The real winner of So You Think You Can Dance: producer/judge Nigel Lythgoe

Lord, I have tried to watch the melange of old Solid Gold dance routines and reality TV competition cliches which fill Fox-TV's summertime hit So You Think You Can Dance.

I have tried to understand why this street dancing version of American Idol has become the Tampa Bay TV market's most-watched series. I've also tried to overlook the empty enthusiasm of host Cat Deeley and screechy hysteria of judge Mary Murphy.

But I came away from Wednesday's two-hour pre-finale performance episode -- the show's actual finale is tonight's 8 p.m. results show -- with respect for one participant most of all: creator/producer/judge Nigel Lythgoe.

  Besides revealing a surprising expertise in dance -- he was a performer and choreographer in England before becoming a TV producer -- Lythgoe offers the clearest feedback of any expert onstage, minus the boundless egoism and careless abusiveness of TV's best known Brit judge, American Idol's Simon Cowell (perhaps this contrast is the real reason Lythgoe's leaving his other job as executive producer on Idol this season).

Since Lythgoe can't actually win the dance competition, I'll have to pick dancer Stephen "Twitch" Boss as my favorite to win tonight's results show. I have no idea whether the show's viewers agree -- Twitch, along with fellow finalist Courtney Galiano have landed among the bottom three or four twice this season -- but last night he seemed to combine street flavor with a mastery of classic styles in a way no other dancer did (fellow street dancer Joshua Alston and Katee Shean are my Nos. 2 and 3, respectively).

Of course, considering how well I did picking winners for this year's Idol and Dancing with the Stars, this blog might not be your first stop for spot-on victory predictions.      

Comments

[Ed]

Lythgoe is clearly the winner. In addition to being a polished TV personality, and demonstrating clear expertise in entertainment without smugness, he's producing a clear winner and has a terrific formula for discovering, promoting and exploiting young talent - not only with the show but the obligatory U.S. tour afterwords.

And you watch your mouth when you talk about my Cat Deely. That is all.

[Chuck Welch]

Yes, Eric, I watch this one too...and no one is paying me.

Actually, some of the contemporary rounties by Mia Michaels and Mandy Moore are pretty good. Like anything else you have to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Twich should win, he's a crowd favorite. Joshua has been pushed as a street performer, but he's not. Too many classes, too little street.

Katee has been the golden girl all season, and Courtney filled the role of the underdog.

My problem with Lythgoe is his sudden insistence that being the best dancer isn't as important as he harped on early in the season. I didn't realize the show had become "So You Think You Can Entertain?"

I think he changed his mind when the audience voted off the man Lythgoe thought was the best technical dancer.

Give Deely credit. She is easily the least irritating host of any of the reality shows. You're right about Murphy. She gets muted every time she appears.

Dance doesn't get enough coverage in the US. This show has helped bring a lot of attention to contemporary, jazz, and hip hop dance to a large audience that had only thought of ballet as an art form.

The show also gave ESPN's Stuart Scott a new catchphrase "buck" and gave me a break from "as cool as the other side of the pillow."

It's worth it just for that.

[former tampanian]

I have to agree with your pick order (although I would put Will at #3 if he were still there).