Strictly 2023

[sheepdog]

Strictly is back and I've just realised how long ago I logged in. Still, it's that time of the year when our Saturday evening viewing highlight is Strictly. @Cleoriff we get to fill the off-topic section for a couple of months 🙂

This year, the BBC seems to have discovered "celebz" by utilising the Sonar Mapping technology. Just watch this informative video on how the BBC uncovers the latest contestants for this year. Yep, it's not going to be pretty again...

To start, it's Layton Williams who's apparently an actor and starred in such things as musicals so obviously the ringer of the series. Sonar ping did take a while to return: 

Next up, is someone who has apparently been acting for 3 decades and yet remains completely anonymous to me. Here is Amanda Abbington who's claim to fame is Martin Freeman's ex. Apparently causing a stir on Twitter for a tiny minority. 

Lo and behold, we now have a household name: Angela Rippon! Apart from reading the news way back when there were 3 channels, she's also presented Strictly's predecessor Come Dancing for a while.  Also 79 so out by week 2. 

Celebz number 4 is Channel 4 news presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy. Since I have never watched C4 news ever, I've just seen clips of him in passing. Sheepdog's Strictly Score: probably mid-table mediocrity.

Sonar pinging is really taking its time with our next Celebz: Eddie Khadi. According to the webpage: "Recognised as one of the most globally celebrated stand up personalities...". Though the page fails to specify which planet. Could be fun, could be gone before his time and maybe putting in a job application for Claudia.

Returning an audio signal is the nice but rather bland TV presenter Angela Scanlon. Could be the dark horse of the series or could be a better presenter than Claudia next year.

Come in Contestant number 7, your time is up. This year's nominee for "Who's that?" award is Zara McDermott. Her wiki page classes her as an English media personality which you can guess, means looks pretty for the cameras. Cynicism aside, seems to be forging a career in documentaries and has a bit of career on television shows before Love Island.

 

So that's the first un-magnificent 7 announced. I suspect that we'll be getting the current vogue of a Drag Queen announced as a new feature and some other obscurities over the next few days. Maybe we may see a controversial choice of Philip Schofield now he's out of work on ITV. 

Unfortunately, we're still stuck with the same judges as before so more Motsi who's bound to be even more annoying this year so I shall look forward to muting "Motsi's Mumblings" and the still boring Tess and more of the same from Claudia.  Only real change (so far) from the pro's is that Amy Dowden won't be there due to recent cancer/Chemotherapy treatment. 

As for It Take's two, Jeanette Ranarama is back but seems someone likes Fleurgh East enough on the Beeb to give her a job co-presenting as Rylan's replacement. 

I think I'll be using iplayer on fast forward rather a lot this year.

[sheepdog]

@Cleoriff I read that earlier and googled it. The Daily Fail article mentions the only one tall enough would be Bobby Brazier but the age gap would be a thing. Oh really BBC? Guess we should just ignore Diane's statistics then should we and just brush under the carpet the age-gap of the older female celebs and younger pro's in past years. 

Well this series is definitely going iPlayer. The evening football game is on and doesn't finish till gone 7pm not to mention the Rugby world cup over on ITV means a fight for the remote. 

[Cleoriff]

Well @sheepdog . Nadiya is 5ft 6ins. Dianne is 5ft 8ins and are both 34yrs of age.

Kai is 52 years younger than Angela Rippon.

So the reasons given are BS!!

[Cleoriff]

SCD Launch Show.

A brilliant opening number from the professionals

Apart from the judges (and the last dance) it was a show of black and gold.

Tess black and gold jumpsuit, Claudia, Black sparkly jumpsuit.

Shirley in a bright yellow outfit, with feathers on. Looked like a chicken. Yuk.

A long padded out show with a few emotional moments.

A get well soon message for Amy.

A very emotional tribute to the wonderful Len Goodman.

Also was unaware the Annabel Croft's husband of 30 years, died suddenly in May of this year. He loved SCD and she cried when she saw she was paired with Johannes, her husbands favourite dancer.

We saw the judges dance with the professionals and in the spirit of SCD I'll mark them.

Motsi 6

Craig 7 (needs to work on his armography 😂)

Shirley 8

Anton 8.

We saw Hamza and Jowita dance their wonderful samba one last time.

They added a bit more filler with a female singer. I didn't catch her name but she was OK!

Finally the class of 2023 danced. Some quite good and others not so good.

Pleased to note that Les Dennis was pathetic so he wont last long. Nor will Angela Rippon.

[sheepdog]

Ah yes, the launch show wasn't that bad as I expected it to be. Saying that did miss the opening number. Have to say, all that sequinism (its a word now) did make my eyes suffer. Or maybe it is the new tv.

The judges dance, shall we say, sponsored by Seven Seas Cod liver oil?

It was Jessie Ware as the musical filler. No idea who she is but sounded like something from the early 90's post-rave era. I'll give her a pass this week given there's many more mediocre musical monstrosities to come. 

Could have done a bit more on Len though. 

As for the partnerships, agree its Les Dennis v Angela Rippon for the early exit closely followed by Krishan GM. Though I really want to hear Nancy say scouse "chicken" again 😂

Ones to watch: Amanda Abbington, Angela Scanlon, Nigel Harman Mr Bean and if Eddie Kadi restrains himself, could be very good. Unanimously voted in our household and taking the undisputed title of "Annoying One who needs to be voted out over Les Dennis" is Layton Williams who's likely to be in it for far too long. 

Also, is it me and my TV or was the layers of makeup rather thick this year?

[Cleoriff]

@sheepdog 

The makeup was certainly thick on Layton Williams, along with his false eyelashes and 'wonderful' sparkly earrings!😂 You get the feeling he's in his element.

[Cleoriff]

I notice that Nadiya featured quite a lot in the professional dancers routines. Opening number, Judges 'dance' and milling around the singer Jessie Ware. There's been an outcry from the public that she hasn't got a celeb to dance with this season. (Although that may have been YOU @sheepdog. Posting a million times all over social media) 😂

[RunrigForever]

I too can't see why Nadiya hasn't got a partner ? ..... is she still professionally and personally with Kai Widdrington ... ? ..... he will have his work cut out with Angela Rippon, despite having danced before, what type of dancing ? I'd say some sort of show dancing or tap / ballet.

My 1st to go would be Krishnan Guran Murpthy (bad spelling, sorry) ... or ... Les Dennis as has been said above.

I didn't watch the show at all last year, just got snippets on my Facebook feed ... do enjoy the comments on this thread though like you @blissgirl 

Did enjoy Hamza's samba though, from last year, reprised on the show.

The show is coming in for some stick, viewers switching off after 10 minutes ... personally I enjoyed it with reservations enough to renew my joy at the show ..... can now  see close up the 'sequinism' of the outfits on flat screen tv gifted to me by my son and daughter-in-law ..... previously had to go to laptop in little bedroom to get up close and personal - cold room then as no central heating in that room.

Which outfit would you like to wear from the opening show ? ..... me, it would be Annabel Croft's beautiful ballroom dress.

SCD is a family show ..... anyone's children watch it with their parents / grandparents ? 

[Cleoriff]

@sheepdog @RunrigForever 

SONGS AND  DANCES WEEK 1.

Amanda A & Giovanni  Waltz to 'Pointless' by Lewis Capaldi

Nigel & Katya.                Paso Doble  To 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' By Nirvana

Nikita & Gorka               Waltz to 'Run To You' By Whitney Houston.

Zara & Grazio               Cha Cha Cha to 'Crush' By Jennifer Paige

Khishnan & Lauren       Cha Cha Cha to 'Boom Shak a Lak' By Apache Indians

Layton & Nikita             Samba to 'Touch' by Little Mix

Angela R &  Kai             Cha Cha Cha to 'Get The Party Started' by Shirley Bassey

Bobby & Dianne            Foxtrot to 'All About You' McFly

Jody & Jowita                Quickstep to 'I'm Sitting On The Top Of The World' by Bobby Darin

Angela S & Carlos          Tango to 'Prisoner' by Miley Cyrus

Ellie & Vito                     Jive to 'Can't Tame Her' by Zara Larssen

Annabel & Johannes     ChaCha Cha To Uptown Girl by Billy Joel

Eddie and Karen           Quickstep to 'Two Hearts' by Phil Collins

Les and Nancy               Tango to 'Don't you want Me' by The Human League

Adam and Luba           Cha cha Cha  to 'Waffle House' by The Jonas Brothers.

I've been watching out for this all week. The BBC in their wisdom, decided to put the above on a fast running video which I had to pause and write the songs and dances down on a blumming notepad.

So it looks as if all are dancing tomorrow. Starts at 18.15pm.

[RunrigForever]

Thank you @Cleoriff  ..... I read your post earlier off my phone ... = ... Interesting - those who have the cha cha cha as their first dace - well it's easy ... Tango will be difficult as will the Paso Doble and those who have the hardest Latin American dance of all = the samba will go through imhho (humble / honest) ... ... ... Looking forward to seeing what kinda hash of the waltz is made by that ditsy female contestant.

Definitive Cha Cha Cha is Alisha Dixon with Mathew Cutler to That Beyonce song = Dave Archer counted her in from her back to the audience - right hand up to the ceiling and dressed in yellow.

Jive will be interesting.

Who will go ... ?

My guess will be either Krishnam Gurthru Murphy  ... or ... Les Dennis .......... Angela 'Legs' Rippon has danced before, probably something like ballet / tap / stage dancing ... ?

Looking forward to Saturday evening ..... my viewing sorted out until Christmas xx

[sheepdog]

What a weird way of transposing tunes to fit the dance. Some of those are just bizarre. Take "Crush" by Jenifer Paige which isn't about flirting so miles away from the style of a cha-cha. But this is Strictly so expect more weird remixes of songs. Wait, Smells like Teen Spirit as a Paso? What's going to be worse: the dance or the DAO interpretation. 

Nobody seems to be getting kicked out this week as there's no Sunday show.

@RunrigForever you've given me an idea. Think we should put up a video of a benchmark dance from a previous series to compare with this series attempts. So here's Alisha & Matt's Cha-cha from way back in 2007: