If they want more money it should be based on their perfomance the same as in any job.

(In that case they would be paid less)

If Len left the show would anyone stop watching?
If Bruno left the show would anyone stop watching?

My point is that they are within their rights to ASK for more money. Whether they get it or not is up to the BBC.

I went to the O2 to see the King Tut exhibition in January and saw the poster up for the Tour. It beefed me a lot that the judges had top billing and names in big letters, the celebs had smaller pics underneath and smaller names and the pros were....you guessed it. Just names at the very bottom and no pics.

It did put me off even trying to see the Tour as to me it seemed the emphasis was all wrong. No, they should NOT be getting any more for what they do. I don't watch the show to hear what is usually a lot of insulting drivel from those 4, especially Len and Bruno who should be given the P45 and moved to Stateside.

Maybe the pro's should go on strike for more money, too!!
Perhaps they need a better agent to represent them ,it seemed that they lost out in the payround for the last series. Do they have a union for professional ballroom dancers? I would stand on a picket line with them with a banner for more money

Stand on a picket line? I'd consider invading Poland if I thought it would do them any good...

Pity the BBC don't read the fan forums now and again. Maybe they could gage the mood of the people who watch and vote.

The pros dance is definitely not the highlight for me. Indeed, I wouldn't mind if it were eliminated from the show. I often find the way the pros dance much too mannered and forced.

And I'm glad the celebs aren't all starting from nothing, because imo the dances would be less interesting if they were.

On the other hand, I think what the pros do with the celebs is almost always interesting and often excellent.

You said "but the point is - you could lose the celebs or the judges and still have a show." That's what I said was a weak point.

I think it's so weak a point that it's hard to understand why anyone is making it.

The idea seemed to be that you could lose the celebs or the judges -- but not the pros -- and still have a show.

Yet you say "it would be a different show entirely", so why is it even relevant?

It doesn't show the pros are more important to SCD.




The individual judges are expendable (so long as there are still judges), just as the individual pros are (so long as there are still pros).

Judges, celebs, and professional dancers are all essential to SCD. Otherwise, it's a different show; and I think they've all played a part in SCD's success.

(That doesn't mean I agree with the judges' pay demand. It would depend on how much they're asking; and I'd agree that the pros should be paid more than they are.)

I agree. In fact the pro dance is usually an opportunity to go and put the kettle on in our house.

I watch to see the celebs and how they improve from week to week, and obviously this is down to the pros and the hard work they and the celebs put in.

The judges are necessary but I'm not sure why they should be paid more - if anything I would think the pros, celebs and judges should be paid the same.

I like the pro dance I always to look forward to it, but everyone has their own opinion. I do think the pro's need some more apreciation outside SCD

Not specifically, although many performing dancers are members of Equity, especilly if they do stage, TV or cruise work.

...... gage the mood of "Some" of the people who watch and vote!!!!!

*grin*


See, I think they quite obviously are - just my opinion, to which you are free to disagree. Not having judges and/or celebs would change the show. Not having pros would mean the show simply would not happen, or would be inutterably cruddy - as bad as such trash as "I'm a celeb" et cetera. Simply an excuse to laugh at a bunch of celebs making fools of themselves. Spare me!

We've had a show without celebs - it's what SCD was based on! And as far as I'm aware they didn't have mouthy judges either. But it had great dancing. IIt wasn't as popular, though as has been mentioned, there were many factors involved in its demise beyond the obvious.

The mouthy judges and the celebs learning to dance certainly add to the mix (though in the case of some of the mouthiness from the judges I'm not sure it's a positive addition) - and I love the fact that the celebs put themselves out there and try to learn a new skill. But I don't think the judges AS CHARACTERS are essential. I'd be perfectly happy to do without the comments from the judges, frankly, half the time. I'd definitely much prefer them to stick to making comments on the dancing rather than being rude/trying to be clever/alliterating all over the place. Sometimes one feels they've spent the entire dance thinking up the clever comment when they should have been watching.

Of the three groups mentioned, they (IMO) add the least to the show. I do like the fact that judges marking the dances adds a touch of credibility, so that it is not simply based on popularity, but that IMO is the only thing I like about them much of the time, and certainly in my view takes a backburner to the sheer amount of work the celebs and especially the pros put into to make the show work.

As such, the fact that they get paid SO much more and get so much credit is inexplicable to me.

But thinking the pros are more important, and having an argument that shows it, are two different things.


Take away the judges, the celebs, or the pros and SCD doesn't happen.

Comparing some "entirely different" shows does not show that the pros are more important to SCD.

Anyway, re money, the main question (assuming the BBC's not going to switch to a different format) is: how easily can these particular judges be replaced by ones who would do just as much (or more) for the show?

You knew what I meant

Pretty easily IMO

If they want someone who is willing to make inane alliterative comments that don't have much relevance to the dance, I'm willing to offer my services for, say, half what Arlene gets at the moment. And I promise not to drool all over the contestants!

give them a pension instead