I appreciate this is anecdotal, but all those to whom I've spoken recently feel that SCD 6 has devalued the standing of the series.

The feeling seems to be that there have been far too many 10's given out, and that dance differentiation has suffered as a result.

A sense that pre-meditated protectionism has led to over-marking (eg. Lisa) seems to abound, and the public vote has been manipulated and therefore compromised by the judges.

I don't know to what extent future viewing figures will reflect the feedback I am receiving, but I think it's worth discussion.

So how many did you speak to, and were they from a close circle of friends & colleagues?

I think there might have been a case for this in series One, when the dreadful Chris Parker was borne to the final on the crest of a wave of Eastenders fan worship, but in my view, there is far too much talk of it all going downhill, when what is really meant is "I don't like my favourite losing".

You joined in July 2006 so presumably have read this forum throughout SCD5 2007. I honestly cannot recall a single instance of "Something wrong with SCD this year" threads during SCD5 season.

This year has seen a persistence of such threads from a wide spectrum of posters, even before their personal favourites were evicted, much as theirs would have been evicted in SCD5. Anyone truly wanting to be objective can always try counting such threads during SCD6, and compare against the tally during SCD5, if any.

Just a dozen or so, some friends, some colleaguses who follow the show.

Just an observation, that's all.

Let's look at it this way. On series 5 I have voted every week more than once for my favourites.

Guess how many times I felt the need to pick up the phone this series. Zero.

The amount of 10’s giving is ridiculous and the celebrities picked this year have Contributed to the fact that this is a Forgettable series.

No matter how hard they try, the SCD producers cannot predict how the celebs will perform, or how they will engage the public (or not), before the series starts.
With one exception (and he is long gone), all the contestants have been extremely earnest. Very nice, charming, hard working, etc, but just earnest. Who could have predicted that?

Actually, its almost the same here. My wife and I have watched every series, we used to vote regularly from maybe the third week right up to the final. In this series, we voted for the first time last week. I dont know if its the marking, the judges apparent bias, the lack of charisma of the celebs this year, or all the JS nonsense..probably a combination of all four. There is definitely a certain "something" missing from this series.

All those points you mentioned have contributed to it. Out of interest who did you and your wife vote for when you have voted last week.

My wife..Rachel, I voted for Tom.
Its usually the other way around, I tend to vote for the girls..Alesha and Jill in particular of course.

Really. I think Tom is going to win this show.

Conversely, I had lunch with three friends/colleagues yesterday who are loving this series and finding the final weeks really exciting.

One of them is French who will be back in Lyon on the night of the final. She's considering booking a hotel room so she can watch it on satellite!

I do think the final three will make it very exciting watching on Saturday. They are all so good.

I have voted as much this series as all the rest, ie very little, only when I wanted to save Jodie this series, and similarly in past series.
I really like Tom, loved getting to know Jodie, am appreciating Rachel and Vincent's dancing and got fed up with all the JS public rubbish (and media) after his first four dances.
Seems as good as, if not better than, all the previous series.
I think that Kristina and Brian have been welcome additions to the programme.

I've definitely enjoyed the pro dances more than the competition this year. John Sergeant made me chuckle for his first couple of dances; I was totally charmed by Jodie and her partnership with Ian, and after she went I supported Austin as the most interesting of a very uninteresting bunch. Now he's gone, I really don't care who wins.

The judges keep telling me that we've got the best dancers in the competition ever, and they must mean it because they've been scattering 10s like confetti. So why is it all so meh?

Will admit that last week was the first time I voted too, although part of my decision not to vote (was going to vote in the final only) was that there was no longer any money from the voting going to CiN.

I think that there has beena good mix of contestants this year, but that the series has been dominated by one or two big storys (for want of a better word) which may have skewed some perceptions and altered the usual flow of the series.

I would add to that - too many contestants; this series has gone on too long. Tuesdays ITT repeated info. from the wardrobe dept that we had been given just the night before in the backstage report, so obviously they are running out of content for the show.

And to think I was initially happy the series was going to be even longer this year.

It was also apparent that there was backstage tension re: Pros and production team. Many of the pro dancers looked tense and miserable at the start of the series - it took Matthew weeks to crack a smile.

The pro dances are the only real reason I bother with the watching the results show.

I can't speak for anybody else, but for me the show has got a little bit stale this year. I've actually enjoyed It Takes Two more than the main show this year (apart from Len's atrocious master class and Ask Len bits, of course!) When the show first started, a long time ago it seems, Strictly 6 looked like the best series yet, but it's all become rather predictable now. We know that Bruce is going to make a silly joke nobody will laugh out, Tess is going to be embarrassing, Brendan is going to go off in a huff, Arlene will drool over a 25 year old, Craig will be brutal, Len will talk about pickling his walnuts and Bruno will get overexcited. I do think the time has come for a change.

I wish I didn't have to agree with this post but I do - entirely. And so would pretty much everyone I know.

I would add to the list of sins the transformation of ITT from something that might offer a bit of intelligent analysis mixed in with the banter into a vacuous platform for promoting the judges' darlings; and the judges' arrogance in rubbishing or undermarking the public's favourites to secure a future for their own darlings, who may be technically good but lack any character or personality. The programme might as well be renamed Strictly CON Dancing.

The public know when they've been had and, if appears increasingly likely, we will have a final between two contestants most viewers don't care about, it will have a damaging effect on SCD.

But if that's what the producers want, who are we mere licence fee-payers to express an opinion?

For me, the series has been far too long. There were too many couples. I think 12 was a decent number; enough to make a good competition but not too many to drag it out.

Too bloated. Too many couples. Too much time wasted with training stories to feed the tabloids. Cringeworthy bickering among the judges. It has all got too far up itself. For the first time I don't care who wins, just so long as the whole thing finishes.
Alan

What nonsense, I think you need to re-evaluate the part SCD has in your life, and get over the fact that your favourite pro/celeb has been voted off.
It's a light entertainment show on a Saturday night FGS

PMSL Overreacting much?! Perhaps time to re-evaluate the part this forum has in your life?

This isn't about the fact that my (or, I'm guessing, the OP's) favourite has been voted off. For quite a few people, there is a genuine problem and it isn't anything like as shallow as you suggest.

Of course it's a light entertainment show - we all know that - but it's one in which the BBC invites us to invest in the pro/celeb pairings, their highs and lows, their achievements, etc. And the audience does that - all the threads on here are proof of that. People don't have opinions about things they don't care about. So when the judges/producers try and manipulate the public vote to preserve their favourites, of course people are going to have something to say. If somebody invited you to play a game then constantly twisted the rules in their favour, would you want continue playing, or might you get just a little fed up?

I can only assume that your favourite is still on the show - otherwise you wouldn't be so dismissive of other people's opinions?