DWTS Season 17 - Format Changes

[Kim]

Derek Hough Returning To Dancing With The Stars, Talks Family Dance Off

August 2, 2013


LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Caption Derek Hough speaks onstage during CW Network’s 2013 Young Hollywood Awards presented by Crest 3D White and SodaStream held at The Broad Stage on August 1, 2013Derek Hough confirmed he will be back on “Dancing with the Stars,” and he told Access Hollywood he’s looking forward to the changes on the way in the new season.

“Yes,” Derek replied when Access Hollywood asked him at the Young Hollywood Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday if he is coming back. “And the format’s changing. We’ve got one show a week now, but I think it’ll make a better show, more jam packed. And so I’m excited about it.”

Before “DWTS” returns, Derek will be hosting “Family Dance Off” for ABC, a one-hour special, which features five families competing before a live studio audience, for a grand prize of $10,000.

“It’s a very fun show,” Derek told Access. “People always ask me when is it a normal person’s turn? Like when can I dance? I want to dance, but I’m not a celebrity or a professional dancer. So that’s what this is. It’s for the average person to get up there and dance and rock it.

“It was awesome,” he added. “It was awesome to work on.”

“Family Dance Off” will air Sunday, August 25 on ABC.

“Dancing with the Stars” Season 17 returns on Monday, September 16 at 8/7c.

-- Jolie Lash


Copyright 2013 by NBC Universal, Inc.

[Kim]

Dancing With The Stars May Bring Maksim Chmerkovskiy Back For Season 17

August 05, 2013
by Lisa Princ
realitytvmagazine.sheknows.com/2013/08/05/dancing-with-the-stars-may-bring-maksim-chmerkovskiy-back-for-season-17/


Season 16 of Dancing With The Stars was definitely a bit strange for viewers, as the season was missing was one of our favorite pro dancers, Maksim Chmerkovskiy. The Ukrainian hottie revealed that he wanted to take time off for other opportunities, but could we see him in season 17? It sounds like it is definitely a possibility!

Season 16 of Dancing With The Stars was definitely not the same without Maksim Chmerkovskiy, although we did get to watch his younger brother, Val rock the dance floor. We know that Maks wanted some time off to explore other opportunities, but many fans have been wondering if he will return to the dance floor soon. Well, guess what fans? It sounds like he may be returning in the Fall!

Recently, at the television critics association, ABC’s president of entertainment was questioned about the controversial fan favorite returning for season 17 of Dancing With The Stars, in which he replied: “Maks is part of the family. He may well be back. We love having him a part of it.” Yay! While it’s not set in stone, it definitely sounds promising that Maks will be back, or at least asked back!

Meanwhile, one pro that is certain to return for season 17 is another fan favorite – Derek Hough. When questioned about his return in the Fall by Access Hollywood, Hough excitedly said he would be, while also revealing that the new season will bring some format changes.

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I'm not sure what I think of this! The last couple of seasons he was there I didn't like Maks - he was arrogant and rude to the judges and thought he ran the show. However, a year off maybe did him some good who knows? I guess we will see if/when he comes back.

[Kim]

'Dancing With the Stars' Downsize: The Cast Explains the Show's New Once-a-Week Format - Season 17 of 'DWTS' will have half the TV time, but it could prove to be double the fun.

By Victoria Leigh Miller
Yahoo! Contributor Network
Wed, Aug 14, 2013


There are big changes on the horizon for the cha cha! The upcoming season of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" will only air one night a week, but it won't affect the outcome of the show, and it could even bring in more viewers. That's the consensus of the show's alums as they dish on the "DWTS" downsizing.
Host Tom Bergeron recently told E! Online that he's looking forward to the format change, which will eliminate the show's separate results night -- and all of the filler that came with it.

"For a show that's been around for eight years, this is a real way to refresh it and to make it a much more compelling two hours. It's great one-stop shopping," he said. "You got all the great competition and the eviction in one episode. Couples will be eliminated at the end of the episode, but the judges' votes from that night will still count. So the viewer votes from the previous week carry over and are coupled with the judges' votes from that night. So they're still dancing for their lives there."

But what do the show's dancers have to say about the change?

On his TV Guide blog, four-time mirrorball champ Derek Hough wrote that the solo Monday night show will be "jam packed," and added, "When I watch other reality shows, I'm not a fan of the results shows. There won't be much filler or vamping to get to a commercial break to make sure we fill two hours. It will be back-to-back action."

Longtime "DWTS" pro Cheryl Burke called the switch to one night "bittersweet" (she'll miss the entertainment that was featured on results night), but she told Parade, "I think it might be something that's good for our show, because now, on Monday nights, someone will get eliminated, you'll see all of us dance, and then on top of that, you'll get stars coming and performing. I think it'll definitely help with the ratings. I think [two episodes a week] can be an overload and having a two-hour show once a week will actually help us."

In an interview with Wetpaint, popular pro dancer Mark Ballas said he likes the idea of the new format because he's not a fan of results shows. "I watch 'The Voice' for my viewing pleasure, but sometimes I don't watch the results show," he explained. "Why do you want to watch to see who gets kicked off, you know what I mean?" (No, we don't, Mark!)

He added that the show's demo will stay stronger "because you get all the action all in the same day." "It's action-packed," he said. "I think that it will keep the show around a lot longer and keep people interested, so it could be a cool move."

Australian pro dancer Peta Murgatroyd -- who won Season 14 of the show with celeb partner Donald Driver -- told Wetpaint she thinks three hours of TV dancing every week was a lot to ask of viewers in past seasons. As for downsizing to a single two-hour show, she said, "We're going to combine all of the audiences together, and we're probably going to get a bigger audience and a younger one at that. It's going to be a jam-packed show. It's going to have everything you know, with elimination at the end, too!"

Of course, "DWTS" superfans may remember that the show's first season back in 2005 only aired one night a week. The show debuted as a low-key summer series (there were only six celebs!) before supersizing into a two-night extravaganza. Sixteen seasons later, producers have realized that less is more.

"Dancing With the Stars" Season 17 premieres on Monday, 9/16 on ABC.

New cast to be announced September 4th on Good Morning America.

[josweetheart]

I've read at the Pulse message forum that Jo Dee Messina could be a part of the line up this fall!

God bless you and her always!!!

Holly

[Kim]

Dancing With the Stars Season 17 Cast Announced: Leah Remini, Valerie Harper, Jack Osbourne and Amber Riley to Compete


by Tierney Bricker
Today 5:30 AM PDT



Dust off your dancing shoes!

Dancing With the Stars unveiled its cast for its upcoming 17th season on Good Morning America Wednesday morning and though the ABC reality hit is downsizing to just one night a week, the star power is supersized!

Along with Glee fan favorite Amber Riley and former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson, former Jersey Shore star turned proud mama Snooki, Jack Osbourne and Leah Remini are all set to put on their dancing shoes and compete for the coveted mirrorball trophy come Monday, Sept. 16. Valerie Harper, Bill Nye (the Science Guy), Elizabeth Berkley, a High School Musical star and a Pretty Little Liars hottie will also be getting their rhumba on.



Here are the official pairings for Dancing With the Stars' 17th season:

Amber Riley and Derek Hough
Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and Sasha Farber
Brant Daugherty and Peta Murgatroyd
Leah Remini and Tony Dovolani
Corbin Bleu and Karina Smirnoff
Christina Milian and Mark Ballas
Valerie Harper and Tristan MacManus
Bill Nye and Tyne Stecklein
Keyshawn Johnson and Sharna Burgess
Elizabeth Berkley and Val Chmerkovskiy
Bill Engval and Emma Slater
Jack Osbourne and Cheryl Burke



After going public with her terminal brain cancer diagnosis earlier this year, Mary Tyler Moore star Harper had good news to share about her health. "The brain scans that you get every two months are looking better and better," Harper said, adding that her doctors "are delighted" that she's "moving in the right direction."

As for why DWTS will be downsizing to just one show a week this upcoming season, ABC boss Paul Lee recently explained, "We really wanted to focus and event-ize Dancing With the Stars. I know [executive producer] Conrad [Green] is having a whole lot of fun contracting a night on Monday that not only gives you the dances but the results. Effectively what we're doing is we're taking the votes from the judges and the votes from the audience and bringing them together at the end. Conrad has worked through a really interesting two hours. It builds to a climax at the end."

Two fan favorite pros will be sitting this season out are Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Kym Johnson. "I wish all the dancers and celebrities in season 17 nothing but love and success, and hope to see you all back on the dance floor for season 18," Johnson said in a statement.


©2013 E! Entertainment Television, LLC. A Division of NBCUniversal.

[kora]

Kim - What do you think of the lineup? I don't know much about this group, but I will watch the show. I tape and watch it later, so I can fast-forward and skip parts. LOL! I think I will like the one-show-a-week format.

You mentioned not liking Max because you think he's arrogant. I think I will miss him. For me, he adds a little spark to the show that offsets so much of the silliness they all do: Derek Hough, for example, always making faces, etc. LOL! Of course, Max seems to go overboard making over his partners. They all have their little things. LOL!

Oh well, I'm not much for their skits and fill, but I will still watch it.

[Kim]

As far as his skills, dancing, etc. Max is great at what he does- but as displayed a season or two ago when he spoke to Len - Max thinks HE is the show and it wouldn't succeed without him.

I'm really excited to see Valerie Harper and Jack Obsbourne. Valerie is struggling with a brain tumor that is almost in remission and Jack has MS - will be fun to see what they can do. A lot of the others - meh - don't really know them that well.

I think the one night will be better to. The 2nd night was always 90% entertainment and not dancing related.

[kora]

Valerie Harper, I know who she is. I hope she makes it through without problems.

Jack Osbourne - Again, I hope he can make it through without MS flare-ups. MS people have trouble with balance, weakness, fatigue and with mobility. It's not a kind disease. It attacks randomly and usually leaves something behind. We have a gal in our office who has MS. She does well for a time and then needs some time off.

[Kim]

Here they are: