Strictly–Come–Ice–Skating–Fever?

Am I the only person who is absolutely sick to the back teeth of endless spin-offs and rip-offs of Strictly Come Dancing? OK, well done to the BBC for making Strictly Come Dancing a popular and successful series, but is there really any need to create as many spin-offs as humanly possible from it?

How long will it before we see Strictly Breakdancing? Or Strictly Just Prancing (about)?

Or is it neccessary to end one series, only for it to be replaced just a few weeks later by another one? Before long, there'll probably be nothing else but Strictly Come Dancing on the TV! Actually, true, that would be a bit of an extreme scenario…

And this strange phenomenon that exists where the format of Strictly Come Dancing needs to be copied almost exactly by other programmes (i.e. Strictly Dance Fever (arrrrghhh, that's even got 'Strictly' in the title, possibly making it the least subtle rip-off of anything ever, with the possible exception of a restaurant in Bolton town centre called 'Kingburger') and ITV's new 'Dancing on Ice'.) Just take the following ingredients:-

1. Charismatic male host in suit
2. Female host who only exists just to interview the contestants and smile alot (and be subject to the flirtations and humour of the male host)
3. 4 (or 5) judges with egos bigger than their bank balances.
4. At least one 'relationship' between dance partners.
5. Split the vote 50:50 between judges and people at home who enjoy dialling premium rate phone lines/texting premium rate numbers, and casting insignificant, useless votes.
6. Male dancers who like showing off their chests

Mix all these well, and you've got your generic dancing-related gameshow.

Anyway, as you may have guessed, the moral of this entry is 'I don't like SCD or any of its rip/spin offs.' And that's enough ranting on this for one lifetime on this subject.

Ian

: 29 Jan 2006 00:09 |  Tags: Opinion |  Comments (1) |  Trackbacks (1) |  Report a problem