More DWTS Season 28 Watch Outs (Bigger Celebs?), Secret Format Changes, And More
Will there be bigger celebrities for Dancing With The Stars Season 28? According to Deadline, this is a huge possibility. More below including names Jennifer Love Hewitt and Katelyn Ohasi being thrown out there. Also, their could be some format changes….
“We have been pitched some really fun format changes for Dancing with the Stars by the executive producers but right now they are top secret. [Reality chief] Rob Mills and I had a meeting with them a couple of months ago and got very excited about some of the new ideas that they were talking about to freshen up the format. It’s still the show that audience knows and loves but they’ve got some good ideas in terms of how to surprise people in new ways,” she said.
Burke, speaking at the Disney press upfronts event, added that it was “going after bigger stars than we have in a long time” as the series returns on Monday nights between 8pm and 10pm. This comes after radio host Bobby Bones won the last season, beating the likes of Harry Potter alum Evanna Lynch, Fuller House‘s Juan Pablo Di Pace and former Dukes of Hazzard star John Schneider to the top prize.
It will unlikely have trouble finding top names; I Know What You Did Last Summer star Jennifer Love Hewitt recently revealed that she would be interested in appearing and gymnast and viral sensation Katelyn Ohasi said she had been in talks to join.
The ABC chief also said that resting the show, which is based on BBC format Strictly Come Dancing, should have a positive impact. “Resting the show does help us focus on talent and we will go after people that we think will be the strongest. That has been a gift and the producers are chomping at the bit to bring it back next fall,” she added.
More at Deadline. Personally, I never cared about “big names. I just want good dancing and great and creative choreography.
I’ve never cared about big names either, mainly because I feel like it would be a Bobby Bones situation-no matter how bad they dance, they are going to have a huge fan base that will vote for them. I kind of enjoy the nostalgia factor this show brings in casting celebs from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, as well as people I’ve never heard of that I end up loving. That said, I would LOVE Jennifer Love Hewitt on the show. I can see where they are likely hoping bigger names means an increase in ratings.
In terms of changes, I’m always leery of that. I definitely don’t want the judges getting more of a say in who goes home or wins, as I think they (and TPTB) are a lot of the problem with the whacked out scoring.
Big fan of dancing with the stars
I’m really looking forward to seeing the show again. But if they pull a stunt like the Bobby Bones debacle, I’m done with this show altogether.
I’ve been kinda done for a few seasons now since the integrity of the show has so been compromised, but I kept watching anyway, primarily to be able to talk with my Twitter friends about the show. After that last win, however, I had decided never to watch again. I could not BELIEVE that a poor dancer could win the show over far more qualified dancers with interesting trajectories. That was it for me!
However, I’m open to watching again if they can promise a show that is not agenda-based, a show where couples don’t win because the pro is ‘due a win,” where the judges are not ‘overlooking’ the errors of certain dancers, because the agenda is for that dancer to win, then maybe, just maybe, I’ll stick around.
Besides, WOD is so much more exciting. Great dancing…and funny judges to boot. 🙂
Every single season they talk about “Bigger names”, Greatest season yet, and every single time we got the same pros doing the same damn coreography, the same pairing, the same judges giving random perfect scores
The show has become less about dancing & stars learning about dance, and more about personal issues and fake showmances. It isn’t exciting anymore. Sometimes it sound cruel with the stars – poor Alexis Ren was manipulated and exposed in a very unconfortable way last season.
I wanna see a fair DANCE competition, I wanna see people growing as a dancer, I wanna root for someone. I don’t wanna feel awkward watching this anymore. Is that too much to ask?
They have to do something after that disastrous last season. Someone like Bobby Bones, who floated through, did not in any way deserve that win. @Donamadrina, I agree with you. I said I was done watching. The show that used to be so good and that I enjoyed watching had turned into a joke with that win. BUT, I am open to giving it a chance if changes are made. And I think a lot of viewers of the show feel that way too. But the manipulating, the agendas, the showman’s and the ringers need to stop. Actually let the best dancer win. If that means changing the way voting is done, then do it. No, I have no idea how that could be accomplished, but how can producers expect to get “big names” when it’s obvious who will be coddled and favored.
My two cents: Last season wasnt as hot because most of the people were boring. Milo, Evanna, DeMarcus, and Bobby were the only ones to actually have a presence and get you to root for them. Bobby’s win was just as legitamit as anyone elses.
I really don’t care about the caliber of dancer as long as they are entertaining. Because at the end of the day, that’s what this show is, an entertainment show.
Jennifer Love Hewitt…..had the biggest crush on her back in the 90s and early 2000s. Now she just comes across as fake in my opinion. Too bad too since she can actually act and doesn’t need to try so hard to be likeable.
I can’t say that I’m happy that Brooke Burke is back. What happened to Erin Andrew’s? She was starting to grow on me, and she came across as more intelligent at times
Wait! What? Did I miss something? Erin Andrews won’t be back? They’re bringing the robot back?
Burke isn’t Brooke Burke, it’s the new head of ABC, and I don’t remember her first name.
I’m happy that they’re bringing it back, and wish Juniors was also being brought back, but I do understand that major networks plan around the almighty dollar… Whether we like what happens or not.
With that said, I decided a long time ago that I would watch DWTS until the bitter end. And at the end of last season, I thought it would be sooner rather than later. Now, I’m just hoping for some good changes, and not just some “flash and dash” or “razzle-dazzle” stuff that is just going to turn off loyal viewers.
They need to change things up next season, but please don’t get rid of the judges or the hosts. I wouldn’t mind if they implemented a “judges save” or if the bottom two or three go into an elimination dance-off at the end of each episode.
If we have bigger celebs this season they better all be of the same caliber. Like if JLH and Ohashi do make this season they better not be the only recognizable stars.
Also nix half these silly theme nights like it’s gonna be fall so if we get a ten week season then the following would be fine: Latin Week, MMY Week, Halloween Week, Movie Week, and I guess Vegas Week (but personally I’d like to see the return of fusion dances and make that a theme night).
Also can we not shoehorn music into certain styles, I’m certain after 20+ seasons there is enough backlog of music to fit criteria, and hopefully the aforementioned theme nights will help that situation.
Also unpopular opinion, but bring back the voice of Alan Dedicoat. He use to introduce the stars as they hit the floor to dance. He was the disembodied voice that would say, “Dancing the Cha cha cha, Kirstie Alley and her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy!” for example. Idk something about his voice kinda sets a tone, and makes me more excited to watch the performance even if the performing celebrity isn’t that good.
Showmances should be simply left alone- unless 1, it’s legit, and 2 the partnership feels comfortable discussing it.
Judges should have dance-offs early in the season to keep the low having fruit out of reach of that mirrorball. Weeks 1-6 should be fine, weeds out bad dancers quick (theoretically), and creates organic drama and tension.
Eliminations should go back to the early to mid-series standard, one by one elimination, or bring 4 celebs out at a time and announce results that way.
I might be old fashioned but I loved the opening credits from the first dozen seasons. The sets theme playing with this trippy background of purple or blue or black with the celebs in order. Like this: https://youtu.be/TMYvYtSpr8E
If your feeling nostalgic, the above link is seasons 1-9 opening credits.
Hopefully the powers that be do look here every now and then for fresh ideas. Anyway puredwts have an amazing summer.
A way they can change the voting to make it a little better, imo, would be to hold phone voting open until Wednesday at midnight. Some viewers can’t watch on Mondays, and like to base decisions once they’ve seen everyone dance. The younger viewers don’t even have to watch it live to vote, but the general audience likes to know who and what and why they are voting. The online votes probably get more traction than phone votes anyway, so why not just extend the time for those who phone in. It won’t solve much, but I think it would be a start.
Another small fix, take the judges scores and make it worth a little less than half. I think that would incur more manipulative behavior from the judges, but then again their opinions aren’t worth half a contestants votes.
The final nail in the coffin for me was when they went straight into announcing the winner with 4 couples. Maybe there was an explanation(here or somewhere else). Maybe the network didn’t give them another week. I haven’t kept up to know if there was a reason for that. Witney and Milo had an epic freestyle that meant nothing. The freestyle is supposed to be the most important dance of the season.
I still vote for who i like, but I gave up picking favorites and having hope about 10 seasons ago. I don’t care who gets who as a partner. I accepted that this is a TV show and like all TV shows it’s all about ratings/money.
I don’t care who wins. The only thing I care about is watching great dancing. While following entertaining storylines.
In my opinion they should have the 3 lowest scoring couples be in jeopardy every week. The others being safe. Then when it’s down to the final 3, or if there are ties, give it to the voters.
It won’t stop the show from over scoring their favorites or those who give the show ratings, but it will limit undeserved “shocking” eliminations and give the worst dancers a higher chance of being eliminated.
Alright, so since wishlist posting is done, I’ll post mine
Men:
Jack Quaid
Sam Hunt
Jake Owen
Logan Lehrman (prolly ruined spelling)
T-Pain
Derek Jeter
Mahershala Ali (spelling ruined again)
Alexander Ludwig
Women:
Priyanka Chopra
Natalie Dormer
Alissa Violet
Julianne Moore
Levin Rambin
Isabelle Fuhrman
Danica Patrick
Halsey
I would be thrilled if Jennifer Love Hewitt danced! She’s super on 9 – 1 -1.
She’s really a good actor imo.
Halsey seems like she’s everywhere now, so wouldn’t be strange to see her on DWTS.
I would say Cameron Boyce, but I woke up to hear that he died last night.
Wow, Miner…thanks for this very informative and uplifting post. *eye roll*
Yeah, and from my list, you can tell I’m a hunger games fan