Sorry if this is on another thread-I did look honest.

So lots of discussion over the 10s, favouritism and under/overmarking etc thought I would investigate the situation further-lol.

Here are the total scores so far:

Rachel & Vincent have 272/320

Austin & Erin have 270/320

Tom & Camilla have 269/320

Lisa & Brendan have 254/320

Christine & Matthew have 226/320


I understand the whole Tom hasn't had a ten business, BUT, considering that Austin has, Tom hasn't done too badly without them, so what's the big deal??

Swings and roundabouts.

Exactly, Tom has actually been more consistent in his high scores, while Austin has had occasional off weeks where he's scored a tad lower. He'll probably get a 10 soon, though.

His mum obviously never brought him up with the saying I was always told 'I want never gets'

wow its soo close between Rachel, Austin and Tom!
Any of them could come out of it with the most "points"

Very little between the top 3...no 'teacher's pet' nonsense to see here.

No, you'd almost think they were able to count

Thanks for this. I would never have guessed about the gap between the bottom three.

I was quite surprised at the gap myself, but was pleased by how close the scores were at the top, a great dance by any would shift it again, so I guess I can see why the judges DO consider it fairly open at this point.

There are some big dances left for them too, the tango, waltz, cha cha, paso- the kind of dances which the public
tend to associate big scores with in a more forgiving manner so I am quite excited for Saturdays two dances each!!

No more sevvveerrrn!! from Len maybe?

Yet another reason why the BBC should have ensured a three-couple final this year. The top 3 couples are so close, it seems unfair to eliminate one of them before the final.

Very true - and it would have been so easy to arrange based on the options available to them.

*Sighs*

Yeah, I wish it was a three couple final this year, I miss them. But even so, I hope everyone soon starts to realise that in fact Austin and Rachel aren't pulling away from Tom at all, he's just insanely consistent throughout and we haven't even seen his best yet, I don't think! Anyway, seeing as it's all been mucked up again and it is gonna be a two couple final, I really hope it'll be Tom and Austin but I do think that in reality, Austin and Rachel'll fill the spots. Unfortunately. =(

The BBC never have a plan B.

They could have given us a poll for ITT. Do you mind if one week there is no voting but still have a sunday show or scores rolled forward. But nothning because they know ratings for the sunday show will drop if there is noone going.

Short sighted BBC. Run by numbskulls.

It is pretty poor to not have a Plan B when they have needed one before.

The Sunday show could still do the 'reveal' down to who is in the bottom two - it would make the show more exciting not less imho because we'd all know who needed to raise their game sharpish. Hopeless.

Just out of interest, at this point last year (i.e. after eight dances per couple), Alesha had a total of 286 points out of 320.

So either Alesha was a better dancer, the judges are not giving the dancers the scores they deserve this year, or they gave Alesha unfairly high scores last year, or they had a different system last year and that skewed the figures.

I think it's best to just stick to this year, to draw conclusions.

I admit to not always thinking comparison between all the series is that useful, (and I'm not an Alesha fan trying to say how she beats the all others hands down!). But I thought it would be interesting to see the difference in the leaders between the two series. It is quite a margin but I think Rachel and Austin could beat records if they sustain this level of performance. And Series 5 and 6 are not too dissimilar in terms of length and the number of couples etc to make comparisons invaluable.

I think it is a useful comparison given that so many people think last year was such a great year for SCD.

I don't blame Tom for being disappointed at never getting a 10, he is miles better than the consitently overmarked Austin, he must feel disheartened.

The thing is they do have a plan B, it's called a two person final. It's a shame because three people is better but it didn't disadvantage them last year or the year before, people still watched the finals and are still watching this year.

Just because you don't like their plan B doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I suspect that if a second couple left other than through elimination then they would probably have to do something different but otherwise why should they?

Do you work for the programme? Your Plan B is doing nothing at all so surely that's still Plan A! And you can't know for sure if it disadvantaged them or not - they might have got away with it but that is different thing. Nobody knows how many extra votes would have been cast or viewers would have tuned in if Gethin had made the final.

And they should have a Plan B because it makes a more exciting final where all three couples train for their show dance, but only two will get the chance to perform it - after all that is the format of the show.

Other countries have a Plan B and in DWTS it is a great Plan B as nobody loses out.

If it was implemented here in the UK the phone company still gets the revenue from the votes, the BBC still gets the ratings and the couple who would have been in the dance off get another chance. Plus it could work if more than one couple had to withdraw as long as it wasn't too close to the final.

I don't understand why we don't adopt a similar approach and it would be great if someone from the BBC would tell me why they don't.

But isn't a two person final slightly better than a three person one, as the judges can influence the final two more?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I imagine that the final week of three dancers (assume Austin, Tom and Rachel, after Rachel is saved a few times in dance-offs, finally against Christine) only one will go through as of right, and the other two will dance off. The best will go through (assume for now that is Rachel).

If it was all done on the night, wouldn't the public vote effectively send Rachel out of the final, as she (might) top the scores, but receive the lowest public support without a chance for a dance off to save her skin?

I suppose what I'm saying is a two person final is better where there is an unpopular but better dancer.

Or am I wrong about the format for the penultimate week?

Matt

I am not sure why everyone has decided that Rachel is so unpopular?

Just because there are lots of vocal posters here, does not mean she is disliked by everybody.

Also I take a lot of the leaked voting figures with a pinch of salt, and think that the voting fluctuates a lot.

Not all people who watch are avid fans of anyone, they vote for the best (or fave whatever) on the night.

So to make sweeping statements about a girl who has only been in the bottom once is a bit presumptious surely???

Cheers Buddy.

Great post!

What happens is that right up to and including the semi-finals the judges still have a vote.

The three that make the final (when it is a three couple final) all dance two dances (one Ballroom & one Latin). Then the couple with the lowest public vote (judges don't get a vote) are eliminated and don't get to dance their show dance.

The public vote then starts up again (the earlier votes are carried forward) and the two remain couples dance their show dances before the winner of the public vote is announced. (Hope somebody corrects me quickly if I'm wrong!).

Also a point to remember is that week on week the number of people voting goes up. Many people vote in the very last weeks who are not voting now. A lot of viewers I think just watch the final and vote on that, even though they haven't followed the whole series though it is a minority.