Tuesday 29 October 2019

Anti-Cath

Week 5: Top 10 (of 11) Results (Hallowe'en Week) - 27 October 2019

Last night! Half the cast were struck down before the show even began! Michelle got 39, Karim got a light deramping, Catherine and Chris got stuck to the bottom of the leaderboard, and Craig got the hump with most of the routines!

Tonight! Someone’s not going to make it to the week before week before Blackpool week! But first, we must make it through the credits and our annual Halloween bondage themed pro dance. This year we have ‘Toxic’ as our tune and it’s Dianne and Giovanni at the centre of the paso-ish orgy with Giovanni looking like Dave Gahan in 90s-era Depeche Mode and Dianne looking like all the wigs got piled together on her head (yes probably even Karen’s from last night) and dyed black and red – all the ladypros are gothed up in black wigs but hers has red on it so we know who it is. They’re a tempestuous couple but even though he’s tempted by all the other female pros (at one point bending Janette in two at the vagina), he returns to her but she falls down dead with all the other women with Giovanni last dancer standing. So HE is the Strictly slasher then? (oh and the male pros turned up looking all V for Vendetta for 5 seconds as well). As ever, those of us waiting for the moment they let Goth!Kevin back out of hibernation to take centre stage in one of these things are left disappointed.

Monday 28 October 2019

Night of the dancing dead

Week 6: Top 11 (/10) Perform (Hallowe'en Week) - 26 October 2019

Last  week!  The judges continued to push the boundaries of what the ‘9’ paddle can do and edge ever closer to demanding an 11 paddle! Carlton from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air was in again and “inspired” one of the worst comedy routines in living memory! And after eighty dance-off appearances (approx.), David and Nadiya left the competition.

Tonight!  Ghouls and banshees and things that go bump in the night. That’s right, kids, Bruno’s back. We open with a pre-credits skit themed around The Twilight Zone which is chiefly notable for the fact that, randomly, Dave Arch has joined in the merriment. Next year our Strictly singers being tormented by The Man in the Hat and the other anonymous band members?

Cue credits!

Friday 25 October 2019

This week on It Takes Two, we have learnt...

Monday

- Rylan wants Johannes to be prime minister.
- Erin is looking fantastic.
- In foxtrot, the woman needs to pull her hips back to give the man room to move. 
- It's important for the woman to stay left in a Viennese waltz so that the man has a choice of directions.
- God it's depressing that so many dances are described as 'woman needs to do X for the man'.
- A charleston shoe has a flatter heel.
- David literally couldn't do any of his jive in time on day one.
- Nadiya has five different smiles, each of which conveys a powerful message if you know what to look for.

Sunday 20 October 2019

Footballer's coming home

Week 5: Top 12 Results - 20 October 2019

We open with that much-anticipated Fashion! routine, with Kevin and AJ as red carpet correspondents who apparently have to be paid Equity rates if they speak, so they're just miming conversation with each other, and yes, it looks weird. Anton strides out in that horrible gold and black jacket they always make him wear when they're trying to make it look like he hasn't got a solid decade on everyone else in the roster, and the band strike up David Bowie's 'Fame'. The judges walk down the red carpet, followed by Aljaž and Janette as a pair of fashionista movie stars, and Aljaž is in leather trousers, just in case the double denim from last week wasn't your thing. Following them, Luba in a Ruth Langsford Memorial Wig playing Anna Wintour, with Amy as her anxious Plain Jane assistant. Luba is absolutely rocking this look by the way, truly gone too soon. Nadiya struts out as a scantily dressed model and offloads her luggage onto poor Amy, while Karen leans into her inner butch once again to come out with a top hat/tuxedo/cane combo and ... guys, I think I really fancy Karen Hauer this year? It's very disconcerting. [Honestly I have never been so invested in her as I have this year, what an unexpected butch glow-up - Rad] After her comes the star of the show: Johannes, in leather trousers and heels, vogueing with a hand-fan that says "POSE" on it (season two coming to BBC2 next Saturday!). Graziano, Gorka and Giovanni then turn up in matching suits, and I've fanoned them into a popera group called 3G. Nancy, Dianne and Katya arrive as fans desperate for selfies, and then Oti full-on lies on the red carpet with her leg over her head and narrowly avoids one or both of her titties escaping her dress. I guess whatever money they saved on Amy and Nadiya's outfits from the main show went into supportive undergarments for Oti in this number, and I'd say it was money well spent.

Blitz Carlton

Week 5: Top 12 Perform - 19 October 2019

Movie Week? Pffft. Blackpool Week? Get outta town. Musicals Week? I don't think so. Readers, there's only one theme week that matters: Carlton Week! Yep, after getting a warm reception as Bruno's holiday cover last year, it appears Alfonso Ribeiro has landed a semi-regular gig on this show because he's back to do it all over again! We open with a VT in which Craig, Shirley and Motsi sing his praises (although Motsi has to settle for "ooh, weren't he good on Dancing With The Stars?") because she's not actually worked with him yet), which I guess makes a change from watching the remaining celebrities read something quasi-profound from a set of cue cards and having it all edited together so they get to say one word each.

Saturday 19 October 2019

This Week on It Takes Two, we have learnt...

Monday

- Dev went out to breakfast with Alex and Michelle this morning and it was all a bit awkward when they left to go on to training.
- Dianne seems to be taking this all very personally, to the extent of basically offering Dev free dance tuition for life.
- Motsi and Shirley both sent personal condolences to Dev and Dianne.
- Only Luba turned up for Kevin's birthday party.
- Anton was gripping Emma's neck so tightly in the rehearsal footage it looked like he was close to (accidentally presumably) throttling her.
- Oti should not quit the day job to become a hairdresser.
- Neil however has got his eye on Greg The Floor Manager's job.

Wednesday 16 October 2019

Arrested Development

Week 4: Top 13 Results - 13 October 2019

Last night – well, who knows what the fuck happened? Let’s see what that car crash has done to the results…

Monday 14 October 2019

You get a 9! And you get a 9! And you get a 9! (Not you Alex)

Week 4: Top 13 Perform - 12 October 2019

Last week! Movie week did its usual movie week trick of featuring a ton of musicals, loads of Disney and some TV theme tunes that only sort of half-count as movies. This week! One of those awkward weeks in between movie week and HALLOWEEN where the show has to work out where everyone is on their official journey!

Saturday 12 October 2019

This week on It Takes Two, we have learnt...

Monday

- Anneka feels like she ran away to the circus on her gap year but has just come home to a pile of ironing.
- Rylan didn't realise Anneka's dance was meant to be a charleston.
- Anneka never wants to hear 'Woo Hoo' again, because it did her head in during rehearsals.
- If nothing else, Kevin has taught Anneka to clap in time to music.

Tuesday 8 October 2019

Rice iced baby

Week 3: Top 14 Results - 6 October 2019

Last night! Anneka killed (dance), Karim Kung Fu-ed it up, Dev blue, Kelvin flue and... no-one did a Minions routine so I can't say their score Gru. Anyway, not many routines resembled their genres, and in a few cases they didn't much resemble dance at all. At the end of it all there was a big mid-table tussle that could easily see a shock bottom two - so let's see who the public have decided to cut loose.

Cue credits!  Of all the couples to decide to floss in their background, I wouldn't have bet on Kelvin and Oti.

We open with the pros all sitting in a cinema, no-one next to each other so they all have enough personal space... my ideal way of watching films. They're all pontificating on the power of cinema, which turns into a trip through the movies featuring (deep breath): The Jurassic Park theme tune; Giovanni in a Charlie Chaplin film; Anton and Nadiya in some Fred'n'Ginge-or-Cyd thing, Dianne in the Wizard of Oz; Gorka in Singing in the Rain (can we get a check on if the widow is in tonight?); Aljaž and Janette in West Side Story; Amy and AJ in Titanic; Graziano? and Luba in Mary Poppins (they make her fly and it actually looks good for a change); Neil in something with a plane, I dunno, Dambusters? [Edit: Ruggerlad informs me it was North by Northwest - cheers!] Kevin and Katya in Harry Potter; Nancy in Breakfast at Tiffany's standing and doing nothing like an absolute ICON; Karen and Johannes in  Dirty Dancing; Oti and Graziano in Brief Encounter, and then the shock twist is that Graziano was Rocky all along!

Then we move into more tributes featuring multiple pros: some sort of Black Panther-meets-Spiderman-something I can't identify but is possibly meant to be copyright-free superheroes?; Pirates of the Carribean; The King and I; La La Land; Moulin Rouge; more Charlie Chaplin; The Greatest Showman; Cabaret; The Sound of Music (with Nadiya in a wig that makes her look like a bad Carol Smillie tribute act) [we thought she was genuinely Amanda Holden for a moment - Steve] and there's some dancing in there somewhere. It's A LOT. But I guess quite spectacular in its own way.

Tess and Claudia enter. Dresswatch: Claudia's in a dark grey sparkly thing that's quite nice; Tess in a Morticia Addams-esque black velvet dress with enormous shoulders. Which I guess works for movie week as much as Halloween, so we'll let her off. Then we come onto Shirley'n'Bruno and Motsi'n'Craig, and Shirley's in a glam beaded white frock that looks very film star, Motsi in a striking red satin jumpsuit, Craig in a flowery jacket and Bruno in slightly boring black, but generally these outfits are an upgrade from 'yesterday'. Tess tells us Harry Connick Jr will be performing later - where did they dig him up from?

Interminable recap of yesterday in which the following of note happens: Aljaž tells Hot Greg he's got his timing wrong, everyone eats caramelised popcorn, a lot of time is spent on telling us how good Emma and Aljaž and Catherine and Johannes are if that's a portent of anything, Anneka and Kevin are fairly happy that the performance was actually one of their better attempts at the Charleston, Dev blends into the blue background backstage.

And now for our first set of results. Safe are: Emma and Anton (who shouts 'Yeah Baby', although isn't it supposed to be 'Yeah Baby Yeah'?); Kelvin and Oti; Alex and Neil; Emma and Aljaž. The first couple in the bottom? Anneka and Kevin, who don't look in the least bit surprised. Anneka says she gives no shits as she just feels like she's walked into an exercise class in a Victoria Wood sketch anyway. Shirley says to just enjoy it and then 'it's in the lap of the gods' although I can't see them beating anyone, unless Mike or David have a car crash dance-off, and even then I'd still expect Anneka going.

In the Clauditorium, we have important baby warz updates, as a video of Kelvin dancing with his baby is deployed; thooperfan updates as we learn Emma B sends fan letters to the hair and makeup team; Alex thinks it's a surprise to get through. The second set of results. Against Anneka Rice and David James.

And we're on to the second set of results very speedily indeed, saving Catherine and Johannes; Dev and Dianne; Will and Janette; Karim and Amy... and everyone else will have to wait until later.  Thought that was too good to be true. Craig says he loves theme weeks because it gets them out of their shells (/the rigors of sticking to genres).

Back in the Clauditorium, Dev says it's a surprise to still be here (?!), Catherine has a Charleston to Single Ladies next week and if you were betting that Johannes' face would tell you he's living his best life, then congratulations. Also Will's happy to be here and Karim doesn't get to say anything. I kind of feel they both need some more storylines...

Very Special Guest Harry Connick Jr is doing a version of 'Anything Goes' where he keeps messing about with singing off the beat and it's annoying me. Also he seems to have morphed into the love child of Jonathan Frakes and Ricky Martin, so there's that. Eventually Anton and Nadiya turn up and do a lovely quickstep which is quite nice.

During Dance Debrief, Motsi waxes lyrical about Dev's dance having a great mixture of everything; Shirley praises Catherine's performance and technique and reminds us it was a 'simplistic' routine, the shade of it all. We focus on Chris's terrible flapping hands and lack of  'pump' step. Claudia says it's week three and Craig says 'yeah, that's a long way into the competition'. We then cover Oti and Kelvin's synchronicity by showing a clip where they're not quite in sync. Then we recover Craig telling Anton his teeth are fake and the mortification of realising the truth, and he actually looks like he might cry with shame, bless.

And now we finally come to the rest of the results. Safe: Saffron and AJ; Chris and Karen and Michelle and Giovanni, meaning Mike and Katya are our two before the bottom two and David and Nadiya are once again dancing off. And could give us the opportunity for our second 'Home James' blog title in a row.

David says 'there's a movie called Deja Vu, isn't there?' and Tess says 'that's right?' because she's clearly not sure (there is, a 2006 thing with Denzel Washington. I've never seen it). Bruno advises him to sweep Nadiya up in the romance. Of Batman.

With the saved couples we learn that Saffron's nan is in next week and they're doing couple's choice to her nan's favourite song. We don't, sadly, learn what this is but I'll laugh myself silly if it's street commercial. Claudia says she wants It Takes Two to make an hour long montage of Chris's funny faces. If it wasn't finally going back to its regular slot this week they'd probably have actually done that. Sooo stretched for content. Michelle's doing a salsa next week and is glad to be going back to Latin, Mike has lost a stone and thinks he looks taller.

We then get a plug for the podcast the social meeds, It Takes Two, and they're still doing that BBC Three nonsense bet that doesn't last the duration.

And so we come to the dance off. Like last week, it's not one for the ages, unless you're a collector of duff dance-offs. Anneka's lack of shit giving marginally improves her routine but only to the degree that she might get an extra point or two from the judges combined - and I don't say improved in terms of technique, it's more in the sense of her not caring and knowing she's likely going home that makes it a bit more enjoyable to watch. David's is also the same amount of marginally better, mostly because he doesn't grin like a loon part-way through this time.

With the judges, it looks like Shirley's been crying? Craig saves David and Nadiya for 'commitment and improvement', Motsi saves them for 'a more emotional show', and Bruno saves them for being 'more convincing'. Shirley would also have saved them, funnily enough.

Anneka says she'd have saved them too, though Kevin says he wouldn't have. She says she's loved the whole thing even though she's covered in bruises and it's opened up a whole new world to her. One of her sons is getting married next year and she's determined to get on the dancefloor. Aww. Kevin says he was really worried on day one when she couldn't even clap but she's put in a lot of effort and he's really proud of her. They dance out to 'My Heart Will Go On' and we've witnessed our first early Kevin exit everyone. Next year it might happen to Giovanni?

So that's that for movie week! I for one am glad they didn't do Yesterday (and so should you be as I could rant about that film for 10,000 words easy). Shall we meet again same time same place next week to see if David is done for or becomes a new Dance-Off Goddess?

Monday 7 October 2019

Dance Yourself Disney

Week 3: Top 14 Perform (Movie Week) - 5 October 2019

Last week! The public got their first chance to vote! Karim and Michelle dazzled, James and David gave us one of the most dire dance-offs of all time, and James was sent packing, primarily because David seems to hate being here less? Hopefully that doesn’t bode ill for Luba who deserves a chance with someone at least vaguely capable.

Tonight! It’s movie week, otherwise known as ‘spot how many songs are also from musicals so we can have a grump about theme weeks being the same’ week. We open with a trailer that claims critics are calling the show ‘exciting’ and ‘mesmerising’ and I feel this is definitely a case of CITATION NEEDED.

Cue credits. Is anyone else a little bit obsessed with the mini couples dancing in the background? I love how both Kevin and Luba are doing the twist and their celebrity partners are… also in the footage.

Saturday 5 October 2019

This week on It Takes Two, we have learnt...

Monday

- Someone needs to tell Rylan it's series 17, not 16.  Unless he means of It Takes Two, of course.
- James is very good at forgetting things.
- Luba planned the whole jive with the aim of making James smile.
- It took James 10 years to go from starting rowing to winning a race.
- Luba thinks her lasting legacy in James's life will be his memory of her saying "shoulders down".
- James is pleased to never have to dance again, because now he has the official excuse of not being able to dance.
- James has learned that dancing isn't just about getting the steps right but about moving to music and working with your partner.