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This morning, the Daily Mirror reported that Liza Minnelli was being considered for a judge’s role on Strictly Come Dancing.

…Strictly chiefs may be taking quicksteps to replacing Alesha Dixon. And after last year’s ageism row - following the sacking of veteran judge Arlene Phillips, 66 - BBC bosses could be about to turn on their heels and waltz back into the arms of an older woman.

Cabaret legend Liza Minnelli, 63, is said to have been lined up as Alesha’s successor after just one series - although one of her knees will have to be replaced first.

Apart from the other odd mention of her knee replacement surgery (which is going ahead anyway, but as written implies it’s a precondition of sitting behind a desk and holding up paddles with numbers on) the piece seems to be more about knocking Alesha Dixon rather than providing anything concrete.

It would be possible, one supposes, that Minnelli could be Strictly bound, although I would have thought that she would be better used as a guest judge for the final shows, in the same way that Darcey Bussell was in the 2009 series. According to Digital Spy, though, the BBC denies it:

There is absolutely no truth whatsoever in this story - Liza Minnelli is not being lined up as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing

Personally, I think there’d be a much better match for Ms Minnelli’s judging talents. Surely as the daughter of Judy Garland and having given the finalists of I’d Do Anything a masterclass, she’d be ideal for the judging panel on the BBC’s forthcoming quest to find a Dorothy for The Wizard of Oz, Over the Rainbow?

One of the problems we Saturday night light entertainment telly lovers have always had is that nightmarish period where Strictly Come Dancing hasn’t quite finished, but The X Factor is about to start. I know that there’s iPlayer, Sky+ and what have you, but there’s always the thrill of watching a programme live.

That’s about to become a lot harder, as this week’s X Factor final (Go Joe!) clashes with the Strictly semi-final, which this year, as in previous years, sees the three remaining couples dancing the dramatic and emotional Argentine Tango.

If you missed last week’s Strictly Come Dancing results show, you won’t have seen the show’s resident experts, Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace, give two demonstrations of the form. One, in which they showed off some of the form’s classic moves in a dramatic rooftop dance, is only available as part of the whole show on iPlayer (for the next few days only for the rest of December). The second, one of their best studio performances I’ve yet seen, lives on thanks to the BBC’s YouTube channel:

Later today, head over to The Stage Podcast where you can hear me interview Kele Baker, the Argentine Tango specialist who helps choreograph and train the celebrities and the professionals as they prepare for Saturday’s show. I’ll add the link here once it’s available…

• Listen to the podcast on iTunes (recommended): http://bit.ly/stagepodcast
• Listen to an MP3 version, buy the book & more on the Stage Podcast blog

Well, we’re only a few days away from the start of the Strictly Come Dancing 2009 series. And if the anticipation wasn’t enough for you already, above we have a great promo clip, supplied by our lovely friends at the BBC, showing some of the celebrities in rehearsal and excerpts from their initial interviews.

As usual, we’ll be keeping an eye on the entire series here on TV Today — and this year our content will be even easier to find - just go to thestage.co.uk/strictly!

(If you read TV Today using an RSS feed reader, you may need to click through to the original article to see the video)

This year’s line up has just been announced:

The male celebrities

• Joe Calzaghe, boxer (paired with Kristina Rihanoff)
• Phil Tufnell, cricketer and TV presenter (Katya Virshilas, a new dancer for 2009)
• Richard Dunwoody, jockey (Lilia Kopylova)
• Craig Kelly, actor (Queer as Folk, Coronation Street) (Flavia Cacace)
• Chris Hollins, journalist and TV presenter (Ola Jordan)
• Rav Wilding, TV presenter (Aliona Vilani, another new dancer)
• Ricky Groves, actor (EastEnders) (Erin Boag)
• Ricky Whittle, actor (Hollyoaks) (Natalie Lowe, also new)

 The female celebrities

• Lynda Bellingham, actor and Loose Women panel member (Darren Bennett)
• Natalie Cassidy, actor (EastEnders) and TV presenter (Vincent Simone)
• Martina Hingis, tennis player (Matthew Cutler)
• Zoe Lucker, actor (Footballers Wives) (James Jordan)
• Jo Wood, ex-wife of Rolling Stones member Ronnie Wood (Brendan Cole)
• Laila Rouass, actor (Footballers Wives, Primeval) (Anton Du Beke)
• Jade Johnson, heptathlete (Ian Waite)
• Ali Bastian, actor (Hollyoaks, The Bill) (Brian Fortuna)

More details, including the professional dancers they’ll be training and performing with, to follow. I’ll update the list above as more information comes in.

Update: All couples now confirmed.

Update 2: Some more details about changes to the first couple of weeks of the show. The couples will be split into two sets as per the last couple of years, but not along straight male/female lnes as previously.

Each couple will have to dance two dances in their first week, which will play out over two nights. On Fridays, they will perform either a waltz or tango from the standard Ballroom repertoire, while in the Saturday show the next day the same couples will perform a cha cha or a rumba from the more showy Latin repertoire.

Dancing in the first week will be:

• Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna
• Lynda Bellingham and Darren Bennett
• Joe Calzaghe and Kristina Rihanoff
• Ricky Groves and Erin Boag
• Martina Hingis and Matthew Cutler
• Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan
• Jade Johnson and Ian Waite
• Rav Wilding and Aliona Vilani

As usual when couple have danced more than once in a week, the judges’ scores from each dance will be combined to provide a final leaderboard before the public phone lines open.

While ITV may have the shiny floor to itself for the next couple of weekends with its launch of The X Factor, but Strictly Come Dancing will be snapping at its heels very shortly thereafter.

The official press launch is on Tuesday, at which point we’ll all know who this year’s contestants are. Security is much tighter this year, after the full list of celebrities appeared in the tabloids last year. My own contacts at the BBC are being very tight-lipped, as they should be, but I do understand that some of the names that have been touted in the press are way, way out — while one or two are much nearer the mark.

The web team at the BBC are ramping up the tension, with the release of a teaser video (below). No news about the celebs, but we do get to see some of the dancers, including the three new female professionals:

As in previous years, we’ll be reviewing each week’s show, and we’ll have downloadable scoresheets for you to play along at home with — and to pretend that, if they were going to replace Arlene with anyone, it should have been you…

So The Sun called it correctly back in June, and Arlene Phillips’ place on the Strictly Come Dancing judging panel will be filled by 2007 winner Alesha Dixon.

Is this a calamity for the show? Is it a sign of the beginning of the end of Strictly Come Dancing?

Contrary to some reactions, I’m going to say no.

Okay, so after last week’s cock up we have three couples as planned in the final. And really, that’s what the cause of last week’s problem was: the method by which the judges’ and public votes were tallied up, combined with the dance-off system introduced last year, doesn’t really work with only three competitors. It was by luck rather than good judgement that the same thing didn’t happen last year, which also had three competitiors in the semi-final after Kelly Brook withdrew.

Anyway, again there’s no review of last week, and there won’t be of this week — time pressures are just too great, I’m afraid. But we do have a scoresheet:

Strictly Come Dancing scoresheet, week 14 (final) [PDF]

The way the evening will progress is this: each of the three couples will dance twice, with two of their highest scoring dances (one Ballroom, one Latin). Then a vote count will be taken (including all last week’s phone votes), at which point one couple will leave.

The remaining two couples will then perform in a group Viennese Waltz and a show dance. I have no idea whether the judges will be scoring these routines, but I’ve left space on the scoresheets in case they do.

After that, it’s all over bar the voting, and we’ll have a new couple’s name on that tacky glitterball trophy. Ignoring the off-the-floor shenanigans for a moment, it’s actually been one of the most entertaining series on the dance floor. But at fourteen weeks, I do feel it’s been stretched out for too long. Last year’s series felt the right length.

But anyway, on with the scoring, and see you all next year!

Apologies for the lack of a Week 12 review — with preparations for our Christmas double issue, various articles for TV Today and reviewing of pantos, there just hasn’t been time.

Anyway, this week’s show is the semi-final, with just three couples left in the competition. Until John Sergeant quit, of course, we were expecting the same number to have made it all the way to the final.

This week, all three couples must dance the Argentine Tango — which, as we know, is Vincent’s speciality, so his performance with Rachel must surely be worth watching. For their second dance, each couple is, in the words of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing website:

their favourite dance of the series, performed to new music and with new choreography

Which, unless I’m much mistaken, pretty much means “a new dance”, doesn’t it?

Anyway, in preparing this week’s scoresheet I’ve assumed that there will be a dance-off, with only one couple given a guaranteed place in next week’s final.

Strictly Come Dancing, week 13 score sheet [PDF]

Don’t forget that both this week and next, the results show is back on Saturday nights…

It’s quarter final stage, and only four couples remain. It’s shaping up to be an extremely close competition, with no clear front runner. This week, Austin and Erin nudged past Rachel and Vincent in terms of average scores from the judges, although at 34.40 and 34.30 respectively it’s neck and neck.

Lisa and Brendan’s average score, meanwhile, at 33.00 finally takes them above Cherie and James in the overall series leaderboard, but places them bottom of the remaining couples. They shouldn’t be too disheartened, though — when splitting averages into Ballroom and Latin disciplines, they are ahead in Ballroom, with their average of 36.00 putting them just ahead of Rachel and Vincent’s 35.80.

All these stats and more are in the judges’ scores league table on this week’s scoresheet:

Week 12 scoresheet (PDF)

If you haven’t overloaded on stats yet, the BBC’s website has come up with its own statistics-based trivia.

Don’t forget to come back here and share your scores. And of course, don’t tell us here who gets knocked out, if you manage to find out between the recording of the results show and its broadcast on Sunday night…

Finally, I hear you cry! Yes, this week’s review has been painfully slow in arriving, I must admit. Profuse apologies. So straight down to business: five couples, ten dances, two disciplines — one elimination. But who was it to be? We kicked off with the ballroom dances.

First off were the current highest-scoring couple, Rachel and Vincent, with a waltz. Unlike some of our commenters, I felt last week’s perfect 40 was well-deserved, and was worried that they wouldn’t keep up the standard. However, I was reassured by another beautifully romantic dance. While Craig didn’t like Vincent’s choreography in places, I thought it was rather sweetly done, with several of his trademark sophisticated but understated flourishes. A great start to the show, and with judges’ marks of 9 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 39 points, set a high standard for everybody else to aspire to matching.

Lisa and Brendan were next up with a Foxtrot. Lisa’s elegance really works n her favour in the ballroom disciplines, and they did so even more here. She looked so much more comfortable than she has in a long time that her confidence helped deliver a wonderfully warm routine.

That said, the judges’ marks of 9 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 39 placed it equal with Rachel and Vincent’s dance, and personally I would have put it a smidgen lower.

Christine and Matthew’s Tango suffered from having to grapple with a rock song (Addicted to Love). Without the traditional tango score to push against, the choreography felt as if it was all over the place — and sadly, Christine danced to match. Her body looked as if it lacked any tension at all, especially compared to Matthew, which helped contribute to what Arlene described as a “rag doll” look.

The scores of 6 + 7 + 8 + 7 = 28 were fair, I thought. And with the two boys up next, it put Christine on a very dangerous footing.

Back to the foxtrot with Austin and Erin dancing to L-O-V-E. With Erin being an expert at this dance, it was perhaps inevitable that they did well here, but that inevitability didn’t make their dance any less joyful to watch. Erin’s choreography, as ever, was full of basic moves that showed off both dancers to their best ability.

I didn’t see what Craig was talking about when it came to Austin’s feet, so consequently I thought his score was a little low. Still, 8 + 9 + 9 + 10 = 36 was a strong score.

Completing the ballroom section, Tom and Camilla danced a Waltz to Moon River. Again, it was another dance that captured a really romantic element to the routine — but as both Bruno and Craig noted, Tom’s posture in hold could be better. Cue another spat with Len, which to use Len’s phrase is really beginning to get on my wick. I’m not exactly at the point where I’m sympathising with Craig, but it’s getting close. That’s a worrying sign.

Back to the dancers, though, and the scores of 7 + 7 + 10 + 9 = 35 showed the disparity of thought amongst the judges. That’s a good thing, as long as it doesn’t descend into name-calling, surely…

There comes a point in every series of Strictly Come Dancing where you realise you’re about to enter the home straight, and that’s when the couples have to start dancing twice a week.

We’re at that point now, so more than ever it’s the couples who can cope best in both Ballroom and Latin disciplines who will fare best out of the judges’ marks. The couple with the biggest disparity of marks across disciplines is currently Lisa and Brendan. Christine and Matthew are more consistent, but their average scores are so much lower than the other four couples’ that their continued presence in the competition must be in peril.

After their perfect 40 last week, Rachel and Vincent leap to the top of the judges’ series scoreboard. Together with their consistent scoring in both Ballroom and Latin, they’re surely serious contenders now.

The layout’s changed slightly because of the change in number of dances, but the scoresheet is here:

Strictly Come Dancing 2008, week 11 scoresheet [PDF] (right-click and select ‘Save As…’ or similar to download to your computer)

As ever, come back during or after the show to discuss your opinions and share your scores; the TV Today review will be available on Monday.

Well, we may have been unexpectedly down to six couples rather than seven this week, but that didn’t mean the entertainment levels dropped at all. In fact, if anything, it showed that Strictly Come Dancing is more entertaining when you have a set of competitors who all have a chance, rather than some who can dance and some who are popular for being rubbish.

In the last week where all couples had one competitive dance, Lisa and Brendan kicked off with a lively Quickstep to Merry Clayton’s Yes. Smooth and lively throughout, nevertheless the choreography didn’t really thrill me at all. Even Brendan’s flamboyant leap which topped and tailed the dance added little to the overall thrill. Technically, though, it was good, although in common with nearly all the celebrities Lisa still has trouble with her gapping. I didn’t see her trip over Brendan’s foot as Craig claimed she did, but she knew what he was talking about and took his points on board.

The judges’ scores of 8 + 9 + 9 + 9 = 35 points were good, and appropriate to the standard Lisa has achieved. But would they be good enough?

Next up, Christine and Matthew danced a Cha-cha-cha to Pete Rodriguez’ I Like It Like That (instantly recognisable if, like me, your local cinema is an Odeon as they use it on a trailer before every film). Unfortunately, the song takes a while to warm up, and so did the dancers. Throughout it was a very stop-and-start dance, and while in places that was because the choreography was attempting to match the music, in others it felt more due to a hesitancy on Christine’s part. Her hips weren’t moving as well as they could — and as Arlene pointed out this time and has so often before, that’s often a result of not pushing through with the feet.

At this point, Len started berating Craig because he’d been a bit too critical. Normally I like Len, but in this case I thought Craig’s criticisms were perfectly appropriate. They weren’t presented nastily, and he did complement her finishes. Unfortunately, Len’s outburst made Craig seem the reasonable one on the panel. How often does that happen?

The judges’ scores of 6 + 6 + 8 + 7 = 27 were disappointing, but again appropriate for the quality of the dance. Christine does seem to be among the most variable of the competitors, and unlike some her consistency doesn’t seem to have any relation to the ballroom/Latin divide.

Talking of inconsistency, Jodie and Ian have struggled with most Latin dances, while coping well with the ballroom repertoire. Here, their Jive to Great Balls of Fire bucked the trend a little. It was certainly better than most of the couple’s Latin attempts to date, and all the more impressive given that Jodie was clearly suffering with illness. It did feel more like a week 4 or 5 dance rather than a week 10 one, though.

The judges’ scores of 7 + 7 + 8 + 8 = 30 were a little over-generous, I thought: personally I would have placed Christine just above Jodie.

So after two middling dances, it was time for the three main competitors to show their stuff. Of course, now that John and Kristina have bowed out, there will only be places for two couples in the final…

It’s all been kicking off this week, hasn’t it? Mark’s had a couple of posts already about the increasingly bizarre turns the competition has taken this week, so we won’t dwell on that.

What it does mean is that, rather unexpectedly, we’re down to six couples rather than seven.

On to the entertainment, though, and here is the Strictly Come Dancing scoresheet for week 10 [PDF].

As the competition starts to heat up, I’ve changed the table of all the couples’ results slightly to take note of how all the contestants compare with Ballroom and Latin disciplines. Perhaps unsurprisingly, every single couple who has danced both (which excludes our early exiting couples) has scored on average higher for Ballroom than for Latin. The most consistent across both disciplines, though, are Rachel and Vincent. Whether that will be enough to topple both Tom and Austin in this second half of the series, only time will tell.

and Dance!

Oh good grief, it comes to something when the brouhaha over John Sergeant and Strictly Come Dancing is being discussed on the Jeremy Vine Show on Radio 2. What next, a Panorama expose into the scandal of Sargegate?

Poor old JS hasn’t done anything wrong apart from saying yes to appearing on what is a popular light entertainment show. And let’s just stress the words “light” and “entertainment” there, just for the record. I’m not watching BE THE BEST AT DANCING ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD EVER!!!!!, I’m watching Strictly Come Dancing and loving tuning in to see John Sergeant being entertaining (ooh, there’s that pesky E word again). I also love seeing the other dancers strutting their stuff, it’s what the show is all about.

Before we get down to business for this week’s Strictly Come Dancing review, can I just say something? Somebody dancing well is more entertaining than somebody who can’t dance at all. All eight couples danced well tonight, with some making more mistakes or being more uncomfortable than others. I know who my pick of the seven couples to go through to next week would have been. Lovely as they are as people, John Sergeant and Kristina Rihanoff would not be among them.

Yes, Strictly is an entertainment show. But given the strong field shown this week, a programme without John could not in any way be less entertaining with his absence.

Ahem. With that out of the way, along with another apology to contributors to our You be the judge post who had their results show enjoyment spoilt by an inconsiderate person blabbing the result, let’s get on with the business at hand: reviewing one of the strongest Strictly competitions ever. John included.