I hate the fact that she is the first ever to get the six 10s. Mostly because she's not the dancer that any of the previous winners are/were, or even on par with some of the non-winners (Stacy, J Peterman, Mario).

It's like scoring inflation...what are they going to do next season to top it, give 11s?

Btw, I was a little suprised at how light-on-his-feet that Len was. Always figured he was probably in his 60's (just checked, he's 63), yet he could still pull off some of those quick steps very well. Impressive.

I hate the fact that she is the first ever to get the six 10s. Mostly because she's not the dancer that any of the previous winners are/were, or even on par with some of the non-winners (Stacy, J Peterman, Mario).

It's like scoring inflation...what are they going to do next season to top it, give 11s?

Btw, I was a little suprised at how light-on-his-feet that Len was. Always figured he was probably in his 60's (just checked, he's 63), yet he could still pull off some of those quick steps very well. Impressive.
I'm pretty sure that the "60" is for this season only. I think that Emmit, Drew, and Stacey have pulled off 60's before.

And I was also very surprised at how skilled Len was. It was interesting to find out that he specialized as a Latin dancer in his day. I had figured that he was strictly waltz and fancy dancing.

Just did a quick wiki. I was wrong.

...there's probably nothing Joey can do to make the finals. I actually called and voted for him last night (3 times!); first time I've ever done that. Noticed they cut off the phone lines pretty early, too.I tried to call in for Joey too but it was too late (I watched it on an hour DVR delay).

I thought it was the best dance performance show of all the seasons, regardless of the ridiculous scoring by the judges.

Everyone was great—even Ian on his second dance was remarkable too. I do agree he is history tonight but it is very close between him and Ali. She’s not in Apolo’s or Joey’s class.

I guess Apollo overcame his brother/sister angst ;)

My wife said "I feel a little dirty after watching that!"

(with snips..)
Four couples left
Does Ian survive another week (giving Cheryl a chance at a three-peat)?
Will Joey & Kym be in the bottom two again?
Thrills!!I said here at the beginning of this season--out of all of the couples, these would be the final 4. I also thought from day one that Apolo and Julianne would win it all, being a big fan of Ohno since seeing his amazing Olympic races. I don’t think I declared that here-- I just thought it :o so that prediction is moot...

...but they are very talented and I love watching Julianne dance :cool: ...and I’ve stated here several times that Joey is going to win and I will stick with that bet. ;)

As spectacular Apolo and Julianne's dances were last night Joey was better, especially in his second dance.

Joey started this season as a good dancer and has improved to professional standards.
Apolo is a talented athlete that became a great dancer.

The future shows should not have anymore contestants like Drew or Joey. It’s not right. They should stick with actors, athletes, personalities, models, etc…. No more of these "band" performers.

Agree. Layla's getting preferential treatment, presumably because of a) her father's fan base, and b) because ABC would prefer a male/female finale rather than two guys like last time. Ian will go tonight (bye Cheryl; <sniff>). I hate to see it, but there's probably nothing Joey can do to make the finals. I actually called and voted for him last night (3 times!); first time I've ever done that. Noticed they cut off the phone lines pretty early, too.

You see, now, I'm against that kind of "preferential treatment" (regardless of the excuse, on dance shows or anywhere else); demonstrated ability should be the ONLY determinant of where you end up. However, it seems that in this case there is simply a difference of opinion about the various contestants' skills.

I HONESTLY felt that Laila performed the best (as Maks pointed out, basic steps are often harder and I just thought her dances, especially her Quickstep, would have been judged best in a straight competition). Apolo is really good but his steps were shorter than they could have been. Not much to choose from there, however. OTOH, I thought Ian and especially Joey were, to put it kindly, not good at all. Everything BUT dancing, and Joey's steps (especially in Jive) were non-existent.

So what we have here is agreement that the producers, through the judges, are trying to keep things as close as possible and were having the judges award 10s to anything they felt was even barely acceptable. Really reflects poorly on the judges' (especially Len's) ability to do what they are presumably paid to do, but I guess they now consider themselves primarily entertainers.

BTW, please just give the trophy to Julianne now; I don't think I could take another dance like that. She is absolutely ADORABLE (as someone else pointed out awhile ago).

And the pictures of Len when he had hair (presumably his own) were priceless!


=NLK=

I hate to see it, but there's probably nothing Joey can do to make the finals. I thought the finale next week is going to be the top three.

just a few observations...

I figured Cheryl did that very elaborate dance cause she may have though her and Ian were gonna be voted off this week, and she wanted to do a very offbeat performace. I didn't think it was that good of a showing...at all!

I sincerely think Joey is getting abad rap here. I've always thought he was the best dancer out there. I voted for him last night.

Although layla is a pretty good dancer (and very popluar), I didn't think her dance last noght warranted 10s. She will be in the final.

Appolo will be in the final also.

Bruna is a jerk and very very 2-faced.

That woman announcer is getting to loom preggars. She has got a huge top lately.

nc

We can quibble about the judging but that was an incredibly impressive display of dancing by four nonprofessionals, so compared to earlier seasons' scoring, the numbers are right on the mark. Ian is clearly the weakest but even he looked like a pro in his Elvis number. Apolo and Joey are both exceptional dancers and Leila, though a little stiffer, isn't far behind, and looks beautiful. But Apolo and Julianne are truly wonderful and I would even pay to see them dance. Julianne is the cutest, sexiest little thing I've seen in a long time.

I think Laila is judged a little differently because as the judges have previously noted dancing for the ladies is more difficult than for the men as they are typically featured. I would guess in most dances the ladies do close to twice the actual dancing of the men both in steps and difficulty.

However, men have to lead the dances they perform, so I would imagine that somewhat evens out.

^^^^^^^

Plus, most men don't have any dancing experience at all. But most of these women that are in the entertainment industry probably had ballet or gymnastics classes when they were children (or at the very least were cheerleaders in high school).


In this case, I think the scoring is just based on judges thoughts that Ian is the weakest of the four and thus should go home this week. But Joey's bottom two finish last week proved that Ian has a much stronger fan base than Joey. So they had to give Joey a first place finish to make sure he sticks around. I guess the judges also thought the Laila was vulnerable and that Apolo was the least likely to fall victim to Ian's fan base.

The judges have done this "outcome based" scoring a lot IMO. It doesn't bother me too much in this case because DWTS isn't a "real" competition with careers on the line and all that. And the judges are trying to give the dancers they consider the best a good shot at the title.

I guess Apollo overcame his brother/sister angst ;)

My wife said "I feel a little dirty after watching that!"

A good Cha Cha or Samba should be a little dirty. :D

A good Rumba should make you feel like a peeping tom, looking through your neighbors windows and watching them make out (watch Scott & Fran's Rumba in _Strictly Ballroom_ for a great example). :eek:


BTW, the costumers really had a good night last night. Usually there's only one or two really stand out costumes per night. But last night, both of Cheryl's, both of Kym's and Julianne's second costume were all really hot. The first sheer black costume of Cheryl's and the second lacy black costume of Kym's were especially hot.

An interesting factoid about last night is that Kym & Joey danced to Jumping Jive, which Kym also danced to eight years ago in _Burn the Floor_ (which I think was her first exposure to entertainment dancing as opposed to competition dancing). I wonder what thoughts were running through her mind while dancing to that song again at this point in her career?

...Kym & Joey danced to Jumping Jive...
Actually, it was "Jump, Jive & Wail," a hit for the Brian Setzer Orchestra about a decade ago. Brian Setzer first honed his swing music chops in the mid-1980's as lead singer of the Stray Cats, before going on to form his own swing band.

Switching gears...

My predicted finalist lineup: Laila/Maks, Joey/Kym, and Apolo/Julianne. While Ian and Cheryl did kick it up a notch (sorry, Emeril) in last night's Latin round, they still did not show quite as much showmanship as Joey and Kym.

My predicted finalist lineup: Laila/Maks, Joey/Kym, and Apolo/Julianne. While Ian and Cheryl did kick it up a notch (sorry, Emeril) in last night's Latin round, they still did not show quite as much showmanship as Joey and Kym.Ding Ding Ding --- We have a winner! Well, it was sort of obvious. The best three are in the finale. Sorry to see Cheryl go as she has always stepped up the final performances.

Everyone is supposed to come back next week. Will that include Heather?

Everyone is supposed to come back next week. Will that include Heather? No, she's not going to show up... so they booked this dude instead...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPsz91qYEfM

No, she's [Heather] not going to show up... so they booked this dude instead...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPsz91qYEfM
This guy has a lot more style and class than Heather...or Billy Ray Cyrus, for that matter! :D

Now that we know who the finalists are (Apolo, Joey, Laila), let the speculation on who wins commence! :D

Their week is going to be grueling, because they will be doing three (3) dances next Monday - a judges' choice, a pair favorite, plus the dreaded "freestyle".

Does anyone know how many total votes were cast for last night's results?

I know AI loves to spout off on how many votes (something on the order of 33 to 38 million) were cast.

Not sure if Cheryls was teary eyed because she was saddened or because she was relieved LOL

nc

Did anyone see how sad Kym looked in the background as they were talking with the 3 that weren't "saved" yet? She looked like she was in tears.

Does anyone know how many total votes were cast for last night's results?

I know AI loves to spout off on how many votes (something on the order of 33 to 38 million) were cast.
AI puts no limit on the number of votes, whereas I believe DWTS sets a limit of 11 per telephone number. So AI's total would dwarf the dancing vote, and the comparison would be embarrassing. Limiting the votes per phone is much fairer and I hope AI goes that route in the future. (But they won't, because AI thinks the public gets all orgasmic when they hear "35 million votes!".)

Now that we know who the finalists are (Apolo, Joey, Laila), let the speculation on who wins commence! :D

Their week is going to be grueling, because they will be doing three (3) dances next Monday - a judges' choice, a pair favorite, plus the dreaded "freestyle".

I'm having trouble deciding who I want to win this season. There's things I like and dislike about all three finalists this season. But, I think I'm leaning towards Apolo even though I feel he reuses too many of the moves from previous dances.

An interesting factoid about last night is that Kym & Joey danced to Jumping Jive, which Kym also danced to eight years ago in _Burn the Floor_ (which I think was her first exposure to entertainment dancing as opposed to competition dancing). I wonder what thoughts were running through her mind while dancing to that song again at this point in her career?

Never heard of "Burn the Floor". Was it a dancing movie like "Strictly Ballroom"? Frankly, I'd watch anything that has Kym in it. I'd watch her read the newspaper; I'd watch her peel onions; I'd watch her clip her toenails, etc. Please Mac, tell us everything you know about Kym. :D

I loved "Strictly Ballroom". Great movie.

I like Apolo - he really "brings it" every week.

Sometimes I wonder, though, if Julianne's youth and lack of experience relative to the other pro's has been a liability as much as her dancing ability and sexyness has been an asset. From week one, it's really seemed as though Apolo's had the most challenging choreography of all the stars. This is a lot to throw at someone new to dance and may have put him behind a bit on getting some of the most basic fundamentals to become second nature.

I hope it doesn't come back to bite him because in my mind he clearly has the most potential of the remaining stars for being a great dancer.

I'm pulling for Apollo, if not him, then Laila. Joey might be the best dancer, but he's a little smarmy and obnoxious. Apollo and Julianne are just too cute together. I thought they deserved 60 this week.

I like Apolo - he really "brings it" every week.

Sometimes I wonder, though, if Julianne's youth and lack of experience relative to the other pro's has been a liability as much as her dancing ability and sexyness has been an asset. From week one, it's really seemed as though Apolo's had the most challenging choreography of all the stars. This is a lot to throw at someone new to dance and may have put him behind a bit on getting some of the most basic fundamentals to become second nature.

I hope it doesn't come back to bite him because in my mind he clearly has the most potential of the remaining stars for being a great dancer.
The thing is, he does all those steps and at least to an untrained eye his timing, athleticism, and posture look as good as the professionals. It would be one thing if he was trying stuff that he couldn't do consistently, but if you have the talent, it would be a waste to do a conventional performance that doesn't show off your abilities.

Never heard of "Burn the Floor". Was it a dancing movie like "Strictly Ballroom"? Frankly, I'd watch anything that has Kym in it. I'd watch her read the newspaper; I'd watch her peel onions; I'd watch her clip her toenails, etc. Please Mac, tell us everything you know about Kym. :D

_Burn the Floor_ is a must see. It and _Strictly Ballroom_ are largly responsible for DWTS because they proved there was a market for ballroom dancing.

But BTF is a "ballroom" stage performance film. It's just dancing, no plot. I tend to rewatch BTF more often than I rewatch SB since there isn't a plot that gets stale after a few viewings

The producer of BTF was at Elton John's birthday party. At that party the producer noticed that the 200 hundred plus people at the party all stopped whatever they were doing to watch a 20 minute ballroom performance. So he decided produce and film a ballroom stage performance.

There are more than 20 pro ballroom competition couples in BTF, so it's hard to pick out Kym most of the time. But, there's more than enough eye candy to satisfy anyone.

The picture quality of the BTF dvd is good but not great. I've seen some artifacts which make me think that it might have been recorded on PAL video tape not film. The sound quality of the DTS track is very good.

Oh, I really should mention that BTF needs a BIG screen. It loses a lot of it's impact on a small screen.

I loved "Strictly Ballroom". Great movie.


The Japanese original or the Richard Gere/Jennifer Lopez remake? ;)

I thought the comments that the old guy, Lenny(?), made about Apolo planting his feet wrong was funny. I think that comes from his speedskating. When you plant your foot on skates, you use your outside edge (of the foot) and that tends to point your toe inwards.

Um, you are thinking of the WRONG movie ;) "Strictly Ballroom" was a 1986 play made into a 1992 movie. See here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strictly_Ballroom

It's about Australian ballroom dancers. Good flick.

The Japanese original or the Richard Gere/Jennifer Lopez remake? ;)

....

That one is _Shall We Dance_. Like madpoet said, Strictly Ballroom is an Aussie flick and is considered to be part of the "Red Curtain Trilogy". Which includes Moulin Rouge and some other film who's name I can never remember.

I haven't seen SWD yet. But I've heard the Japanese original is good. I can barely stand Gere or Lopez on their own. So the combination of the two of them in one film will prevent me from ever watching the remake.

Carrie Ann was on of the tabloid shows and said "Someone I used to work for might be on DWTS next season".

The host speculated that it might be Madonna but Carrie Ann wouldn't confirm or deny the speculation.

BTW, has any heard if there will be a fall season of DWTS? Or do we have to wait a full year for another season?

It'll be on in September according to this (http://www.movieweb.com/tv/news/05/19805.php):

ABC's fall primetime schedule is as follows (all times listed are Eastern, with new shows in bold):

MONDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars"
9:30 p.m. Sam I Am (new comedy series)
10:00 p.m. "The Bachelor"

TUESDAY:
8:00 p.m. Cavemen (new comedy series)
8:30 p.m. Carpoolers (new comedy series)
9:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show"
10:00 p.m. "Boston Legal"

Looks like Monday/ Tuesday is permanent.

That's good news. I prefer Mon/Tue to the old Tue/Wed schedule since there's nothing else on Monday that I want to watch, I can watch it live and record it without missing anything else.

That's good news. I prefer Mon/Tue to the old Tue/Wed schedule since there's nothing else on Monday that I want to watch, I can watch it live and record it without missing anything else.
NO! Say it ain't so.

I hate the Monday/Tuesday line-up. We record Heroes, so we get stuck recording the first hour of DWTS on the DVR and the last 30/45 minutes on the VCR.

Maybe by the time DTWS comes around in Sept., we'll be on FiOS and have the dual tuner DVR and it'll be a moot point.

ft

Not Joey, Not Apollo...Layla will win.

Looking forward to the show this week!

nc

Not Joey, Not Apollo...Layla will win.

Looking forward to the show this week!

nc

While I don't think she deserves it, I have to reluctantly agree with you. Her father is the most recognizable person on the planet and the "Ali" name and heritage give her an unfair advantage. I would be shocked, but pleased, if one of the guys took it.

Laila didn't step it up to quite the level that Joey and especially Apolo this week. Apolo's dance was so contemporary it's hard to believe it won't snag a huge amount of neutral voters, and this season has done nothing but enhance his own name recognition. I fully expect he'll be adding that mirror ball to his trophy case tomorrow night.

After watching last night's final dances, it was pretty clear Apolo and Joey gave a standing 8-count to Layla. But she'll still probably win. Between the two guys, it's really too close to call.

Last night was the first time they, mercifully, managed to get the dance show down to an hour. But the results show tonight is.... 2 hours? :eek: Good grief, that thing is going to be padded... I pity the fools that watch these things live, without the blessed relief of a DVR.

After watching last night's final dances, it was pretty clear Apolo and Joey gave a standing 8-count to Layla. But she'll still probably win. Between the two guys, it's really too close to call.

Yep.

FWIW, we so want a Ohno or Joey winner that my wife actually tried to vote last night. Didn't do any good though, both lines were busy every time she tried. Maybe that's a good thing.

Also, have they always had 3 dancer "finals?" I always thought it was down to 2 dancers in the previous finales (Mario vs Emmitt, Kelly vs J Peterman, etc).

Yep.

FWIW, we so want a Ohno or Joey winner that my wife actually tried to vote last night. Didn't do any good though, both lines were busy every time she tried. Maybe that's a good thing.

Also, have they always had 3 dancer "finals?" I always thought it was down to 2 dancers in the previous finales (Mario vs Emmitt, Kelly vs J Peterman, etc).

Hey, they got 2 hours to fill. So, along with mind-numbing interviews about how they all really, really want that garish trophy, a few professional dances, recaps of every dance every one of 'em has ever performed, etc, etc, they'll eliminate one couple at the end of the first hour (sorry Joey). Then, more interviews, more pro exhibitions, more recaps, then, after 1 hour 55 minutes of all this, the winner! Can't wait.

Oh, and I can't believe it wasn't mentioned...

I don't think I even saw that first dance with Ohno and Julianne...I was too busy staring at that outfit she had on....wow!

Kym looked particularly great in her numbers too.

The best dance of the night goes to Joey and Kym. His second dance was fantastic. Apollo and Julie's second dance was a close second, with their 1st dance coming in 3rd. Joey & Kim take number 4, while Laila brings up the rear with 5th & 6th. She wasn't bad, but not up to the same level as the guys. Of coarse, she'll win anyhow.

Check this out from the ABC Website:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FINALE SCORING:

For the finals on Monday night, the remaining three couples will all dance twice: a freesytle and a "Judges Pick." As usual, they will be scored out of 30 points a dance, for a possible total of 60 points. This is also the last opportunity for the viewers to vote for their favorites.

On Tuesday night, the final three will dance once more, this time repeating their favorite performance from the season. The judges will score this last dance, which will be added to each couple's total from Monday night. After all three dances from Monday and Tuesday, the couples will have a final judges' score out of a possible 90 points.

Each couple's score from the judges will be calculated into a percentage reflecting their share of the total number of points awarded on both Monday and Tuesday's shows.

The total number of audience votes each couple receives will also be calculated into a percentage reflecting their share of the total number of votes cast after Monday's performances.

These two shares are then added together to give each couple their final total and ranking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So even though Laila had the lowest overall score last night, she still has a chance for a "comeback" with the judges when they dance their final dance tonight. I fully expect her to land all 10's with Ohno and Fatone getting whatever scores that, combined with their already-known-at-this-point audience vote, will cause them to come in at least 2nd place.

Why all the Ali conspiracy theories?

Because she's not good? Ok, that's harsh. She's not as good as the judges prop her up to be each week.

Because she's not good? Ok, that's harsh. She's not as good as the judges prop her up to be each week.

That's it pretty much. They've been propping her up each week ever since she's been the lone female left in the competition. Her scores, particularly her "first ever" perfect 60 of last week are undeservedly high.

The best dance of the night goes to Joey and Kym. His second dance was fantastic. Apollo and Julie's second dance was a close second, with their 1st dance coming in 3rd. Joey & Kim take number 4, while Laila brings up the rear with 5th & 6th. She wasn't bad, but not up to the same level as the guys. Of coarse, she'll win anyhow.You nailed last night's results. I agree 100%.

This is definitely the best season.-- best ensemble, best dancers, just real good entertainment.

They’re all worthy champs. I don’t mind whomever of the three finalists take it, however, I’d be shocked if Lalia brings that shiny ball home. As many have said-- she's just not as good.

Any chemistry that Apolo and Julianne lacked earlier in this season is long forgotten. They are so much fun to watch--- but--- I still think Joey is the best dancer and I will stick with that pick as the winner. ;)

You nailed last night's results. I agree 100%.

This is definitely the best season.-- best ensemble, best dancers, just real good entertainment.

They’re all worthy champs. I don’t mind whomever of the three finalists take it, however, I’d be shocked if Lalia brings that shiny ball home. As many have said-- she's just not as good.

Any chemistry that Apolo and Julianne lacked earlier in this season is long forgotten. They are so much fun to watch--- but--- I still think Joey is the best dancer and I will stick with that pick as the winner. ;)

Thanks,

It has been a very fun season. No one's career depends on the outcome so it's really just about bragging rights. No matter who wins, I won't be too disappointed. I just hope the costumes keep going in the same direction for next season. :D

I like Ali.. she isn't a dancer. So this is NOT her field, but she is still bringing it, and that's what the audience likes.

Both Apollo, and especially Joey have experience in dancing. Apollo is a ice skater, so he already has the ability. The audience will connect with Ali more IMO, although that doesn't mean she will win.

I don't think Ohno's experience in Ice Skating prepares him any more than Ali's experience as a prize-fighter. It could be argued that it's less, considering the footwork involved in boxing.

Did you think Apollo was a "figure skater?" He's a speed skater, a big difference.

Too much free-style and not enough techical performance.

This season is a let-down for me.

nc

Oh, and I can't believe it wasn't mentioned...

I don't think I even saw that first dance with Ohno and Julianne...I was too busy staring at that outfit she had on....wow!

....

I kept thinking "That outfit sure looks like one of those old 1940's one-piece swimsuits with some sequins thrown on the top." But she did look good in it. :D

Did anyone else notice all the thumb-sized bruises on Kym arms in the rehearsal shots?

I thought it was a bit tacky of Joey to complain about being tired when it looked like he had beaten Kym with a cane during rehearsals.

Did anyone else notice....
How about that announcer flub when Ali was introduced for her second performance, the “Freestyle" dance. The announcer mistakenly said “The Pasa Doble” for the second time. It almost sounded like a prerecorded intro—like they hit the wrong cue.

(From Marc Berman’s Tuesday, May 22, 2007, Programming Insider column and blog at Mediaweek.com )
http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/63310451/m/55210535

“Led by the final competition on this season’s Dancing With the Stars, ABC cha-cha-ed to victory with an advantage over second-place NBC of a significant 4.44 million viewers and 20 percent among adults 18-49. Tied for third and fourth overall were a night of repeats on CBS and the season-finale of 24 on Fox, followed by repeat-riddled The CW.

Dancing With the Stars opened the evening for ABC with a stellar 19.75 million viewers and a 5.1 rating/15 share among adults 18-49 from 8-9 p.m. Comparably, the second most-watched show in the hour was the Monday season-finale of NBC’s fading Deal or No Deal at a distant 9.66 million viewers (and a third-place 3.0/ 9 among adults 18-49). The first-hour of the expanded season-finale of Fox’s 24 averaged 9.34 million viewers (#3) and a second-place 3.5/10 among adults 18-49….”

• Source: Nielsen Media Research data

I kept thinking "That outfit sure looks like one of those old 1940's one-piece swimsuits with some sequins thrown on the top." But she did look good in it. :D

Yeah, it did look a little old fashioned but that cut is very flattering on her. If you remember, the leopard-print outfit she had on that got raves from us earlier in the season was the exact same cut. She looked unusually good, even for her.

I don't think Ohno's experience in Ice Skating prepares him any more than Ali's experience as a prize-fighter. It could be argued that it's less, considering the footwork involved in boxing.

Did you think Apollo was a "figure skater?" He's a speed skater, a big difference.

Figure or speed skater I could care less.. but IMO he's a natural when it comes to dancing, and his skating definitely helps on the dance floor. I seriously don't know how in the hell would boxing help in a damn dancing contest.

But we all can agree that Joey is clearly the one with the biggest advantage, due to being part of the largest pop group in history.

Too much free-style and not enough techical performance.

This season is a let-down for me.

nc

Ditto. Although I must say that a tango to "My Darling Clementine" WAS one of the highlights (was it a tango or a paso?).

But we have to realize that not everyone feels like we do, and when the network sees all that money dancing in front of their eyes they'll do ANYTHING; e.g. "consult" with the judges, do more freestyle and f**k up the music. After all, would WE be any different (i.e. forego large profits to put on the show we'd like)?

Some people honestly prefer more freestyle and less competition-type dancing, which is fine, but ABC is clearly doing whatever it takes to rake in the audience.

BTW, what a coincidence that the judges did an about face on each of the contestants in the transition from the first dance to the freestyle. :)

=NLK=

... I seriously don't know how in the hell would boxing help in a damn dancing contest.Rhythm, timing, stamina, strength, are all part of a great boxer’s profile..... and they are all part of a dancers too. ;)

Figure or speed skater I could care less.. but IMO he's a natural when it comes to dancing, and his skating definitely helps on the dance floor. I seriously don't know how in the hell would boxing help in a damn dancing contest.

In boxing, coordination and footwork are key. The same goes with dancing.

Personally, I don't exactly see how pushing a skate around a big iced circle would help with dancing more than boxing would but obviously you disagree.

But we all can agree that Joey is clearly the one with the biggest advantage, due to being part of the largest pop group in history.

Yep, for the most part. Although his weight and resulting lack of coordination somewhat evens it out against both Ali and Ohno.

Figure or speed skater I could care less.. but IMO he's a natural when it comes to dancing, and his skating definitely helps on the dance floor. I seriously don't know how in the hell would boxing help in a damn dancing contest.

But we all can agree that Joey is clearly the one with the biggest advantage, due to being part of the largest pop group in history.

Who was it who danced like a butterfly? Duh.....
I've never seen a speed skater dance.

Well, at least SYTYCD starts this week :)

For what it's worth, all the contestants are back tonight including Heather Mills.
Well, at least SYTYCD starts this week :)From the same studio when the live shows start.

I cast one vote each for Apolo and Joey, because I thought they did well enough last night, especially in the freestyle round, to be considered co-champs in my book. It took me about twice as long to get through by phone or Internet to vote for Apolo as for Joey, which leads me to believe that Apolo probably got more votes. Unless Apolo completely stumbles during tonight's final dance, he should all but lock up the competition.

As for Laila, she was not IMO quite as precise as the other two last night; she needs a knockout (no pun intended) routine tonight to break through.

Wow, no comments after the show? I liked Laila, and thought she should be one of the final 2 but I am happy Apollo won. As the seconds ticked down I could easily see either one winning, and I thought I'd like Apollo to win , but Joey will get it. I was pleasantly surprised.

That had to be a really close final vote - I'd sure love to know just how close! I really wanted Apolo & Julianne to win it but didn't have any idea what to expect.

Last night was way too long of a show. I would have rather seen an episode of BL and one hour of SWTS, than a 2-hour "advertisement".

Great to bring back the past winners. Kelly Monaco!

I was surpised not to have seen any clips of Stacy Kebler. They made a huge fuss about her when she was on, but no mention of her last night.

I was SHOCKED that Layla didn't win. I think she thought she should have won over anyone else. Imagine Apolo having that many fans out there.

I have to say, that of all the seasons so far of this show, this season was the least, well, interesting for me. There was no real standout or any real fierce competiters.

That Paula is an idiot. Did ys hear her answer to TB when he sakes what she'd miss the kost. "uh,uggg,um, the judges?" Paula, you should have never been on. You take a spot for someone else who would love to be on this show and not be a moron. I think they should loose the Jimmy K. thing also.

I look forward immensly to next season. I hope the pregnant announcer does come back next year. The mix this show has of judges and emcee's really works.

nc

(From Marc Berman’s Wednesday, May 23, 2007, Programming Insider column and blog at Mediaweek.com )

“…The two-hour season-finale of Dancing With the Stars pushed ABC past American Idol-ignited Fox in total viewers on this last Tuesday of the May 2007sweeps….

ABC’s Dancing With the Stars racked up a season-high 22.70 million viewers with a 6.6/17 from 9-11 p.m.
Here is the half-hour breakdown for Dancing With the Stars:

9:00 p.m.
Viewers: 21.08 million
A18-49: 5.9/15
9:30 p.m.
Viewers: 23.30 million
A18-49: 6.8/17
10:00 p.m.
Viewers: 23.49 million
A18-49: 7.0/18
10:30 p.m.
Viewers: 22.95 million
A18-49: 6.9/18

• Source: Nielsen Media Research data
http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/63310451/m/15610835

I was SHOCKED that Layla didn't win. I think she thought she should have won over anyone else. Imagine Apolo having that many fans out there.She deserved to be in the final three, but I think the other two took it to the next level.
I have to say, that of all the seasons so far of this show, this season was the least, well, interesting for me. There was no real standout or any real fierce competiters.I thought Joey and Apolo were as competitive as any season. If the judges' decision had been even as last year, I would have had no idea who the winner was going to be.
That Paula is an idiot. Did ys hear her answer to TB when he sakes what she'd miss the kost. "uh,uggg,um, the judges?" Paula, you should have never been on. You take a spot for someone else who would love to be on this show and not be a moron.Seems that's true for another show too.
I look forward immensly to next season. I hope the pregnant announcer does come back next year. The mix this show has of judges and emcee's really works.Good news - the next season is four months away. Fox will supply dancing during that time.

And much better dancing at that :)

I knew there were UK and Aussie versions of DWTS, but I didn't realize there were so many countries involved now. Whoever franchised this show must be raking in the cash.

I'd love it if they would show late-night reruns from some of the other countries during the off season. I'd especially like to see Japanese reruns. I'll bet the Japanese have some really wild cultural twists on what a ballroom costume should look like.

...

Great to bring back the past winners. Kelly Monaco!

nc

Kelly...blue mini-dress....mmmmm.... :D

I was surpised not to have seen any clips of Stacy Kebler. They made a huge fuss about her when she was on, but no mention of her last night.

Yes, I'm kind of puzzled at Stacy's absence of anything having to do with DWTS. Certainly, she has to be one of it's all-time most popular competitors (especially among the men in the audience). Maybe she's still peeved about coming in third behind Jerry Rice and Drew. She ought to be.

I was SHOCKED that Layla didn't win. I think she thought she should have won over anyone else. Imagine Apolo having that many fans out there.

Well, I'm going out on a limb here, but maybe it's because she clearly wasn't as good as the two guys. ;) But I still figured she'd win because of name recognition.

I look forward immensly to next season. I hope the pregnant announcer does come back next year. The mix this show has of judges and emcee's really works.

While most of us feel the Tom is unmatched as an emcee, we feel otherwise as far as Samantha is concerned, judging by earlier comments. One thing about Sam, though.... she got as much milage as she could out of her temporary visit from "the titty fairy" (as Robin Williams used to put it in his stand-up routine). She was darn proud of those puppies! :p

Last night was way too long of a show.
Great to bring back the past winners. Kelly Monaco!Agree

I was surpised not to have seen any clips of Stacy Kebler. They made a huge fuss about her when she was on, but no mention of her last night.She vanished after that season... at least to my radar. :confused:

I was SHOCKED that Layla didn't win. I think she thought she should have won over anyone else. Imagine Apolo having that many fans out there. She was very good and really came alive as the season progressed…but no way she was better than the other two. I think the chairs from the balcony would’ve been tossed onto the dance floor if O & J didn’t win. They owned that joint.

Also, remember, Apolo has been in the past two Winter Olympics. He has a following.

I have to say, that of all the seasons so far of this show, this season was the least, well, interesting for me. There was no real standout or any real fierce competiters :p I thought it was the best.

That Paula is an idiot. Did ys hear her answer to TB when he sakes what she'd miss the kost. "uh,uggg,um, the judges?" Paula, you should have never been on. You take a spot for someone else who would love to be on this show and not be a moron. I disagree with this too. She had potential. She just didn’t have a fan base. She has a great wit and should have been on longer than that oaf, Billy Ray. I can’t believe he plugged his album. What a moron.

I think they should loose the Jimmy K. thing also. That stuff is hysterical. :D

I hope the pregnant announcer does come back next year.
nc She stinks. She can’t adlib. She has less ability for “live banter” than a local weather girl in a two bit town.

She was darn proud of those puppies! :p :D I thought she was going to take them out for a walk.

While most of us feel the Tom is unmatched as an emcee, we feel otherwise as far as Samantha is concerned, judging by earlier comments. One thing about Sam, though.... she got as much milage as she could out of her temporary visit from "the titty fairy" (as Robin Williams used to put it in his stand-up routine). She was darn proud of those puppies! :p

Tom has to be one of the luckiest guys around. He fell into a suprise hit show, probably because he was willing to work cheap.

He has grown into the show and occasionally delivers a few cleaver comebacks to the judge's hissy fits, but that's about it.

Samantha Harris is what HDTV was invented for. Pure eye candy, nice outfits, and the ability to tactfully cut off ego driven celebrities in mid sentence.

I don't think any viewers tune in to the show to hear Tom's cleaver banter or because of the interviewing style of Samantha.

Only reason to replace either of them would be if they dared to ask for more money. Only reason to keep either of them is because they are apparently not asking for more money.

Love the show. Love Tom, hated him at first, but he's grown on me. They could replace Samantha with anyone, I find her neither attractive nor interesting.

Apollo and Julianne were the bomb. Julianne is just too cute for words. You can't not love her. My wife wants her to dump her fiancee and marry Apollo because they're so cute together.

.... My wife wants her to dump her fiancee and marry Apollo because they're so cute together.

The engagement is already off, although she is still supposedly going out with him...

Julianne seems irresistible. My wife is convinced that Apolo and she are an item - that working so closely together, those two sweet and good looking people wouldn't be able to keep it platonic. That's assuming that Apolo is straight.

The engagement is already off, although she is still supposedly going out with him...18 is much too young to be engaged, especially as she is obviously a talented dancer with a great future if she doesn't get derailed and do stupid things.

. That's assuming that Apolo is straight.

NY POST
APOLO SKATES ON WITHOUT PARTNER
By MICHAEL STARR
May 24, 2007 --

FIRST things first: "Dancing with the Stars" champ Apolo Anton Ohno says there's no truth to rumors he's hooked up with dancing partner Julianne Hough.
"There's nothing to that," Ohno said yesterday. "Our relationship was strictly professional. It was sometimes goofy, but was strictly professional.

"We had great chemistry on the dance floor, which is why people think [we're romantically involved]," he said.

"It meant I was doing my job [as a dancer]."

Ohno, the Olympic gold-medal speedskater, won Tuesday's "Dancing" finale, beating Laila Ali and Joey Fatone to claim the disco-ball trophy on his 25th birthday.

He didn't have much time to celebrate his victory - he, Ali and Fatone caught a red-eye to New York for a round of TV appearances - but he celebrated his continued success on the show Monday night, he said.

"I had an unbelievable dinner with family and friends . . . and felt like I had already won to be able to come that far in the competition," he said.

"I got to glow and to show off my personality more and show a different side of myself [on the show]," he said. "It's a side of me the public doesn't get to see.

"There's much more to me than the athlete."

Ohno has already won five Olympic medals, and is planning to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

And he said his "Dancing" visibility has opened other doors for him - including show business possibilities.

"There are some really cool doors that have opened for me because of the show that I never thought possible," he said. "We're looking to see what's the right fit . . . there are a lot of things to work on in film and TV.

"We had discussions before ['Dancing'] about doing other things, but this definitely gave it a little boost," he said.

"It shows that I can be more of an entertainer and that I'm very comfortable on TV.

"I could be that crossover [personality]."




http://www.nypost.com/seven/05242007/tv/apolo_skates_on_without_partner_tv_michael_starr.htm

That's assuming that Apolo is straight.

Why would you assume otherwise?

Why would you assume otherwise?
Literally, as I said, I assume he's straight. But one never knows. I tell you honestly that if I were in his situation, working with Julianne, I'd have had to go for the gold.

Literally, as I said, I assume he's straight. But one never knows. I tell you honestly that if I were in his situation, working with Julianne, I'd have had to go for the gold.

Pink....... :D

No pictures?! you guys are slipping.

For all you Willa Ford fans out there, she'll be playing in the Calvin Ayre (Bodog) poker tournament sometime soon.

I'm not sure when her table starts. They still have 6 people on the current table, so it will be a couple of days or more.

FYI, the show has been nominated for eight (8!) Emmy awards.

The full list of nominees is here: http://www.emmys.tv/awards/2007pt/59thnominations.php

Time to bump this up to the front as the show will be starting soon (September 10?).

Have the celebrity/professional partner pairings been announced?

With Samantha Harris on maternity leave (I guess she is...), who will Tom Bergeron have as his co-host?

According to the DWTS home page, the first show is Monday Sept 24 8/7c.

No pairings announced yet, but Carrie Ann hinted that "someone she used to work for" might be on this season. Which of course set off a lot of speculation about Madonna being on the show.

Then there's the other maternity question; will Ashely Delgrosso be back now that she's had her baby? And if so, which of the female pros gets cut?

With Samantha Harris on maternity leave (I guess she is...), who will Tom Bergeron have as his co-host?

Anybody would do, as nearly anybody would be an improvement. Or, they could just let Tom run solo with it; he's the best in the biz and Samantha adds nothing to the telecast. Even with pregger-boobs (although they did make her slightly more tolerable. ;) )

Anybody would do, as nearly anybody would be an improvement. Or, they could just let Tom run solo with it; he's the best in the biz and Samantha adds nothing to the telecast. Even with pregger-boobs (although they did make her slightly more tolerable. ;) )

Problem is, they need someone in the backstage area to do those post-performance interviews while they wait for the judges scores, as well as remind viewers of the phone number to call for voting. Tom can't do everything himself!

I've heard rumors in the past that former contestant Lisa Rinna was slated to be Tom's co-host.

Ugggh. I will take Samantha over Lisa Rinna any day.

I've heard rumors in the past that former contestant Lisa Rinna was slated to be Tom's co-host.:eek: Please say it aint true.
She looks like one of those creatures from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. They will lose me as a viewer.

:eek: Please say it aint true.
She looks like one of those creatures from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. They will lose me as a viewer.

Well, the day I don't disagree with Larry about something will signal the beginning of the Apocalypse.:p But look, Lisa does have those unfortunately overplumped lips, but the rest of her is pretty darn impressive looking for a gal her age and she'd probably be able to handle the duties of the job a whole lot better than Samatha, who seems perpetually tongue-tied and lacks any wit whatsoever. Give me Lisa any day, man.

Doesn't Lisa already have a full-time gig on a daytime soap talk show?

Considering the crazy scheduling of DWTS, I think it would be difficult to do DTWS in addition to another full-time TV show.

[edit: Now that I've thought about it a little more, I recall that Lisa was on DWTS last season doing a performance from the musical Chicago that was just about to go out on tour.

I remember her lips looking much more normal that night. I think she must have had them done right before that first appearance on DWTS so they were still swollen.

Anyway, I'd be surprized if that Chicago tour ended all ready since it's only been a couple of months.]

No pairings announced yet, but Carrie Ann hinted that "someone she used to work for" might be on this season. Which of course set off a lot of speculation about Madonna being on the show.Aside from being extremely fit and vey accustomed to dancing, Madonna sure would stir things up! But would she be as cranky as Heather Mills?

Time to bump this up to the front as the show will be starting soon (September 10?).

Have the celebrity/professional partner pairings been announced?

With Samantha Harris on maternity leave (I guess she is...), who will Tom Bergeron have as his co-host?How about someone extremely annoying like Kelly Ripa :eek:

Well, the day I don't disagree with Larry about something will signal the beginning of the Apocalypse.:p No need to worry, there’s no apocalypse…. now.:D

How about someone extremely annoying like Kelly Ripa
Kelly Rippa is not a contender. She’s got a full plate here in the East Coast with her current schedule.

I hear Rosie is in the running :p

Leeza Gibbons would be a good fill-in for Samantha.

How about Tanya Memme for co-hostess? What's she up to these days? I only ever saw her on those old "how-to use DirecTV" spots that ran continually, and I haven't had D* for awhile now. She's comfortable speaking to the camera, she's lively, and she's very cute.

Well, if we're going to start lobbying for hostesses. I'm going to nominate Shana Hiatt (the Poker After Dark) hostess.

http://www.stacksback.com/shanafullsize.jpg

Just remember, it's not just the babe-factor. That job is a lot harder than it looks, and the good ones justifiably make big bucks to make it look easy. Think Cat Deely on SYTYCD.

How about Tanya Memme for co-hostess? What's she up to these days? I only ever saw her on those old "how-to use DirecTV" spots that ran continually, and I haven't had D* for awhile now. She's comfortable speaking to the camera, she's lively, and she's very cute.

She hasn't been on for along time now haven't seen or heard of her since.

I'm still sticking with Shana. She's able to totally disarm Phil Hellmuth and Mike Matasow in the PAD interviews, so I'm sure she won't have any trouble interviewing an arrogant Jerry Rice.

My local Hi-Def PBS channel has started doing reruns of America's Ballroom Challenge. So if you missed it the first time around you might have another chance to see it.

The pairings for this upcoming season will be announced this coming Wednesday on Good Morning America.

I'm going to try and resist getting sucked in this time. But if I end up seeing one too many promos for the new season, the eye candy ensemblage might overwhelm the higher intellect, going straight for the loinage zone and then it's Tivo Season Pass time all over again. :(*sigh*:(

I'm going to try and resist getting sucked in this time. But if I end up seeing one too many promos for the new season, the eye candy ensemblage might overwhelm the higher intellect, going straight for the loinage zone and then it's Tivo Season Pass time all over again. :(*sigh*:(

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. Give in and admit you're powerless to resist the allure of Cheryl Burke in sequins. You will be there. I will be there. We all will be there.


:D

...Give in and admit you're powerless to resist the allure of Cheryl Burke in sequins...

:D

and Julianne in leopard print and Edyta in the skimpiest of outfits... :D

I heard on ESPN sportscenter this morning that Mark Cuban is going to be on this year.

I heard on ESPN sportscenter this morning that Mark Cuban is going to be on this year.If he is (as reported on Si.com (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/basketball/nba/08/26/cuban.dancing/index.html?eref=si_nba)), will he insist that the show be done in 1080i? ;) Maybe our fellow AVS member can give us more info.

Does this mean the show will be blacked out on Comcast?

I heard on ESPN sportscenter this morning that Mark Cuban is going to be on this year.:rolleyes:They should either book all “stars” on the show or change the name to Dancing With Public Figures . I have no problem with seeing a billionaire competing but don’t call him a star. I guess that the star/celebrity line is blurred.

But he was the star of The Benefactor!

But he was the star of The Benefactor!:eek:You are absolutely correct. It just goes to show how out of the loop I am regarding reality shows.. but I take pride in that.:cool:

If he is (as reported on Si.com (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/basketball/nba/08/26/cuban.dancing/index.html?eref=si_nba)), will he insist that the show be done in 1080i? ;) Maybe our fellow AVS member can give us more info.

DWTS is already broadcast in HD, albeit the 720p version of it that ABC does.

I should have been clearer and said "will he insist that they change the show from 720P to 1080i?" since he's quality conscious and his networks are in 1080i and ... (tap tap tap is this microphone on?) Will Mark serve in the role of the "sports figure"?

Wayne Newton is also reported (http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2007/08/an-ew-exclusive.html) to be a contestant. That fills the "old guy" position.

An odd report (http://www.hollywood.com/news/Brown_to_Judge_Dancing_with_the_Stars/4559234) states that Melanie Brown (Scary Spice) may become a forth judge on the show. Seems odd that they would be changing the dynamics of a successful show. Could she be the co-host?

Switch from 720p to 1080i because he's quality conscious??? I've seen 720p look better than 1080i for high-motion imagery. This debate has happened many times, and we don't need to re-hash it, but I reject your matter-of-fact declaration that 1080i is higher quality than 720p.

Switch from 720p to 1080i because he's quality conscious??? I've seen 720p look better than 1080i for high-motion imagery. This debate has happened many times, and we don't need to re-hash it, but I reject your matter-of-fact declaration that 1080i is higher quality than 720p.

I don't think anybody's trying to make that argument, UK. "Higher quality" is always subjective depending on a number of factors including and especially the quality of the viewer's display. But the fact is that 1080i has one third more lines of resolution in which to transmit fine detail regardless of frame rate. If someone has a display (as I do) capable of resolving it, 1080i will always look a little sharper because the image has more detail (especially if one deinterlaces it to 1080p). That's just the way it is.

That said, many prefer 720p for fast motion images like sports....or dancing. Not as much macroblocking if their supplier is bandwidth-challenged. But you're still not going to see as much detail, all other factors being equal.

The solution: 1080p. Fat chance we'll see that broadcast anytime soon. It's like pulling teeth to get local broadcasters to embrace the 720p or 1080i formats as it is... And of course, they are allowed to bit-starve their ATSC signal for multicasting, so we're not likely to find many of them choosing quality over quantity in their digital broadcast business models.

1080/60P looks like it's evolving as there is increasing interest in 3Gbs HD SDI. This will support uncompressed 4:4:4 1080/24P and 4:2:2 1080/60i. I've mainly seen this on routers, some going beyond 4.5 Gbs which will allow for 4:4:4 1080/60P. Sending this home is another matter.

As for Mark Cuban, it was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek remark contrasting his chosen format for his networks vs ABC's chosen format. There are countless posts regarding 1080i vs 720P, including this one (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=11292748&postcount=57) where I posted positives about 720P.

Originally posted by fredfa in the HOTP thread

Regarding the "DWTS" cast of characters -- Rich Heldenfels of the Akron Beacon Journal has posted this note----

TV Notes
New "Dancing With the Stars" Cast?

Here's the list — not yet officially announced — according to TMZ:

Aaron Carter, Wayne Newton, Mark Cuban, Jane Seymour, Mel B (not dancing, but playing a role on the show), Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Lou Ferrigno, Nia Peeples,
Richard Quest, Giselle Bundchen, Helio Castroneves, Sabrina Bryan.

http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/heldenfi...he-stars-cast/

if this selection is real, it stinks. I just googled some of the names that I never heard of (Aaron Carter, Jennie Garth,
Richard Quest, Helio Castroneves, Sabrina Bryan.) and as one example, Sabrina Bryan’s first credit is that she’s an American dancer.:confused::rolleyes: Even Mark Cuban is credited as being a former disco dance instructor. Why do they have to go with people with unfair advantages. This really turns me off.

I guess they could call the show "Dancing with Who?", but I don't think they'll change the name any time soon. I'm looking forward to the direct feedback to Mark Cuban on this board regarding his steps on the dance floor - and an HD dance floor no less. Could this lead to the "Cuban Disco Hour" on HDNet?

. I'm looking forward to the direct feedback to Mark Cuban on this board regarding his steps on the dance floor - and an HD dance floor no less.
Yeah, it will be pretty funny if this thread gets real busy with new viewers due to the rich kid.

ABC PR announcing the lineup for season 5:

http://abc.go.com/primetime/dancingwiththestars/index?pn=announcement

Melanie Brown will be a competitor, rather than a judge or co-host; the PR still has Samantha Harris as Tom Bergeron's right-hand woman.

Here are the pairings:

Melanie Brown ("Scary Spice")/Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Sabrina Bryan/Mark Ballas (first timer)
Helio Castroneves/Julianne Hough
Mark Cuban/Kym Johnson
Jennie Garth/Derek Hough (first timer, Julianne's brother)
Josie Maran/Alec Mazo
Cameron Mathison/Edyta Sliwinska
Floyd Mayweather/Karina Smirnoff
Wayne Newton/Cheryl Burke
Marie Osmond/Jonathan Roberts
Albert Reed/Anna Trebunskya
Jane Seymour/Tony Dovolani

Samantha Harris is still listed as co-host, but she's due to give birth some time in October, so that may change. Ashley Delgrosso gave birth in late July so she may return for the spring run of the show.

Mark Cuban gets Kym - Lucky dog! ;)

Wayne Newton/Cheryl Burke ??? I guess they have to spread the old guy position around to everyone.

Wow. quite a few changes among the pros. So Ashely didn't come back, Louis and Bryan (sp?) are gone and one of the Elenas is gone.

But all the pros I really care about are still there: Cheryl, Edyta, Kym, Julianne, Tony, Alec and Maks.

Does anyone know how they match up the couples? Do they just draw names out of a hat? Or is The Man just trying to keep Cheryl down after her early successes?

Or is The Man just trying to keep Cheryl down after her early successes?:D Poor Cheryl definitely got dealt a bad hand—again. The old fig looks like a walking talking Madame Tussaud creation. :p

Does anyone know how they match up the couples? Do they just draw names out of a hat? Or is The Man just trying to keep Cheryl down after her early successes?

I've also wondered about how they do the matchups. From what I've seen, it doesn't appear to be completely random. They seem to, at the least, try to get a 'reasonable' height and body match.

For example:
Really tall Stacy did NOT get matched with really short Louis.
(ditto for Leeza)
Somewhat short Mario was matched with somewhat short Karina
Louis always seems to get the really short women (like what's-her-name
that was in High School Musical?)
Really short and lightly built Apolo was paired with really short and
petite Julianne.
Large framed Fat-one was paired with Kym who (compared to all the
other tiny female dancers on DTWS) is large framed.
Really large framed Laila was paired with the bulkiest male pro, Maks.

Beyond height/body type matching, I'm not sure what happens. I wouldn't be surprized if relatively big stars (e.g. Jane Seymore) would be allowed to demand a particular partner as part of the agreement to appear on the show.

AFA Cheryl is concerned. Last season Ian was an early favorite, but turned out to be a dud. I think this season, her luck just ran out. After all, it has been Kym, Edtya and Ashely that have taken most of the duds.

Louis always seems to get the really short women (like what's-her-name that was in High School Musical?)
How soon you forget...That was Monique Coleman, who played Taylor in HSM 1 and 2. Monique was such a dancing dynamo in season 3, she was eliminated one show short of being a semifinalist (she should have won that season, IMO).

As for the season 5 competitors...No one has really jumped out at me yet, but I may be pulling for Jane Seymour in the early going, because I have admired much of her acting work (especially Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman), and she got Tony, who worked wonders with Sara Evans, for a partner.

:D Poor Cheryl definitely got dealt a bad hand—again. The old fig looks like a walking talking Madame Tussaud creation. :p

Oooh, ouch. That's cold, Larry. :p

Oooh, ouch. That's cold, Larry. :pYeah…I guess that was a little mean. :o
Good old Danke Schoen Wayne the Fig Newton.:p He’s not so bad. He’s just got that-- one too many visits-- to the nip and tuck shop for my eyes.:eek: I wonder if he gets to perform on the show this year.

...I may be pulling for Jane Seymour in the early going, because I have admired much of her acting work ....

I've had a crush on Jane from when I was a teenager and she was on Battlestar Galactica (is there anything cooler that different colored eyes?), so I'll be backing her this season. Hopefully she'll be good enough so that it won't be embarrassing to back her.

BTW, I wonder why she's on the American version instead of the British version of DWTS since she's a Brit?

Nothing says she can't be on both the BBC produced shows. Two of the three judges are, even when the two version are running concurrently. There was some talk that Heather Mills might be on SCD if things went well in the US, While she did far better than our expectations I don't think the public voting results lived up to hers. The timing to the divorce was bad and she may have had better audience reception if she had appeared on a later season.

Since the show starts on Monday, I thought I'd give the thread a bump and give everyone a chance to set their DVRs.

Just a reminder that there are three shows in this first week.
Mon 8:00-9:30E ( just the women dance the first night)
Tue 8:00-9:30E ( just the men)
Wed 8:00-9:00E results shows

After the first week it's supposed to be dancing on Mon and results on Tue.

Boy, are they going to milk it. Four hours the first week. See, that's the problem with committing to a show like this. It's like 3 or 4 separate one-hour dramas each week. No wonder networks love this stuff. It's cheap to produce and they can fill up all the holes in their schedule with it. They know it's guaranteed boffo ratings, so it's that much less scripted fare they have to produce (and pay for). No risk. I know you can FF through a lot of it, but it's still a ridiculous time commitment every week. My wife is into A.I., same thing. Pisses me off, especially in the spring when they're both on at the same time. Yet I'll be there; gotta' get my Cheryl Burke fix. Damn them; damn them all to hell! :rolleyes:

Anyone know if Helio is going to be good enough to keep Julianne on the show for more than the first few cuts? We were (or maybe at least I was) fortunate that Apolo had something so we could see Julianne every show!!!

Helio Castroneves is a Brazilian race driver. Let's just hand the trophy to Julianne and the Brazilian.

Nothing says she can't be on both the BBC produced shows. Two of the three judges are, even when the two version are running concurrently. There was some talk that Heather Mills might be on SCD if things went well in the US, While she did far better than our expectations I don't think the public voting results lived up to hers. The timing to the divorce was bad and she may have had better audience reception if she had appeared on a later season.

I would be very surprised if Heather appeared on SCD at all soon - her reputation and profile in the UK are probably lower than in the US - certainly since she split with Sir Paul, though even before this there was certainly not a universal warmth towards her.

BTW - the earlier rumours about Richard Quest weren't suggesting CNN (and formerly BBC World) business anchor Richard Quest were they? That would just be too bizarre!

UKTV Gold has picked up the new series/season of DWTS in the UK - and looks to be airing it near concurrently (BBC One has been showing DWTS repeats/reruns on Sunday afternoons) They certainly mention Mel B in the trails for it.

UKTV Gold has picked up the new series/season of DWTS in the UK - and looks to be airing it near concurrently (BBC One has been showing DWTS repeats/reruns on Sunday afternoons) They certainly mention Mel B in the trails for it.Are the UK airings of DWTS shown in 16:9?

Anyone know if Helio is going to be good enough to keep Julianne on the show for more than the first few cuts? We were (or maybe at least I was) fortunate that Apolo had something so we could see Julianne every show!!!

That's a good question. It used to be guaranteed that race car drivers would have highly coordinated feet, but these days the Indy and F1 cars all have paddle shifters, so all the fancy footwork that used to be required to drive a race car is no more. :(

Are the UK airings of DWTS shown in 16:9?

The BBC One Sunday afternoon DWTS reruns have been 16:9 576/50i converts broadcast in 16:9 on digital outlets, and 14:9 letterbox on 4:3 analogue outlets. (American Idol on ITV2, or is ITV3, or is it ITV4?, was also shown 16:9 576/50i once the ITV versioning fronted by Cat Deeley - an ITV face - kicked in. It wasn't shown on an outlet with a 4:3 version)

UKTV Gold is a 4:3 service (UKTV is a commercial joint venture between the BBC and Flextech and carries commercials) - so it will be interesting to see if they get 4:3 centre-cut, 14:9 letterbox or 16:9 letterbox versions. (14:9 would be the preference for a UK 4:3 service airing a 16:9 show)

In the US ABC showed the SD version as center-cut 4:3 so it's compatible for that format. OTH, MTV is showing repeats of this summer's SYTYCD in letterbox on SD even though it was also framed for center-cut on Fox's 4:3 SD.

Since DWTS was done in 720/60P I would imagine that the conversions are pretty good. The direction and camera work must seem slower by Euro standards, even though from what I understand it's a director from the UK.

Evidently Samantha Harris will co-host the show while pregnant:

"I'm planning to co-host the first week or two or three of the show before my due date -- and then, return to the show as soon as I feel up to it post-delivery. I love DWTS, and don't want to miss a second of it! Still, I know that when this precious gift of my baby comes, my focus could shift."

I wonder how much time the hosts actually work a week for DWTS?

Do they just show up 15 minutes before the show and do it cold, or do they have to show up for all the dance rehearsals and to do voice-overs on the training clips?

If it's just a couple of hours a week, I can imagine Samatha coming back quickly, but if it's a 20 or 30 hour grind every week, I'd think she would miss most of the season.

There is a dress rehearsal that starts about 3-4 hours before the show. Add to that makeup time and other preshow activities and it becomes a full day.

It's (pretty much) official, Samantha Harris will not co-host this season's DWTS as she had her baby on Sunday. Link here: http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/24/people.samanthaharris.ap/index.html

She knows who the new co-host is, but the identity of the person won't be revealed until the show actually airs tonight.

That's a good question. It used to be guaranteed that race car drivers would have highly coordinated feet, but these days the Indy and F1 cars all have paddle shifters, so all the fancy footwork that used to be required to drive a race car is no more. :(

Not for nothing, Indycars do not have paddle shifters. They use a hand shifter located on the side of the tub. The cars do have clutches, but they only use them from a standing start.

However, Helio grew up racing go-carts (I think) and lower formula cars where shifting required lots of fancy footwork. I'm sure he has excellent footwork.

For the record, I predicted that Helio would be the winner even before the pros were announced. I made this prediction to my wife, so there's no official documentation. Now that Julianne has been announced as Helio's partner, I'd say he is just about a shoo-in for the title, provided he has more skills than a Kenny Mayne or Master P.

For the women's side, I picked Josie Maran as the top lady, although it was really an eye-candy vote. ;)

ft

She knows who the new co-host is, but the identity of the person won't be revealed until the show actually airs tonight.Tonight's co-host is a former contestant.

hopefully kelly monaco :) but i'm guessing one of the old gals like lisa gibbons :(

Diane Werts of Newsday has handicapped them all and picked Sabrina Bryan as the winner. From her pics, she looks a little on the chunky side, unfortunately. (Her full article is in the HOTP thread.) The contestant we'll all be drooling over is Josie Maran, but Werts says she thinks the show is cheesy and she's only doing it to promote her new cosmetics line. Are there any "supermodels" who don't have a cosmetics line? :rolleyes:

hopefully kelly monaco :) but i'm guessing one of the old gals like lisa gibbons :(

My bet's on another Lisa - Renna (might have spelled that wrong; Harry Hamlin's wife).

My bet's on another Lisa - Renna (might have spelled that wrong; Harry Hamlin's wife).

with fresh botox in the lips no doubt, lol

Anyone else in the Pittsburgh market getting random SD - locked up HD - back to SD cycles right now on this show?

The audio mix is off for me viewing D* local ABC. Music cranked way up and their mics way down. I'm a little gayer for posting in this thread now :)

lmao - I was not sure about hitting the "submit reply" button myself - but can feel better that I'm in the computer room listening to my wife bitch about the no HD deal in the living room.

Anyone else have the ABC HD logo on the bottom right cut off? The D in HD is half cutoff. I run my panel with very little overscan so I'm wondering if anyone else see this.

Anyone else have the ABC HD logo on the bottom right cut off? The D in HD is half cutoff. I run my panel with very little overscan so I'm wondering if anyone else see this.

Yes, it is way out there. Farther out there than usual.

yea that's a brand new bug too. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but it is definitely being cut off.

Anyone else have the ABC HD logo on the bottom right cut off? The D in HD is half cutoff. I run my panel with very little overscan so I'm wondering if anyone else see this.

Same here. Both on the Charter feed and OTA.

Well, first of 4 hours this week in the books. Looks like Diane Werts had it right: absent any talented males (their intros don't give much hope), Sabrina is a shoo-in for that butt-ugly trophy. She looks like she's been practicing for months. And Josie, much like Shauna and Paula last year, looks like she'll be making a hasty exit. :( She'd better get those plugs in for her new cosmetic line pronto! :p

And I can't believe Drew is actually making me miss Samantha! Sorry buddy, but your hosting, unlike your hoofing, just ain't ready for prime-time. Shoulda' gotten one of the Lisa's, as mentioned above.

Well, first of 4 hours this week in the books. Looks like Diane Werts had it right: absent any talented males (their intros don't give much hope), Sabrina is a shoo-in for that butt-ugly trophy. She looks like she's been practicing for months.
Agreed; her legs are a bit bent but given who she's up against, and the time she's had to practice with her partner, really a whole other level of performance. Surprised the heck out of me and just goes to show that you don't need to be long and lean to be a good dancer. The Spice gal wasn't bad either. The only wrinkle is that the couples that get the "foxtrot" (quotes added purposely) really get screwed.

And Josie, much like Shauna and Paula last year, looks like she'll be making a hasty exit. :( She'd better get those plugs in for her new cosmetic line pronto! :p
Unfortunately true, although I wanted to run right out and cast 18 votes for her. Who cares how she dances? :) It was kind of funny, however, to hear her call herself a supermodel; "greater than a model, able to bend lipstick tubes in her bare hands....". I wish she'd stick around but at least we have Julianne.

And I can't believe Drew is actually making me miss Samantha! Sorry buddy, but your hosting, unlike your hoofing, just ain't ready for prime-time. Shoulda' gotten one of the Lisa's, as mentioned above.
Again, just shows you how difficult it is to do that job. As someone pointed out before, it's not for no reason that Tom and Cat Deeley (SYTYCD) get the big bucks. People didn't appreciate Johnny Carson hosting the Oscars until they had to endure some of the stiffs that tried to replace him.

Doesn't mean Samantha does a great job (I was waiting to see if Drew could be as insipid as she often is), just that it's not easy.


=NLK=

Again, just shows you how difficult it is to do that job. As someone pointed out before, it's not for no reason that Tom and Cat Deeley (SYTYCD) get the big bucks. People didn't appreciate Johnny Carson hosting the Oscars until they had to endure some of the stiffs that tried to replace him.

Doesn't mean Samantha does a great job (I was waiting to see if Drew could be as insipid as she often is), just that it's not easy.


Yeah, that was me. That post-dance interview is really tough to do well. You've got to be flattering if was good, supportive if it wasn't, yet pull some interesting comments out of the contestants at the same time. Then, shill for votes while not saying exactly the same thing every time (we FF thru that part). Drew botched it up time after time, just as Samantha usually does. Maybe he'll get better with practice. Deeley and Seacrest do it exceedingly well; they're the "gold standards" at that sort of stuff.

Regarding the female contestants, here are my top three…

Sabrina is the one to beat. She looks like she’s three weeks ahead of everyone. It’s an unfair advantage since she’s obviously already a dancer :rolleyes: but that’s the way they do things on this show.

Mel (Spice) is definitely going to be in the final four too.

Jeannie has potential. Have to see more of her.


I was in another room when my wife started the show and I can’t tell you how happy I was to hear that it was Nick’s voice and not Lisa “inflate to 60psi lips.” He adds a refreshing sincere voice. I'll give him a chance.

You can sort of sense already the rooting interests the producers are trying to set up. Jennie...the "mommy" vote, Jane Seymour....the "elegant we don't need none of this stinkin' hip-hop cr*p" vote, Sabrina, the "we need MORE of this hip-hop cr*p vote", Josie the "let's dump on her" vote, Mel B. the "silicone" vote, etc.

As in past seasons, the judges are doing their part. When Len remarked how wonderful and elegant Jane's dance was I knew he was following a script. I can only take his pronouncements to mean that he doesn't have much of a professional reputation left to jeopardize, anyway.

=NLK=

As in past seasons, the judges are doing their part. When Len remarked how wonderful and elegant Jane's dance was I knew he was following a script. I can only take his pronouncements to mean that he doesn't have much of a professional reputation left to jeopardize, anyway.

=NLK=

I dunno about that; if anything, it's probably enhanced. He's a "star" now, along with the other two, not just a run-of-the-mill ballroom judge.

I dunno about that; if anything, it's probably enhanced. He's a "star" now, along with the other two, not just a run-of-the-mill ballroom judge.

Oh, I agree that he's becoming a star and is making enough money that he probably won't have to work another day in his life (even allowing as to how there may not be much of that left :)). Hell, I'd LOVE to have that opportunity. But that's why I said PROFESSIONAL reputation: after his "performance" on this show anyone who let's him judge another competition ought to be shot (unless they're looking to draw gawking crowds). :)

=NLK=

I dunno about that; if anything, it's probably enhanced. He's a "star" now, along with the other two, not just a run-of-the-mill ballroom judge.

Anybody got a list of the Bruno Tonolli-isms? :p

Anybody got a list of the Bruno Tonolli-isms? :p

Don't encourage him. :)

The contestant we'll all be drooling over is Josie Maran, but Werts says she thinks the show is cheesy and she's only doing it to promote her new cosmetics line. Are there any "supermodels" who don't have a cosmetics line? :rolleyes:

Josie Maran is in it?? damnit I only have 1 DVR.

and um, yeah, what do you expect them supermodels to do, a line of power tools :-)

Josie Maran is in it?? damnit I only have 1 DVR.



Better get a second one, quick! As usual, the show's best contestant eye-candy is one of the worst dancers (the great Stacy Kiebler excepted, of course). :(

-ship-
um, yeah, what do you expect them supermodels to do, a line of power tools :-)

OK, let me be the first to say: whatever she's selling, I'm buying.

In fact, I was just thinking that I could use a new battery-powered 3/4" screwer thingie.


=NLK=

.... The Spice gal wasn't bad either. The only wrinkle is that the couples that get the "foxtrot" (quotes added purposely) really get screwed.
...
=NLK=

Mel looked good from the hips down, but IMHO the judges let her off without a comment about her arms. Her free arm especially was all over the place.

AFA the "foxtrot" is concerned, I felt that Jane actually got lucky on that one. I think she'll have more problems with the ChaCha. But, it sure hurt Josie. She looked totally graceless trying to do the foxtrot.

At least Jane did well enough that I don't feel embarassed by cheering for her. :p


AFA Sabrina is concerned, I think it was smart of her to throw in a lot of hip-hop (at least in this first dance). One of the biggest hurdles these stars have to overcome is feeling comfortable. If you're uncomfortable, like Josie, it shows and if you're in your comfort zone, like Sabrina was, it even makes the mistakes look better.

Mel looked good from the hips down, but IMHO the judges let her off without a comment about her arms. Her free arm especially was all over the place.

I won't doubt you're right, I was looking at her hips and leg action, which weren't bad.

AFA the "foxtrot" is concerned, I felt that Jane actually got lucky on that one. I think she'll have more problems with the ChaCha. But, it sure hurt Josie. She looked totally graceless trying to do the foxtrot.
At least Jane did well enough that I don't feel embarassed by cheering for her. :p
-snip-

Of course we may be coming from different perspectives but my issue is that, granted this is American smooth and not international, they ought to have at least a decent part of it in hold. From what I saw there were about three steps in hold and when Len told us all that he thought the mix of in-hold and out-of-hold was great I almost threw up my Chinese food (it wasn't great anyway, nevertheless.....). Even American smooth competitions, I believe, require you do a decent part of your dance (whatever decent means) in closed position.

=NLK=

Anyone else have the ABC HD logo on the bottom right cut off? The D in HD is half cutoff. I run my panel with very little overscan so I'm wondering if anyone else see this.

It is better today but I wish the networks would push it in a bit more. I have one TV that the overscan only goes to about 4 or 5% on on the edges and part of the D is still cut off. On my other one it is fine now.

Why would anyone want to see the bug better?

Why would anyone want to see the bug better?

It's not that you want to see the bug; it's that seeing that it is cut off is annoying.

Seeing part of a bug is certainly better than seeing the whole thing…

Floyd Mayweather got a poorer score than Wayne Newton? I feel he was robbed. Speaking of Wayne Newton, I'd consider him this season's John Ratzenberger, both older and at least good effort with a bit of stiffness to them. The less able performer could also be a new DWTS staple. Last season, Heather Mills; this season Mark Cuban. My bug was more cut off yesterday than today.

speaking of wayne newton (i'm sure he'll be around till the last couple weeks) it looked like he had a fresh dye job :), almost thought he walked straight out of a wax gallery, lol.

Well, I'm all for the oldies. Two questions:

1. Did anyone read why Cuban got the hip replacement? Wifey was real curious since he's kind of young. I was also surprised at his work ethic and relative humbleness: I can't remember anyone else actually WRITING DOWN the steps as they practiced;

2. Is Mark Ballas (I think that's his first name, Sabrina's partner) Corky Ballas' son? I remember watching Corky win Latin competitions way back on the old PBS shows.

BTW, Josie is dead meat. Too bad.


=NLK=

Speaking of Wayne Newton, I'd consider him this season's John Ratzenberger, both older and at least good effort with a bit of stiffness to them.

Funny, my wife said almost the exact same thing.


What is the highest score ever for the first round? We had a couple that were pretty high this year (and deservedly so IMO)

Newton did have a waxy look to him didn't he? Did anyone notice when Tom said "one of our performers will leave tomorrow" and the camera cut straight to Josie, who had a pouty look on her face. Foreshadowing? I'd venture a guess that Sabrina had the highest first performance score, although I haven't watched every season. Started watching last 2-3 episodes when Drew won, then last 2 full seasons.

There's been a lot of scoring inflation in recent years. I remember last season being surprised at all the high first-night scores then too.

Diane Werts of Newsday has handicapped them all and picked Sabrina Bryan as the winner. Big deal, she already saw the show in a pre screening.











:p:D

Bad news folks...

On tonight's results show, Kenny Mayne makes his (not so) triumphant return! :D
(You don't think ESPN's gonna play this one up for yuks, right?)

speaking of wayne newton (i'm sure he'll be around till the last couple weeks) it looked like he had a fresh dye job :), almost thought he walked straight out of a wax gallery, lol. :D I agree
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=11462158&postcount=887

By the way... so who's getting the boot tonight?

Anyone have a guess?

I think it's Marie Osmond.

Big deal, she already saw the show in a pre screening.
:p:D

I assume the smilies are because it's a live show....?

Actually, if you read the article, she had several criteria she used to handicap the contestants. Premonition did not seem to be among them. ;)

But after watching Monday night's show, even after not yet seeing the men dance, I fearlessly predict a mirror ball win by the not-so-winsome Sabrina.

Wayne Newton?? Man, where do they dig these guys up? It's a good thing it's held at night. Wayne has to be back in his dirt before daylight.

[QUOTE=LL3HD;11733982...
By the way... so who's getting the boot tonight?

Anyone have a guess?

I think it's Marie Osmond.[/QUOTE]

The consensus seems to be that Josie is going home.

I think that's a better guess than Marie. Josie has the double whammy of having the worst score from the judges and being a supermodel (which always seems to get the least fan votes).

I assume the smilies are because it's a live show....?.;)
But after watching Monday night's show, even after not yet seeing the men dance, I fearlessly predict a mirror ball win by the not-so-winsome Sabrina. Yes, :cool: agree… my early “morning line” picks for the final four are.... Sabrina, Mel, Helio, and…. :confused: I’ll just keep it to these three for now and wait for another dance to pick my fourth.

... I'd venture a guess that Sabrina had the highest first performance score, although I haven't watched every season. Started watching last 2-3 episodes when Drew won, then last 2 full seasons.

I think you're right, although I can't recall Apolo or Mario's first night score. I'm fairly certain Stacy's first night score wasn't that high.

Just keep that Julianne Hough or whatever her name is on. Man. Now her brother's on too. Any way to help that race care driver to dance to keep her coming?

Helio looks like a legimate contendor. He actually had rise and fall and all the head turning stuff working on the first performance. Looks like Julianne has a decent chance of repeating.


It looked like Albert might be a legimate contendor as well, if Anna can get him to settle down and get more serious about technique.


I think the interesting question this year will be whether the women voters will stop voting for the beefcake and instead give a sympathy/unity vote to the chubby girl. Sabrina will get a lot of high scores from the judges, so if she can get those crossover votes she'll be tough to beat.

... Josie has the double whammy of having the worst score from the judges and being a supermodel (which always seems to get the least fan votes).This makes sense. :cool:

I doubt she has a big following here (or anywhere for that matter) that would support her with votes. I’m sure there’s a ton of voting in Utah for Marie. :p Probably from her family alone her spot will be secured. But she really looked bad.:eek:

By the way, where is this consensus from that you referred to? Are you doing a “man in the street” polling?:p:D

Helio looks like a legimate contendor. He actually had rise and fall and all the head turning stuff working on the first performance. Looks like Julianne has a decent chance of repeating.


It looked like Albert might be a legimate contendor as well, if Anna can get him to settle down and get more serious about technique.


I think the interesting question this year will be whether the women voters will stop voting for the beefcake and instead give a sympathy/unity vote to the chubby girl. Sabrina will get a lot of high scores from the judges, so if she can get those crossover votes she'll be tough to beat.


Is Sabrina the Cheeta girl?

Is Sabrina the Cheeta girl?

yes

Maybe all the intense practicing will have a favorable effect on Sabrina's figure as the weeks go by. It sure did for Vivica Fox - looked like she dropped 20 lbs during the competition (fortunately, none from her bustline :p), and she didn't even go that far. Sabrina's going to be in the finals for sure.

I can't believe I'm posting to this thread. It must be because I have to avoid the Heroes thread since I'm waiting for the Saturday repeat. I recorded the last 1/2 hour of DWTS instead of Heroes.

Anyways, Helio looks like the guy to beat, and having Julianne doesn't hurt either. She's smokin'!

I was very impressed by Mark Cuban. I figured that he'd be the first guy to go (which he still may be), but his dance was pretty good. His work ethic and dedication seemed excellent. I guess that being a millionaire means that you have to have some dedication ...

On the women side, I will need to rethink my preseason pick ... I picked Josie Maran. Sure seems like she's out ... shame on ABC for focusing on her when Tom was saying that "one of these contestants is going home.."

Obviously, Sabrina is #1, but I was very impressed by Jane Seymour. Excellent dance with excellent arm/hand action.

I don't think it's really fair to have Sabrina and Mel B in the contest. They have extensive dance backgrounds. Much like Drew and to a lesser degree Mario. But I guess it would be boring if all of the celebrities were awful. You need a few talented celebs.

I'm going to stick with my pick of Helio (aka HCN).

ft

For being 49 and dancing seven weeks after a hip replacement I thought Mark Cuban did rather well. Just don't quit your HD daytime job!

Mark's hip doesn't appear to limit him too much:

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/9041/dancingwiththestars9250qo8.jpg

Nice suit too - get it from Goodwill ?

I think his suit was to be in conjunction with his song...kind of a lovable tramp look...

The female dancers are really bringing it this year! Cheryl looks like she's slimmed down a little...not that she needed to though, she was gorgeous before and is my favorite...the rest are ranked thusly:

Julianne (went to #2 with a bullet last year)
Kym
Edyta

The Redhead and Brunette Eastern-Euro girls don't do anything for me. In fact, their sneering facial expressions are really a turn-off.

P.S. What was the deal with the exiting male dancer's plea to vote for (Somebody) and Edyta last night at the very end? Is he Edyta's fiance?

It's unknowable now, but I sort of wonder what would have happened had Sabrina been given a foxtrot and, say, Josie the cha-cha.

Come to think of it, Josie probably STILL would have given a woeful performance, but I think Sabrina would have had real problems. The cha-cha really played to her strengths.


=NLK=

Despite my prior claims of not tuning in for this season, I did watch this weeks shows. To vote off Josie was reasonable, but I am going to miss her visual candy confections. Plus, I found her personality to be sort of endearing (lol'd at her grunted response when doing her lateral jumping outdoor training :D), though she did have a few moments where I thought to myself, "hmm... something's a little off about this girl".

Ever since their dance, her partner seemed really pissed either at her or at their situation in general, suspecting that they were in deep doodoo. He did soften at the end when their fate was sealed, but I got the sense that he might have been very annoyed with a lack of sufficient dedication or seriousness on her part.

In any case, while there still remains the enticement of getting to see the female pro dancers continue to strut their stuff throughout the remainder of the series, they've become slightly "oldhat" for me. You know, to paraphrase the famous phrase for polite company.. for every beautiful woman, there's a guy who's tired of.. looking at her".:p Having Josie on board provided the opportunity to ogle some fresh cleavage. Now it's she's gone.:(

P.S. What was the deal with the exiting male dancer's plea to vote for (Somebody) and Edyta last night at the very end? Is he Edyta's fiance?

I thought she was still hanging with ex-dance partner, Mario? I thought they got engaged??

I thought she was still hanging with ex-dance partner, Mario? I thought they got engaged??

Mario is/was dating Karina. Edyta is indeed married to Alec (I just read this on the Internet, so it must be true).

ft

I think his suit was to be in conjunction with his song...kind of a lovable tramp look...

The female dancers are really bringing it this year! Cheryl looks like she's slimmed down a little...not that she needed to though, she was gorgeous before and is my favorite...the rest are ranked thusly:

Julianne (went to #2 with a bullet last year)
Kym
Edyta

The Redhead and Brunette Eastern-Euro girls don't do anything for me. In fact, their sneering facial expressions are really a turn-off.

WOW!

I think Cheryl looks very much OUT of shape! Body not nearly as think and toned as last season. Is she sick or somethin. Her face is fatter and her but is wider too.

Did Karina get implants or somethin?

nc

Cheryl knows it's going to be a short season. Hopefully she'll get a good partner in the spring.

...
By the way, where is this consensus from that you referred to? Are you doing a “man in the street” polling?:p:D

I was basing that on the preceeding posts many of which said something like "Josie will not last long." without mentioning anyone else.

WOW!

I think Cheryl looks very much OUT of shape! Body not nearly as think and toned as last season. Is she sick or somethin. Her face is fatter and her but is wider too.

Did Karina get implants or somethin?

nc

Cheryl looks about the same to me. She's always been a little bit more stocky than the others. However, I had that same reaction about Kym. She looks a little bloated to me, this season, as if she's retaining water or something.


AFA Karina is concerned, she uses padded dresses (and I think she sometimes adds some makeup shadow lines). She was on Extra a couple of days ago modeling swimsuits and it was obvious in those shots that she hasn't had any "enhancements".

(BTW, if someone can point me to a good free image hosting site, I'll posts some pics. By good I mean a site that doesn't recompress the image and destroy the quality.)

For being 49 and dancing seven weeks after a hip replacement I thought Mark Cuban did rather well. Just don't quit your HD daytime job!


Cuban did better than my expectations. But, he was flat-footed most of the time and when he wasn't flat-footed he was heel-leading. If he fixes that he could beat out Albert and Cameron. But I doubt he can beat Helio or Sabrina.

Mario is/was dating Karina. Edyta is indeed married to Alec (I just read this on the Internet, so it must be true).

ft

ooops. got those two names mixed up with the faces, Karina/Edyta. thanks for the clarification.

I was basing that on the preceeding posts many of which said something like "Josie will not last long." without mentioning anyone else.Well you called it correctly. :cool:

Well you called it correctly. :cool:

Unfortunately

... never was being so right ever so wrong. :p

Just a reminder that we're back to the normal schedule this week.

Dancing on Monday at 8/7c for two hours.
Results on Tuesday at 9/8c for one hour.

Did anyone catch Wayne copping an accidental feel on Cheryl? It was when he had to pick her up, and the shot was a wide one and very short in duration but wow. Helio and Julianne kicked ass! Plus she's hot. Love that smile.

From the 10/01 performance show...

1) Helio and Sabrina have established themselves as the early front-runners.

2) Marie Osmond will stay around for a while - she gets it.

3) Wayne, you'll only last as long as your fan base keeps you in (Sorry, Cheryl, but you got stuck with a loser this season)

4) Jennie Garth, that little trip up at the end will cost her - she's probably out.

5) Edyta, Edyta, Edyta, Edyta - oh that dress! - you looked mahvelous darling....

6) Cameron, Cameron, Cameron - you looked stiff dahling....

7) Tom Bergeron #1 - nice funny bit with the his extreme close-up in the HD camera! Wrinkles and makeup not easy on the eyes!

8) Tom Bergeron #2 - nice line: "What's that? Mario's on line two?" after Karina and Floyd's dance (are Mario and Karina still an item?)

9) Music for the performers was some of the best ever - fast peppy music for the quickstep; hot Latin music for the mambo - good work Harold Wheeler.

Helio and Julianne kicked ass! Plus she's hot. Love that smile.

She's almost ethereally beautiful. A girl who looks like that can easily coast by in life on her looks instead of working her cute little butt off to get where she is. Very mature and impressive young lady. Her brother's no slouch, either. Good work ethic in that family.

The surprise of the night for me was Sabrina: I thought she would be a flop at standard (or DWTS' version of it), but IMHO that was the best QS I've ever seen on that show. She and Mark stayed in hold better than many pro couples do (remarkably, all the couples seemed to stay in closed position almost as much as they should have). I don't know if Sabrina has a history with ballroom but her performance is hard to explain otherwise. Again, it shows that regardless of how tall/short/fat/skinny you are you can dance if you really apply yourself.


=NLK=

I love this show. Most of the participants are very much into theor performance. The one huge pitfall is the amount of commercials. It just seems like there is as much commercial time as there is showtime :(

nc

... The one huge pitfall is the amount of commercials. It just seems like there is as much commercial time as there is showtimeYou need to get a DVR. ;)I was able to watch Dancing, The War (from the previous night), Weeds and the awesome Baseball game. Those commercials give me a ton of viewing time.
:cool:

From the 10/01 performance show...

1) Helio and Sabrina have established themselves as the early front-runners..Agree, it’s pretty much a match race. Helio and Jullianne were a joy to watch.


2) Marie Osmond will stay around for a while - she gets it. The most improved of all the stars. She really surprised me.
3) Wayne, you'll only last as long as your fan base keeps you in (Sorry, Cheryl, but you got stuck with a loser this season) He is as bad as that Master P (was that his name?) but he is funny to watch with that one last facial expression he has left after all the face stretching and botoxing.

5) Edyta, Edyta, Edyta, Edyta - oh that dress! - you looked mahvelous darling.... I'm not an Edyta fan but that dress worked very well for her.

Agree, it’s pretty much a match race. Helio and Jullianne were a joy to watch.

I'm a huge racing fan and HCN has always been a charming guy. Their training preview was hysterical. The guy is just so genuinely funny. I watched it over and over on the DVR last night because it kept me chuckling.

I love this quote ...

Ahhh, I'm doing the mambo .... I think.

And then they were fantastic when it mattered. HCN was my preseason pick, so I'm sticking with them.

ft

PS - I almost forgot, Edyta looked outstanding last night. Sometimes she looks OK, but last night, she had it all together. Her face looked "fresh" last night and didn't look like she used a lot of make-up.

Who chooses the tune for ech dance? Viva las Vegas for Wayne. Did he choose that or did someone choose it for him?

Who chooses the tune for ech dance? Viva las Vegas for Wayne. Did he choose that or did someone choose it for him?:D :D :D And how can one not think of the Viagra commercials running endlessly, at least here in NY. VEEVAAAAAA VIAGRA!

Wayne did seem a little stiff last night.

:D
http://ca.geocities.com/deshead@rogers.com/rimshot_3beats1.wav

From the 10/01 performance show...

1) Helio and Sabrina have established themselves as the early front-runners.
.

Yes, Helio looks as good in week 2 as Apolo did in week 9. And he gets the fact that he's dancing with a very sexy woman and plays up the flirtation, which Apolo got better at, but never really did well.

Julianne did another of her 10+ performances and IMHO if last night was week 6 instead of 2, that dance would have scored at least one 10 and possibly two.




2) Marie Osmond will stay around for a while - she gets it.

3) Wayne, you'll only last as long as your fan base keeps you in (Sorry, Cheryl, but you got stuck with a loser this season)

4) Jennie Garth, that little trip up at the end will cost her - she's probably out.

.

Marie's doing well, but I thought the scoring was a little inverted since I felt Mel did better than Maria. They should both be safe, so no harm done.

Speaking of Mel, I really liked her hair and makeup last night. She has a rather squarish head and features, but that hair and makeup softened her look and made her look less blocky. It changed her look so drastically that I wouldn't have recognized her in a lineup last night.





5) Edyta, Edyta, Edyta, Edyta - oh that dress! - you looked mahvelous darling....


7) Tom Bergeron #1 - nice funny bit with the his extreme close-up in the HD camera! Wrinkles and makeup not easy on the eyes!

8) Tom Bergeron #2 - nice line: "What's that? Mario's on line two?" after Karina and Floyd's dance (are Mario and Karina still an item?)

....

I love Mambo week due to Edyta's dresses. Her Mambo costumes are one of the things that got me hooked on DWTS. :D

That was an odd segment by Tom. Did he have to ad-lib a cover for some problem backstage or was that a planned gag?

I don't think Mario and Karina are still an item, but in those swimsuit shots a couple of weeks ago Karina was wearing a ring on her left ring finger. I couldn't tell if it was an engagement ring or just a cocktail ring.

BTW, did Julianne ever get back together with her ex-fiance?

...he gets the fact that he's dancing with a very sexy woman and plays up the flirtation, which Apolo got better at, but never really did well.Yeah… it’s like Julianne finally has a partner that actually likes women.

Just an observation about Drew Lachey:

He seemed to finally looosen up a bit last night. He was quite stiff and stoic last week. Seeing Drew when I'd rather see Samantha Harris may have somehting to do with it, but he appeared very scripted and self-concious last week.

Stay loose, Boy!

nc

:D :D :D And how can one not think of the Viagra commercials running endlessly, at least here in NY. VEEVAAAAAA VIAGRA!

Wait until we get to the Cialis Cha-Cha (or the Levitra Lambada, or....).

A whole bunch of potential tie-ins there to DWTS.

=NLK=

I’m not a big Queen Latifah fan (enjoyed her in a couple of movies) but I think she was one of the best musical performers the show has ever had.

I thought Queen Latifah was outstanding tonight.

Not surprised about the booting.

We all know, Wayne- who’s more preserved than a Fig- Newton should have been jettisoned but he has a big fan base. They don’t seem like the type that would call in and vote (forget about text messaging or on line voting) but he still has support.

Wayne does have a large fanbase, but I didn't think he had that large of one. The guy who was booted was Robbed, robbed I say. Sabrina and the race car driver are the ones to beat. I just started watching this show and it is great. Marie Osmond and Marc Cuban surprised me as well. Mark, do you still participate in AVS? I know you used to. If so good showing on DWTS.

Mark, do you still participate in AVS? I know you used to.Mark, if you are reading here and you want to continue on the show, stop with the “O” face expression all the time. It’s either that or your underwear is wet but please stop with that nose crunching teeth extending mug.

I think the show's been over long enough to report this...

Anna and Albert got booted on week 2. They were in the bottom two along with Cheryl and Wayne. (Wayne had the lowest score with 15, Albert had a 21). The typical early season "surprise" where the lowest score for dancing is outweighed by the star's large fan base. (The Master P effect).

Apparently Jennie Garth's base was large enough to avoid elimination after her fall on Monday.

This hasn't been reported here, but needs to be.

Jane Seymour's mom passed away suddenly last night, which is why she didn't appear on the results show. Jane returned to England to be with family.

Tom announced the results of the voting for her and Tony and that she was safe and would move on to the next week's round of competition. Tom also announced that she would continue in the competition as a tribute to her mom, who was a fan of the British version of the show.

Wayne spoke for the group to express their sympathy and support for Jane and her family.

Obviously, the voting is going to be skewed the next week or two as Jane and Tony will receive a large sympathy vote from the public - she is well liked by many. This is NOT a repeat of the Sara Evans situation.

Is it true that celebrities, movie stars, etc. are BEGGING to be on this show? I hear that this show is becoming a real status thing. As busy schedules as these people have, and they want to add to that shcedule to dance! Really amazing to me.

BTW, absolutely no problems with who got "kicked" last night. Wayne, you may be next on the chopping bloc.

nc

Drew has been a great addition to the show. His one-liners are actually funny and spontaneous and delivered well. It wouldn't bother me one bit if he replaced Samantha permanently.