All aboard! The Strictly Express is rolling back into town as the biggest and best dancing show on television arrives back on BBC One.
Join presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as they host the star-studded launch of the 13th series of Strictly Come Dancing and bring back some sparkle into your Saturday and Sunday nights.

The Strictly Express will literally be rolling onto the red carpet as this year’s line-up do the locomotion into the Strictly ballroom. The celebrity contestants’ journey towards the famous Glitter Ball Trophy then begins, as they discover which professional dancer they will be paired with. The celebrities and professionals will also take to the dancefloor together for the very first time for an eye-catching group performance.

The legendary judging panel of Len Goodman, Darcey Bussell, Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood will all be back once more as Strictly’s fabulous four get their first sneak peek of the class of 2015 on the dancefloor - although tonight they will be leaving their scoring paddles at home.

2014’s reigning champions Caroline Flack and Pasha Kovalev will return to the Strictly ballroom for one final performance and perform their scintillating semi-final salsa to Maria by Ricky Martin.

Plus there will be exciting musical performances from Jess Glynne and Gregory Porter as Strictly Come Dancing 2015 sets off in style.

Via BBC Media Centre

wikipedia says the live shows start on the 18th. does that sound right? has it ever started on a friday before?

yes, the have done a Friday/Saturday combo before

Doubtful, they always have 3 weeks between the launch and the lives.
I still maintain lives will be on Friday 25th & Saturday 26th with no couples eliminated in week one.

Ripper Street is currently running in the 9-10pm slot Friday, this week it's episode 4 of 8. Friday 28th will be 5 of 8, Friday 4th will be 6 of 8, Friday 11th will be 7 of 8 and Friday 18th will be 8 of 8

If you're right with the start of 25th/26th then I think that makes a 13-week series to end on the Saturday before Christmas, which would mean either a double-exit one week or a 5-couple final (unless somebody is voted out in the first week)....

Maybe Ripper Street will get bumped by a week, or maybe Strictly will go out at 8.00 on the 24th instead?

Assuming it is 16 couples and not 15 - which is still in doubt - then the most sensible thing to do would be to scrap the dance-off in the semi-final (which would now have 6 couples) and automatically eliminate the two lowest couples on the combined vote, as they did in both 2010 and 2011.

Of course, since it's the most sensible option there's no way they'll go for it...

BIB i thought it was 2 weeks rehearsal after they get their partners

there is 1 week of practicing the first group dance, then we have the launch show when we see who is paired with who, then 2 weeks rehearsal with partners before the first live show - so 3 weeks altogether but just 2 between the launch and live

i could be completely wrong tho

I don't think the launch show is live is it. I seem to remember we knew the pairings before it was broadcast last year because someone had been at the recording.

The reason I ask is that I go on holiday on the 5th and I would like to know the pairings before I go. How sad is that.

It's being pre-recorded on Wednesday night.

its recorded on wednesday 2nd september

http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/s...reshow_2sept15

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2097574 this thread is asking for for a mole so you might get to know before the official launch

Everybody is doing the locomotion..... my little baby sister can do It with ease....

Beyond camp!!!

In recent years:

2010
Launch show September 11th, first live show October 1st
2011
Launch show September 10th, first liveshow September 30th
2012
Launch show September 15th, first live show October 5th
2013
Launch show September 7th, first live show September 27th
2014
Launch show September 7th, first live shows September 26th/27th
2015
Launch show September 5th, first live show TBA

Assuming pattern of lat five years is followed them I'm afraid we've got three weeks between launch and lives.

Fingers crossed we will get one. We are usually quite lucky for the live shows. Cant wait for the spoiler thread to start.

Radio Times has it listed for 7.15 but this could be a provisional time? The last sentence in their description of the show could cause panic and outrage :

The famous faces also take to the dance floor with a group number in front of the ever-critical judges Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, Craig Revel Horwood and Alesha Dixon.

Launch show is confirmed for 7.15pm, overlapping The X Factor by 20 minutes.

Filming took place today at Ongar….

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/ind...come-steaming/

That bit made me smile. Someone's getting a bit carried away, aren't they?

I hope there will be a mole at the launch show please so then it would be possible to find out the SCD pairings for this year.

From Hayley

Yes , but I hope that any moles put the info in spoilers .
I like watching the show to find out live . It's part of the fun for me, but I know others like inside info .
Remember people, use the SPOILERS tag .

Deleted

I will definitely remember to use the spoiler tag for anything regarding SCD results and the launch show. And I also hope that any moles will put the SCD pairings info in a spoiler tag.

From Hayley

Bit desperate of ITV to release all the schedule for X Factor this year and where do they expect Strictly to go on a Sunday when they have revealed they have quite a good few weeks including the boot camp shows at 7 on Sunday. Strictly's usually always on a Sunday between 7 & 8.

Ah - but the producer loses a bit of control over who is in the final if there is no dance-off.

Anthony may have some difficulty doing the locomotion if his arm is still in a sling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5OoQadZTPk

Pro pics performing on a station platform:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...y-station.html