It’s the end of an era, at least a little bit. After 16 years, 30 seasons, and dozens of mediocre foxtrots, Dancing With The Stars is leaving its home of ABC. The good news is that the show hasn’t been canceled. In fact, it was just renewed for two more seasons. The bad news is that it’s going behind a paywall.
As E! News reported, ABC and Disney just renewed DWTS for its 31st and 32nd seasons, but they will air on Disney+ starting this fall instead of the show’s usual home of ABC. This will be Disney+’s first live television series, and the network execs are hopeful that this new streaming home will usher in (another) new era for the long-running competition.
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“Dancing with the Stars has entertained fans for 16 years on ABC, and we are excited to bring this beloved show exclusively to Disney+ as the platform’s first-ever live series,” Kareem Daniel, chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, said about the upcoming switch. “The show’s broad appeal, as well as the overwhelming popularity of its Disney-themed competition nights, make Disney+ the perfect home for Dancing with the Stars while continuing to expand our demographic reach.”
With Dancing With The Stars leaving the network, there’s a big programming gap for ABC, which they plan to fill with NFL games. But do we really need more sports on TV when we could instead be seeing our favorite D-listers learn how to tango?
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This is the second major shakeup for DWTS in recent years. Ahead of its 29th season, longtime host, Tom Bergeron, was unceremoniously axed alongside his co-host Erin Andrews. Tyra Banks replaced them, and the audience’s reaction to her has been lukewarm. She had some big shoes to fill, and the fact that she tried to ban Real Housewives from competing on the show didn’t really help her case.
It’s not clear yet if Tyra will remain the host, and there’s also no word on what will become of the judges’ panel. However, Disney seems intent on creating something new, so perhaps this is a golden opportunity to start with a completely clean slate. In a press release, they called this a “bold next step forward in the evolution of the franchise.” That almost sounds like a reboot. So, Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli might want to start working on their resumes just in case.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT DANCING WITH THE STARS LEAVING ABC FOR DISNEY+? DO YOU THINK TYRA SHOULD RETURN FOR SEASON 31? SHOULD THERE BE A SHAKEUP WITH THE JUDGES?
[Photo Credit: ABC/Adrienne Raquel]
