Strictly '22 #17 — Never mind which celebs are there, the Glitterball Gang have made it to the final!

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

Previous thread here

I don't have to do the no spoiler warning, because it's the Final and it's ALL LIVE!

Quick reminder for no YouTube videos please, they embed and slow the thread down horribly for some people. I'll add a link to the multimedia thread in a minute.

I'd say that most years there's at least one couple in the final who are good dancers but don't have a hope in hell of winning because they manifestly don't have the viewers behind them. Four dance-offs each is a hell of a lot, but I don't think that Mollie and Fleur actually have a lower chance of winning than Simon from Blue, Ashley Roberts or Lisa Snowden because you can't get lower than zero, and at least they'll do some good dances.

I would rather have Ange back with Come Dancing.

Proper dancing would be lush.

I see Strictly as neither a popularity contest not a pure dance contest, but as an entertainment show. If someone has plunged into the bottom two four times then it's a pretty good indicator that they are not entertaining the viewers, especially when they have been high on the leaderboard. Keeping them in is the television equivalent of forcing the public to eat steamed broccoli when they'd rather gorge on that lovely, gooey, tasty pizza. I say this as someone who often likes the bottom two botherers. This year I like Fleur and in previous years I have liked Charles Venn, Mark Benton, Simon Webbe, Alexandra Burke and the Tristan bit of Tristan and Jamelia. (To be fair to Mark Benton, he was often pretty low on the leaderboard so he might actually have been popular with the public.) The Series 12 final would have been so much more nail-biting with Jake Wood in it instead of Mark Wright. Series 18 would have been better with Ranvir Singh instead of Baron Von Biscuits.

It's a problem with the format when a good dancer who fails to connect with the public can repeatedly knock out more engaging journey contestants who have one dodgy week. The first time Molly ended up in the dance-off, I knew we were in for a series where she knocked loads of people out. To have two celebs who are good but not box-office in one series has been excessively dull. Not so much 'Ooh, who'll be going this week?' as 'Right, who's going out to Fleur or Molly this week?' Of course the judges should judge the dance-off purely on the dance-off, so I'd get rid of the dance-off again.

so I'd get rid of the dance-off again. @EsmaCannonball

I was trying to remember earlier that time they got rid of the dance-off and how it had worked. Was that the year there was no Sunday results show? I assume its reintroduction was to stop the viewers getting rid of all the good dancers in favour of the “funny” dreadful ones. I watch it for the dancing and don’t want to watch the John Sargents and Ann Widdecombes for more than a couple of weeks.

You've described that so well @EsmaCannonball - that's exactly what it is for me, an entertainment show where I enjoy watching certain dancers (regardless of how good they are) & some, like Molly, leave me cold.

According to Wiki: A new system called the Dance-off, which takes place in the results show, was introduced in series 5. It continued until series 7, but did not return in series 8. It was then reinstated in series 10 and has remained a feature of the show ever since.

Hadn’t realised the early series had no dance-off - only started watching Strictly in series 3.

Ann Widdecombe was in a series without the dance-off. She did get to the quarter finals but eventually the people who were popular and good dancers beat her in the public vote. I wasn't keen on Ann (I don't like politicians on Strictly, regardless) but it was obviously a bit of the coup for the producers to get her, she generated a lot of media buzz, that series had Strictly's highest ever ratings, and she must have captured something in the imagination of a lot of the viewers. Nevertheless, good dancers still reached the final.

And of course, even without the dance-off, the leaderboard still counts, so it's not as if good dancing isn't rewarded with points.

IT2 showed some show dances from previous series.
I forgot how brilliant Ore’s and Joanne’s show dance was. Ore was fantastic and is even more impressive because he is not a trained dancer.
I think he was overshadowed by Danny Mac.

I think he was overshadowed by Danny Mac.

Ore won!

He won but many thought that Danny Mac should have won

The should have people like Leandro and Maria dancing on the Results Show instead of the endless filler. Show us what the dances are meant to look like when the pros aren't lugging a Loose Women panellist around.

I wasn't keen on Ore, and much preferred Danny, but Ore's showdance was great and Danny's was pants (unfortunately not like Gorka's pants).

I thought Danny Mac was bloomimg brill! He should’ve won that year 😊in my view

😲 Danny Mac's show dance was epic! That jump right at the end!

Danny Mac definitely should have won.
I have watched Danny and Ore’s samba many times

Danny Mac is the celeb whose dances I watch most on YouTube (especially the American Smooth, my favourite AS ever) but he did not have the best final, whereas Ore, who generally got on my nerves, had a barnstormer.

Should have been Danny’s and Oti’s samba

Agree with Esme. Danny was fabulous throughout but Ore was better on the night. Danny and Oti's AS is perfection, possibly my favourite ever dance.

Dances for Saturday!
Fleur
judges - samba
couples - beyonce
showdance - find me by sigma feat Birdy

Helen
judges - jive
couples - Mein Herr
showdance - shine emile sande

Molly
judges - QS
couples - rumba
showdance - Kiss/1999

Hamza
judges - salsa
couples - jerusalema
showdance - let's face the music and dance

So 2 freestyles a piece then except for Moll

Hamza for the win - proper tails for LFTMAD please and thank you x

Surprisingly, having just listened to all the freestyle songs, I quite like them all. In theory, it could be anybody's/best performer on the night but it is more likely a two-horse race - I think Hamz has the edge if going for a classic, ballroom routine along with 1 latin and 1 afrobeats (although the lift in the latter undermines the one in the salsa) but I did like Helen's sass in her jive and Fosse, so depend on how she dances to Emily Sunday hoping vote is for the dance darling, as opposed to the ex.

I'm moving on Saturday so I'm probably going to be watching in a fog of exhaustion. Just realised that I probably won't be able to post much either because I don't get broadband until Monday and I hate faffing about doing proper posting on my phone. I'll probably pop in though because I'd hate to miss the fun in here.

@Lampzade - me among them 😄.

I can remember his dances in my mind. Can't remember anything about Ore's tenure except he was very emotional. Lovely bloke, though. Very genuine soul who loved learning to dance. The viewers felt that & it's why he won. Danny was by far the better dance - but the British Public love a trier and an underdog. It's why terrible 'comedy' celebs used to stay in so long at the expense of decent dancers.

I'm another one who wanted Danny to win that year. He was a fantastic dancer and Ore got on my nerves by crying after nearly every dance.

Good luck with the move crows
Just caught up with thread - sorry, you were all way ahead with the music section. I agree with all of you re 1 Latin, 1 ballroom, 1 freestyle or 1 most improved or what Harry et al had to do, but will watch regardless. Have just rewatched Kevin and Kellie's AS and Jayne Torvill/Chris Dean Strictly for charity routine. If Hamz can get close to either, then should be a crowdpleaser.
Oti and Danny's freestyle was better than I remembered but had forgotten that Oti was barefoot. Still preferred misty Blue but that week iirc he was bottom two.
His wife Carley Stenson is in Dancing on ice next year. Which will be interesting as Oti will be judging her (I assume they met when she partnered Danny).

Well I guess Carley knows what it takes to win those shoes as well as anyone (apart from James Jordan and Brendan Cole) having supported two boyfriends to the non-existent runner-up glitter-ball. The narrative arc must be "if you want something doing you need to do it yourself" I suppose. I think it would be funnier if she did Strictly and won, but she must have given up hope.