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.

[Cleoriff]

Great to hear your thoughts @RunrigForever 

Ellie is also my favourite. She deserves to win.

Can't stand Layton and Anton really annoyed me last week when he said Angela made a mistake. A 'mistake' no-one else saw!!

I think Nigel has done well staying in for so long. As I said, he has a massive fanbase.

It will be unfair if he's in the final (in my opinion)

[RunrigForever]

I forgot to mention Bobby and Diane ....... they dance as a couple ... & ... seem to have fun. Initially I did think I would be irritated by him, but I'm not ... I do think their time on SCD is up though.

I wonder if anyone else on the forum watches the show ? 

[Cleoriff]

So Nigel has withdrawn. No Eliminations this weekend.

[RunrigForever]

I managed to see Annabel & Johannes slow foxtrot which should have had 4 x 9's ..... she maintained elegance with green face and hands! ..... the slow foxtrot is the most difficult of the ballroom dances.

Bored with Layton & Nikita ... should they go on to win the show it would be grossly unfair to the other contestants and their professional partners!

Delighted with Bobby and Diane's salsa to 'That Dirty Dancing song' ... it deserved at least 4 x 9's.

Enjoyed the highlights of Nigel and Katya ..... will remember @sheepdog's description of Nigel as the Milk Tray man ... & ... I liked their rumba. 

[sheepdog]

So, opening routine was really just a last minute filler. What can we do that looks impressive? I know wave your hands in the air like you just don't care and shake your leg in and out, lets do the hokey cokey...no public votes this week and scores carry over to next week due to Nigel exiting with a rib injury. So you can guess who the judges were going to favour. 

Tess in a cocktail dress, Claudia in prawn cocktail crisp packet. Though it did look pretty good on her. Motsi & Shirley quite respectable. And because it's taken till now to realise it, here's an 80's hit that you know you want to see them do:

Ellie and Vito: Apparently a quickstep yet I wasn't impressed with the noise on the floor let alone the noise from the singers. OK I suppose but is this musical week a show of technique or the ability to put on a show dance? 

Annabel and Johannes: Green paint!!! I wasn't expecting green paint!!! Oh so very very nice. No pointless background dancers to distract and worked well with the music. As Craig said, she's the only non-actor left and now we have four, I'd rather see her in the final than Layton. Er was that a strategic placement of the witches hat by Johannes?

Layton and Nikita: We got reminded a few times that we the public have been giving him a lot of hate this week. Well, I'll continue as I was if you don't mind as you're a professional in what should be an amateurs contest. Let's see then: as a Paso I thought it was awful but as a show routine, yeah it was good but remind me what were the judges supposed to be judging on? Basically every move he's done every week on repeat in this paso and heavily disguised with backing dancers. Obviously in his element in this dance. @RunrigForever my thoughts exactly. 

Bobby and Dianne: Didn't quite live up to expectations with the lifts but thoroughly enjoyable using the backing dancers appropriately. Should have gone with a t-shirt or over-shirt as the vest kind of made him look less Swayze and more Mr Muscle. And of course, here's the look-a-like of the week:

Nigel and Katya: Guessing we won't get to see the face-plant dance then? Shame, it would have got more public votes than Layton for sympathy. 

Thumbs up for the Fishermans Friend filler act instead of the really now annoying votes are open segment. 

Seems we have Joss Stone on tomorrow. Seems I've already put her down in the mediocre category already as I really don't like her stuff. 

[Cleoriff]

@sheepdog @RunrigForever 

I'm afraid I wasn't watching much of this as my son returning from Goa to Heathrow, had his flight diverted to Amsterdam due to Heathrow fog. As if that wasn't bad enough, my husband had  driven to Heathrow to pick him up!!

All this going on while SCD was on.

Ellie and Vito: Quickstep

I thought this was quite lovely and deserved a higher mark Scored 36

Annabel and Johannes. Foxtrot.

Quite surprised to see the dreaded green paint. However, they danced beautifully and were commended by all the judges. I cant understand why they were marked so low. Scored 33

Layton and Nikita. Paso Doble.

This wasn't a paso. NOT A PASO!! It was a show dance. Sick of Motsi talking about the hate he receives. Same sort of c/r/a/p from Claudia. Maybe the BBC should remind themselves of this before they pick a celebrity who dances for a living. Of course with all this negativity flying  around the judges had to give him top marks

Scored 40

Bobby and Dianne. Salsa. Much was made in the VT and by Tess about THE LIFT.... it didn't quite work for me and although I enjoyed the dance, they didn't deserve more than Annabel Scored 34

Sad to see Nigel go. Not sure why they are having a show 'tomorrow'? No vote off so will just be a rehash of tonights show and more people bashing on about the hate for Layton??!!

[RunrigForever]

@Cleoriff 

Hope all goes well in your household ..... what with one thing and another xx 

Glad you could manage to make comments above x

[Cleoriff]

The 'Sunday' show was a waste of time really!

A mish mash of what the contestants did yesterday, then Joss Stone who was boring. A few comments (but not a proper section) of the two dances they re doing next week.

I picked up the following

Layton and Nikita are doing a Rumba and Charleston (Craig said, he knew Layton would throw everything at the Charleston, then remembered to add 'Unless it went wrong'

Bobby and Dianne are doing a Paso and a Quickstep

Ellie- Cha Cha Cha and ????

Annabel -Salsa and ????

That was it...not even a good 30 minute filler!!

[sheepdog]

Pretty much a time filler of a non-results show. Opening number was something straight out of 70's Saturday night entertainment on the BBC. Not a bad thing though. Joss Stone was ok but grated as soon as she started to flex her style. As for the piano player and drum machine, one of them was just for show wasn't he. 

So we have double dance disasters next week. Layton's doing the dance-off candidate of the rumba and the 40 point judges finalist place ensured special with a charleston. I'll be missing next saturday's live show and the live final too so iplayer it is.

[Cleoriff]

@sheepdog @RunrigForever 

Bit more info on the two dances the last 4 contestants are doing next Saturday. Not all contain the music.

No doubt, in an effort to keep Layton in, he will get 40 for his Charleston.

I will say the 2 SCD FB groups I belong to are, in the main, incensed he was given a 40 for what was a show dance. As you said @sheepdog and I repeated TWICE..... "NOT A PASO"

Let's hope the general public 'Won't Get Fooled Again"