Guest blogger: What I want to see from Strictly Come Dancing 2012
by Natasha Sporn. (@tashalouise6)
As the 10th series of Strictly Come Dancing rolls around, we hand the blog over to Strictly nut Natasha Sporn (@tashalouise6) for her thoughts.
What am I hoping this Strictly run brings its fans? I’ve had a long think and I’ll start with…
1. A real competition!
When Harry Judd was announced as a contestant last year, I knew he was going to win. No matter how close the final seemed (and it totally was!), I just knew McFly boy was going to trump it. It was just one of those things that was a dead certainty from the word go. This year, however, I can’t pick a winner.
Nick Byrne is the 2012 boy band star; Kimberley Walsh and Dani Harmer are loved by thousands for what they do; Victoria Pendleton and Louis Smith won the hearts of the nation with their Olympic medals... It’s just an all-star line-up. There is somebody for everybody to love and support.
2. Contestants giving their total all into every performance.
With the return of the dance-off, we need to see that little bit more from our couples each week. There's nothing more daunting than the prospect of having to do your dance again on the same evening!
Although the results show is not aired live, it is filmed live which means, the dance-off couples have about an hour and a half before they have to dance again. They’re tired and hungry (everybody is) and the last thing they'll want to do is perform to be saved by the judges.
The art, of course, is not to end up in that situation in the first place. Ergo, I reckon every performance we see this year will have that extra bit of oomph!
3. More from us fans on It Takes Two.
For me and many of my closest friends, Strictly season is a time of joy. We met through a love of dance and live and breathe by the show! It would be brilliant to see more of the fans' opinions through the series, especially on It Takes Two.
They do try with the BBC2 spin off – Points of You and Glitterball questions – but it seemingly fails to connect with us each evening because the segments are just too short. So I suggest a trade; less clips of professional dancers dressed up in animal costumes and more fan/contestant conversation and interaction.
I once had a question asked on It Takes Two and I remember the sheer elation that came with the feeling that the professionals had answered my question. It's a feeling I think many more super fans need to be able to experience. I see the joy and I know the joy of your favourite dancer tweeting you back – so why not pay homage to us on the show a bit more?
4. Lots and lots of sparkles!
Last year, Chelsee Healey wore a gorgeous dress that had a massive 4,000 crystals on it! I’m a big fan of all that glitters and dream of being able to own a dress laden with diamonds one day. I hope they don’t skimp on the sparkles.
5. A post-final It Takes Two!
Please, we beg for it every year! Please BBC listen to us! It would just be the perfect way to round up the spectacular week – bring all the couples back, show the best (and worst?) routines and celebrate the victorious couples.
6. More Tess time during the results show
We love our couples – they are the heart and soul of the show – and we grow attached to them. So instead of the long-winded recaps and Lens Lens segments, why not give us more time to see Tess talk to the professionals? Give us a real insight into the dancing life of our stars (and a bit more than "I found it hard").
7. Fewer Props!
The last couple of Strictlys have been bombarded with the use of (most of the time) useless props. Take Aliona a few series back and that swing of hers in the Viennese Waltz with Matt Baker. Or Brendan using a bench for Michelle Williams’ start in their Foxtrot. The latter especially was arguably nothing more than Brendan delaying the agony that was watching Michelle dance by keeping her seated for a few precious seconds.
Both occasions added little to the respective dance routines in 2010, and yet in 2011 the props seemed to have grown in usage. Pasha deployed the use of an airport check-in desk to aid his Quickstep with Chelsee last year which made for a fluffed start to an otherwise fantastic dance.
And then there was the worst excuse for prop use ever; Russell Grant’s cannon which simultaneously fired him out into his dance and out of the competition. So this year I make a plea for a limit on the prop usage – maybe two per couple throughout the series? In my viewing experience, I find that the prop-less, undressed-up routines are the best and most enjoyable to watch.
8. Shorter VTs (with more of a point) and more dancing!
As the weeks progressed last year, the VTs got further away from the training and became more ‘comic’ in tone, but not in actuality. They were cringy, pointless and stupidly long. One I remember with such despair is the Movie week one for Aliona and Harry which featured Harry dressed as Robin Hood chasing a Sir Brendan of Rent-a-pro (and about two steps of dance training).
My main thinking is that if the VTs are less ‘faffier’ than the whole thing is shorter meaning we get to see more of the dancing – which is what we want.
Do you agree with Natasha Sporn (@tashalouise6)? What are your thoughts about the new run of Strictly Come Dancing? Share them here.
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It's too early to assess the new season yet but I agree with much of the above especially on the use of VTs. It makes it look as though the production team don't care about dancing and want to produce a general comedy magazine programme instead. Mistake. Stick to the the dancing, music and frocks!
Jack harper i totally agree with you that the bbc are falling short in their content.
As for all you people out there who say if you do not like a programme you should either turn over or switch off since this means that i would rarely watch anything on the bbc does this mean i would get a reduced rate on my tv licence which should be scrapped due to the amount of advertisments the bbc use.
These shows may pacify some of the Great British public but I estimate that there are around 28 to 30 million License fee payers in the UK
and roughly 7.5 million watch this Dancing show, What about the rest of us or 75% of the license fee payers.
Come dancing was actually quite a good show when professional dancers did it and it was not a peak viewing time program. Now it is just another of the many vehicles to get Z lister celebs noticed or to make new celebs out of sports people or politicions.
I cant believe the hype this and shows like it get on TV just before a new series is due to air, shows like this would not be deemed fit for UK TV not too many years ago but sadly standards of programing have slipped while BBC wages for staff has risen to epic proportions have you noticed how many people it takes to give us the news nowadays?.
Surely to be fair to all License fee payers this has to stop and the BBC should show a decent show at least 3 or 4 nights per week between the hours of 20.00hrs and 22.00 hrs.
This could be a Costume drama one night and a good film another night, a good NEW comedy evenng another night or a new Drama series or serial like viewers used to have in the good old days.
Unfortunately TV has been dumbed down and the viewers seem happy with any old rubbish. WELL NOT ME!
Now it is back we can air our views.
Yes forsythhogs far too much of the show, and should take a hike!!
get a proper presenter, not some one who is so full of himself !!!
Its not his show it belongs to the dancers.
As for that blasted fool who said, the show should end if forsyth leaves,
well someone who is rested, for making racist remarks about a contestant, should leave himself.
I think you all know who i mean. !!!!!!
Meanwhile on with the show.
Alice WrightAlice is MSN TV's dedicated Strictly blogger. She will give you live updates throughout the shows, plus news and views during the week.
