I found the scores (7, 8, 8, 8) interesting. They highlighted just how inflated the scoring has become this series! Len now gives a '7' just for turning up.

Good heavens, I don't remember all those lifts (passed me by)! I loved Hanna - such a bubbly personality (and wonderful dancer of course).

Reading all these posts, there were so many talking points about series 1 and the couples that took part, it could never be described as dull.

Lifting Hanna was one of the few things Chris Parker could actually do so no wonder she put in plenty of lifts. The judges were never going to score him very highly so there was nothing to lose. Didn't Chris stand in the middle doing a lift whilst the others did the VW around them?

Totally agree! Have a look at my petition page where I'm suggesting we encourage the BBC to shake up the judging...

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...d.php?t=713232

Then again, all 3 of those couples had just finished series 2..... Natasha & Brendan had come back especially to do the Christmas show so there was no way they would be as prepared as the rest .... you'd probably call it not being "match-fit"

One or two of Natasha's dances are on youtube. I loved the first series - but when I watch them back, you realise why only one 10 was given out - the standard of dancing (particularly the Latin) is VERY VERY poor!

Was much MUCH shorter - can't remember how many weeks - but series two was where it really started.

I think there were only 8 couples in series one which increased to ten for series two.

Didnt Camilla and Brendan end their long term relationship because of the romance ?

Er no, it really started with Series 1 regardless of the length of the show or the standard of dancing. Had series 1 not been a success we wouldn't have had series 2 or 3 and so on - of course the standard of dancing will improve year on year, just the same as the amount of training each couple do will be more year on year (although I doubt Alesha's hours will be topped for a long time).

Perhaps the reason it's so widely ignored is because it was originally run for Sport Relief not the BBC's own pet charity CIN - shouldn't make a difference but obviously someone, somewhere has decided it does

I noticed that too, and Brendan and Natasha were so good. It's a shame they were not mentioned.

Both these statements are mere opinion. I think that here was some excellent dancing from Lesley & Anton as well as Natasha & Brendan. I also think the SCD hit the heights in series 3 when Darren Gough was transformed from duckling to swan. This series (and it started in series 4) it has become too serious and there has been an incredible amount of bitchiness on this and, even more, the BBC's message boards.

Claire Sweeney was also pretty good but she was the start of the 'but shes a dancer' moaning

I loved the first series and the second they are both special and a lot more innocent than it is now

And wasn't that a nightmare I remember her having a piece of paper in her hand with presumably prompts/her lines on and pulling it up into frame and reading it while presenting. Embarassing!

But it was done in a much nicer spirit and there wasn't the witch hunt mentality that we've got now.

True and she was a pleasure to watch