Has ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Fixed Its Longest-Running Problem Since Moving to Disney+?
There was intense viewer backlash upon announcing Dancing with the Stars would jump from ABC to Disney+. However, with the move, there was hope that Dancing with the Stars production would address the series’ longest-running problem upon its switch to streaming. Has the show addressed the one issue that infuriated viewers throughout 31 seasons of competition?
‘Dancing with the Stars’ struggles with one lingering issue
ABC’s juggernaut series has been a mainstay of Monday night programming since 2005. The first season had only six celebrities competing for the same number of weeks when the series debuted in June of that year. However, the show’s impact was immediate. The series found a strong legion of fans who supported 367 celebrities over 31 seasons in their quest for a mirrorball trophy.
However, as Dancing with the Stars progresses, its biggest problem lies with voting. Fans pushing for their favorites despite showing skills on the ballroom floor came to a head in season 27. The famous DJ and personality in the country music industry won a mirrorball, a move that ruffled many feathers.
Therefore, in season 28, the series introduced live show votes. This tactic meant viewers in Mountain and Pacific time zones cast votes without seeing any performances as the show aired live in Eastern and Central time zones. An improvement, but still not a fix for the issue at hand.
The show’s move to Disney+ appeared to eliminate ‘Dancing with the Stars’ problem, or did it?
Live streaming meant that any time zone could stream Dancing with the Stars upon its 8 p.m. EST start. This fundamental change allows fans from all time zones to vote for their favorites during the live show. However, did it appear to eliminate Dancing with the Stars‘ longstanding voting problems?
The series relies on head judge Len Goodman to break any ties after voting concludes. Goldderby explained the tiebreaker vote. Essentially Goodman’s vote counts twice among judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli. That means Goodman’s vote will determine who stays and leaves if the first three are not unanimous.
This voting tweak is a step in the right direction. However, fans continue to flood votes in for many of their favorites before seeing their performance, as live voting is active only during the episode’s official debut. In earlier seasons of the show, voting was open for 24 hours, allowing fans in other time zones time to vote.
But that would mean bringing back contestants for a second night, as in the past, for a results show. There has been no word of introducing yet another episode of DWTS on Disney+ during the week. It remains to be seen if a combination of across-time zone voting will allow for fair competition during season 31.
‘DWTS’ newest episode features the Disney+ catalog
Goldderby reported the following dances are ahead for another Dancing with the Stars theme night. This time the series dedicates itself to the music of the catalog of work viewable on Disney+.
Joseph Baena and Daniella Karagach: Charleston to “A Star Is Born” from Hercules.
Selma Blair and Sasha Farber Quickstep to “The Muppet Show Theme” from The Muppet Show.
Wayne Brady and Witney Carson dance Jazz to “Wait for It” from Hamilton.
Sam Champion and Cheryl Burke perform a Paso Doble to “The Greatest Show” from The Greatest Showman.
Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas dance a Jazz routine to “‘The Simpsons’ Main Title Theme” from The Simpsons.
Heidi D’Amelio and Artem Chigvintsev perform a Viennese Waltz to “Chim Chim Cher-ee” from Mary Poppins.
Jessie James Decker and Alan Bersten Jive to “One Way or Another” from Hocus Pocus 2.
Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater Samba to “Life Is a Highway” from Cars.
Daniel Durant and Britt Stewart Quickstep to “Finally Free” from High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
Vinny Guadagnino and Koko Iwasaki Samba to “Il Gatto E La Volpe” from Luca.
Shangela and Gleb Savchenko will Charleston to “Dig a Little Deeper” from The Princess and the Frog.
Jordin Sparks and Brandon Armstrong dance a Jazz routine to “Remember Me” from Coco.
Gabby Windey and Val Chmerkovskiy perform a Quickstep to “Mr. Blue Sky” from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Dancing with the Stars streams live on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on Disney+.
