The Finale - Find Out The Season 11 Champions!

Recap:

After 10 long weeks, the robo-diallers have been put away (until 2012), Jennifer has become the six-million dollar woman and Kyle has lost some inches around his waist and gained some fans.  We're down to the end.

Last night the couples danced the "redemption dance" and the freestyle.  Here are there scores:

Jennifer/Derek - 30 & 30 = 60
Kyle/Lacey - 27 & 29 = 56
Bristol/Mark - 27 & 25 = 52

In a departure from previous seasons all the couples danced twice on the Finale.  They performed their favorite dance and an Instant Dance where they will dance the Cha Cha to music revealed to them on the show.

Christina Aguilera performed a song from Burlesque and her hit "Beautiful" (I like that one) and we had the normal troop of season 11 contestants (except Michael Bolton) returning.  It was nice to see them.

But back to the competition - for the "favorite" dances the judges scored slightly differently.  Each judge had to rank each performance and give 10 to the best, 9 to the second and 8 to the third. Jennifer & Derek got 30, Kyle & Lacey 26 and Bristol & Mark 25.  This gave the following totals:

Jennifer/Derek - 90

Kyle/Lacey - 82

Bristol/Mark - 77

We then had the Instant Dance.  The Cha Cha to a Pink song. 28 was scored by Jennifer AND Kyle, 27 for Bristol.

This gave Jennifer 118, Kyle 110 and Bristol 104.

The champions were... Jennifer and Derek (no real surprise)
Second were Kyle and Lacey
The third placed couple was Bristol and Mark

Congratulations to the champions!

First Final Night Scores

In a break from previous season all three couples in the final will dance four times, spread over two nights.

Monday night saw two dances per couple - the "redemption dance" where the judges choose a dance they feel the couples had most room to improve, and the ever popular freestyle - you never know what you're going to get!

Here are the scores from the first night of Finals Week:

• Kyle and Lacey - 56 - Kyle and Lacey performed a foxtrot and received 27.  Their freestyle was a mix-up of hip-hop and the Boogaloo depending on who you listened too and was really very good.  Particularly their symmetry when they weren't dancing anywhere near each other!  They scored 29.
• Bristol and Mark - 52 - They ceremoniously ditched the monkey suit at the start of their revised Jive.  They scored 27 which I felt was a little generous but they were pretty good.  For the freestyle, Mark chose a number from Chicago, the musical.  This was probably a mistake as it's a famous number and Bristol wasn't comfortable with it.  They scored 25 which seemed a little high compared to Kyle and Lacey.
• Jennifer and Derek - 60 - What can you say?  The re-did their Paso and it was lovely.  Their freestyle was very impressive but I felt it featured Derek a bit too much.  It very much deserved 30 though.

Overall I think the judging was pretty poor tonight.  Jennifer and Derek were better than the judges' scores suggest and Bristol worse.  However the viewer votes from tonight and the judges' scores from all four dances will be combined 50:50 to determine the winning couple!

Who do you think will win?

Couples to perform FOUR dances in Dancing with the Stars Finals

ABC has just released the details of the final stage of season 11.

The three couples (Bristol/Mark, Kyle/Lacey, Jennifer/Derek) will have to dance four times over two nights before finding out who will take home the Mirror Ball Trophy. In recent seasons they danced twice, eliminated one couple and then the final two perform one last time.

On Monday night each couple will perform a "redemption dance". This is a dance chosen by the judges on the basis that they didn't do it very well the first time. (No word on whether the monkey suit will return). That will be followed by the always entertaining freestyle dance – no rules.

On Tuesday each couple will perform their favorite dance of the season. This will be followed by another "Instant Dance" – the couples will perform a Cha Cha to music they only receive after the show starts. It worked pretty well a couple of weeks ago.

The judges' scores from the four dances will be combined with the viewers' votes from the night before and after some interminable waiting we'll find out who the champions are!

As well as lots of waiting and filler all but one of the season 11 contestants will return (not sure who the "one" is (shouldn't they have kept the final week free just in case?). Alsp Christina Aguilera will perform two songs – one from her upcoming move "Burlesque" (Julianne Hough is in that!) and "Beautiful".

Given the extra attention generated by the elimination of Brandy and Maks it's going to be interesting to see if viewership will be up or down!

What Do People REALLY Think of Bristol Palin Being in the Dancing with the Stars Final?

The shock elimination of Brandy, and the perhaps even more shocking fact that Bristol Palin is in the finals, has set the interwebs abuzzin'.

My friend has a page Squidoo page dedicated to DWTS and there have been quite a few comments!

I've gone through and extracted some of the more interesting quotes. I don't always include the whole quote, and I haven't corrected any grammar or spelling. (Check out the most up to date comments here.)

Pro-Bristol

• I`m big fan of Bristol. I love you kid. Show them who you are.I`ve never interested in this show. Right now it is such a nice show. Because of the Bristol.

Anti-Bristol

• DWT has written it's death warrant with this last charade of voting. The show this season has stunk since day one. Time for every one on show start looking for new jobs. what a hosing for Brandy
• … im sorry but i have to admit that miss bristol palin, although she really displayed her best, does not have that ferocity of a dancer.
• …Next year they can suck the big one. This is not about who can dance, it is about who is more popular.
• …Bristol, sweetie, they're making you look like an idiot...so sad! I'm starting to feel sorry for you.
• …If Bristol wins we will never watch this show again, even if she is second.
• ...Bristol give up your spot and give it to Brandy if you want to do something good for man kind
• …I'm also going to write to each sponsor. As of now the show has crossed the line and let politics into a once good show. May you not come back for season12
• I voted for Brandy and Maksim, they deserved to go to the Finals...the phonelines were rigged to obscure the voting process; besides I'm a Democrat anyway!!!
• …I AM NOT WATCHING THIS SHOW ANYMORE. I'll watch anything else....cartoons…
• … we all need to boycott this show until sanity can be restored. no more phone votes.
• …I believe this show to be a farce and should be an embarrassment to the Americans, I guess they can be bought in every contest. Will have troubled even following any of their shows now.,
• …"little miss 2 left feet"…
• …Dancing on mommy's coat tails. Bristol should be embarrassed getting this far
• … I thought DWTS is a dancing competition,not a clown show…
• I did not see Alaska from my window!!!!!!!
• …Good luck, Jennifer, you're the only qualified contestant remaining. Quick, change your name to Jennifer Palin.
• …is it just me or have the judges lost their minds this season. Are they afraid of mommie Palin?

I actually overstated the relative number of pro-Bristol sentiments, but you get the idea.

Open disclosure – I think the aim is to identify the best couple and what order the others are eliminated is (somewhat) secondary. Would I prefer the best dancers in the final? Absolutely! Do I think Bristol deserves to be there? Definitely not!

As long as she doesn't win I can live with it…

And The Three Dancing With The Stars Finalists Are...

...down the page a little bit in case the reader doesn't want to know!

The results show featured Annie Lennox (who I remember seeing in concert in 1980 when she was in the band "The Tourists"), Enrique Iglesias and some other messin' about.

The first couple up under the lights on the stage were Jennifer and Derek.  And they were safe.

The next were Lacey and Kyle.  They seemed to be in suspense forever until learning that, they too, were safe.  Lacey was VERY happy.

And so we come to the end.  Brandy & Maks on the left of the stage, Bristol and Mark on the right.

Mark seems the most tense.

Brandy and Maks are eliminated, Bristol and Mark go through.

Amazing.

Despite a perfect 30 Brandy just couldn't stand against the Bristol juggernaut.

So, the finalists are:

• Jennifer and Derek
• Kyle and Lacey
• Bristol and Mark

Who do you WANT to win, and who do you actually THINK will win?

Dancing with the Stars Semi-final Scores

There were no gimmicks or filler in tonight's performance show!  Just a regular DWTS semi-final!

After Kurt Warner's elimination we're left with Bristol Palin (generally accepted to be the least gifted dancer),  Kyle Massey (cheeky chappie), Brandy (keeping Maks under control) and Jennifer Grey (walking wounded).

Each couple had to dance a Ballroom number and a Latin number that they hadn't performed before.

Here are the judges' scores from week 9:

• Brandy and Maks - 27 & 30 = 57 - Their Paso was OK, but their Argentine Tango was hot!
• Jennifer and Derek - 30 & 30 = 60 - Their Cha Cha and Waltz were both perfect.  Seriously.
• Bristol and Mark - 27 & 26 = 53 - Bristol's Paso was excellent - she really came out of her shell and performed.  Her Waltz wasn't nearly as good and I felt she was marked too high.
• Kyle and Lacey - 29 & 29 = 58 - Kyle's Samba was great and maybe deserved a 30.  His Samba was way over-scored though.  He seemed to stand still for half the dance!

The scores are very close - meaning it's going to be on the viewers' votes!  

Semi-final Week on DWTS

It's pretty straightforward on Dancing with the Stars this week - the couples perform one new Ballroom dance and one new Latin dance.  We then have a results show, and then everyone wonders why Bristol hasn't been voted off.  At least the last part has been consistent for the last few weeks.

The Results Show sees Annie Lennox singing a couple of songs from her new Christmas album "A Christmas Cornucopia".  Also performing is Enrique Iglesias.

It's "Design-a-Dance" night too, where the Macy's Stars of Dance perform based on viewers votes for the song, the style and the professional dancers.

The Monday show is on for 90 minutes from 8pm EST and the Results Show is at 9pm Tuesday for one hour.

DWTS Week Eight Result - Third Shock in a Row?

In the performance show each couple had performed a ballroom number and an "Instant Dance".  The Instant Dance wasn't nearly as messed up as it might have been and ended up quite entertaining.

Kurt and Bristol had ended up quite a ways behind the others, and so one of them were favored to leave.

The entertainment had John Legend and the Roots (I know The Roots from their appearances on Yo Gabba Gabba), Taio Cruz and Emily Bear the nine-year old piano prodigy plus "Dance Center with Kenny Mayne, Jerry Rice and Len Goodman (that makes me laugh).

The first couple named safe were Kyle and Lacey who also performed their jive as the spotlight dance.

Next safe were Jennifer and Derek, with Kurt and Anna still in jeopardy.

Then Brandy/Maks were on stage with Bristol/Mark.  Bristol and Mark were safe!  Brandy and Maks were in jeopardy.

In the end Kurt and Anna were voted off.  Kurt is such a nice guy, a good dancer and I'm sorry to see him go.

Amazing that Bristol is still there - what support she must have!

The Scores in Instant Dance Week

It's week 8 - the Quarterfinals - and the couples have to dance twice.

This week the producers have come up with "Instant Dance".  The couples only get the music for their second dance after they've finished their first performance.  So instead of a week they have maybe 30 minutes to actually rehearse to the music.

Here are the judges' scores for each couple:

• Kyle Massey and Lacey Schwimmer - 27 and 29 .  Kyle really came out and danced this week!  The jive was a joy.
• Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough - 27 and 30.  Perfect score.  Enough said.
• Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya - 24 and 24.  Solid performance as always from Kurt.
• Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas - 24 and 23. Bristol's first dance, the Rumba, was legit.  I felt she deserved more from the judges.  Having said that the 23 was probably a bit high.
• Brandy and Maks - 29 and 28.  Almost a perfect score.  Carrie Ann had an argument with Maks on the second dance but still ended up giving them a 9.

So.  The totals are:

Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough 57
Brandy and Maksim Chmerkovskiy 57
Kyle Massey and Lacey Schwimmer - 56
Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya - 48Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas 47

Bristol and Kurt must have had a lot of votes to beat out Audrina and Rick the past two weeks but they are quite a ways behind the others this week so I'd have to say one of them is leaving.  But the way votes have been coming in the last two weeks anything could happen!

Two Performances with a Twist This Week

In order to continue fiddling with the format to improve ratings, the producers have this week introduced the "Instant Dance". The couples are told the Latin dance they will perform but won;t be told the music they will be dancing to.  It must favor the "natural" dancers rather than the ones who have fervently memorized each step to each note of music.  The couples will also be performing a ballroom number.

On the Results Show, John Legend will be performing as well as Taio Cruz and piano prodigy Emily Bear.  "Dance Center" with Kenny Mayne, Jerry Rice and Len will also return.  Less couples to keep under the red light so more filler needed!

Will Bristol be voted off, or will they "conspire" to keep her on?

It's The 200th Dancing with the Stars Show Next Week!

The performance show is the 199th and the results is the 200th.

ABC have planned a number of surprises for us...how nice of them.

On the Monday night six alumni return to form the "fourth judge" - Helio Castroneves, Kelly Osbourne, Mel B, Drew Lachey, Gilles Marini and Emmitt Smith.  Also, there will be a team competition on Monday (they're always fun) but this time each of the two teams will have a captain - either Apolo Ono or Kristi Yamaguchi.

On the 90 minute (argh!) results show, Taylor Swift and Rod Stewart will be performing (not together), as will the cast of Mary Poppins.  We will also find out the celebrities that will be appearing in Skating with the Stars.

Oh, and someone will get voted off!

Is the Elimination of Audrina Patridge a Bigger Shock Than Sabrina Bryan’s?

Back in 2007, season 5 was in full swing and in week 6 Helio Castroneves scored a perfect 30. That same week, Sabrina Bryan, one of the favorites, scored 25 which was a good score, but was her lowest of the season.

She was voted off.

This was a huge shock – she was one of the judges' favorites, a fan favorite, partner with the popular Mark Ballas, had scored a perfect 30 the week before and was just plain good.

Well, is Audrina being voted off a bigger shock?

Let's see:

• Audrina was second in the judges' voting, Sabrina was joint fourth (both out of seven)
  
• Audrina had a score of 32 (out of 40) and the lowest score was 22 (Kurt). Sabrina had 25, the lowest was 22 (Jane Seymour).
  
• Sabrina had only two couples with scores lower than hers, Audrina had five
  
• One of those five – Kurt – had over 30% less judges' points – that means he must have had over 5% more percentage points of the viewer vote than Audrina
  

Now, I think Sabrina was a better dancer and performer than Audrina, but given the scores that night, Audrina's ouster is a bigger shock in terms of viewer vote differential.

In terms of crying? There was a lot more when Sabrina left!

Was Rock Week a Shock Week?

Yep it was Rock Week - silly costumes, air guitars and that marathon all contributed to an air of middle-aged adults letting their hair down when they thought no one was looking (or drunk at a wedding reception).

The musical guests were Heart were sang "Barracuda" (excellent performance, excellent dancing) and Kylie Minogue who sang her latest single.

The eliminations were staged through out the show as usual.

The first three on the stage were the bottom three from the judges' scoring - Jennifer Grey, Bristol Palin and Kurt Warner.  Tom and Brooke swiftly told us that Kurt and Bristol were safe and Jennifer was still in jeopardy.  Obviously they had made a mistake - Jennifer was safe and the other two were in jeopardy.  No.  This is huge - Kurt was significany behind in the judges' vote and needed at least 3 percentage points more than his nearest competitor (Bristol) to be safe - and they both are!  There's gong to be a shock tonight!

Next up were the two middle scorers - Kyle and Rick.  Rick was safe Kyle wasn't.  Kyle is the one to go home, right?

The final two, who were the highest scorers were Brandy and Audrina.  Brandy safe, Audrina "still in jeopardy"  (it seemed that was the only thing Brooke said all night!)

So the final three.  Kyle is safe - it's between Jennifer and Audrina.  The judges were asked their opinions - they read some words they had prepared earlier.

Audrina Patridge and Tony Dovolani were eliminated.  They were second in the judges' scoring but obviously last in the minds of the viewers.  Audrina seemed like a nice girl and was very competent at dancing.  If whe had showed a little more emotion perhaps she would have connected more with the viewers.  Shame to see Tony go!

Who's Rockin' on Rock and Roll Week?

Week 6 of season 11 is Rock and Roll week.  Each of the seven remaining couples dance to a rock and roll song.  Then they all participate in a rock and roll marathon, with the last standing (well, dancing I guess) getting the most points.

Then on the results show Heart will perform "Barracuda" accompanied by dancers Louis Van Amstel, Karina Smirnoff, Derek Hough, Chelsie Hightower, Damian Whitewood and Peta Murgatroyd.

Kylie Minogue will sing her latest tune and the Macy's Stars of Dance performance will feature all-star kid musicians from national School of Rock and one of the best showchoirs in the country, The Powerhouse Choir from John Burroughs High School in Burbank, California. The number will be choreographed by Travis Wall.

TV Week Elimination on Dancing with the Stars

Week 5 saw the couples dancing to themes from TV shows.  And the results show saw a level of filler unseen on any other TV show on Earth.

The musical entertainment was provided by Jason Derulo (never heard of the young man, but he was very good) and Shakira.  They were also a few fake "As Seen on TV" ads that were very well done but probably too close to the originals to be really funny.  There was probably some other stuff but I can't remember it.

In terms of the eliminations it went like this:

1. The two lowest couples were put on the stage first - Bristol/Mark and Kyle/Lacey.  Kyle was safe!  And so was Bristol!!! (It was the monkey suits...)
2. Next were the two highest scoring couples - Brandy/Maks and Jennifer/Derek.  Brandy was safe!  Jennifer was still in jeopardy! (I think they just said that so more people would wait to the end).
3. The two sportsmen were next to be featured.  Kurt was safe!  Rick still had to hang around...
4. The last two couples were put up there - Audrina/Tony and Florence/Corky.  Audrina was safe,  Florence in jeopardy.
5. That left three couples - Rick/Cheryl, Jennifer/Derek and Florence/Corky...

Florence Henderson was eliminated.  76, eternally perky, sexy and very funny Florence was a joy to behold.  But she wasn't going to get any better, so perhaps it was best.  Although I'm not sure if Kyle or Bristol will get better either (at least technically).

Next week - Rock 'n' Roll!

DWTS: Who Scored What in TV Week?

Week 5 is TV week on Dancing with the Stars.  We're down to eight couples now that The Situation has left and we continue Theme Nights.

This week, each couple dances to the music from someone's favorite TV show (they never really defined who "someone" is...).

Did Jennifer continue to dominate?  Rick continue to be tall?  Kyle continue to smile?

Here are the judges' scores from week 5:

• Brandy and Maks - Quickstep - "Friends" - 27.  Brandy's smile lends itself to feel good music and this was a very smooth yet energetic performance.
• Florence Henderson and Corky Ballas - Tango - "The Brady Bunch" - 21.  You knew they were going to do this show, but I didn't think it would be a Tango!  It was a pretty good performance, but there wasn't anything about it that stood out either.
• Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya - Quickstep - "Bewitched" - 24.  Even though he made mistakes, Kurt exuded confidence and started to lead and control the dance.
• Audrina Patridge and Tony Dovolani - Rumba - "The Hills" - 23.  A strange choice of TV theme but I guess it has a connection.  This was a pretty forgettable performance with Carrie Ann referencing that fact that Audrina was 'still and dead" on top
• Kyle Massey and Lacey Schwimmer - Foxtrot - "Charlie's Angels" - 20.  A disco-themed Foxtrot was very, very entertaining...and Len hated it.  Doing the same thing he criticized Bruno for with Michael Bolton, he said he hated it and never gave any positive feedback.  Only 5 of the 20 points were from him!
• Rick Fox and Cheryl Burke - Rumba - "Hill Street Blues" - 24.  Rick still looks like a stick insect when dancing but proved tonight he had grace.
• Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas - Jive - "The Monkees" - 18.  The Jive isn't really Bristol's thing.  The judges were very kind and Len went so far to say he thought the monkey suits were a good idea.
• Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough - Foxtrot - "Married with Children" - 25.  Len thought it was too theatrical, Bruno sort of agreed.  This was a very well done dance and I thought it was a bit unfair to criticize the theatricalness (my word) when the producers insist on having theme nights!  A fair score though.

So, we have a new could atop the leader board - Brandy and Max, a clear last place couple - Bristol and Mark and proof that Jennifer Grey might not run away with it.

Bristol, Kyle, and Florence seem most at risk but we have no real idea on how many votes each get from the viewers.

DWTS Week 4 - Who Actually Went Home?

The Goo Goo Dolls performed (I was a little disappointed), Macy's Stars of Dance performed a group Tango thing (they didn't look happy, but then they're not supposed to) and Florence + The Machine was very good.

We also had a topless Len (My eyes!) and "How to get a 10 from Len" - a mildly funny guide to scoring a 10 from, well, Len.

As is becoming the norm, the couples were brought out in groups.  The first group was the highest scores - Brandy, Audrina and Jennifer - and all three were safe.

The next "group" were the youngest - Kyle and Lacey, Bristol and Mark.  Kyle was safe and Bristol was still in jeopardy.

Sports was the next theme - Rick and Cheryl were safe, and Kurt and Anna were still in jeopardy.

The Sitch and Florence were left - Florence and Corky were safe, The Sitch and Karina not.

So - Bristol, Kurt and The Situation were left - the three lowest scorers.

The next couple safe was Kurt and Anna.

We're left with the two lowest scorers.

And The Situation is going home.  He never lived up to my expectations (but I've been wrong before!), but he tried and put himself out there.

The fourth week were the lowest scoring couple goes home!

Week 4 - Acoustic Night Scores

This week the couples dance either a Rumba or a Tango on a raised stage surrounded by the audience.

The other twist is that they are also scored twice - once for technical and once for performance - to give a total score out of 60.

No sure I like the two score thing - it accentuates the difference between the good ones and the bad ones...or maybe that's why they do it!

Here are the judges' scores from week 4 of season 11 (technical/performance):

• Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya - 15 + 19 = 34
• Brandy and Maks - 22 + 26 = 48
• Rick Fox and Cheryl Burke - 19 + 20 = 39
• Kyle Massey and Lacey Schwimmer - 18 + 22 = 40
• The Situation and Karina Smirnoff - 12 + 16 = 28
• Florence Henderson and Corky Ballas - 17 + 18 = 35
• Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough - 27 + 29 = 56
• Briston Palin and Mark Ballas - 18 + 14 = 32
• Audrina Patridge and Tony Dovolani - 24 + 22 = 46

Jennifer and Derek were miles ahead of everyone else - she can dance and he can teach!

It's going to be hard for The Situation to stay on this week!

DWTS Eliminations Follow The Judges' Scores

Did you know that this is the first season where the first three couples eliminated also scored the lowest in the judges' scoring?

David Hasselhoff scored 15 in week 1 (along with Margaret and The Situation), Michael Bolton was lowest with twelve in week 2 and Margaret was eliminated last night with an 18.

The nearest to this happening in the past was season 8 where Debi Mazar was eliminated with a score of 17 despite Lawrence Taylor having 14 in week 3.  (It was also the week Tom Delay withdrew - he scored 15).

So what?  Well, it shows that the viewers don't always agree with the judges and have shown that numerous times before.  Perhaps the viewers are now getting more sophisticated, or it's just coincidence.

It's something to keep an eye on...

Week Three DWTS Results

It's the third week of the eleventh season and it's story night.

Each couple dance and tell a story.  This is is normally my least favorite night as if the story is done really well it's brilliant, if it's only done OK then it doesn't really work.

So, ten couples remain - who will go home tomorrow?  Here are the judges' scores:

• Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough - 24 - big mistake by Jennifer meant they lost some points.
• Florence Henderson and Corky Ballas - 20 - plain but sturdy
• Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya - 23 - Kurt gets better every week
• Margaret Cho and Louis van Amstel - 18 - a little on the low side
• Audrina Patridge and Tony Dovolani - 26 - Audrina is starting to look like a contender
• Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas - 19 - found it hard to tell the story
• Brandy and Maksim Chmerkovskiy - 24 - Brandy hasn't had a bad night yet
• Kyle Massey and Lacey Schwimmer - 23 - entertaining as always, great arms tonight (seriously)
• The Situation and Karina Smirnoff - 20 - perhaps a little generous - you can't say he doesn't try!
• Rick Fox and Cheryl Burke - 24 - another good performance

I think it's wide open who goes home tomorrow!