Strictly Come Dancing

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Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, shown on BBC One based on ballroom dancing. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with allusions to the film Strictly Ballroom.

The show has run on BBC One since 2004. A fourth series finished in December 2006, and there have been three stand-alone Christmas Specials, in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Series four was also shown as part of the BBC's line-up on their trial High Definition channel, BBC HD.

The format has been exported to other countries (see Dancing with the Stars). The final of the fourth series in December 2006 attracted an audience of over 12 million viewers, making it the highest watched show on TV for that week. The format has also inspired a modern-dance themed spin-off Strictly Dance Fever

Format

The show pairs a number of celebrities with professional ballroom dancers who each week compete against each other in a competition to impress a panel of judges and the viewing public in order to survive potential elimination. Through a telephone poll, viewers vote who should stay and who should go, the results of the poll being combined with the ranking of the panel of judges. For example, with 4 contestants left, the judges' favourite would receive 4 points, 2nd favourite 3, and so on, and similarly with the viewers' rankings ^[1]. The profits from the telephone lines were donated to Sport Relief in series 1, and to Children in Need in series 2, 3 and 4.

The show is broadcast live on BBC One on Saturday evenings, presented by Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly. (For some of the second series, Natasha Kaplinsky stood in temporarily for Tess Daly while the latter took maternity leave). The judging panel consists of Bruno Tonioli, Arlene Phillips, Len Goodman and Craig Revel Horwood. The judges mark each performance out of a total of forty.

A companion fanzine programme (running each weekday, with updates on the dancers) accompanies the main show. During the first series, Strictly Come Dancing on Three ran on BBC Three, hosted by Justin Lee Collins. During the second, third and fourth series Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two ran on BBC Two, hosted by Claudia Winkleman.

As of Series four, a hour long highlight show has been shown on Sundays at 7pm on BBC Two.

As of Series four, coaches are Jaclyn Spencer and Chris Marques for Salsa and Mambo, and Jenny Thomas and Ryan Francois for Swing and Jive. The Argentine Tango coaches in Series three were Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone.

Dances

The following dances are performed in Strictly Come Dancing:

Ballroom

• Waltz
• Quickstep
• Ballroom Tango
• Foxtrot
• Viennese Waltz

Latin American

• Cha Cha Cha
• Rumba
• Jive
• Paso Doble
• Samba

New Dances (Added in series Three and Four)

• Argentine Tango
• Salsa
• Mambo
• West Coast Swing/East Coast Swing
• American Smooth

There have been a number of new dances added in series three and four, some as group dances. The judges may comment on group dances, pointing out which couples performed well, but do not score the contestants.

Main series

Series 1

15 May to 3 July 2004, in order of elimination

Series 2

23 October to 11 December 2004, in order of elimination

Series 3

15 October to 17 December 2005, in order of elimination

Judges' Scoring summary

Bold scores indicate the highest for that week. Italics indicate the lowest score.

The dances performed were as follows:

• Week 1: Waltz, Cha Cha Cha
• Week 2: Quickstep, Rumba
• Week 3: Tango, Jive
• Week 4: Foxtrot, Paso Doble
• Week 5: Viennese Waltz, Samba
• Weeks 6 & 7: one new dance from weeks 1-5
• Week 8: American Smooth, one new dance from weeks 1-5
• Week 9: two new dances from weeks 1-5
• Final: favourite ballroom/latin dances, freestyle show dance

Over five million votes were cast, and over ten and a half million viewers tuned in to the final show of series three to see Darren Gough and Lilia Kopylova crowned 2005 Strictly Come Dancing champions, raising £1.5 million for Children in Need. .^[2]

Series 4

Main article: Strictly Come Dancing (Series 4)

7 October to 23 December 2006, in order of elimination:

Judges' Scoring summary

Bold scores indicate the highest for that week. Italics indicate the lowest score. * indicates that couple were in the bottom two.

The dances performed were as follows:

• Week 1: Waltz, Cha Cha Cha (male celebrity couples); Mambo (female celebrity group dance)
• Week 2: Quickstep, Rumba (female celebrity couples); East Coast Swing/West Coast Swing (male celebrity group dance)
• Week 3: Tango, Jive
• Week 4: Foxtrot, Paso Doble
• Week 5: Viennese Waltz, Salsa
• Week 6: American Smooth, Samba
• Weeks 7 & 8: one new dance from weeks 1-6
• Weeks 9 & 10: two new dances from weeks 1-6
• Week 11: Argentine Tango, last new dance from weeks 1-6
• Final week: Freestyle Show Dance, Favourite Ballroom/Latin from weeks 1-11, Judges Choice, Group Viennese Waltz

Special shows

 

"Christmas Champion of Champions"

This Christmas special was broadcast on 22 December 2004, featuring top couples from both of the first two series (with the exception of Christopher Parker and Julian Clary, who were not able to appear). The show was won by Jill Halfpenny and Darren Bennett. The third seaon of the Chritmas special was won by 2005 runners up Colin Jackson and Erin Boag .

In order of judges' placing

 

"Strictly Ice Dancing"

A further Christmas special was broadcast on 26 December 2004; with Carol Smillie, Jessica Taylor, Scarlett Johnson, Marcus Patric, David Seaman, and Rowland Rivron paired with professional skaters. This was won by David Seaman (who was a late replacement for Paul Gascoigne) and his partner Zoia Birmingham.

In order of elimination

 

"Strictly African Dancing"

A further one-off special was broadcast on BBC One on 9 July 2005 as part of the BBC's Africa Lives season. It featured six celebrities of African descent performing traditional African dances with a professional troupe. The contestants were Tunde Baiyewu, Tupele Dorgu, Robbie Earle, Antonia Okonma, Louis Emerick, and Tessa Sanderson. The programme was presented by Natasha Kaplinsky and Martin Offiah, and the winner was Robbie Earle.

In order of elimination:

• Tunde Baiyewu
• Louis Emerick
• Tupele Dorgu
• Tessa Sanderson
• Antonia Okonma
• Robbie Earle

 

2005 Christmas Special

The Christmas special in 2005 featured the top four couples (Gough/Kopylova, Jackson/Boag, Ball/Waite, Martin/Dallerup) from the 2005 series competing against two competitors from the US version, Dancing with the Stars, who danced with two professionals from the British series. The two competitors from the US series were Rachel Hunter, who was teamed with Brendan Cole, and Evander Holyfield, who danced with Karen Hardy. Season 2 winner Jill Halfpenny was scheduled to appear with her partner Darren Bennett, but pulled out due to a break down in fee negotiations.

24 December 2005, in order of elimination

As well as winning the 2005 series, Darren Gough and Lilia Kopylova won this Christmas Special, after receiving the full 40 marks from the judges.

 

2006 Christmas Special

The Christmas special in 2006 will feature stars from the third and fourth series going head to head to perform their highest-scoring dances. The theme of the programme is black and white, so whether it's wintry white gowns, the little black dress or top hat and tails, the dancers and the dance floor will be decked in black and white, setting the stage for some show-stopping performances.

It will be a pre-recorded show shown on Christmas Day on BBC One. The couples taking part are:

Colin Jackson and Erin Boag won the competition, after getting the full 40 marks from the judges.

Strictly come Dancing: It Takes Two

Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two is a British television show, aired on BBC Two and is hosted by Claudia Winkleman. The show is a companion (although it does not show straight after the live peformences) of the popular Strictly Come Dancing latin and ballroom dance show which airs on Saturday nights on the more mainstream BBC One. It broadcats five episodes a week, Monday to Friday at 6:30 during its parent show's run.

It features exclusive behind the scenes footage of the couples training for the Saturday night showdown and opinions from Celebrites who have been watching the show. The judges and couples occassionaly appear on the show. Len Goodman has a weekly spot on the show on Tuesdays entitled "Len's Masterclass".

It Takes Two started to broadcast during the second season of the main show, due to another companion show entitled Strictly Come Dancing: On Three had been favoured for the first season, and was broadcast on a digital BBC channel called BBC Three. The show occasionaly has music peformed by big names such as Nelly Furtado and Sugababes. There is one exception though, on the third to last episode of Series 3 (21 December 2006), Craig Revel Horwood (judge) and Anton du Beke (professional dancer) peformed a song, just before the end titles!

Facts and Figures

Winners

• So far, there have been two female celebrity winners and two male celebrity winners. They are:
  • Series 1 - Natasha Kaplinsky and her partner Brendan Cole
  • Series 2 - Jill Halfpenny and her partner Darren Bennett
  • Series 3 - Darren Gough and his partner Lilia Kopylova
  • Series 4 - Mark Ramprakash and his partner Karen Hardy

Highest Judges' Score

• Only on four occasions has a perfect forty out of forty been awarded:
  • 40/40: Jill Halfpenny and Darren Bennett; Jive; 11/12/2004 (Series 2 Final)
  • 40/40: Darren Gough and Lilia Kopylova; Quickstep; 24/12/2005 (2005 Christmas Special)
  • 40/40: Mark Ramprakash and Karen Hardy; Salsa; 23/12/06 (Series 4 Final)
  • 40/40: Colin Jackson and Erin Boag; Quickstep; 25/12/2006 (2006 Christmas Special)
• On a further two occasions, couples have received 39; in both cases they received a 9 from Craig Revel Horwood and 10's from all other judges:
  • 39/40: Colin Jackson and Erin Boag; Quickstep; 17/12/2005 (Series 3 Final)
  • 39/40: Mark Ramprakash and Karen Hardy; Argentine Tango; 16/12/2006 (Series 4 Semi-Final)

Lowest Judges' Score

• 08/40: Quentin Willson and Hazel Newberry; Cha Cha Cha; 23/10/04.
• 11/40: Fiona Phillips and Brendan Cole; Waltz ; 15/10/05.
• 12/40: Diarmuid Gavin and Nicole Cutler; Cha Cha Cha; 23/10/04.
• 12/40: Diarmuid Gavin and Nicole Cutler; Quickstep; 30/10/04.

Perfect Tens

In addition to the four perfect scores listed above, judges have awarded perfect tens on a number of other occasions:

Series One

• Week Five: Natasha Kaplinsky/Brendan Cole from Arlene Phillips for the Samba

Series Two

• Week Seven: Jill Halfpenny/Darren Bennett from Arlene Phillips for the Paso Doble.
• Final: Denise Lewis/Ian Waite from Arlene Phillips and Bruno Tonioli for the Quickstep.

Series Three

• Week Six: Zoe Ball/Ian Waite from Bruno Tonioli for the Quickstep
• Week Seven: Zoe Ball/Ian Waite from Arlene Phillips and Bruno Tonioli for the Tango
• Week Eight: Colin Jackson/Erin Boag from Arlene Phillips for the American Smooth
• Week Nine: Colin Jackson/Erin Boag from Len Goodman for the Waltz
• Final: Darren Gough/Lilia Kopylova from Len Goodman for the Foxtrot
• Final: Colin Jackson/Erin Boag from Arlene Phillips, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli for the Quickstep
• Final: Zoe Ball/Ian Waite from Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli for the Samba
• Final: Zoe Ball/Ian Waite from Arlene Phillips and Bruno Tonioli for the Tango
• Christmas Special: James Martin/Camilla Dallerup from Arlene Phillips and Len Goodman for the Foxtrot
• Christmas Special: Zoe Ball/Ian Waite from Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli for the Foxtrot

Series Four

• Week Three: Louisa Lytton/Vincent Simone from Bruno Tonioli for the Jive
• Week Seven: Matt Dawson/Lilia Kopylova from Len Goodman for the Waltz
• Week Nine: Emma Bunton/Darren Bennett from Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli for the Waltz
• Week Nine: Emma Bunton/Darren Bennett from Bruno Tonioli for the Paso Doble
• Week Eleven: Mark Ramprakash/Karen Hardy from Arlene Phillips, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli for the Argentine Tango
• Final: Matt Dawson/Lilia Kopylova from Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli for the Waltz
• Christmas Special: Zoe Ball/Ian Waite from Len Goodman and Arlene Phillips for the Rumba
• Christmas Special: Matt Dawson/Lilia Kopylova from Len Goodman for the Waltz

Most Appearances

• Only four professional dancers have appeared on all four series; two female and two male:
  • Anton du Beke
  • Erin Boag
  • Brendan Cole
  • Camilla Dallerup

Anton du Beke and Erin Boag form a regular professional dance partnership; Brendan Cole and Camilla Dallerup were also a regular partnership when Strictly Come Dancing began. Their partnership broke up, and Camilla went on to dance with Ian Waite.

• A further three professional dancers have appeared on series 2, 3 and 4:
  • Darren Bennett
  • Lilia Kopylova
  • Ian Waite

Ratings

• Strictly Come Dancing has been BBC One's biggest Saturday night hit over the last several years.

• *Average taken from first ten shows as the ratings for remaining two shows are unknown yet.

See also

• Strictly come Dancing: It Takes Two - its companion show on BBC Two.
• Strictly Dance Fever
• Dancing on Ice - a similar show on ITV, swapping dancing with skating.
• Just the Two of Us - the same format, with singing instead of dancing.

References

External links

• BBC Official Site: Strictly Come Dancing
• UK Gameshows Page: Strictly Come Dancing
• Strictly Come Dancing Online: a very comprehensive fansite
• Unreality TV - News and gossip on the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing
• Digital Spy Forum- forum discussing the show
• BBC Press Office - Strictly Come Dancing facts and figures