'Dancing With the Stars': Double your dancing, double your fun?

Tonight's episode of "Dancing with the Stars" brought viewers a dramatic new formatting change: the dancers dance two songs instead of one!  Did it indeed double the drama and excitement from just a regular episode?  Well, kind of...it was hard to pay attention throughout the two hours.  There were a few things that did become evident, however. 

• Laila Ali=The Hilary Clinton of the show?  Laila Ali has been a frontrunner throughout the competition: we can't get over her saucy attitude and her hard work and the fantastic chemistry she has with her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy.  But Laila is the only female left on the show now...will that bring more votes from the women's bloc, who would probably vote for Joey Fatone otherwise but don't want to betray their gender? 

 

• Ian Ziering tries too hard.  Joey Fatone said it himself, but watching Ian standing there, the Y-shaped vein pulsating in his forehead as he gritted his teeth and tried to catch his breath as the judges still wouldn't give him the praise he so sorely craves, well, we wondered if he was suffering from 'roid rage (no, we didn't really, for the record.) 

• There is weird new choreography.  It wasn't announced formally but it felt like every dance had a little fake stage choreography that would maybe be done in a high school musical.  For instance, Ian Ziering and Cheryl Burke's Eskimo kiss faces, Joey's hat and cane bit, or Billy Ray Cyrus creepily "appreciating" his partner Karina Smirnoff dance. Maybe it's supposed to bring character to the dances, but it's making them cheesy.

• Man alive, this show is long.  The two-dance show could be a lot more interesting to viewers if the format wasn't stretched so paper-thin.  It's beginning to become tedious:  the crazy LSD trip opening, the announcers, the dancers getting announced again, the introduction to who's dancing next, the footage of them practicing, the dancing, waiting for the judge's comments, going backstage to get grilled by Samantha Harris, and then getting their scores (and comments).  Wash, lather, rinse, repeat.  This should be the time the show steps up the pacing and makes it more exciting with more content, not slow it down. 

• Two of the trio of John, Billy Ray and Ian will be in the bottom two tomorrow night, it seems, if chemistry with the dance partner has anything to do with it.  They seem to get along fine with the women they dance with, but the entertainment factor of watching them interact with their professionals is dim compared to their competitors.  We'll see if the voting public agrees.

(Photo courtesy ABC)

Comments

[Bucky Fox]

LIVE! I STARED AT THE STARS

Sat in on the action Monday in Hollywood. Saw Joey rock, Ohno roll and Ali jab.

Quick steps:

The ABC show actually takes place at the CBS building near the Grove.

Huge line to get in. Your regular Internet ticket from ocatv.com isn’t good enough. Too many seats go to fat cats. We waited two hours for nothing last week. Then called for the VIP tickets and got in Monday.

Another reason not to go: lousy seats. We sat in the upper deck. The officials warn of obstructed view. Obstructed? Make it blind. If you sit, you see an eighth of the dance floor. If you stand for a decent view, the network guards tell you to sit. We stood anyway. Screw ’em.

Joey Fatone looked like the Slim One in real life. Lean like Astaire in his top hat routine. Lithe like Kelly in his bouncy encore.

Ali also sweat up a storm to heat up the theater.

Apolo wilted against that onslaught. At least he had Julianne, the star among the pro dancers.

Hough is way thinner than she looks on TV. Really hardly any curves. As opposed to Kym Johnson, Fatone’s partner. Her body won’t quit.

If you catch the fan reaction segment tonight, I’m the bald guy. That is, if I’m not edited out. The TV team interviewed me, and I said Ali will survive like her daddy in the Thrilla in Manila. The ABC dude kept telling me to explain that reference, so he’ll no doubt cut it. My wife, Maria, had current opinions. She’s sure to get airtime.

Chatted with Jann Carl of “Entertainment Tonight” after she did her post-dance interviews. Here’s a star who’s as nice as she looks. And smart. We both went to Mizzou.

After leaving, we hit La Piazza, an Italian restaurant at the Grove. In walked Bruno and Len, who looked like pals, not the judging enemies of the screen. I traipsed to their table and told them they make the show go. Len applauded.

Nearby sat Maks, Ali’s partner. I went over and shared my Thrilla in Manila comment. He loved it.

In all, a knockout day. Despite the missteps.