And apparently it is likely to be resurrected every single year, if the rationale for this thread by the OP is anything to go by (it seems there might be a couple of new forum members who need the fact that it's a dance themed popularity contest explained to them!)

Alternatively, maybe Sid's excellent bullet point list of the differences between a genuine dance competition and Strictly could be pinned to the front page for all time??

Its an entertainment show, under the guise of a dancing competition.

It can never be seen as a true dance competition since its the general public who vote and since they're paying to vote, they can decide on whatever factor they like other than good dancing to chose their favourite.

I can't say I vote on purely dancing lines as there have been lots of great dancers who I haven't warmed to - so personality/partnership does play a part for me. However, I don't vote for a couple I like if I don't feel their dancing is good enough to deserve knocking another contestant out. For me, my favourite couple end up being good dancers that I feel deserve to be in the final for their ability/performance but a couple I have to like too.

If it was a dance competition then Natalie & Artem, Colin & Erin, Rachel & Vincent and Ricky & Natalie would have won in their year instead of coming 2nd.

It has ALWAYS been a popularity contest and not always the best dancer wins.

To have a real dance competition all Celebs must be on the same playing field. Either all are completely novices or all have some kind of dance training. All the Judges would be qualified Ballroom/Latin Judges & there would not be a public vote.

The BBC have always stated this is an entertainment show based on Come Dancing.

We can live in hope We could add in the quote from the show's creator as well, the one that says it was always about entertainment.

It's dancertainment!

And they would all dance the same dance to the same music in a bare dance hall with no fancy lighting or props. No popular vote of course. It is unlikely it would last to the end of the series because viewing figures would drop so fast or it would be relegated to BBC3 in the middle of the night.

Given the inane question, I need to add one important factor fitting with the quality of this topic.

I know what it is - so much better that Bruce is no longer involved.

Tra la la la

its both!

Come on now .. the programme has been going for thirteen years .. and Chris Parker made the final in the very first year. I think we know by now how the show works.

It's Saturday night TV and people want to be entertained .. be it by watching great dancing, great improvement, great partnerships, great people or simply just by having a laugh.

Its both.
Move along, folks.

I asked Grumpy if he thought this show was primarily for dancing or entertainment.
He replied,grumpily, that he'd be pleased to see a little of either....but he is very grumpy.

This is a boring old chestnut. It's right to have people with no experience on the show, some of these, like Anita Rani, end up being quite good ; others don't progress but usually end up leaving the show before the best dancers, with a few notable exceptions (e.g.Widdi) who outstay better dancers (e.g. Gabby Logan)

As Brendan Cole once said it is the difference in ability that makes the show interesting. If all of the contestants were useless or all had been stage school trained it would be boring and pointless.

So it is both an entertainment and dance show which usually ends up being more about the dancing in the later stages and I'm fine with that.

That seems more than a little unfair.

It's nothing but a dance show

It's dancing entertainment.

Everytime someone opens a thread with this question I feel like I'm reading "What came first, the chicken or the egg?"

I think it was an Entertaining chicken.

50/50 with bit of romancing

that's what makes it one of the best shows on tv

Entertainment, romancing and the best.

I found it more entertaining with Brucie.

It's an entertainment show. If the public don't watch and ratings go down, will be the end of Strictly. All the reality shows are created to entertain the public.

That is obvious and goes without saying daisydee, but thank you very much for reminding us, having a living legend like Sir Bruce at the helm of Strictly Come Dancing for so long did spoil us, it was as good as you can get.