DS Forums

 
 

BBC MAY AXE ARLENE AND CRAIG (Daily Mail)


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 25-11-2008, 10:31
Ista
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 30
I've actually complained to the BBC because I found Len and Bruno to be the least professional and respectful - they talk over the other judges all the time and are extremely rude to their colleagues in general a lot of the time. Harsh comments are part and parcel of the cocktail that makes up strictly, along with overblown hyperbole, overmarking, and praise.

Craig and Arlene both find things to praise in dances, and for a 'technical judge' Len reacts emotionally to an awful lot of dances (Rachel's Jive for instance, it didn't wow me either, but he could have found a technical criticism rather than a general thing like that.)

I find that an awful lot of the time Craig will balance his comments with praise. And honestly, with some of the dancing, I'd have even less nice things to say than Craig.

If you want rainbows and unicorns blown up the arses of your celebrities, you send them on a talkshow, not a competition that is judged. Even if it is light entertainment, the judging is PART of the entertainment.
Ista is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 25-11-2008, 10:32
Amethyzt
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,847
IMO Craig is the only decent judge who tells it like it is....if he goes, whats the point....

I think James Jordan had a good point when he said this was turning into the John Sergeant show
Amethyzt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 10:33
moog5
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,556
I've actually complained to the BBC because I found Len and Bruno to be the least professional and respectful - they talk over the other judges all the time and are extremely rude to their colleagues in general a lot of the time. Harsh comments are part and parcel of the cocktail that makes up strictly, along with overblown hyperbole, overmarking, and praise.

Craig and Arlene both find things to praise in dances, and for a 'technical judge' Len reacts emotionally to an awful lot of dances (Rachel's Jive for instance, it didn't wow me either, but he could have found a technical criticism rather than a general thing like that.)

I find that an awful lot of the time Craig will balance his comments with praise. And honestly, with some of the dancing, I'd have even less nice things to say than Craig.

If you want rainbows and unicorns blown up the arses of your celebrities, you send them on a talkshow, not a competition that is judged. Even if it is light entertainment, the judging is PART of the entertainment.
So what did you complain about. The way the judges talk to the contestants, or the way the judges talk to each other?
moog5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 11:01
soulmate61
Guest
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,073

.... without the outspoken comments of the judges there wouldn't have been the backlash/furore and there wouldn't have ben the ratings surge.
BBC top brass are anxiously waiting for the viewing figures in 4 days time. Was the 20% ratings surge due to happy customers, or due to fury followed by indifference and switchoff?

The answer in 4 days.
soulmate61 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 11:09
fallen arches
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 249
AXED, maybe just sack them it's less bloody!
fallen arches is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 11:19
claire2281
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 16,008
The help the aged remark is a classic example of someone quoted out of context.
Precisely.

I think some on here should work for the tabloids themselves with such adept skills at taking a quote out of context and turning it on it's head...

What Len actually said was that he could not criticise others for their technical failings and then ignore John's due to his age. He shouldn't get an easier ride just because he was older.
claire2281 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 11:21
mintchocchip
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 15,555
While I do think their comments were too much on JS (Not so much what they said, the malice you could feel when they said it) I wouldn't like to see either go as I think they're both better judges than Bruno!
mintchocchip is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 11:39
mossy2103
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 68,698
I've actually complained to the BBC because I found Len and Bruno to be the least professional and respectful - they talk over the other judges all the time and are extremely rude to their colleagues in general a lot of the time.
I have a funny feeling that this is sadly played up for the cameras, quite possibly encouraged by the producers. SCD can really do without it, even if some viewers seem to lap it up on other programmes (X-Factor anyone?)

Harsh comments are part and parcel of the cocktail that makes up strictly, along with overblown hyperbole, overmarking, and praise.
Very true. And sometimes harsh comments are part of life (which is not all soft and fluffy).

I find that an awful lot of the time Craig will balance his comments with praise. And honestly, with some of the dancing, I'd have even less nice things to say than Craig.
Yes, you really have yo listen to all that he says, as he generally does balance a comment with some praise or at least a hint as to what was being done wrong or how it could be improved. I rarely dresses up him comments to make then sweeter. A spade is a spade is a spade.

If you want rainbows and unicorns blown up the arses of your celebrities, you send them on a talkshow, not a competition that is judged. Even if it is light entertainment, the judging is PART of the entertainment.
Probably one of the most sensible things that has been posted in a long time.
mossy2103 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 11:41
Kienaide Niji
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: 私の砦
Posts: 3,468
I think it's interesting that they now seem to have the Axe swinging above their heads ready to strike at the next false move... I don't think they should be too worried personally, I don't think Axing them is an answer to the problem, people have different opinions and takes on things all the time, are they gonna' axe everyone who doesn't agree with someone else?
I think it's really childish how the Beeb are now apparently gonna' be "watching/keeping an eye" on them until the end of the series...if you believe everything you read in papers anyway
Kienaide Niji is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 11:44
mossy2103
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 68,698
As I see it, any "axe" is held by the Mail, and not the BBC.
mossy2103 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 11:47
IvanIV
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 25,199
With Craig you at least know why he gave the marks he did. Others have a go at him for being negativistic, while they loved the performance, but then mark it 8 or 9. So something was wrong and they did not give the dancer a chance to improve on that. Craig's criticism is obviously harder to take, but at least he gives some pointers how to improve.
IvanIV is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 11:48
Kez100
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,019
Dear BBC, please AXE the the phone voting GBP OR give them their own "Strictly come lame dancing laugh-out-loud personality Show". Thank you very much.
That can be put on Saturday nights when families like to watch and be entertained. The boring old dance contest can be relagated as it was years ago to Thursday half eleven.
Kez100 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 11:55
hiawatha
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 999
If we had another two such as Len and Bruno it would be too bland and the scores would always be on the high side.
Craig should be kept to balance these two, not sure about Arlene.
Len and Bruno are OK, BUT they try to keep well in with the public and this produces the overmarking that they are famous for amongst dancing teachers.
If they do remove any judge who would take their place?
hiawatha is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 11:57
pickledgherkin
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,826
Donny Burns!
pickledgherkin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 11:58
PoohBear7
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Here
Posts: 4,754
They should keep Craig but Arlene is dreadful. I can't stand her shrill voice.
PoohBear7 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 12:18
soulmate61
Guest
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,073
"A poor dancer should step aside for a better dancer," said the Righteous Four, WOW.

"A poor judge should step aside for a better judge" -- like 15 times latin World Champion Donny.
soulmate61 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 12:40
Dr. Jan Itor
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Sacred Heart
Posts: 3,177
People who believe everything in the papers are equally as dense as those who believe nothing
Spot on. I never buy any of the tabloids because I know there is a lot of rubbish in there and they are all about their own agendas rather than news, but that doesn't mean that everything is made up. Anonymous sources can often mean that a 'journalist' has just made it up, and that may well be the case here, but it is also perfectly plausible that someone from within the BBC has leaked this story to the Mail to suit their own agenda. It happens all the time in politics. Sources close to the minister often means that the minister has told one of his team to tell the press. Of course believing everything you read in the tabloids is incredibly naive, but saying that everything in them is a lie is equally naive.
Dr. Jan Itor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 12:47
cuk
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,321
Clear them all out and get some professionals in..........
I was about to say that !

I say let's have a vote !
cuk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 12:58
CybesVybes
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 478
I was about to say that !

I say let's have a vote !

Yeah - cos expressing our opinion of the show by voting has always worked so well for us in the past, hasn't it...?
CybesVybes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 13:04
calculator
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,293
I vote the papers go and find some genuine news.
calculator is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 13:09
Sid_1979
 
Posts: n/a
Very sceptical about this article!

I do think John was a ratings winner in a series which lacked characters, but Arlene and Craig cannot be held solely accountable for a demise in viewing figures.

I never had an issue with their acid-tongued remarks following John's performances, it's the constant campaigning the pair of them did away from the show to try and get John out that troubled me. As judges, that represented a conflict of interest and because they singled John out, it bordered on bullying.
  Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 13:28
Paperbag_Writer
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,068
If we had another two such as Len and Bruno it would be too bland and the scores would always be on the high side.
Craig should be kept to balance these two, not sure about Arlene.
Len and Bruno are OK, BUT they try to keep well in with the public and this produces the overmarking that they are famous for amongst dancing teachers.
If they do remove any judge who would take their place?

I agree with this, hiawatha.

Craig is my favourite judge simply because he is almost always consistent and his marks match his comments - his criticisms can be nasty but there's almost always some constructive criticism for anyone he considers capable of improvement. I've been liking Bruno this series too, having previously felt him to be a lightweight on the panel, I actually think he's kept the balance this season when the other judges (and some contestants) have been taking it all a little too seriously. He was by far the least wound up and aggressive of the panel about the whole JS saga and he seems to stick just to the judging on a Saturday night - unlike the other 3 who are always spouting to the media and cropping up on ITT. Bruno has also consistently marked a little lower than Len this series and seems less inclined than before to dish out '10's on a whim (remember Kelly and Brendan's AS for example?)

Len's reputation for balance and fairness is for me outweighed by his random rudeness to various contestants and fellow judges. He can be very unpleasant yet likes to portray himself as a mister niceguy. And I find some of his 'humour' pretty excrutiating. Wouldn't be sorry to see him replaced but it ain't going to happen.

Arlene seems like the most expendable of the judges. I think she can be exceptionally crass in some of her comments and she seems to me totally lacking in any sense of humour. An obvious replacement would be Karen Hardy, who I believe is going to be quitting the show after this series (?) I know Karen has a strong 'marmite' factor, but she is a professional judge, very knowledgeable and would also bring a competitor's eye view to the judging process.
Paperbag_Writer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 13:45
Bunthorne
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 7
I don't know if I am now in the minority (and I don't read the Mail) but I would be quite happy to keep the judges we have now. I don't mind them being critical, negative, sarcastic, grumpy, inconsistent or irritating during the show, because that is what they are employed to do.

What I do object to is the judges appearing on other TV and radio programmes, deliberately trying to influence the popular vote. That is way beyond their remit and shows a contempt for the very audience that has made them TV stars in the first place (or so they would like to think of themselves).

I hope the outpouring of passion on this board over the past weeks might help the judges to come down to earth a bit and realise they they are just one part of an enterprise invoving millions of people - and not even the most important part. They are easily replaced, but we, the audience are not.

Last edited by Bunthorne : 25-11-2008 at 13:46. Reason: misspelling
Bunthorne is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 13:53
PrincessNidor
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 669
I think the bbc should offer all the judges a new contract for next year....with a 50% pay cut....well, if they love it, as much as they say they do, they will be willing to do it for less.......
PrincessNidor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-11-2008, 14:01
MadonnaMIX
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: SouthLanarkshireGlasgow
Posts: 9,528
I would be glad to see the back of Arlene
MadonnaMIX is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 22:25.