It Takes Two - a daily fix while waiting for Saturday night (Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two)

Member Name: Mioliere

Product:	Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two
Date:	11/12/08 (76 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Informative and entertaining

Disadvantages: None

This is a great programme which is actually a supplement to Strictly Come Dancing, currently enjoying its sixth series on BBC1 on Saturday nights, with the results show on Sundays (although we all know that the results are filmed on the Saturday, too!).

Claudia Winkleman is the host of Strictly Come Dancing - It Takes Two; it is screened every weekday night (on BBC2 at 6.30pm) while the actual competition is running, and each episode lasts for thirty minutes.

The programme, run in the style of a magazine with bite-sized segments, is live, and Claudia Winkleman has a unique and witty way of presenting it. The audience is live but seems to consist of just the TV crew - you can hear them laughing and clapping in the background but it sounds as if there are only a handful of people in the studio.

The Monday edition always features the couple who were voted out of the show on the previous Saturday; Claudia interviews them, presents them with some footage showing their own highlights during the time they were competing, and sometimes reads messages that have come in for the couple on the Strictly forums.

The programme has special guests, usually celebrities who are appearing elsewhere in the UK, and many well-known personalities have graced the couches on set, including Henry Winkler (aka the Fonz, from Happy Days), who appeared recently.

Some of the professional dancers make regular appearances to discuss the various forthcoming dances that the celebrity dancers have to dance in the competition, and the various judges also appear to give their opinions on the competition so far. One of them, Craig Revel-Horwood, also regularly takes us through footage of the training the couples are undertaking, pointing how how well (or not so well) they are doing.

Guests also appear now and again to go through the choice of dance music and costumes for the show that will take place the following Saturday. Occasionally, the programme-makers will select a guest to video a day 'behind the scenes' and these episodes have included behind the scenes information about the singers and musicians, the costume-makers and the producers. These features remind you that a lot more goes on than just what we see on a Saturday evening.

One of the highlights of the week is Len Goodman's Masterclass, in which Len Goodman, one of the judges and also a former ballroom-dancing champion, guides Claudia through some dance steps, relating to the dances coming up on Saturday night. This is usually quite hilarious because she is obviously not a dancer but, as she has a great sense of humour, it makes for enjoyable TV. Len has his own question and answer session once a week in which he is asked questions that have been posted on the forums - some of them have nothing to do with the dancing whatsoever.

All of the guests, when introduced, have their names up on screen, always with a witty addition relating to their personality or role in the show, obviously thought up by one of the production crew.

Many people like Strictly Come Dancing and the It Takes Two weekday show is a useful edition, especially for those who may have missed the main show. It is well-produced and, due to its being filmed live and the casual presenting style of its host, has a spontaneous and friendly feel.

Summary: Great for Strictly addicts