SCD '23 #4: Fourth thread, second dances, first eliminations. NO SPOILERS.

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

Previous thread here.

Spoiler-free thread please

Video thread here. Please link videos on that thread to avoid slowing this one down for some posters.

Yes, I loved Claudia on ITT, perfectly suited to her bonkersness. Zoe was also good, but I stopped watching when Rylan got the gig, there’s an uncanny valley thing about him.

Ian telling Jodie to "produce her breast" then immediately looking horrified and Claudia jumping in will never not be funny.

So many people on Strictly at this point, I can't remember them all, so here are the ones I do:

Angela S excellent jive.
Angela R utterly charming.
Nigel meh.
Nikita she was not bad, I thought. Improved massively for the DO and had taken all the notes. I don't think she's very well-known, but hopefully people will get to like her.
Layton RINGER but I like Nikita, so am happy for them to do well.
Amanda I like her, she seems quite coarse (that's a compliment). Her ballet training clearly shows in her arm placement/extension and in her spins, but I don't think she's a ringer as she stopped doing it while still in her teens.
Adam is SO DULL.
Les was shite. Glad the audience decided not to vote for him on 'comedy' value. I didn't get a nice vibe from him either. Will miss Nancy though.
Whatsit dancing with Karen; Karen was FURIOUS at those comments, which were all criticisms of her rather than him. I don't think that's fair at all; I'm sure the producers give the couples their dance/concept/music and the pros have to choreograph what they can to fit it.
Am annoyed with Anton for yet another year for making it the Anton show.

I agree with everybody saying it is unfair that Layton is in there but I'm so glad he is. That dance was a total joy from beginning to end. I watched it on my own at 6am Sunday morning and found myself giving him a spontaneous, solo, standing ovation.

I don't normally vote on Strictly but I will make an exception for Layton. I wouldn't want him to win but I want to watch him dance for as long as possible.

I don't think Anton is "making it the Anton show", but Shirley's getting on her feet and demo dancing is SO annoying.

Shirley is annoying full stop.

I always mute the telly when Motsi is talking but I leave the volume up to listen to Shirley because it's unbelievable bollocks, week after week.

Later in the competition we'll have her sobbing over the death of someone's granny.

I really like Anton and don't think he is making it all about him. Shirley on the other hand!

I hate that her and Motsi leap to their feet so much to give a standing ovation. I also hate that she can be so bitchy.

Shirley does at least talk some sense unlike Motsi who just talks (or rather shouts) rubbish week after week

I don't mind Shirley. She rambles a bit, but she often gives good constructive advice.
With Anton it's a little skit every time, with his 'catchphrases': 'I thought, hello', 'and over she goes', 'go on!' etc. And yet another reference to him and his dreadful partners on the show.

I'd heard of Les Dennis but only because of the Amanda Abbington thing. Not sure I'd seen him in anything. Agree he wasn't funny and I think ?Sindy choreographed poorly accentuating his doddery old man look.

Les Dennis lived across the road from me years ago.

Les has always had that tragic look though. Big Brother was excruciating to watch when the whole country knew his marriage was collapsing. He used to sit alone in the garden looking desperately sad. Not fun to watch.

Les Dennis is actually on tour with 42nd St at the moment, so I have no idea why he thought it was a good idea to try and double-up with Strictly as well. Doing two jobs is tough enough for younger soap actors, newsreaders etc but would have been absolutely punishing for someone his age to do 8 shows a week, train for a new routine and then perform on Saturdays. Unfortunately I don't think it will have helped the sales for 42nd St either. I thought it was uncomfortable watching him on Strictly so not sure I would want to watch him in a fast-paced musical.

I think Krishnan's lack of practice will start to show . He has a very busy day job!

Movie week songs and dances...

Adam and Luba: Jive to Take On Me from The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Amanda and Giovanni: Rumba to Out of Reach from Bridget Jones
Annabel and Johannes: Waltz to Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Angela R and Kai: Quickstep to Do-Re-Mi from The Sound of Music
Angela S and Carlos: Charleston to Who’s Got The Pain? From Damn Yankees
Bobby and Dianne: Samba to Young Hearts Run Free from Romeo and Juliet
Eddie and Karen: Couple's Choice to Men in Black from Men in Black
Ellie and Vito: Viennese Waltz to Waiting On A Miracle from Encanto
Jody and Jowita: American Smooth to Married Life from Up
Krishnan and Lauren: Charleston to Money Money from Cabaret
Layton and Nikita: Viennese Waltz to There Are Worse Things I Could Do from Grease
Nigel and Katya: Jive to Batman Theme from Batman
Nikita and Gorka: Jive to Kids in America from Clueless
Zara and Graziano: Paso Doble to The Puss Suite from Puss in Boots

I hope they're not going to give Nigel a cape for the Batman jive. It will get in the way amd look messy! Katya will look amazing ilas Catwoman though!

A bit unfair to give Nikita a jive after a flat charleston.

Annabel will look exquisite dancing the VW as Holly Golightly.

There are some good ones in there ⬇️

Same. I miss it :(

Movie Week always seems to be a mixture of films that have been done to death in Strictly terms and children's films. It's always a bit hyper and kiddified. Films that need to be rested for a few years are:

Grease
Dirty Dancing
Chicago
Cabaret
Mary Poppins
The Sound of Music

Given the world of music that is out there, Strictly seems very fond of repetition.

Just caught up.

I've decided this year I'd give my hypothetical votes to the dances I enjoyed watching most and on that basis only, this week they'd have gone to Ellie and Amanda (unsurprisingly) and Zara (surprising even myself)

My other observations:

What's with the yellow and pink?

What's with Shirley? Hating on the menz? Bit of a seachange.

Motsi seems to have toned down the "you go girl bam bam bam" and is actually using her words and coming up with some good constructive comments.

Karen looked like she'd found prawns inside her curtains. I think she realised that the criticism of the mishmash dance was mainly due to the choreography but she had a chin on for the rest of the night.

Something about Angela S irritates me when she dances. I like her when she is just talking.

Vito and Carlos still need to stop making it about them. Luba didn't quite do that, but she did keep putting herself between the judges and Adam.

My WiFi is playing up so the screen keeps freezing. This is very annoying but handy as it keeps revealing and fixing on faces...Annabel, Jowita and Luba need to know that my camera catches them out with faces like smacked arses when they think the camera's not on them 👀

I went to make a cuppa when BasicBoy got triggered. Twat.

Can't believe it's already bloody film week when in 2 weeks it's bloody Halloween. Chunter chunter. <also votes for ballroom week with no CG graphics and silliness>

Nikita will be in trouble this week - a Jive after just doing a pretty awful Charleston.

At least Karen cant go wrong this week with couples choice and a great track. Should be right up Eddie's street, I hope they smash it.

I would have liked Nikita to have ballroom this week as I think she would be good at that.

Amanda’s rumba will be stunning.

Annabel should do well with a waltz.

I think Krishna could struggle with Charleston.

Yes, I really like him. And he can definitely dance. And of course Karen is a goddess.

While I don't disagree, I don't remember them having There Are Worse Things I Could Do before, and it's the best thing in Grease IMO. I'm looking forward to it.

Amanda will be good in the rumba.

Annabel will look lovely but if I remember, Johannes isn't that great at ballroom.

I'm tired of Couples' Choice and I think Men in Black is a lazy novelty choice.

Lauren has a mountain to climb to top that samba to Money Money from Cabaret. I adore Krishnan but he isn't up to it.

Don't much care about the rest. I agree the Movie Week songs are generally either tired or kiddy.

Adam and Luba: Jive to Take On Me from The Super Mario Bros. Movie cheesy but safe
Amanda and Giovanni: Rumba to Out of Reach from Bridget Jones safe
Annabel and Johannes: Waltz to Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s safe
Angela R and Kai: Quickstep to Do-Re-Mi from The Sound of Music safe
Angela S and Carlos: Charleston to Who’s Got The Pain? From Damn Yankees I've seen Gwen Verdon but I hate this song
Bobby and Dianne: Samba to Young Hearts Run Free from Romeo and Juliet meh
Eddie and Karen: Couple's Choice to Men in Black from Men in Black looking forward to this. Wanted it for John and Johannes. After Will thumped Chris Rock I never thought I'd see the day
Ellie and Vito: Viennese Waltz to Waiting On A Miracle from Encanto safe
Jody and Jowita: American Smooth to Married Life from Up safe if as good as week one
Krishnan and Lauren: Charleston to Money Money from Cabaret shouldn't be touching this after Joe's samba
Layton and Nikita: Viennese Waltz to There Are Worse Things I Could Do from Grease safe
Nigel and Katya: Jive to Batman Theme from Batman safe but eek
Nikita and Gorka: Jive to Kids in America from Clueless not memorable
Zara and Graziano: Paso Doble to The Puss Suite from Puss in Boots still a great track and normally I'd always go for instrumentals but I had my heart set on Gaga's Americano

Poor Nikita would in actual fact have been better dressed as Sonic the hedgehog or Tails because Clueless won't be as memorable. She needs a bottom 2 bounce. Emma and Aljaz's jive to Kids in America wasn't that well received.

I'm also gutted that neither Nikita nor Krishnan have gone for a Bollywood number - no, not Jai Ho - I'd have loved to have seen a Bollywood/Bangra routine.