Been looking forward to this series and even like almost all of the celebs except one.

But every week I'm getting very disappointed with the production of this series so far -

Costumes - cheap and tarty, the colours, designs just absolutely ghastly.

Music - the singers are terrible , the arrangements seem all over the place, the choice of music just dreadful ( wonder who actually choose the music?).

Camera work - still hasn't improved since series 1, in fact it's worst the last 2 series.

Lighting - you'll think you're watching something from an amateur films on youtube.

And then there is Bruce ..why oh why does he thinks he needs to deliver awful, corny jokes every single time he opens his mouth??????

And then his robotic sidekick Daly....enough said

DWTS compare to the orginator SCD is pure class in every direction. SCD should hire the producers of DWTS next year.

well i love it. i love bruce and his ways. he is one of a kind and he is what makes strictly so special for me.

i just enjoy it for what it is and dont over analyse everything. i am not in a media studies lesson i am just enjoying an entertainment show. the american one i find is less warm and cosy and more polished and cold

Part of the appeal of Strictly surely is that it's a bit chintzy and kitsch?

Certainly the music is variable. Actually I was pleased this week that most of the tangos had 'proper' music rather than some re-arranged soft rock nonsense.

The presenters I can take or leave but the underlying format of the show is solid and it plays to the strengths of the BBC.

well andallthatjazz, if you don't like it. Then dont watch it. I'm sure the other 8.5 million viewers do like it.

I agree with you on two points; overall the show is really good, barring the awful camera work when they are dancing; you can hardly ever see the footwork.

And then there is Brucie who IMO has taken a very sharp downward turn in his presenting skills. Constantly interrupting everyone and reading everything off cue cards [which would be fine if he wasn't looking down at the cards and not at the camera].

The music is also a bit weird at times; especially this week during Camilla and Tom's Jive. The music made the Jive weird for me as it needed to be just a smidge faster.

I know thats three points; but overall I enjoy the show and it completey cr@ps over the X-factor in terms of quality

Personally I think the camerawork is better now, however much people like to complain. Look at Jill's jive, for example, in series 2 - half of the dance is obscured when they start showing footage of them from a camera placed half behind a curtain And I was watching some Anton/Lesley footage. When I say "watching", I mean "staring at the tiny, minuscule ant people in confusion". At least we can actually see the dancers now, even if it's not always the right body parts.

The costumes this series are beyond awful though, especially Jessie's. What are they thinking? This is SCD, not Moulin Rouge.

Naff is a good thing on a Saturday at seven.
Seaside Special.
Black and White Minstrels.
Val Doonican.

Always has been naff. Always will be. As British as fish and chips and lager louts.

I love this series, really enjoyed it. I like Bruce, he makes me laugh.

I still think the positives outweigh the negatives, but there are some serious negatives this year:

- some of the music choices are bizarre; there have always been bizarre music choices, but none like this year (like 20th Century Boy for a tango).

- the camerawork being so insane that even I'm beginning to be annoyed by it (I've noticed it before, but its never bugged me)

- sixteen couples = four weeks before we have a 'normal' show; if the BBC really want to make the long as long as possible, then they should have a maximum of twelve couples with no eliminations until the third week = the same duration as SCD 2007

(there are minor things like the occasional horrible costume and Bruce being sometimes useless and Tess being always useless and the singers sometimes sounding like strangled cats, but these were always thus)

Oh how I have to agree with the comments so far. In fact, I'm p***ed off with the show that I didn't even bother watching this week-ends editions and couldn't care less who wins... and I've been a fan of the show since day 1.
Sad reflection on the BBC that they have taken another hit show and felt it necessary to dumb it down to such a level that it's nothing exciting anymore.

The naffness doesn't bother me but the Sunday show was a disgrace.

Piffle, waffle, twaddle, pointless, endless padding...

Really?? I think the opposite - costumes in DWTS are absolutely dreadful, like a pantomime or variety show performance (hint: to show drama you don't have to dress like a goth). Don't like Tom Bergeron at all, far too wipe-clean, smugness for my liking - no warmth at all. The camera-work is, however, far better on DWTS.

The magic of Strictly is alive and well in our household

I think the competition will step up a notch once the male and female celebrities combine.

As for the costumes, camera-work and music - I've no complaints. But then maybe I'm easily pleased

And Bruce is class. He knows he's dithery and his gags are lame but he plays along. I suggest we don't take him too seriously - he sure as hell doesn't.

Of course it's naff, it's SCD! That's the point of it.

This year isn't any naffer than any other.

The only thing I would say is that the singers slightly murdered Sam Sparro's 'Black & Gold' for Camilla & Tom's jive. Was too limp & not nearly enough drum.

And I've never been able to STAND Bruce & his dreadful, laboured, unfunny 'jokes.' Gerrimoff!

But the DWTS I've seen - I'd say it was more down-market.

So (not having seen the first two series) how has it been dumbed-down?

XF is much better.

Bit like Tom's wrist as he was dancing

X-Factor is ruined by the excessive sob stories and hysterical crying.

I don't remember Will Young behaving like a weeping wannabe wimp.

I gave up on X Factor a long time ago.

Sorry but that is a laughable statement. If you like completely staged sections; constant recaps and padded shows then X-factor is great.

I do watch it; however SCD completely P!sses over it in terms of quality

Bruce is SCD so please dont keep picking on the guy, Tess is well err ... the point of her? Still really dont know why her face is on my telly, anyway the worst part of SCD is there is to much of it and you can see that it probably has 2 more series left in it before it fizzles out

The music is picked by the professional dancers, and they also choose the tempo, if you dont like it then hats down to the professional.

The camera work still annoys me, but overall the programme is great saturday night entertainment.

The Saturday night show is great.
But the Sunday? Not so.

Totally agree with that - completely unnecessary to make a half hour show into an hour show. It needs to stop copying DWTS in that respect.

SCD is brilliant I love it!

I do agree that sometimes the music leaves alot to be desired (I think they hate the couple sometimes!) but mostly they get it spot on.

I am really enjoying it and already we have a rivalry (Austin and Tom) great stuff to entertain.

My daughter hates it though but mostly because of Brucie's awful jokes (well they are but it wouldn't be the same without him).

It (and X Factor) have made my Saturday evenings.

of course SCD is naff - that's the whole point of it (and the point of any Saturday light entertainment show)

but it doesn't stop it being great fun - how else would you get 8 million people watching ballroom dancing for god's sake!

I would much rather watch it than the ritual humiliation and mediocre tone-deaf warbling that is the X-Factor