BREAKING: Dancing With the Stars set to make return in unexpected way following ratings success
Dancing With the Stars is making an unexpected change when it returns for season 35 in the fall.
Dancing With the Stars will return for Season 35 with an unexpected twist (Image: ABC)
Dancing With the Stars is making a big splash with its Season 35 premiere–with an unexpected twist on its first episode of the season.
The dancing competition show is officially returning to ABC on Tuesday, September 15, with the network confirming the return date as it revealed its fall lineup for the first time, but for the first time in several years, the premiere will feature a surprise that fans have been missing.
While some fans continue to speculate about old faces possibly returning as pro dancers, the show is bringing back a popular element of the broadcasts – in the form of
While announcing the schedule for its fall programming, ABC revealed that Dancing With the Stars would have a special two-night premiere, with episodes airing on both the 15th and on Wednesday, September 16th.
This will mark the first time the show has had a two-night premiere event since Season 27 – which aired in 2018. It comes after the show had strong ratings througout the entirety of Season 34 with the most watched finale in 10 years.
Dancing With the Stars is bringing back the two night premiere (Image: Getty)
That season saw a two-night premiere event, which saw all of the participating couple perform on the first night, while the bottom five were given a chance to dance again in an effort to save themselves.
The night ended with comedian Nikki Glaser and Gleb Savchenko sent home. The competition ended a few months later with Bobby Bones and Sharna Burgess winning the Mirrorball trophy.
The show had previously featured a two-night premiere event in its ninth season, where eight male competitors competed on the first night–and Ashley Hamilton’s elimination–while the second night saw eight female competitors take part, with Macy Gray eliminated.
Season seven also featured a two-night premiere, with a double elimination cutting Jeffrey Ross and Ted McGinley. Season six also had a two-night premiere, with no eliminations, and season five was the first to feature the format, with Josie Maran’s elimination.
tom Bergeron called for the show to bring back its results show (Image: Getty)
The move comes after another popular part of the show’s past was brought up for a possible return during Season 34.
While serving as a guest judge for the 20th anniversary birthday party, former host Tom Bergeron made a public plea for the show to bring back its results show – which was discontinued after Season 16.
The results show had previously aired on Tuesday nights after competition episodes on Mondays–and would feature extended looks at rehearsal footage and produced packages of the couples, special performances, and the eliminations.
However, after Bergeron’s plea, producer Deena Katz said the show would not bring back the results show.
Dancing With the Stars will bring a new season on ABC in the fall (Image: ABC)
Speaking to TV Insider, she said that while she also missed the episodes, she felt they weren’t necessary, as the show has received a resurgence in interest in recent years.
“You know..I think we’re doing great now. But I used to love the results show,” she said. “They were so fun.”
“It was like doing a big variety show. We had music, dance…it was everything. It was great. It’d be fun to do those again, but I feel we’re doing great right now. I’m thrilled with what we’re doing.”
