Strictly Come Rigging....

[Cozzer]

For the few who don't know the BBC TV programme, it's a dance competition that runs week after week after week after week after wee....zzzzzzzzzz........ gradually eliminating the less talented and ending up with a champion who wins a plastic ball.
This year's final features the three couples who've survived a public vote and a sometimes acerbic judging panel.
Ah....the great British public. Who will win?
It depends on who you listen to....
"Ah well, it's on the leftist BBC. They've been told to tow the line as regards diversity and all that. I reckon it'll be rigged, same as the Sports Personality of the Year..."

You get the picture.
This time round, the poor ol' Beeb can't fail to get lambasted whoever wins.....

"Ah well, it'll be the gays. It's the BBC. They'll fiddle it for the LGBT brigade..."
"Ah well, it'll be the deaf girl. It's the BBC. To support disabled people...."
"Ah well, it'll be the black girl. It's the BBC. Diversity and racism and all that stuff...."

What a suspicious bunch we are!

 

[Trainee neophyte]

For the few who don't know the BBC TV programme, it's a dance competition that runs week after week after week after week after wee....zzzzzzzzzz........ gradually eliminating the less talented and ending up with a champion who wins a plastic ball.
This year's final features the three couples who've survived a public vote and a sometimes acerbic judging panel.
Ah....the great British public. Who will win?
It depends on who you listen to....
"Ah well, it's on the leftist BBC. They've been told to tow the line as regards diversity and all that. I reckon it'll be rigged, same as the Sports Personality of the Year..."

You get the picture.
This time round, the poor ol' Beeb can't fail to get lambasted whoever wins.....

"Ah well, it'll be the gays. It's the BBC. They'll fiddle it for the LGBT brigade..."
"Ah well, it'll be the deaf girl. It's the BBC. To support disabled people...."
"Ah well, it'll be the black girl. It's the BBC. Diversity and racism and all that stuff...."

What a suspicious bunch we are!

Seems like the BBC has covered all bases, as only a minority can win. Pretty inclusive.

I can proudly confirm that I have never seen a single episode, and only an occasional clip. I don't seem to be suffering, so I will continue to completely ignore utterly pointless drivel on the telly. I have rather ruthlessly forbidden all soap operas in our house - she watches a lot of hospital dramas instead, and Hell's Kitchen, which I abhor but it is an small price to pay.

 

[paulrbarnard]

For the few who don't know the BBC TV programme, it's a dance competition that runs week after week after week after week after wee....zzzzzzzzzz........ gradually eliminating the less talented and ending up with a champion who wins a plastic ball.
This year's final features the three couples who've survived a public vote and a sometimes acerbic judging panel.
Ah....the great British public. Who will win?
It depends on who you listen to....
"Ah well, it's on the leftist BBC. They've been told to tow the line as regards diversity and all that. I reckon it'll be rigged, same as the Sports Personality of the Year..."

You get the picture.
This time round, the poor ol' Beeb can't fail to get lambasted whoever wins.....

"Ah well, it'll be the gays. It's the BBC. They'll fiddle it for the LGBT brigade..."
"Ah well, it'll be the deaf girl. It's the BBC. To support disabled people...."
"Ah well, it'll be the black girl. It's the BBC. Diversity and racism and all that stuff...."

What a suspicious bunch we are!

Alternatively it could actually go the the best dancer on the night. The standard this year has been exceptiopnaly good. Any of the remaining three would be a worthy winner.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

I can only agree with TN, despite the fondness of the other half for what I would classify as audio visual garbage.

 

[Spectric]

So to guarantee a win you need to be a one legged, black, deaf gay person as you then meet all the diversity criteria and then add a touch of wokyism for luck and you become untouchable.

 

[jcassidy]

You think you have it bad? The only way for an Irish person to get on British TV is to be gay or in drag.

 

[J-G]

Alternatively it could actually go the the best dancer on the night. The standard this year has been exceptiopnaly good. Any of the remaining three would be a worthy winner.

Strongly disagree!! The overall standard has been good but not as exceptional as the scoring would tend to indicate. There has been a 7½% positive swing in the scoring compared to the average for previous series. J&J have been well over-marked every week - they shouldn't have made even the quarter final. so - in my opinion - would not be 'worthy winners'.

 

[Yojevol]

Strongly disagree!! The overall standard has been good but not as exceptional as the scoring would tend to indicate. There has been a 7½% positive swing in the scoring compared to the average for previous series. J&J have been well over-marked every week - they shouldn't have made even the quarter final. so - in my opinion - would not be 'worthy winners'.

Strongly disagree!! The overall standard has not only been good, but as exceptional as the scoring tends to indicate. There has been a justified 7½% positive swing in the scoring compared to the average for previous series. J&J have been well over-marked every week - they shouldn't have made even the semi final. Week: so - in my opinion - would not be 'worthy winners'.

Sorry J-G
Brian
Just about to watch Surgeons as a bit of light entertainment

 

[scooby]

I think they should give an award to the person who can actually manage to stay faithful to their wife, husband or partner (not dance partner) whilst partaking.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I think they should give an award to the people who can actually manage to watch it.

 

[Robbo3]

Not having watched for some years, I've recorded this year's episodes & whiz through the rubbish bits to watch the actual dancing - well that which can be seen through fog, special effects or pure bad camera work.
We tend to agree with the judges. Except when they are giving advice, comments can generally be ignored & the scores, again as a generalization, are a good aggregate. When Craig marks under another judge tends to balance it with a slightly better score than the dancers deserved.
The standard this year has been very high. I suspect that some of the competitors have had previous dance experience in some form or other. I also suspect that the producers are pushing the judges to dole out top marks to gain headlines.

 

[J-G]

Well - what a surprise! - NOT - I mean of course the negative response to my opinion

No need for an apology Brian ☺ - - - Do you have a complete database of past marking from which you can quantify the relative change in the level? I somehow doubt it. I do - every score awarded by every judge for every dance since 2004 series 1, along with every piece of music used and artist credited. Analyzed in many different ways.

I also had nearly 20 years of competitive Ballroom & Latin dancing experience so have a small claim to pertinent 'knowledge'.

I can see that you agree that John shouldn't be in the final - in my opinion he ought to have gone out the week Dan left but that was never going to happen for fear of a backlash from the LGBT community and he was pretty much guaranteed a place in the final just for signing up. We'll never know, but it is possible that if he had a female partner (as he originally wanted) he might have actually done much better than he has.

Rose & AJ are very much deserving of their places, they are both streets ahead of all the other celebs. Whether they are as good - or better - than the likes of Faye Tozer, Joe McFadden, Claudia Frangapane, Jay McGuinness, Caroline Flack et. al. is debatable though, which is why I question the comment that the standard this year is 'exceptional'.

I take it that you - Phil - have never danced - naturally I have seen reference to your physical condition - so that comment is not meant in any way to be negative. The spectacle of 'Dance' in any form really is uplifting to the spirit - whether taking part or observing - I would sooner do the former.

 

[J-G]

I suspect that some of the competitors have had previous dance experience in some form or other.

This 'chestnut' is irrelevant. Yes, any celebrity that has had any 'stage' training will have had some form of dance experience, but not in the form that Ballroom & Latin demands. John also had some dance school training even though not through 'stage' work, but it was as a young teenager and from his performance seems not to have been any advantage.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I take it that you - Phil - have never danced - naturally I have seen reference to your physical condition - so that comment is not meant in any way to be negative. The spectacle of 'Dance' in any form really is uplifting to the spirit - whether taking part or observing - I would sooner do the former.

Correct - a liking for dancing is as beyond my understanding as a liking for jazz or oysters.

 

[clogs]

my wife took the hint and watches soaps n dance plus other drivel when I'm not around......
I like to get to bed early as I'm the one who's up to feed the animals.....
so all is well.......
My one exception is anything Antiques and the NON celeb Ant/roadshow...

TN,
see u've changed the avatar......nice peice of wood....looking for lumps like that here....hahaha.....
Have u seen you may get snow next week, curtesy of Siberia......?
Even shows a chance in Chania....!!!!!!!

 

[paulrbarnard]

Well - what a surprise! - NOT - I mean of course the negative response to my opinion

No need for an apology Brian ☺ - - - Do you have a complete database of past marking from which you can quantify the relative change in the level? I somehow doubt it. I do - every score awarded by every judge for every dance since 2004 series 1, along with every piece of music used and artist credited. Analyzed in many different ways.

I also had nearly 20 years of competitive Ballroom & Latin dancing experience so have a small claim to pertinent 'knowledge'.

I can see that you agree that John shouldn't be in the final - in my opinion he ought to have gone out the week Dan left but that was never going to happen for fear of a backlash from the LGBT community and he was pretty much guaranteed a place in the final just for signing up. We'll never know, but it is possible that if he had a female partner (as he originally wanted) he might have actually done much better than he has.

Rose & AJ are very much deserving of their places, they are both streets ahead of all the other celebs. Whether they are as good - or better - than the likes of Faye Tozer, Joe McFadden, Claudia Frangapane, Jay McGuinness, Caroline Flack et. al. is debatable though, which is why I question the comment that the standard this year is 'exceptional'.

I take it that you - Phil - have never danced - naturally I have seen reference to your physical condition - so that comment is not meant in any way to be negative. The spectacle of 'Dance' in any form really is uplifting to the spirit - whether taking part or observing - I would sooner do the former.

Ah there in sits the explanation. You are a dancer and are looking at it as a dance competition. Pretty much the same as many of us looked at Britains Best Woodworker. It’s not strictly about dancing, despite the title, it’s a public entertainment TV show. The moment the public gets to vote any assessment based on technical dance ability is lost. It comes down at that point to a feeling people get from watching the performance and that will indeed carry a lot of biases based on stereotypes and prejudices. The fact that the judges are able to slightly correct wrong public votes by picking one of two in the elimination stops it from being a pure popularity contest.

As an absolute non dancer who has watched pretty much every episode for years my opinion informed only by what I like is that this years show has been significantly better that previous ones.

 

[Simritdave]

So to guarantee a win you need to be a one legged, black, deaf gay person as you then meet all the diversity criteria and then add a touch of wokyism for luck and you become untouchable.

It would also be an advantage if you’ve just come out of jail and are wearing a tracker tag.

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

The spectacle of 'Dance' in any form really is uplifting to the spirit - whether taking part or observing - I would sooner do the former.

I dunno. To me dancing is like that chap from the Jim Rose Circus who could lift weights with piercings through his bits, or top-level golf. Clearly a lot of skill involved, but unwatchable.

 

[J-G]

As an absolute non dancer who has watched pretty much every episode for years my opinion informed only by what I like is that this years show has been significantly better that previous ones.

I'll agree with most of your comments Paul - certainly as far as it being a 'popularity' contest, subject to personal bias - I'm under no illusion on that score.

This year is vastly superior to last, but much of that is due to that being a smaller show due to Covid restrictions and much of the 'perceived' improvement will be due to the contrast.

There are many who post on the BBC blogs that complain that they have never heard of some contestant so how can they be a 'celebrity' - I don't watch a great deal of TV, certainly not 'soaps', 'news' or 'daytime' so seldom know more than 2 or 3 any year. This means that I have no personal investment in any of them.

My opinion that this year has been not more than very good is based upon my analysis of the scores that I have awarded over the years compared with those awarded by the judges. This shows that my average marking is 0.6% higher than the judges average for all series but 5.38% lower this year and 4.57% lower last year - with the 'trend' showing that the judges have been steadily increasing their marking (R-squared = +0.48) whereas my scores show a decrease (R-squared = -0.02). I don't think that this can be attributed to a steady increase in the dance ability of the selected celebrities - just to a preponderance of over-marking!

 

[stuart little]

I thought it was about model ship building!