not working for me

I like to see Kristina/Robin dance
Natalie/Trent/Brendan
Iveta with whoever....but thats about it............

So my only complain is just the strong dynamics between some of the pros that I miss...........I hope Im making sense

Even some of the older viewers might not like a 22:00h finish, certainly parents will not want young children to stay up. Then if there is any problem with the voting system it could be delayed.

The majority of viewers watch the results programme with no knowledge of spoilers etc so being a recording makes no difference to them and many will be unaware of it being recorded on Saturday.

Absolutely, Kara really is the exception here, plus Artem managed the balancing act between any props they used and dance content very well. I am also not aware that the production had such a completely heavy hand on music and themes that they do now, so although Series 8 did have some really tiresome stuff it still did have quality of sorts, but it is when all the 'add-ons' started to kick in big time. The other specific dances you mention like Harrys Quickstep stand out far more because it's getting so much harder to see or expect close on 90 seconds of quality dance content.

The Saturday results show was initially possible, as the BBC had lost the Premier League football highights to ITV from 2001 - 2004, so had no Saturday football show for most weeks.

As soon as Match of the Day returned to a (pretty much) weekly format in 2004, the Strictly Saturday results show obviously became a problem for schedulers.

Understand about the late finish not being popular; what I object to with the results show is the unnecessary extra cost in order to make it look like a different programme. outfit changes for Tess, Claud and the judges. Plus the spoiler thread has the results anyway on a Saturday night if you don't want to wait - and I wonder how many don't ? Why can't the results show clearly be an extension of Saturday night, broadcast on Sunday ? Often you hear the celebs and sometimes the presenters nearly tripping up when talking about the results show and trying not to mention that it was recorded on Saturday night. Then you get the flurry of tweets from the contestants on Sunday night about being voted off or whatever - even though by then they've had 24 hours or more to adjust. There have been people who thought the results show happened on Sunday night, after all.

Giggled at Zoe's slightly panicked face when Rufus wasn't gushing about everything and everyone

I just want to make it clear that I'm saying Series 6 is when the show gradually started to lose its magic, it didn't all happen at once. It was just the start of a slippery slope.

I remember it as the series where 10s were given out for just turning up and was rife with blatant favouritism. Alesha had just won what for me was the best series todate and I think that's when the producers thought it could be done bigger and better. So we got a 16 couple series. But there was still a lot to enjoy about it, just like every series.

The OP asked we thought if the show had lost its magic, not all the things we think were good or bad. I still watch every week, but I don't put my social life at the weekend on hold any more and it's not the end of the world if I miss the results show altogether.

It hasnt lost it's magic BUT... the music this year has been poor for the most part.

aka. Having Mamma Mia for a Foxtrot and for this week having I'm Still Standing for a quickstep?

That's exactly what I miss about Strictly and I have good memories of those superb pro dancers, especially Matthew I would also like to hear traditional music and see the men in suits/tails for ballroom dances not shirts and trousers which are too tight and liable to split

but Strictly hasn't lost its sparkle and it's still my most favourite programme on television, I also enjoy ITT and posting on the Strictly forum because none of my family are interested in the show

But that's where we are different to the majority of the vierwers, who just see Strictly as a nice, family show that takes them through to Christmas.

Whatever ex-pros may have to say on the subject, most viewers probably couldn't tell them apart and they exist purely as an 'and their pro partner Lilia'. There was a round on Only Connect (I think) and certainly Pointless that showed that even people who said they were Strictly fans were hazy on the pro details.

Striclty treats it's pro dancers far better than Dancing on Ice ever did, but really they are an aside for most viewers, not the main event.

I thought Darren and Lilia were got shot of because they were becoming better known than a lot of the celebs...

I think that is exactly the reason.

I believe that's they only reason they didn't fire James and Ola at the same time. Supporters of this show have long memories.

Put money on this being Ola's last season.
They've new dancers now, probably on less money and I think they'll even ring the changes with those, so too many can't become as popular again.

I've never believed that about Darren and Lilia and think that's a Strictly myth. In fact, I always thought pros like Anton and Brendan had a bigger fan base even back then. Also, I thought Lilia was much more popular than Darren. And the Jordans didn't join the show until Series 4 and James got bad press over his relationship with Georgina.

It was a shock when pros started to be replaced, but I've accepted that now () and grew to like lots of the new pros. It does bug me that the show no longer recruits pros as couples, but that's a tiny thing.

I think it will be Ola's last series too because I understand they're hoping to start a family.

I'm certainly enjoying it, but the 'magic' went some time ago and the personality has followed. That is not to say I was an admirer of Bruce - he had become painful to watch - but the Tess/Claudia partnership is simply ridiculous. Needs somebody with some real strength and charisma and, yes, they should be male. Tess, in particular, is terrible. She was an excellent if vapid No.2 but is utterly unsuited to be No.1.

I'm Still Standing just about works as a quickstep I think - or at least I think because Jake and Janette are good they'll manage to make it work.

Mamma Mia was just completely wrong for a Foxtrot. Whoever picks the music now doesn't have a clue about dancing.

Yes, it has. Claudia and Tess are not working well together. The magic is gone

No it hasn't. I love this series. But the show has evolved and some elements aren't what they used to be. Overall, I work with the times and am loving it. Claudia is hilarious and Tess fills the straight presenter well overall.

Yep, that pretty much covers it for me.

Sad.

I think next week a lot of us will think the magic has gone when its all props and silly costumes in the Halloween show

Its still far better than the dreadful X Factor and Saturday Winter nights would never be the same without Strictly but oh how I miss Artem.