2^0 + 2^5 (20 Years of History)

As mentioned in the previous entry of this series, Dancing with the Stars' roots came from the British many decades before Dancing with the Stars was even a thought in someone's head. Now, Dancing with the Stars has its own legacy that has developed vividly since its inception in 2005. In this blog entry, I will be giving a more in-depth collection of the show's first 20 years as it bob and weaved through all the shambles and shine any success has.

2005 - Cut and Paste for a Summer Space

Andrea Wong, the then executive vice-president of alternative programming at ABC, approved of the idea to take the concept of celebrities being taught ballroom dancing from Britain's Strictly Come Dancing as a new TV show for the network after initially turning it down numerous times. Her fascination with Strictly Come Dancing led the show being put in full throttle motion during development.

Through the initial turn-downs stemmed from her finding the British prominence of the show to not resonate with American audiences, there ended up being a fair share of directly imported persona from Strictly Come Dancing as Dancing with the Stars was being made. Len Goodman, a respected British personnel in the ballroom industry who was a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, and Bruno Tonioli, an Italian choreographer that was also a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, were both brought from the United Kingdom to the United States as judges. The announcer, Alan Dedicoat, was also brought in.

Combining the use of these people with an essentially direct cut-and-paste of the British show, from the opening to the training montages to the way couples were determined in staying or getting eliminated, one would think that there wouldn't be a real difference between the two. While it's true to some extent, the sensationally melodramatic tone America brings leads to a vastly different program.

Though Carrie Ann and Bruno's knowledge in ballroom dancing were not nearly to the extent of Len's, the three had a dynamic chemistry that livened up the show's theatrical value

To round out the judging panel, choreographer Carrie Ann Inaba was added to the mix. What started as an attempt to move into production for Carrie Ann led to her being asked to audition as a judge (to which she successfully became one). As for pro findings, they were picked from the upper-echelon of the ballroom circuit similarly to how pros for Strictly Come Dancing were initially drafted. Though the pros did have an excellent amount of expertise that gave the show legitimacy, they also seemed to be leveraged under tropes the show was adhering to ensure success.

Tom thought the show would be a detriment to his career when he was initially approached to host it, but he quickly turned around once he watched a DVD of Strictly Come Dancing that was sent to him for evaluation and recognized the potential the format could have on American audiences

In terms of the celebrities, they weren't necessarily the most top-of-the-line selections that would make the show worthwhile as excellent television, but they were enough for strong potential in making moves as excellent reality television. As for a host, Tom Bergeron, who was hosting ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos at the time, had a similar experience with the relationship of the concept as Andrea when he was approached to be a part of the show. Luckily, the turnaround was short enough that he was able to fulfill hosting duties alongside co-host Lisa Canning while Harold Wheeler (who happened to be free at the time) would provide the musical arrangements as the show's musical director. The end result? A six-week program that dazzled the 2005 summer television circuit with glory.

2006-2011 - Fuego Phenomenon

The raging success Dancing with the Stars had in its first season led the show being moved from a summer series to a mid-season replacement for its second season in 2006 (with a separate results show added the day after the performance show). From there, the show would air two seasons in one television year (one in the fall and one in the spring). Though Tom would remain the host for the show at that time, Lisa was replaced by Samantha Harris as co-host and remained in that position until 2010 when she was replaced by season 7 winner Brooke Burke.

The pertinence in keeping eyes glued to TV sets meant expanding the show's concept in hopes of banking on great entertainment. Increases in cast size for celebrities meant more pros needing to be added, and as the pros themselves were becoming celebrity figures, the possibilities for strong, dynamic interactions between the two were probable. Adding different dance styles, like the mambo and salsa, and different formats, like team dances and marathons, also helped keep the show fresh.

Marathons are the most similar to how actual ballroom dance competitions are run since they frequently involve all the couples participating to dance their routines at the same time

Dancing with the Stars also happened to come at the same time So You Think You Can Dance, another reality competition TV show centered around dancing, was being televised. While the two battled for supremacy initially, they eventually were able to co-exist peacefully when some of the contestants from that show (particularly the ballroom dancers) were drafted to become pros on Dancing with the Stars.

Though troupe members can be drafted as pros, they can be put back on troupe depending on celebrity partner semantics

In 2011, the show started adding a dance troupe that would appear in various numbers performed on the show. Ranging from numbers with the pros to performances for guest artists, some of these members would be drafted as pros later on, and new troupe members would be added in to replace them.

The show became such a ratings juggernaut over the years that it garnered enough respect to receive Emmy Award nominations. While the first ones came in 2006, the show wouldn't win one until 2012 for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program (courtesy of Tom's hosting skills).

2012 - Dancing with the (Same) Stars

In 2012, for its 15th season, ABC decided to try an all-star season that took celebrities who had competed on the show before and pitted them against one another for ultimate victory. Most of the celebrities were winners or finalists from their seasons, and to accommodate the stiff competition, half points for judge's scores were allotted.

Though the season had stellar dancing week after week, it wasn't as big of a success as past seasons ratings-wise. Part of the show's magic in which audiences rooted for a contestant's growth throughout the season was taken out when the roster was strictly filled with contestants that were knowingly good from jump. This reflected in the ratings, and when talking to an executive producer about the season in general when it wrapped, Tom got an understanding at how much that lack of key growth impacted the season.

Ratings don't solely define a season's success, but the ironic dip in season 15's average viewership being under 15 million (for the first time in the show's history nonetheless) doesn't help its case in being considered a success

2013-2017 - Less Ball, More Room

Despite season 15's All-Stars season not being profound in ratings, it drastically changed the way the show itself was going to run. Season 15 experimented with styles outside of what an average person would consider as a ballroom dance. Some of these styles were seen in past seasons, but they were never used as possible styles celebrities would perform and get scored on with their pros until season 15. As more seasons went on, Dancing with the Stars shifted gears and became more of a broader dance show that included wider styles. Set design also got larger with a greater use of props and the use of troupe members assisting as additional dancers for the routines (turning performances into all-out productions reminiscent of award show performances).

Contemporary was first tried out on season 15 and was implemented the following season with a seemingly great deal of importance given it being a possible dance style performed for the first week of competition

In 2013, the results show was dropped. The following year, Brooke was replaced by season 10 finalist Erin Andrews as the co-host of the show. Harold Wheeler would also be replaced by Ray Chew as the musical director. Ray's ample experience in television work evoked a more cinematic feel into the ballroom floor in comparison to Harold's classical takes that had been going on for seasons prior.

The addition of Julianne as a judge marked the first time in the show's history where the judge's panel changed beyond guest judging

The judging panel, remaining consisted with the three mainstays, added Julianne Hough for its 19th season in 2014. Julianne was originally on the show as a pro and had previously judged the show as a guest, but season 19 was her first time doing it as a permanent judge. Remaining as a foursome the following season, the judge's panel would have Len depart for the 21st season in 2015 and return back the following season with Julianne out of the picture (though she'd return as a permanent judge with the three mainstays for two more seasons afterward).

2018-2019 - Shortstop

After 25 seasons of the show, in 2018, ABC produced another themed edition of the show centered around athletes. Aptly titled Athletes, the show ran on a shortened schedule of four weeks (compared to previous seasons that typically lasted around two and a half months). The atypical schedule marked a shift in the show's frequency as it would begin airing only once per television year in the fall moving forward.

With limited time, participants in season 26's Athletes season could only perform so many dances, but the show did make sure to incorporate mix-ins like team dances to enhance the experience as if it were a full season

In 2019, a slight change in power dynamics for eliminations surfaced. Beginning in season 28, after it was determined who the bottom two couples were, the judges had the power to save one couple from said group regardless of whichever one was the lowest in ranking. In that same season, the troupe was taken out of the show.

2020-2022 - Banking on a New Life

Tyra Banks would often wear large garments when she was hosting

The COVID-19 pandemic saw a lot of overhaul changes to the show beyond safety protocols. Tom, who had been doing the show for all 28 seasons prior, would be replaced with Tyra Banks with no co-host assisting her (leading Erin to also be let go from the show as well). With Len being unable to join the judge's panel due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Derek Hough (Julianne's brother who also had been a pro on the show) filled in his slot. The two would then have judging duties with Carrie Ann and Bruno as a foursome moving forward.

In 2022, the show would move over to streaming service Disney+ after being on ABC for 30 seasons as the first program on that service to be live streamed. At that same time, Tyra would gain a co-host in season 19 winner Alfonso Ribeiro. The troupe was also brought back as an entity, and Len announced his retirement from the show on that season's finale before passing away in 2023 (reverting the panel back to a threesome).

2023-2025 - Two Decades in the Can

After a season of solely being on Disney+, the show decided to air back to ABC as a simultaneous screening between the two outlets moving forward. Tyra would step down as host in 2023 with Alfonso as her replacement and Julianne being brought back on the show as co-host. On the flip side, both the troupe and the ability for judges to save a couple were removed at this time (though the troupe would be revived the season after).

With the 33rd season finished in 2024, and the first season having aired in the summer of 2005, Dancing with the Stars has gone through 20 years of existence. As I wrap this entry up and move to more of the specifics that have contributed to the show's identity, it's a true astonishment to see how much Dancing with the Stars as a whole has led entertainment for generations when the genre was seen as a fad back in its heyday. To that, we salute (and samba) its accomplishments with pure gratitude.

20 years has led to over 500 episodes and many memorable moments for those involved