Problems With 'Dancing With The Stars'

[Brian Damage]

December 30, 2007 -- For the first time in its five-season history, the producers at ABC's "Dancing With The Stars" find themselves in an uphill battle to fill their dance card.

In the past, the show, which returns on Monday, March 17, has been a magnet for faded entertainers eager to reignite their careers – and a hard sell to top-rawer athletes who recoiled at the very idea of learning to samba in spandex and Cuban heels.

But take a look at the scoreboard: The athletes have been wiping the floor with the actors and singers. The show's top prize – a mirror ball trophy – was awarded to three jocks in a row: football great Emmitt Smith, Olympic speed skating gold medalist Apolo Anton Ohno and two-time Indy 500 champ Helio Castroneves.

"Athletes used to be the hardest for me to get," says "Dancing" casting director, Deena Katz. "But now, because the last three winners have been athletes, I'm getting really concerned that other people may shy away."

That isn't her only problem. Even if the show attracted only world-class athletes, they would probably still be competing (like Ohno and Castroneves) in their respective sports and not give their full attention to the show.

"As the show gets bigger, we're attracting bigger names," says Katz. "And while it's great that bigger names want to do the show, they all have day jobs and it makes doing the show much more difficult."

Last season, for example, Castroneves continued his racing trials throughout the competition. And world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. had to sandwich in the dance show while he was in serious training to defend his title in a December 8 pay-per-view Las Vegas fight against Ricky Hatton.

Katz says that many stars delude themselves about how much they can take on – or they just don't listen. "The show is 14 weeks of their life," says Katz. "And even when I tell the celebrities that's what it is, they don't realize how hard it will be. I sit them down. I talk to them. I tell them it's a huge commitment. And everyone's like, 'Oh, I multi-task. This is going to be so easy.' But there's no time, especially if they make it far enough to have to learn two dances a week."

Maybe Katz should sit them down with the race car driver, the speed skater or the football player. Maybe then it would sink in that even for athletes, "Dancing" is one tough sport.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12302007...ars_866758.htm

[Ireneparalegal]

I made a prediction sometime back. DWTS will come out with an ALL-STAR show where they will bring back all the winners and have them compete.

[Mikado]

it keeps pre-empting Corner Gas

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by Mikado

it keeps pre-empting Corner Gas

Yeah, for you. Sorry.

[JulieSomoski]

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

I made a prediction sometime back. DWTS will come out with an ALL-STAR show where they will bring back all the winners and have them compete.

Didn't they do something like that for Survivor?

[bingbangbaby]

Don't they do that for every reality show??

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by bingbangbaby

Don't they do that for every reality show??

Well, DWTS is not a reality show. It is a contest.

Survivor as a matter of fact will have for the next installment an all-star team against a regular team. And today's Entertainment Weekly revealed who the all-stars are. I am pissed that Johnny Fairplay is back.