Dancing with the Stars...on ABC...in HD! - Page 2

Mario would have to be the early favorite, IMO. Vivica surprised me; she's good! She's an awfully good looking woman, but a little "thicker" than I expected. Sadly, no equivalent to Stacy Keebler this year.

Yep - the original production was the BBC's "Strictly Come Dancing". The unusual bit is that, as you correctly mention, ABC didn't just buy the format (as is usually the case when a show transfers) they also got the BBC to (co?)-produce it, with key production members from the original UK show coming to the US to work on it.

This season I think the US and UK versions are on-air simultaneously (our new series kicks off next weekend or the weekend after I think?) - it will be interesting to see which show Alex Rudzinsky is directing.

Even the judges said that Stacy was by far the best dancer they've ever had on the show. And it seems that they must have also worked one of the non-US versions of the show because I have heard several times when they have mentioned more seasons than have been aired in the US.

So, I think it could easily be several seasons before we see another Stacy Keebler.

This really should have been done last year so we could see Stacy. I doubt I will watch this season, none of the people interest me.

Seems like there is a good amount of skin detail on this show, technically speaking.

It's Willa....actually Mandy, but whatever. She predicted locally before the first show she would get voted out early as she doesn't have name value for a following. Appears she was right

(From Marc Berman's Wednesday, September 20, 2006, Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com )
Primetime Ratings For Tuesday, September 19th

Led by another two-hour edition of Dancing With the Stars, ABC won the first Tuesday of the 2006-07 season, with a first-place finish in the overnights, total viewers and adults 18-49. ABC's must see Dancing With the Stars stood head and shoulders above the competition (including a Tuesday edition of NBC's Deal or No Deal), with a 12.8/19 in the overnights, 18.07 million viewers and a 5.2/14 among adults 18-49 from 8-10 p.m.

Looks like I was very wrong on my prediction for Emmitt. He was much better at the Quickstep than I thought he would be. I now think he's a serious contender since he probably has the biggest fan base.

I watched in analog SD last week due to the audio problems, so last night was the first time that I watched the whole show in HD on the projector. All I can say is WOW that dress Willa was wearing was smoking. Now I'm really sad that we didn't get to see Stacy in HD last season. I think they really need to bring Stacy back for a bunch of cameos on the elimination night dances.

OTOH, the 5.1 audio encoding for this show sucks. The audio engineer for this show must have some serious hearing problems since he obviously can't hear the echo-cho-cho-cho and having the dialog smeared all the way across the front channels makes it even worse. If he'd just add a few flushing toilet effects, it would sound just like it was recorded in an all tile bathroom.

Anyway, I'm hoping Jerry gets the ax tonight instead of Harry or Willa. Harry is a bit of sentimental favorite of mine. I'd like to see him have a chance to get better since he's Lisa's husband and since Ashely has had such crummy partners in the previous seasons. And Willa just doesn't deserve to get kicked out at this point.

I hope so too, but I'm afraid that Jerry's fan base is made up of the most die-hard reality show fans - probably the kind who actually call in their votes (we never do because we're usually at least an hour later watching it on the DVR).

Agree that Emmitt is going to be a serious contender because he does move very confidently and naturally and arguably has the most loyal fan base.

Tim

I hope Willa sticks around for awhile as she's the closest thing to the babe-factor of Stacy Keibler that the show has this year. Too bad she's not that great a dancer. I hope Harry sticks around for a few more weeks too, as he seems like such a nice guy and his wife was a much better dancer last year than her final position indicated (She got jobbed, IMO.).

Inferring that you have access to the BBC's version, plus the fact that competitive dancing is huge in the UK, can you offer any insight as to whether that version contains more actual dancing than ours does?

I understand everyone enjoys something different but it's clear that the strict dancing aspect of this show has gone steadily downhill since the first season (and it wasn't too far up the hill at the start, either). Do the judges in the UK actually demand something of the contestants or are they as much a part of the actual entertainment as the crew here is?

Changing standard dances to smooth is one thing, but if cartwheels and tap are OK then they might as well take the dance descriptions off the show's website and put up cabaret and showdancing.

=NLK=

QUOTE: OTOH, the 5.1 audio encoding for this show sucks. The audio engineer for this show must have some serious hearing problems since he obviously can't hear the echo-cho-cho-cho and having the dialog smeared all the way across the front channels makes it even worse. If he'd just add a few flushing toilet effects, it would sound just like it was recorded in an all tile bathroom. UNQUOTE

Mack, I live in Phoenix area (Peoria) and the sound was horrible. I checked the Phoenix local HDTV thread and no one mentioned it so I was beginning to think my HD DVR (Directv) recording audio was going out or maybe it's just the local ABC transmission which isn't always that great (OTA). I'm happy to hear that, I am not the only one noticing audio problems.
Mark D

From Marc Berman's Thursday, September 21, 2006, Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com )
Primetime Ratings For Wednesday, September 20th

The live Dancing With the Stars results show won the 8 p.m. hour, with an 11.1/18 in the overnights, 14.89 million viewers and a 3.7/11 among adults 18-49. But the big surprise in the time period was the unexpected sampling for the debut of CBS drama Jericho. Jericho finished a solid second with a 7.7/12 in the overnights, 11.40 million viewers and a 3.2/10 among adults 18-49.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

I wasn't expecting HD the first time, although it would have been nice. But, once it was a success, I was surprised and disappointed it wasn't HD for the second season.

IMO, Lisa Rinna should have placed higher than Jerry Rice, also.

Except that is not how it is spelled either! It is 'Keibler'.
The way you wrote it is how you would think it is written based on how she pronounces it. In reality, she is mis-pronouncing her name, which is apparently common in the US, as some people Anglicise (sp?) the pronunciation of their name. It should be read 'keye-bler', (with 'eye' = a long 'I'), but she pronounces it 'kee-bler'.

Well at least Sara made it through for another round.

I agree completely, and said as much up in post #42. Lisa was no worse a dancer than third, perhaps even second. She got hosed. But, audience-vote shows will do that to ya'.


She seems very sweet, but she's just not very good. In a just world, elimination would be between her and Springer next week, but, see my comment above. She seems to have a large and faithful fan following, kinda' like Jerry.

One more kinda' snarky comment: anyone notice how all the women contestants this year are extremely, ah, well-endowed? Whoever picked this year's Stars gets a gold star!

Well, at least we get one more week of Willa, but I'm afraid it'll be her last week since Sara, Harry and (esp.) Jerry seem to have much bigger fan bases.

Coincidence with this season being in HD? Something tells me no. On this Disney offering it's definitely not a small small world.

It might be a lot smaller world by the end of the season.

It's going to be interesting to see how much weight Sara and Vivica end up losing this season.

And Willa and Monica don't have much extra to lose so they might end up as extremely lean and toned as Lisa did at the end of last season.

I think it's already started for Vivica. She looked markedly different from week one to week two, I thought. Can't wait to see her at the end!

Anyone having odd audio issues tonight? Sounds like it's in a can. This is from Comcast on WABC.

Are you listening in 5.1 or 2.0? HD or SD?

Not sure - as I haven't seen a full episode of the ABC version - I am a viewer of the BBC production.

Our new series hasn't started yet - it starts next month.

I guess how much dancing we see depends on the number of contestants, the amount of "reality" rehearsal coverage, and the length of the show. (We don't have commercials on the BBC in the UK - so our hour long shows are often 58 to 59 minutes of programme)


I think we share - or shared (as our new series will be on-air at the same time as the US series for the first time this season - though they don't air on the same days so they could be whizzing across the Atlantic twice a week?) - at least some of our judges - Len and Bruno?

Our panel has historically been 4 judges : Len Goodman (ballroom expert - and often picks up on unapproved steps - though is quite a kind judge), Craig Revel Horwood (choreographer - he recently choreographed "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" which finished recently in the same timeslot as SCD on BBC One - and he is usually the most critical of the men), Arlene Philips (famous British choreographer who worked on Starlight Express etc. - and doesn't pull her punches) and Bruno Tonioli (ex-dancer now choreographer I believe who seems to be less technical and more "emotional" with his comments)

Not all judges are always able to comment on all performances - especially in the early rounds of the show.

This season we have 14 contestants I believe - up from the previous 12 of series 3, 10 of series 2 and 8 of series 1!


I think the UK version may be a bit "stricter" (the title comes from a play on "Strictly Ballroom" - the Baz Luhrmann film - and the longrunning BBC ballroom dancing show "Come Dancing" - which was real competitive dance championship) - but we also have "Strictly Dance Fever" - which is an amateur contest (with no professionals and no celebrities) with a much wider genre - in the same Saturday night timeslot when SCD is off-air.

Our dances are as follows I believe :

Waltz, Quickstep, Ballroom Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz
Cha Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Jive, Paso Doble
American Smooth, Cuban Salsa, Argentine Tango (The last 3 introduced in season 3 - I guess because it was a longer season and needed some more variety)

Certainly no tap...

HD, and both 5.1 and 2.0. It's doing it on my HDTV and PC card. I flipped over to the analog channel on my MyHD card and it's not doing it. It must be a problem with the 5.1 mix.

Sneals2000:

Thanks for your comprehensive reply. I think I should have compacted my original post and simply asked: "do the judges in the UK version actually care about the rules of each dance"? It seems that on our show, even with Quickstep and Tango (which are SUPPOSED to be the standard forms) our celebrities/pro partners routinely break in and out of hold. No problem for the judges. Technique is given very low priority. I understand these are neophyte dancers but certainly it doesn't take any skill to know that in certain dances you don't break hold and someone who TRIES to execute proper technique should be appropriately rewarded. They aren't. I was wondering if in the UK version Len, et. al. pays more attention to that sort of thing.

Apropos of this, it appears that the producers of our version have latched onto this "rule/technique" thingie and think it would make for more fan interest if the judges actually pretended they were interested. Last week (Quickstep) virtually no couples stayed in hold as they should but Len got royally PO'd with just one guy who spent 90% of the dance doing what amounted to gymnastics. The judges scolded him appropriately but gave him a good score anyway. That apparently got people talking so this week (Tango, again International) they scolded a few more couples about breaking apart and actually marked them down. Problem was, of course, that they said NOTHING last week when the same thing happened in the Quickstep. Their feigned concern (I was going to use the word hypocritical but of course this IS just entertainment) was pretty funny.

BTW, if you DID see our show you'd know the judges definitely think tap dancing is part of the Quickstep.

Again, thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts.

=NLK=