The Greatest Dancer

Revision as of 11:37, 3 March 2019

Host

Alesha Dixon and Jordan Banjo

Co-hosts

Dance captains: Cheryl, Matthew Morrison, Oti Mabuse

Broadcast

SyCo Entertainment and Thames for BBC1, 5 January 2019 to present

Synopsis

Dancers from around the world, and all sorts of styles, compete to be named "Greatest Dancer".

Teams are led by Cheryl (from Girls Aloud), Matthew Morrison (Broadway and Glee star), and Oti Mabuse (Strictly Come Dancing professional).

The gimmick was in the audition phase. Dancers performed to the audience behind a wall. On their side, it's the mirror of a dance studio. For the theatre audience, it's a video projection of what's going on just feet away.

The audience have keypads, and can say they'd like to see more of this performance. Once 75% of the audience have said yes, the mirror opens, the video wall splits, and we see the dancers in the flesh. Should the audience not give approval, the mirror stays shut, and that's that.

Enough people like it to open the mirror.

Once the auditions are over, there are callbacks - everyone performs again, and the "dance captains" (judges and mentors) pick their performers for the live shows. A public vote names the eliminated acts, and eventually provides the winner.

A slot in January and February pitted The Greatest Dancer against The Voice UK on ITV, and the shows share many similarities. There's an eye-catching audition (the crack'd mirror, the spinning chairs). There are mentors who encourage the talent more than they compete against each other. And, after the auditions, the public tune out.

The Greatest Dancer filled a small public service, proving that Strictly Come Dancing was not the only dance entertainment on television. To do this, it presented dance as pure entertainment - there was no technical advice, no mention of how very hard these performers train. Should they have recommissioned So You Think You Can Dance? Perhaps not: Nigel Lythgoe is of the past, Simon Cowell is of the moment.

Series 1 champion Ellie.

Champions

2019 Ellie

Inventor

Simco and Thames are credited for "Format".

Title Music

Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, produced and arranged by Graham Stack and Jeremy Stack

Trivia

The audience voting to approve an act they see on stage? That's the audition gimmick of Rising Star, an Israeli format that was fashionable for about two months in 2014.

Web links

BBC programme page

Pictures

Show producer Amelia Wilson played the receptionist, a plot device to introduce the performers.

Feedback

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+[[File:The greatest dancer title.jpg|300px]]
 <div class="box">
 == Host ==
@@ Line 17: / Line 19: @@
 Dancers from around the world, and all sorts of styles, compete to be named "Greatest Dancer".
-In the auditions round, the arena audience vote to approve a performer; when 75% give the thumbs up, a mirror opens and the captains can see what's on offer.
+Teams are led by Cheryl (from Girls Aloud), Matthew Morrison (Broadway and ''Glee'' star), and Oti Mabuse ([[Strictly Come Dancing]] professional).
-Teams are led by Cheryl (previously Cheryl Tweedy, Cheryl Cole, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini; always Cheryl from Girls Aloud), Matthew Morrison (Broadway and ''Glee'' star), and Oti Mabuse ([[Strictly Come Dancing]] professional).
+The gimmick was in the audition phase. Dancers performed to the audience behind a wall. On their side, it's the mirror of a dance studio. For the theatre audience, it's a video projection of what's going on just feet away.
-{{notaired}}
+The audience have keypads, and can say they'd like to see more of this performance. Once 75% of the audience have said yes, the mirror opens, the video wall splits, and we see the dancers in the flesh. Should the audience not give approval, the mirror stays shut, and that's that.
+<div class=image>
+[[File:The greatest dancer mirror opens.jpg|400px]]
+''Enough people like it to open the mirror.''
+</div>
+Once the auditions are over, there are callbacks - everyone performs again, and the "dance captains" (judges and mentors) pick their performers for the live shows. A public vote names the eliminated acts, and eventually provides the winner.
+A slot in January and February pitted ''The Greatest Dancer'' against [[The Voice UK]] on ITV, and the shows share many similarities. There's an eye-catching audition (the crack'd mirror, the spinning chairs). There are mentors who encourage the talent more than they compete against each other. And, after the auditions, the public tune out.
+''The Greatest Dancer'' filled a small public service, proving that [[Strictly Come Dancing]] was not the only dance entertainment on television. To do this, it presented dance as pure entertainment - there was no technical advice, no mention of how very hard these performers train. Should they have recommissioned [[So You Think You Can Dance]]? Perhaps not: Nigel Lythgoe is of the past, Simon Cowell is of the moment.
+<div class=image>
+[[File:The greatest dancer ellie.jpg|400px]]
+''Series 1 champion Ellie.''
+</div>
 == Champions ==
 '''2019''' Ellie
+== Inventor ==
+Simco and Thames are credited for "Format".
+== Title Music ==
+Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, produced and arranged by Graham Stack and Jeremy Stack
+== Trivia ==
+The audience voting to approve an act they see on stage? That's the audition gimmick of ''Rising Star'', an Israeli format that was fashionable for about two months in 2014.
 == Web links ==
 [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06tvw90 BBC programme page]
+== See also ==
+[[Weaver's Week 2019-03-03|Weaver's Week review]]
+== Pictures ==
+<div class=image>
+[[File:The greatest dancer amelia.jpg|400px]]
+''Show producer Amelia Wilson played the receptionist, a plot device to introduce the performers.''
+</div>
 [[Category:Dance|Greatest Dancer, The]]
@@ Line 35: / Line 76: @@
 [[Category:Thames Productions|Greatest Dancer, The]]
 [[Category:Current|Greatest Dancer, The]]
-[[Category:Awaiting Review|Greatest Dancer, The]]