A lazy Boxing Day
Dec. 26th, 2018 01:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessAs I was spending Christmas Day with family members and no TV, I had to catch up on the Strictly Christmas special. What Christmas TV/films on TV I want to watch has been scheduled most inconveniently for me. I’m getting a good sulk on that Twelfth Night isn’t available on iPlayer.
Lovely opening – I, er, teared up towards the end – with a little ‘Clara’ dancing with Darcey and special effects, before introducing the celebs. Inventive use of ‘All I Want for Christmas’ for the busy mother/Nutcracker storyline. Daunting to be dancing with a proper ballerina. Enter Tess and Claud in colour (a relaxed red jumpsuit and golden dress respectively) and the judges in costume. Shirley was clearly very excited about the show and having a wand.
First up, Anita and Neil. She was clearly relieved not to have to be tossed upside down. Gleb got a lot of mentions. A charming and pretty well-done foxtrot (with props!) and Neil wondering what he has to do to get promoted. Christmas inflation on the scores – making Claudia’s comments after nearly every dance that that was X’s best score meaningless.
Second up, Aston and Janette and unfinished business. Nobody mentioned the salsa or how it was Janette’s fault that one of the recent best dancers never made it anywhere near the final. Aston used his very cute baby son to tug at the heartstrings. They had a Nutcracker-themed jive (did the Strictly producers think the Disney film was going to Hit Big. Mary Poppins would have been a better bet.) A bit of faffing about before he got into his jive, which featured immense tricks. (I thought there was maybe a lack of flow.) Bruno’s ‘best Christmas jive’ was probably less of a compliment than it was meant to be, Craig’s ‘you brought something fresh’ delight was obviously less than Janette’s relief at having made it up to Aston. Aston had a better celebration than anyone managed all series.
Third up, and bringing a smile to everyone’s lips at their reunion: Ann and Anton. We were reminded that it was years and years since she became a Strictly legend, leaving me pondering how old she is now. ‘Sisters’ and the storyline were a canny choice. I was going to type ‘for the dance’ but, obviously, there wasn’t that much dance content. You could almost visualise Susannah’s thought bubble of ‘I was better than that!’ in the audience – but she’s younger than Ann. Great entrance by Ann on a palanquin – and now is as good a time as any to praise the production design. Who was playing Cinders? Craig managed to give the least embarrassing comments.
Was this when Claudia was creepy/funny over the dolls?
Fourth, Michael and Nadiya, safe in the knowledge they’d get more than 22. Primary school age children are not as cute as babies. He got the flying in job, I was distracted by Nana (been a while since they had a dog on the show) and then, if I’m honest, wondering why Nadiya had to be dressed as ‘sexy Wendy’. I agreed that his partnering on the lifts and showing off his lady was good: it wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t good. None of the judges made a ‘Peter Pan goes wrong’ joke.
Fifth, Jake and Luba – and it must have been awkward for Jake to be on the show with Janette partnering Aston, but he was a gent and did his best pitch for Luba to be promoted to partnering a celeb next series. By giving him a cha-cha, they played to his strengths and he danced confidently and did a better Latin than most (indeed, than most of this year’s celebs watching from the audience.) Craig decided he hadn’t reinvented a genre and gave him a 9.
Finally, Caroline and Gorka, and although she referenced the strong competition, with Aston’s compelling case, I did wonder if she regretted agreeing this year. But a Charleston playing a character like Pinnochio is a gift, and a dancer of her calibre was a gift for Gorka. She must have stretched properly before starting! It was as good as you’d expect and if I’d had a vote, I’d have voted for her (so I assumed Aston would win, or that the audience, unable to decide between them, would vote for Ann and Anton.)
Andres and Amy managed to pull off dancing to Silent Night. It was just the love of movement and the echoes of stars at one point. The choir sang beautifully (although, for future reference, one voice singing the melody seemed a touch overpowering).
Tess in the Clauditorium weirdness. (I called the punchline being ‘Call the Midwife’, which is beside the point, because it is always about Claudia’s delivery.)
The Make a Wish outreach thing went quite well. I am assuming that the kids were mostly more excited to see the Strictly dancers than the celebs.
Aston won, and surely any male celeb being asked to do Strictly on Christmas should beg for Janette as a partner henceforth.
Cue a group dance where the strongest dancers showed off, they gave Ann as little as possible to do while letting her take part, and a brave, brave Craig took on Claudia.
Better than usual – it really is better that they have former contestants with some clue of what they’re doing.
Lovely opening – I, er, teared up towards the end – with a little ‘Clara’ dancing with Darcey and special effects, before introducing the celebs. Inventive use of ‘All I Want for Christmas’ for the busy mother/Nutcracker storyline. Daunting to be dancing with a proper ballerina. Enter Tess and Claud in colour (a relaxed red jumpsuit and golden dress respectively) and the judges in costume. Shirley was clearly very excited about the show and having a wand.
First up, Anita and Neil. She was clearly relieved not to have to be tossed upside down. Gleb got a lot of mentions. A charming and pretty well-done foxtrot (with props!) and Neil wondering what he has to do to get promoted. Christmas inflation on the scores – making Claudia’s comments after nearly every dance that that was X’s best score meaningless.
Second up, Aston and Janette and unfinished business. Nobody mentioned the salsa or how it was Janette’s fault that one of the recent best dancers never made it anywhere near the final. Aston used his very cute baby son to tug at the heartstrings. They had a Nutcracker-themed jive (did the Strictly producers think the Disney film was going to Hit Big. Mary Poppins would have been a better bet.) A bit of faffing about before he got into his jive, which featured immense tricks. (I thought there was maybe a lack of flow.) Bruno’s ‘best Christmas jive’ was probably less of a compliment than it was meant to be, Craig’s ‘you brought something fresh’ delight was obviously less than Janette’s relief at having made it up to Aston. Aston had a better celebration than anyone managed all series.
Third up, and bringing a smile to everyone’s lips at their reunion: Ann and Anton. We were reminded that it was years and years since she became a Strictly legend, leaving me pondering how old she is now. ‘Sisters’ and the storyline were a canny choice. I was going to type ‘for the dance’ but, obviously, there wasn’t that much dance content. You could almost visualise Susannah’s thought bubble of ‘I was better than that!’ in the audience – but she’s younger than Ann. Great entrance by Ann on a palanquin – and now is as good a time as any to praise the production design. Who was playing Cinders? Craig managed to give the least embarrassing comments.
Was this when Claudia was creepy/funny over the dolls?
Fourth, Michael and Nadiya, safe in the knowledge they’d get more than 22. Primary school age children are not as cute as babies. He got the flying in job, I was distracted by Nana (been a while since they had a dog on the show) and then, if I’m honest, wondering why Nadiya had to be dressed as ‘sexy Wendy’. I agreed that his partnering on the lifts and showing off his lady was good: it wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t good. None of the judges made a ‘Peter Pan goes wrong’ joke.
Fifth, Jake and Luba – and it must have been awkward for Jake to be on the show with Janette partnering Aston, but he was a gent and did his best pitch for Luba to be promoted to partnering a celeb next series. By giving him a cha-cha, they played to his strengths and he danced confidently and did a better Latin than most (indeed, than most of this year’s celebs watching from the audience.) Craig decided he hadn’t reinvented a genre and gave him a 9.
Finally, Caroline and Gorka, and although she referenced the strong competition, with Aston’s compelling case, I did wonder if she regretted agreeing this year. But a Charleston playing a character like Pinnochio is a gift, and a dancer of her calibre was a gift for Gorka. She must have stretched properly before starting! It was as good as you’d expect and if I’d had a vote, I’d have voted for her (so I assumed Aston would win, or that the audience, unable to decide between them, would vote for Ann and Anton.)
Andres and Amy managed to pull off dancing to Silent Night. It was just the love of movement and the echoes of stars at one point. The choir sang beautifully (although, for future reference, one voice singing the melody seemed a touch overpowering).
Tess in the Clauditorium weirdness. (I called the punchline being ‘Call the Midwife’, which is beside the point, because it is always about Claudia’s delivery.)
The Make a Wish outreach thing went quite well. I am assuming that the kids were mostly more excited to see the Strictly dancers than the celebs.
Aston won, and surely any male celeb being asked to do Strictly on Christmas should beg for Janette as a partner henceforth.
Cue a group dance where the strongest dancers showed off, they gave Ann as little as possible to do while letting her take part, and a brave, brave Craig took on Claudia.
Better than usual – it really is better that they have former contestants with some clue of what they’re doing.
