Basically, I can't remember at all last year?! Was there a dance-off every week, even the week before the final??

Should this system be changed to be similar to X Factor? Take away the dance-off a few weeks before the end of the series??

What would the series look like now if that was the case??
(Assuming JS had gone as he did anyway)

Would Christine and Jodie still be there? Rachel and Lisa long-gone?!

I am not saying this because my favourite has now left, because the X Facctor system is flawed too as my fave left on there this weekend as well, leaving two of the weaker singers in.

Which system is fairer?? And to whom?? (The dancers/singers, judges or public?) And to whom should it be fairest??

They don't stop.

IMO they should've stopped with the final 5 (bit like X-Factor and the sing offs)

Last year was a joke with ther judges picking a finalist. I tihnk had the judges not got involved we would've seen a Gethin vs Alesha final.

There should not be one on saturday....because it is likely that whoever is put through by the judges to the final will not have the public support so they won't win so whats the point?

Well, either of the bottom 2 in the semi final wouldn't have the support to win That would be the same with or without the judges votnig.

Alesha was in the bottom 2 in the semis and won

EDIT it was the quarters she was

I've mentioned it on other threads so I won't go over it all again, but the 4 couple quarter-final and especially the 3 couple semi- final is stacked in favour of the judges.

It is possible for the public to manipulate the vote, but I'm not sure enough would do it to make any significant difference.

There should definately be no dance off for the semis, but it won't happen.

that was because of Matt's meltdown and the sympathetic voters keeping him in. He should of at least have to dance again as the judges would of saved him anyway. I felt that was wrong that you can muck up a routine and not have to do it again.

I agree, KipsKaz

I've said it before, too so I'll just repeat myself

I really think the dance off should be toast now we've <finally> arrived at the final 4.

In the middle of all the Sargent-hysteria Arelene, when asked, said her preferred final 4 would be the 4 we now have.

The culmative points show only 14 points difference between the bottom scorer (Lisa/Brendan) with 330 over the 10 dances, and the top scorers (Austin/Erin) with 344 and Rachel/Vincent are second with 343 with Tom/Camilla third with 339.*

From the judges point of view, it would seem there isn't really that much to choose between them and so I do think that now who stays and who goes should be on the combined/public vote alone.

*usual rider of my sums being pants applies

If they just got rid of the dance-off, the judges still have an input into who goes through, in that their marks contribute to who stays/goes. Keeping the dance-off mean that only the person with the highest public vote definitely goes through to the final and the other person will be the judges' choice.

I'm sure I read somewhere that the dance off will stop after the quarterfinal. I don't know what 's going to happen this week as there are 4 couples instead of the planned 5, but the original plan appears to have been public vote only from 4 couples onwards.

So if this is true the final dance off will be on saturday, with the following week's result (i.e. semifinal) being decided by the public vote alone.

The same source (the BBC press release, I think it was) also suggested that the semifinal result show will be live on the saturday.

Except this won't necessarily happen in a 3 couple semi-final. That's my point.

If the person with the highest public vote is bottom of the leaderboard it's out of their hands. They're reliant on the votes for the other 2 going their way (second needs to get more than top).

Some people believe that's what happend to Gethin last year.
Last edited by KipsKaz : 01-12-2008 at 14:47

I really hope this is true. Perhaps they did learn something from last year after all.
Last edited by KipsKaz : 01-12-2008 at 14:46

Hypothetical scenario for this year's 3 couple semi with a dance off:-

Judges mark Tom top of the leaderboard, Rachel/Lisa second and Austin bottom because maybe he falls over (God forbid) or Craig has one of his brainstorms, dislikes his dance and gives him a 5 or some such nonsense. (I'm only picking Austin to illustrate my hypothetical situation for bottom as I suspect he has the momentum with the public after the Paso.)

Therefore marks as follows:-
Tom: Judges 3 + 2 (second in viewers' vote) = 5
R or L : Judges 2 + 1 (bottom in viewers' vote) = 3
Austin: Judges 1 + 3 (top in viewers' vote) = 4

The world & his wife could vote for Austin, or say 99% of SCD voters could vote for Austin - he'd still be in the bottom two and the judges would have the say of who went into the Final irrespective of what the viewers wanted.

In this scenario, as the judges had already marked the second placed couple second, unless there was a disaster in their dance-off, presumably they'd stick to their original view and they would go through.

It's a nonsense and makes a mockery of the programme makers saying "vote for your favourite to keep them in the competition".

This is not a conspiracy theory - there is no manipulation by the judges - it's just that a 3 couple semi with dance off has the potential to deny the viewers' favourite a place in the final & surely that can't be right for a series that trades on viewers' investment in the programme - financially and emotionally. (4 couples with the extra variable is a different case).

I pray that the rumour will be correct and that they will ditch the dance off in the semi, as I can't bear the thought of a repetition of last year. It should be down to the most popular 2 to make the final. Everybody should be happy with that.

Thanks Apricot, you explained my point better than I could!

So you believe - I think you might have been surprised had it just come down to a vote - all three semi-finalists were well supported - people forget that.

The results show for the semi is on later on the saturday night and not the Sunday, so hopefully no dance off.

Also no mention of a dance off in the blurb on the Radio times site or the BBC press release.

If that's true, then I'm very very happy.

Just posted on the BBC site:


According to the radio times

www.radiotimes.com/L...

This adds fuel to the fire that it will be public vote only, as rumoured.

Happy days

I think someone stole it from my post on betfair

Hopefully this link will work -

http://www.radiotimes.com/ListingsSe...s_fullpage.jsp

Brilliant, hopefully they've learned a lesson from last year. The public will be happy to have the say in who they want to see.

No mention of a 'dreaded dance off', unlike this week.

http://www.radiotimes.com/ListingsSe...s_fullpage.jsp

Fingers crossed.

This is such good news. The judges will still have their idiosyncractic little ways - bless but at least we know the voting public gets to choose ultimately.

No dance-off in the Semi? I hope to God that's true!