Emily-D

Can fully understand Witney being upset, Milo was the best dancer. At least she already has a mirrorball god help her if she didn’t. Agree though that the tour is good for behind the scenes stuff. Normally all the dances are uploaded after the first few nights so since I’m not going, I can go on a quick YouTube binge and then that’s it I don’t have to watch them again. I just hope Artem finally bags a mirrorball next season before ABC pulls the plug. He’s the only pro I care about that doesn’t have one yet and while I’ll never say that he deserves it, as no pro has a divine right to a mirrorball you have to earn it. It would make any cancellation easier to stomach. Deep down though I can’t see it happening, just don’t see him getting the perfect partner and having that perfect season that he’d need to win it like Emma did Rashad and Lindsay did Jordan.

Think we all knew it was on the cards the moment American Idol was picked up that DWTS was getting cut to one season. The ratings this season simply give them the ammunition to pull the trigger without any controversy. I don’t watch Idol live and probably won’t again because it will adversely affect DWTS. I’ll get it on catchup. The writing is on the wall. The next season of DWTS is the most important in its history. They simply have to get it right if the show is to survive beyond 30 seasons. Unfortunately while the elimination and voting rules may change, I don’t think ABC will allow DWTS the budget it requires to cast notably recognisable celebs to help draw people in. It’ll be another list of cheap nobodies like the season just gone and the ratings will drop further. It’s sad but true.

He was fantastic, a natural dancer and very unlucky not to win. Had Canada been allowed to vote I suspect he would have. Should there be an all star season in the future, I think he’d go in red hot favourite to win it.

I’ll never forget when Witney got nominated for an Emmy for three of her dances with Alfonso which she didn’t even choreograph! She was supposed to submit the dances as a “collaboration” with her ghost choreographer but she forgot to put his name on the official Emmy submission, which meant he didn’t get nominated for his own work! If that ever happened to me...I think it’s best we leave it at that LOL.

The voting system has to change, it cannot be a 50-50 split anymore so I’d consider implementing at least one of the following.. The vote is split 75-25 in favour of the judges. Should we get to say the final six and only good dancers remain with no crap dancers with a huge fanbase keeping them in, then revert back to 50-50 for the final few shows. The top scoring half of the couples (so six from 12 in week one) are automatically immune from elimination the following week and only the bottom 6 couples are up for the vote. When it gets to an odd number such as 11 then 5 couples are immune and 6 up for the vote. Introduce one judges save which can be used once in the season for a couple of their choice that has just been eliminated. So for example this season, no doubt they’d have used it on Tinashe. The bottom two couples on the leaderboard go straight into jeopardy for the following week and the public vote for who they want to save from the two. The following week, the elimination takes place. Those are the suggestions right now in terms of changing the vote. It simply cannot stay as it is now. It exposes too many good dancers and leaves bad dancers but fanbase ringers in too strong a position.

First time ever that this show has genuinely rendered me speechless. Bravo DWTS, what a way to possibly go out on. A long year of reflection ahead for ABC, the show and viewers with the reputation of the show now in tatters with him winning. Think the worst thing about the show not coming back is going out on a season like that. Deary me!

We all knew it was coming, you can’t defend the ratings this season. The budget cuts due to American Idol and THAT spring season has killed the show. Whether it moves to summer or stays fall only is up for debate, you’d imagine it may well get a new transmission day as well. But we’re approaching the end of the show on ABC anyway. I’ve said before my guess is they’ll finish it on a landmark at season 30, meaning we have three seasons left. However if ratings continue to decline at the rate they have since season 25, we may not even get that! I’ve not really been invested at all in this season and didn’t even watch the semi finals last week. I’ll watch the final live though and I’d recommend that others do as well, simply because the show’s longevity depends on people like us watching it live. I’ll just go for a bathroom break for the parts not including Milo, Evanna and the pros.

Dear me what a mess of a season, the beginning of the end. I voted for Milo, I think he’s a worthy winner and has been the best since week one. It wouldn’t bother me if Evanna won though unless Keo flubs the freestyle.

John got underscored IMO. Absolutely no doubt in my mind that it was deliberate as well. The producers have seen the votes and know that he’s probably the best chance they have of getting rid of a male next before Alexis and Evanna. I’m not a fan of this female cull, but I’d have no problem whatsoever if Alexis was next to go. Sick of her and that fake showmance.

You have to take competition into account as well. DWTS has to go up against The Voice (which ironically is a hundred times bigger here than it is in the UK), The Big Bang Theory and Monday Night Football. I don’t think there viewership would increase from a day change but they may not continue to drop at the rate they are now which is pushing the show dangerously towards cancellation levels. Really though I think it does come down to the cast. It’s a really poor list this season and that is the responsibility who ABC who have slashed the budget of the show. It’s no coincidence that the show has fallen off a cliff since ABC revived American Idol. I’d like to see the show leave ABC and move to a new network with more money to throw at it and see how it does. Also recent breaking news is that the DWTS studio is being sold by CBS to a group who will more than likely demolish it for houses/retail. Another nail in the coffin I suspect.

ABC are obviously doing something wrong. It’s a soft excuse saying it’s heyday is over, the show has been on just as long in the UK and incredibly is getting bigger by the year. They treat it properly though, it gets a two and half hour slot on Saturday night with no adverts and is a long season with 16 celebs so they can get a range of different celebs, something for everyone so to speak. They also have a results show the next day with a dance off which ensures a sense of fairness when it comes to eliminations. ABC let pros like Derek leave for a rival network and have made awful decisions over the last 18 months which has absolutely killed the show. It was pulling high 1s in the demographic and at least 10 million viewers 18 months ago which is a staggering drop and ABC have to take responsibility for that. I think if ABC moved the show to summer and had an extended season rather than the 9 weeks it gets now then it could work out. Try and copy the formula which has worked in the UK.

One thing I’d change right now is the voting rules. Instead of a 50-50 split I’d change it to 75-25 in favour of the judges until the semi finals when I’d revert it back to 50-50. I think that would make a positive impact. In terms of ratings it really doesn’t look good. The show has lost up to 3 million viewers from last season and has plummeted in its key demographic. It’s very worrying for the shows long term future and I suspect a direct result of that absolute garbage that was the four week spring season and the huge cuts made financially to the show by ABC in order to fund American Idol. It’s out of its depth compared to NBC who are chucking big money at the likes of John Legend to do the Voice on the same night. No wonder the cast isn’t recognisable as they are probably being paid chump change to do the show. Once you lose your viewers it’s very hard to get them back. The show is renewed for one more season right? I think one of two things will happen, either it will move days away from the Voice, maybe to Friday or Sunday night where the sort of ratings DWTS are currently getting would be considered acceptable. Or ABC will move it to the summer and have only one cycle a year. Either way I’d say there is a massive chance that the show will not see the next decade at present. I can see ABC ending it on a milestone like season 30. If it does get cancelled by ABC, I do think at some point we’ll see it again. The show is cheap to produce, is owned by BBC so won’t need to be completely revamped plus it’s absolutely killing the ratings around the world in places like the UK which gives executives the belief that they can revive it with a good budget to throw at attracting star power celebs. Give it a year or two and I reckon another network will pick it up. Maybe even a cable network.

Fair point. It’s hard to be sympathetic for Joe when a blind contestant was getting better scores and looking moderately respectable compared to that hot mess last night.

I’m sure Tinashe would have gone way further with Val. Not only would see have cultivated more votes from his fans, it would have given the general audience a reason to sit up and take notice of her because of her pro. He also would have probably brought out more personality from her. No offence to Brandon but it’s his first season as a pro so he has no fanbase plus he’s not the sort to pro to crack a whip and bring out a different side of his celeb like Val can. In terms of other pros bar Val for Tinashe, Keo you’d imagine would be a shock elim, Gleb definitely a shock elim, Alan probably a shock elim, Sasha would have done a solid but unspectacular job like he does with pretty much all his stars. Artem would have cultivated interest from the audience as it would have been his first time with a proper ringer, but to get her to the final he’ll have had to bring out her personality.

A fair response. I personally don’t believe it comes into voting but I can understand if you do. It didn’t stop Amber Riley winning though. And I can’t remember the last time a black female was a shocking boot on the show? I could maybe give you Simone Biles getting booted in the semis over David Ross but really that was down to Cubs fans and not her race. Normani can’t be used as an example because she was a finalist.