BBC
Come Dancing is a ballroom dancing competition show made by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), broadcast on BBC One from 1950 until 1998.[1] Unlike its follow-up show, Strictly Come Dancing, contestants were neither celebrities nor professionals.[2]
The show was created by Eric Morley, the founder of the Miss World beauty contest.[2] In its early years it showcased amateur dance competitions held across the country, with professional dancers Syd Perkins and Edna Duffield on hand to teach the moves to viewers.[3] The format was changed in 1953 to become an inter-regional knock-out, pitting teams from different parts of the UK against each other.[2]
Revival
Inspired by the resurgence in ballroom dancing in the UK following the 1992 Australian film Strictly Ballroom, a relaunched celebrity version titled Strictly Come Dancing debuted on BBC One in 2004. Pairing a professional dancer with a celebrity partner, the show’s title is an amalgamation of Come Dancing and Strictly Ballroom.[2]