Television series

The Greatest Dancer

Name: The Greatest Dancer
Genre: Music
Released: 2019
Cast: Cheryl, Matthew Morrison, Oti Mabuse, Alesha Dixon, Jordan Banjo

Dance musical
Light-hearted

The Greatest Dancer is a high-energy BBC talent show where dancers from every discipline—ballet, hip-hop, contemporary, Bollywood—compete for the title. It's glossy, feel-good television with genuine artistry on display. If you enjoy watching people excel at their craft in a supportive atmosphere, this is your show.

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love watching people chase a single perfect routine under pressure, and you get a jolt from seeing ballet, krumping and Bollywood collide on one stage in a single evening.

Skip it if you find reality competitions exhausting, with their judges' deliberations, sob-story packaging and the drawn-out build to every result, which this one leans into rather a lot.

What it asks of you: Eighteen episodes across two series, each one a brisk hour-plus of performances and verdicts, so you give it a steady evening here and there rather than a sustained binge.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

So You Think You Can Dance2005

The gold standard of dance competitions. Strong technical foundation, brilliant judges who actually know dance, and contestants who push boundaries every week. Incredibly watchable.

But Seasons vary wildly in quality. Some judging decisions feel baffling, and the format can drag when filler acts outnumber genuine talent.

Strictly Come Dancing2004

Pure entertainment. Celebrities learning ballroom creates genuine drama and joy. The judges are theatrical, the training montages are sweet, and the chemistry between pros and partners is real.

But It's long and repetitive if you're not invested in the celebrities. The voting can feel arbitrary and frustrating.

World of Dance2017

Higher production values than most dance shows, with jaw-dropping international acts. Jennifer Lopez judges with real insight. The variety—from street jazz to contemporary—keeps momentum alive.

But Some performances feel overproduced and insubstantial. The competition structure occasionally favors spectacle over craft.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Greatest Dancer

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Pina2011

Both celebrate dance as pure artistry rather than competition. The Greatest Dancer shows different styles; Pina shows what happens when a single vision transforms an entire form.

3D dance film directed by Wim Wenders about choreographer Pina Bausch's revolutionary work. It's visual poetry—contemporary dance freed from the studio, performed in real landscapes. Utterly hypnotic.

But It's an art film, not narrative entertainment. If you need plot or familiar structure, this will feel inaccessible and slow.

Dancing with the Stars2005

The American version has personality and unpredictability. Pros are genuinely talented, and watching non-dancers improve over weeks is deeply satisfying. Hosted with warmth.

But Celebrity casting can be thin some seasons. The pace is slower than other competition shows and some episodes feel padded.

The Masked Dancer2020

Combines dance competition with detective mystery. Performers in elaborate costumes do full routines, then judges guess who they are. It's clever, fun, and celebrates actual dance ability.

But The guessing element can overshadow the dancing. Some audiences find the format gimmicky rather than artistically satisfying.

Britain's Got Talent2007

Broader than just dance, but features brilliant dancers competing alongside other acts. The Golden Buzzer moments are genuinely thrilling. Simon Cowell's dry reactions are comedy.

But The format prioritizes emotional manipulation over pure talent. Most episodes are filler; real standouts are rare.

Dance Moms2011

If you want genuine tension alongside dance, this delivers. Young dancers are seriously talented, choreography is inventive, and the emotional stakes feel real.

But Heavily edited for drama. The authority figures behave poorly, and it exploits children's insecurities for entertainment value.

The Four: Battle for Stardom2018

Music competition with strong production design and clear judging criteria. Some dancers appear alongside singers, and the bracket system creates genuine stakes.

But Feels cynical about its own format. The tone is harsher than needed, and it was canceled after two seasons for good reason.

The Eternal Memory2023

Dance as language and connection rather than spectacle. Where The Greatest Dancer asks 'who's best?', this asks 'what can movement express that words cannot?'

A Chilean documentary about a filmmaker and his relationship with his partner. Dance appears unexpectedly, intimately—not as competition but as how two people communicate when words fail. Extraordinarily moving.

But It's documentary, not entertainment. Slow-paced, meditative, dealing with aging and dementia. Not what you're signing up for.

Synecdoche, New York2008

Both explore what it means to perform and be seen. The Greatest Dancer asks how you judge excellence; Synecdoche asks whether judgment itself is possible when everything is performance.

Charlie Kaufman's labyrinthine film about art, ambition, and creation itself. Movement and choreography thread through it as existential questions. Bizarre, brilliant, unforgettable.

But It's deliberately confusing and self-indulgent. Some find it pretentious. The pacing is glacial and the narrative deliberately dissolves.