Petty bourgeoisie and calm oasis. Why StarDance has become a hot topic in the Czech Republic – News List

Also this year, StarDance is among the TV entertainment that attracts viewers. The dance competition has been a huge success since its domestic broadcast in 2006. But how does it compare to the British “original”? We talk about the StarDance phenomenon with journalist Jindřiška Bláhová.

It can be described as a classic of Czech TV entertainment. The popular dance competition StarDance has been drawing viewers to the screens since 2006. Since then, dozens of celebrities – from athletes – have challenged themselves to show off their dancing skills on the dance floor and thus win over the jury in the hall and people watching TV through actors and singers to, for example, the shooter Josef Maršálek.

At the same time, with the regular autumn returning to the public space, StarDance raises debates about what makes the show successful. Or also the taste of the TV content. In short, StarDance shows emotions.

“Some people see it as a conservative petty-bourgeois show and they don’t want to be associated with it in any way. (…) On the other hand, someone sees it as a pleasant journey to a special oasis of peace and harmony,” says the film critic and editor of the weekly Respekt Jindřiška Bláhová. In an interview for the 5:59 podcast, he says that a Czech viewer, when he watches StarDance, can have places like memories of dances he attended in his childhood.

At least by looking at the numbers, the competition broadcast on Czech TV has enough fans. Last year, more than 1.5 million viewers watched the final night, and the whole year with its average viewers ranked for third place in program history. And this year, it is also one of the most watched programs on Saturday nights on television.

The journalist Respekt also blames the current popularity of the so-called comfort TV – aaa But there is another surprising feature. At a time when the consumption of films or programs is often divided between generations, many people watch StarDance with their loved ones. “It brings families closer together on Saturday,” the journalist said.

StarDance is based on the original British BBC television format called Strictly Come Dancing, which is currently in its twenty-second edition in the islands. And according to Jindřiška Bláhová, who lived in Britain in the past, the comparison is not very smooth for domestic creators.

The British show is more dynamic and interesting from the columnist’s point of view. “It’s a big show,” he says, adding that it’s far more popular in some ways than the Czech version. The fact that the Pet Shop Boys performed live in one of the November episodes of Strictly Come Dancing says a lot. According to Bláhová, it is difficult to imagine that StarDance would feature a player like him.

But the differences don’t end with grandeur or an increased emphasis on show business. For example, couples of the same sex have already danced on the floor of British TV -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or also in the Austrian or Italian edition of the competition -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And the concept of the dance is also different. “There (in the British version) there are, for example, sections of modern dance, when the audience is suddenly watching advanced and modern dance, which is not just a bit of entertainment it’s a couple on the dance floor. It is something that could be refreshing on Czech TV, “says the journalist.

On the other hand, StarDance describes it as an “extremely conservative” form that can be described as “polished dance”. Like the Viennese balls, the viewer looks at the luxury and great splendor and becomes part of the tradition. According to Bláhová, the overall tone is far from the modernity mentioned in the British show. “It’s so quiet with us. We all sit and applaud our gloves,” he says, adding that ČT should also push the boundaries and not be afraid to test what the viewer can do. behavior: “Perhaps (the series) Most people showed that it can carry much more than Czech Television thinks.”

In the podcast 5:59, you will also hear why, despite doubts about the current form of StarDance, the advertiser Bláhová does not have a “fundamental problem” with the fact that there is still an entertainment program like this on public television screens. And also the fact that an integral part of the show’s popularity is the need to share something. Listen in the player at the beginning of the article.