When I first heard the news that Dancing with the Stars was bringing back some of the favorites from the past 14 seasons, I was really excited. I don’t watch very many reality competition shows because I find most of them too gimmicky or boring; but, for some reason, I adore this show. I love the celebrities and celebrity has-beens they bring in, I love the dance pro hotties and I love the fabulous costumes they design week after week. I think I just really love anything that’s shiny or sparkles and this show is one of the glitziest I’ve ever seen and I secretly love that about it.
When I heard this news, I had many expectations, as I’m sure all of you other faithful viewers must have had too. Who would be returning and would they be dancing with their former partners or new ones? Would it be all past champions, runners-up or a unique mixture of crowd favorites? The correct answer is all of the above will be happening this season.
I was hoping my favorite champion would return and that has happened – Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves will be returning, although his former dance partner Julianne Hough will not be. I can’t wait to watch him work his infectious magic and enthusiasm on the dance floor again!
I fully expected to see Drew Lachey from 98 Degrees and Joey Fatone from N*SYNC graciously make their way back to the dance floor. After all, Drew had the most adorable freestyle dance distinction with his “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy” routine with Cheryl Burke. And well, Joey doesn’t exactly have a lot going on right now and he’s always entertaining to watch perform. I particularly enjoyed his Star Wars-inspired dance with partner Kym Johnson last time around.
I was hoping to see former Karate Kid Ralph Macchio come back, and I’m really disappointed that he isn’t. I was also hoping to see Joey McIntyre, Ricki Lake, David Arquette, Kelly Osbourne, Brandy or Chynna Phillips come back to redeem themselves. I’m hoping most of them were too busy and declined, and they weren’t just snubbed by the show’s producers. Some of the choices they did make seemed a little odd to me.
However, I think one of the biggest things that have disappointed me about this upcoming season is involved with their “Viewers Choice Pick the Final Contestant” aspect. Why do I have to pick between Carson Kressley, Kyle Massey and Sabrina Bryan as the “wild card” contestant? I loved seeing all three of them on the show!
Carson may not have been the best dancer, but he was among the most entertaining and enthusiastic I’ve ever seen. Sabrina went home far too early as she was really talented from what I remember and Kyle is just “Kyle-tastic” for lack of a better word. I’d never heard of him prior to seeing him dance (sorry, I don’t watch the Disney channel). He wasn’t the best dancer either, but he truly gave it all he had, and then some. I was happy for him when he kept improving and made it to the final round last time.
I honestly don’t know which of the three I’m rooting for the most. If you ask me, Pamela Anderson or Bristol Palin should’ve been in the “wild card” contestants’ slot. My one consolation is neither Donnie nor Marie Osmond will be returning for the All-Stars round. Thank the Lord for small favors. I found both of them hugely annoying.
So, who are you rooting for to win the All-Stars season? I’m having a tough time deciding because I enjoyed several of these contestants the first time around, but I suppose I will be ultimately cheering for Helio because he makes me smile. It promises to be a good season. By the way, you have until next Friday, Aug. 24, to still cast your vote on abc.com if you’re into the pick-the-last-contestant thing. And if you missed the official dance pro pairing announcement made earlier this week, here’s a rundown on who will be dancing with whom:
Clacked by Kim Tibbs
on Aug 16, 2012 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
I agree with you – it’s like I wrote this article. I can do without Pamela and Bristol and would rather see all three wild cards.
I feel bad for Tristan. I would like to see him with a better partner. (I want his accent to stick around longer!)
*POST AUTHOR*
Agreed, Cheryl! Derek has traditionally been my favorite because his choreography and creativity usually blow me away, but Tristan is quickly becoming a rival favorite due to his adorable personality and accent! Maybe Tristan’s fans combined with Pamela’s will keep them around longer than she probably deserves!
Tristan hasn’t been given a chance to show off his choreography. I would like to see what he could do with a partner who could dance. I’m so over Maks and would like to see other professionals get attention.
I like this whole cast but one. I can NOT believe they are putting Bristol Palin back on that show again. She is not and has never been a STAR folks. GET REAL!!!!
I love Kirstie but I probably wont bother to watch now.
I totally agree. Since when does getting knocked up at seventeen make you a star?
SO TRUE!! BRISTOL WAS NOT GOOD THE FIRST TIME AROUND AND SHE WON’T BE GOOD THIS TIME EITHER! AND MARK DESERVES A GOOD PARTNER TO ALLOW HIS CHOREOGRAPHY TO BE SUCCESSFUL! WHAT A WASTE OF A SPOT FOR A REAL ALL STAR!!