Strictly

[ppeatfruit]

Anyone interested in bitching chatting about the new one , I know a bit of old goss. but someone must know more

Thanks for the link, GrouchyKiwi. As usual I'm familiar with two of them and I've vaguely heard of another two. It usually takes me until about week 6 of the competition, when a few have gone, to properly remember who is who.

PolkaDots That was a stealth boast well worth telling all of us about (well me especially!!!!!!!) Come on come on ...... how did you get on the workshop and what did you do ??????? tell tell tell pretty please

I think the selection process is becoming more based on the group as a whole and their back stories these days.
So we'll get the woman who will get her confidence back with dance, the sportsperson looking fo a new challenge, the plucky trier etc.
It's like they are casting a show rather than selecting contestants based on perceived celebrity.

It's like they are casting a show rather than selecting contestants based on perceived celebrity.

Casting a show is exactly what they are doing - they disguise it well, but it’s just as manipulated/scripted as any other reality show. A friend of a friend was on it a while back and had a couple of ‘discussions’ (I.e. disagreements) about some things they were asked to do, with the result that one of their songs/costumes/choreography was changed at the last minute. They were voted out shortly afterwards (or might have been that same week, can’t remember), and their original routine/storyline etc that they hadn’t wanted to do was given to someone else a few weeks later.

They do an excellent job of pulling off the ‘organic’ journeys of self-discovery, big happy family, etc, but it’s probably just like any other workplace. And they’re not going to leave anything to chance, given that it’s their flagship show (to whit, I’d have LOVED to have been a fly on the wall when the ‘kiss gate’ shit hit the fan last year! )

I know what you mean colourless But as you say there'll always be a loose cannon, I bet they didn't guess that Will Young wouldn't be able to cope with the show. Also there are injuries that couldn't be foreseen.

I do find all the 'pretence' annoying (as if no one could guess that the pros and contestants hadn't met before the great 'reveal' show on screen) also the nonsense about Saturday judging or not. Why not effing tell everyone? Especially after all the fuss about the BEEB and it's secrecy.

Errmmm...... Anyone there ???

Hello, I'm here

I was thinking the other day, rather than having a week like musicals week, I'd quite like to see an 'artist' week, (this would have to be further down the line so less couples), for example I'd like to see someone like Ed Sheeran come on & sing his hits while the couples dance.

The American version has the celebrities switch professional partners for a week.

Some of the theme weeks are OK, but sometimes the music they use mean the dancing suffers IMO.

*The American version has the celebrities switch professional partners for a week.

Some of the theme weeks are OK, but sometimes the music they use mean the dancing suffers IMO.*

Yes the partner swap concept seems like a good one, I'd be happy to see that too.

Hello coveting Yes it could work, they do do it with the pros. though don't they? Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't.

Hello Chic That might be fun actually, do they do it with just a few couples? I do love the musical movies though.

Let's face it the music they use, and the way that they sing it, is sometimes terrible isn't i? I much prefer proper dance music. Did you see the Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, separately, programmes on Sky Arts? they were Fabulous

Let's face it the music they use, and the way that they sing it, is sometimes terrible isn't it?

That was pretty much my reasoning behind my idea, it would be good to have a week where songs are sung by the actual artists.

Yes. I'd like that. But you'd need someone
a) with a big back catalogue of different styles or who doesn't mind doing covers or as you say appearing much later in the competition
b) that has a greatest hits album to promote or someone the beeb can actually afford as they are effectively doing A Night With and the filming is a long session
c) that isn't too marmite
d) that can sing well live
e) whose tracks haven't been used multiple times already

Who did you have in mind?

They did Pitbull week in the States but I don't think he sang live and it was a mix of songs he featured in and his favourite songs. He was a guest judge.

They also did Cher Week and Stevie Wonder week (not singing live though).
It's a big ask. I could imagine a Tina Turner week, a David Bowie week, a Madonna week or a Prince week. They can't use Michael Jackson obvs.
But someone to do a 6 song live set? Elton doesn't need the publicity. We couldn't afford him, Rolling Stones or Ed Sheeran. Best famous name we could last get for Eurovision was bloody Engelbert Humperdinck.
Kylie could do it. Barry for the Fanilows
Ed Sheeran's not a terrible choice although Sing, Thinking out loud and Perfect have been used already.
I'd dance to Bloodstream - not sure what style.

DWTS Ireland/US have done Icon weeks for a while now.
But I don't know anyone who has had a live singer do a set all the way through - I do like the idea but guess they would be concerned about losing an audience who hate Ed Sheeran or Girls Aloud or whoever - Ed and Elton and Adam Lambert aside, we don't have many national treasures who can knock it out the park.

Will Young! Still sulking over that. Or another alumnus or a mixture of alumni*
Olly Murs.
Take That.
Conchita Wurst.
(yes tis me under a name change)
and if scraping the barrel then Buck's Fizz.

Lots of people would miss Lance, Hayley, Tommy though.

• I got it! Steps, Blue and Saturdays do two live tracks each. Beeb could afford that. Or Heather Small/Mica Paris/Will Young/Faye Tozer/Pixie Lott and Lee Ryan do a song each. Actually, bring back Ed Sheeran. I saw him in Yesterday and thought fictionalised Evil Ed was a weird cameo choice. Could see why Chris Martin turned it down tbh.

I forgot Rachel, Louise and Petey Andre for that auspicious live line-up Halloween week sorted...

It would be fine if they used the records (or CD's spottify or whatever,)I know that the BEEB have to pay huge artist fees but they do it on the radio all the time!

Like you NotVery I try to keep up with homey's

They could (DWTS do, Ray Chew only appears sporadically I think) and your act could do one opening song or the pros song on results (Stevie Wonder did do one song live for the opening when it was Stevie Wonder week). Pain in the arse to adjust the timing of records/get them down to 1.39 or whatever. And what would Dave Arch do? or Trev? (the man with the hat).
I always wanted a James Bond week as a theme week - they've used enough songs. It would possibly feel stale though.

Now a Eurythmics week - oh yes. Annie Lennox is still a goddess.

Just looked for who notvery was and realized it's me

Yes, there a far more complications than I thought. Maybe we'll have to stick with Dave Arch for most of the show and just improve the technology of the sound. ( I noticed last year that they had moved the orchestra to the centre rather than the left ,for the viewers of course, of the 'stage' ) that did improve the sound a bit . A few of the singers are good. but the mikes seem to need more balancing EACH time the orchestra plays.

Does everyone else start commenting what dance you'd do to songs on the radio when Strictly starts?

Nothing Else Matters by Metallica? Viennese Waltz

Muscle Museum by Muse? Paso.

You may laugh, but a Barry Manilow ten-dance is definitely possible. Billy Joel is too. We used to do it at university when it was your turn to put together the practice music, then see if anybody noticed.

ppeat, I had been helping out at a competition because I didn't have a partner, and one of my jobs was looking after the judges. I was chatting to one whose dance school was in a town local to where I'm from. He said that if I was home on x date, he was putting on a latin workshop with the British champions and was I interested? And I was!

We did cha cha and rumba. It was really good, mostly easy steps but lots of tips to improve technique. The one I remember most is that if you hold a water bottle lengthways between you elbows, your shoulders will move together, so it trains the muscles to work together, not independently (so you can't crunch a shoulder in). Sadly without a partner I couldn't have a private lesson (although as an impoverished student I'm not sure I'd have been able to afford one!).

Polka Thanks for the explanation (it all went quiet on here after I asked and I was thinking I'd said something awful to kill the thread !!!!!!) You lucky blighter you!!!!!

It has dropped off my TIO, that was all. I'm back now.

They could do a whole show of Gloria Estefan music, she seemed really popular when she was on the last series.

Also, just seen in the DM that Neil and Katya - although still dancing together - have separated. Bring on the curse of Strictly headlines (although in that case and bearing in mind last year, it's not a total shock).

Oh I didn't know that Neil was married to Katya. They don't seem suited at all I feel sorry for anyone married to her .

I remember the song I would dance to, Havana, brilliant!!!!!

Oh wow! I wonder if that will change the pairings (I still think Gio was going to get Anastacia and Brenda was going to get Laura until Gio and Georgia broke up and he was suddenly single).
So Katya gets whichever male sleb is single and Neil female sleb (unless you believe it was a marriage of convenience in the first place. Sean hinted he was gay but my gaydar is malfunctioning anyway unless AJ is bi like his brother).
Guess the Jones' won't be touring their love story dance show any time soon then.