Season 19: Judges : Len, Bruno, Carrie Ann, & Julianne

[LadyMustang65]

I just read that Julianne Hough has  been signed as a new regular 4th judge for next season.  I have to wonder what TPTB are thinking.  With 3 judges, they spent far too much time talking - often incomprehensibly or nonsensically.  The guest judges that they used occasionally rarely added anything to that and just took up more time that could have been spent on the contestants with rehearsal footage or other backstage stuff.  Now they're adding a 4th judge who'll just take up even more time that I think most fans would rather see spent on the couples.  And they're bringing in Julianne Hough, who hasn't exactly endeared herself to a lot of people in her 2 previous guest spots.  First she took a shot at Mark and then she took a shot at Maks, neither of which were professional and neither of which actually did anything constructive to help the celebs.  It was just Julianne drawing attention to herself.  She seems to relish her "mean" role, but I personally could really do without a "Simon Cowell" type on the judging panel.  So anyway, the reaction I've seen to this announcement has not been terribly positive.  A few people seem to like the idea, but most of what I've read makes it seem like people are a bit tired of Julianne and not looking forward to having her around.  I wonder if TPTB just don't care any more or if they subscribe to the theory that as long as people are talking about you, it's good even if what they're saying is negative?  Are they trying to tank the show so that the ratings dip low enough to justify cancelling it?  I had hoped that with a new show runner, DWTS might get back to its roots, but clearly that's not going to happen.

 

So what do y'all think about this new development?  Yay or nay?  (In case there's any question - I'm a nay.  <lol>  )

[Serendi]

Nay. I wasn't watching back when she was a pro, and what I've seen of her since doesn't help me understand what the fuss is about. I mean Tom acts like his little girl has come home whenever she's on, which I get, but why are *we* supposed to feel like the Prodigal has returned, having spent all her show biz capital?

Actually, I suppose that's what really bugs me, and I may be way off base about it - the feeling that TPTB expect the viewers to think it's waaay cool.

Personally, as an Afterbuzz watcher, I'd far rather see Anna.

[legaleagle53]

I don't have a problem with adding a fourth judge -- in fact, if you REALLY want to take the show back to its roots, a fourth judge should have been part of the panel from the get-go, as that is the way it has always been done on the other versions of the show (and Italy, Mexico, and Romania have even had five judges on their panels!).  Only the US version has had three judges up until now.

 

I DO, however, have a problem with Julianne as the fourth judge.  Apart from the fact that it's an inherent conflict of interest for her to be on the panel as long as Derek is a competing pro, she strikes me as being distinctly lacking in the maturity that I would need in order to take her seriously as a judge.  About the only thing that she has going for her is the fact that unlike Bruno, Carrie Ann, and the other guest judges that we've had before now (except for Maks), she, at least, has actually competed in DanceSport, and would theoretically at least bring that much experience and technical knowledge to the panel as a result.  But I still would prefer someone like Louis, Maks, Anna, Jonathan, (or, now that SCD has given them the boot, James Jordan, Ian Waite, or Karen Hardy, or even Julie Fryer from the Dutch version) on the panel over Julianne.

Edited August 24, 2014 by legaleagle53

[radishcake]

Guys I'm not going to have a specific Judge topic. It's too easy for it to turn into a "Let's hate Julianne" topic. So feel free to continue disliking the 4th judge for Season 19 but this topic will be about all the judges. 

[Toonces464]

Count me in with those who don't like the move. I don't like the idea of a fourth judge and I hate the idea of it being Julianne. She should NOT be judging while her brother is competing. Same as Maks should not be judging while his brother is competing. I can only imagine the new producers were hoping to cash in on the successful Move tour the Houghs just completed, although I also have seen mostly negative reaction to hiring Julianne.

[stcroix]

HATE the idea of a 4th judge!  Way too much talking as it is.  So put me in the naysayer's column.

[legaleagle53]

HATE the idea of a 4th judge!  Way too much talking as it is.  So put me in the naysayer's column.

 

The way that the other versions have done it (especially the Dutch, Australian, Austrian, Italian, Romanian, Mexican, and German versions) is that only two judges comment on any one routine, on a rotating basis -- never do all four (or five, in Romania, Italy, and Mexico) comment on a single routine. So that's not really a problem for me.

 

As I said, DWTS is the odd duck in having had only three judges until now.  Four has always been the rule everywhere else (including the parent show, Strictly Come Dancing -- and really, the only reason we didn't follow suit from the start is that the fourth judge whom the producers originally wanted, Craig Revel-Horwood, passed because he didn't want to spend all that time commuting between London and Hollywood!).

[stcroix]

The way that the other versions have done it (especially the Dutch, Australian, Austrian, Italian, Romanian, Mexican, and German versions) is that only two judges comment on any one routine, on a rotating basis -- never do all four (or five, in Romania, Italy, and Mexico) comment on a single routine. So that's not really a problem for me.

 

As I said, DWTS is the odd duck in having had only three judges until now.  Four has always been the rule everywhere else (including the parent show, Strictly Come Dancing -- and really, the only reason we didn't follow suit from the start is that the fourth judge whom the producers originally wanted, Craig Revel-Horwood, passed because he didn't want to spend all that time commuting between London and Hollywood!).

Well, that's a different story.  I'd totally be on board for that.  But given how our DWTS producers seem to want to sabotage the show, I think they'd have all four giving their opinions....  I'm barely sitting through Carrie Ann's silliness now, I cant imagine sitting through her talk knowing I had another judge (or 3) left.  :(   But I do see what you were talking about now, thank you!

[legaleagle53]

Well, that's a different story.  I'd totally be on board for that.  But given how our DWTS producers seem to want to sabotage the show, I think they'd have all four giving their opinions....  I'm barely sitting through Carrie Ann's silliness now, I cant imagine sitting through her talk knowing I had another judge (or 3) left.  :(   But I do see what you were talking about now, thank you!

 

It could have been worse.  I understand that Mary Murphy tried out for the panel and got beaten out by Carrie Ann for the job.  If you think that Carrie Ann is annoying, Mary would make your head explode (as those of us who have watched her on So You Think You Can Dance will readily attest!).

 

Actually, I've always been disappointed that Craig passed on doing our show.  American audiences wouldn't know how to handle his blunt criticism and tendency to bust out the low paddles, and certain pros' heads would explode every time he started in on them (Maks, Mark, and Derek in particular!).

[WhitneyWhit]

The thought of Mary Murphy on this show makes me want to hide under my bed. Imagine if we had both Mary and Carrie Ann?!

 

I don't understand the point of bringing on a fourth judge now. What could they possibly add? If Julianne's past judging stints are any indication, I have a feeling she's going to spend most of her time making the most asinine comments she can hoping to get her name in the press, and we have enough of that from Bruno and Carrie Ann.

[legaleagle53]

The thought of Mary Murphy on this show makes me want to hide under my bed. Imagine if we had both Mary and Carrie Ann?!

 

I don't understand the point of bringing on a fourth judge now. What could they possibly add? If Julianne's past judging stints are any indication, I have a feeling she's going to spend most of her time making the most asinine comments she can hoping to get her name in the press, and we have enough of that from Bruno and Carrie Ann.

 

Having a fourth judge should theoretically bring a sense of balance to the show by having a second judge who has actually competed in DanceSport and taught it for a living (and who therefore would have presumably have the same level of technical expertise and experience that Len has as someone who has actually done it) and could therefore serve as a counterweight against Bruno and Carrie Ann's comments, which are driven more by feeling than by technical considerations. In other words, the fourth judge is supposed to bring a more objective standard to the process.  

 

That is why the other versions all have at least two DanceSport experts serving as judges on their panels (and the Netherlands really got it right by initially having all four of its judges be experienced DanceSport champions, teachers, and judges before it made the mistake of trying to copy our version in its last season by dumping two of its experts from the panel and all of its experienced pros in favor of younger "pros" who didn't have a clue as to what they were doing and two really "out there" non-experts on the panel in order to give the show a look and feel that was "hip" and "edgy" -- sound familiar?).  

 

Where DWTS is failing is putting Julianne on the panel; the producers have the right idea in putting a second DanceSport pro on the panel, but she's the wrong person for the job because she is neither mature enough nor experienced enough to be taken seriously as an objective source of technical judging.

Edited August 25, 2014 by legaleagle53

[WhitneyWhit]

Has Julianne ever taught dance? She joined the show when she was 18, so it seems her competitive career ended when she was pretty young. If they wanted to bring back a pro as a judge, then why not Anna? I enjoyed her on Afterbuzz (except her weird obsession with Meryl's footware) but she was great at explaining the technical aspects of each dance and was often blunt without being bitchy.

[legaleagle53]

Has Julianne ever taught dance? She joined the show when she was 18, so it seems her competitive career ended when she was pretty young. If they wanted to bring back a pro as a judge, then why not Anna? I enjoyed her on Afterbuzz (except her weird obsession with Meryl's footware) but she was great at explaining the technical aspects of each dance and was often blunt without being bitchy.

 

You won't hear any arguments from me there.  As I said, the producers had the right idea in bringing in a former competitive DanceSport pro as a fourth judge; they just picked the wrong one.  Anna would have made a much better choice (as would Louis or Jonathan).

[COESpiral]

I was really hoping they'd add Louis to the panel as I think he's very respected in the dance world, not just as a former World champ competitor, but as a teacher as well. Julianne was a wrong choice in every sense of the word. If the producers wanted to round out the judges with another woman, I'd have preferred Anna there instead, too.

[tv echo]

I would've preferred that they stick to three judges, and completely replace Len, Bruno and Carrie Ann.  Len is a pompous asshole, Bruno is so overly dramatic it comes across as fake, and Carrie Ann always has these fangirly.reactions to the hot guys.  When the same judges stay on popular reality competition shows for a long time, it seems that they get big egos, become more exaggerated versions of themselves, and become more interested in hogging attention than honest critiquing of the contestants.  Get brand new judges who are experienced dance judges or dance instructors - people with real credentials.

 

Four judges just means more air time given to the judging panel.  As it is, during the previous season of DWTS, I only watched the dance performances and often muted my TV when the judges started talking - esp. given how they attempted to manipulate the viewers' votes.  And now with the news of the new judge being Julianne Hough, I think I'm done with this show. 

Edited August 25, 2014 by tv echo

[Toonces464]

I think the other reason Julianne was the wrong choice is the pitting of two fan bases. There's definitely a Chmerkovskiy vs. Hough thing going on, at least among the fan bases, and it really needs to stop already. Julianne wasn't even on the radar when the talk was of Maks taking the job so It wasn't really an issue then. Now that Julianne has "stolen" Maks's job away from him they've pissed off not only Maks's fan base but a lot of casual viewers of the show who aren't in either camp but are tired of this seemingly turning into the Derek Hough show. 

 

The smart thing would have been to find roles for both Maks and Julianne that were equally relevant if they really wanted to have her on the show too. If Maks comes and sits in Len's place the few weeks he's not there he looks like just what he is - the second choice consolation prize. I'd really be surprised to see him do that. Head choreographer obviously isn't happening for him since Mandy Moore is already working on the premiere pro number. Not to mention most fans want to SEE Maks, not the other pros dancing his weak choreography. I keep seeing people on Twitter talking about bringing him on as a mentor. What is he going to do, mentor Derek and Karina and Tony? The pros are the celebrities's mentors - they don't need Maks around for that. And anyway what's he going to tell them - don't piss off your pro, listen to everything they say, don't talk back, have fun, bye? 

 

As many cans of worms as they may have been opening by making Maks a judge, I think they've now opened a whole lot more and it's going to blow up in their faces.

Edited August 25, 2014 by Toonces464

[sunnyheart]

I think the other reason Julianne was the wrong choice is the pitting of two fan bases. There's definitely a Chmerkovskiy vs. Hough thing going on, at least among the fan bases, and it really needs to stop already.

Amen.  I think that's the reason they did it too.  Beyond how ridiculous it is to spend anymore time listening to those freaking judges yakking, crying, hollering or whatever, it's a complete setup to create more "watercooler" moments such as Julianne telling Mark he is a stage hog or delivering other passive-aggressive criticisms in her sweet girl-next-door way. I don't have a problem with them bringing in Louis or Anna or some other less devisive pro to judge, but I think a Hough or Chmerkovskiy is just a way to get people fired up.  And I am BEYOND sick of the fuss over those two camps. I wish they would get rid of all of them.

[dwtsgueststars]

From what I heard on gma, Lean will be gone for 6-7 weeks. They will have guest judges, but it looks more like they're trying to phase Len out.

[dwtsgueststars]

How can Julianne not be bias toward Derek? She won't be judging for 1 night and be done with it. Can you imagine the outcry if Len for example will give Derek SEVEEEEN while the other 3 judges give him TEN, TEN, TEN, It's not going to be  fair no matter how you sugarcoat it.

[Toonces464]

How can Julianne not be bias toward Derek? She won't be judging for 1 night and be done with it. Can you imagine the outcry if Len for example will give Derek SEVEEEEN while the other 3 judges give him TEN, TEN, TEN, It's not going to be  fair no matter how you sugarcoat it.

 

Or on the flip side of the coin Julianne could be even tougher on Derek than he deserves just to try to show she's NOT being biased. However you look at it this is just a bad move.

[Buggin]

From what I heard on gma, Lean will be gone for 6-7 weeks. They will have guest judges, but it looks more like they're trying to phase Len out.

6-7 weeks in all or during weeks 6 and 7?

[dwtsgueststars]

6-7 weeks in all or during weeks 6 and 7?

 

Not sure. Maybe He'll be in the begining and the end.

Or on the flip side of the coin Julianne could be even tougher on Derek than he deserves just to try to show she's NOT being biased. However you look at it this is just a bad move.

Right... I don't buy that.

[kitcloudkicker]

Eh, I don't know that I buy Julianne will be tougher, but I don't buy that it's some massive advantage for him either. In her last few appearances, she's kept her remarks on the celebrity when she's judging Derek - that is something I could see her being more conscious of. I'm also still not convinced that the judges scores do a damn thing in swaying the outcome of the show. Are they going to hand out an 8, 9, or a 10, oooooh the suspense!

 

I do wish they'd show more behind the scenes, instead of judge yapping, and not all that jazzed about the potential more time for that. But of the 4, I find Bruno by far the most annoying. 

[Uke]

I'm definitely "Nay!" on Julianne being a judge.  1.  As in her 2 tryouts, she'll say provocative things that will get her media attention, take cheap shots at the pros, whatever she can to cause a stir, none of it "constructive criticism".  2. There's no way she'll be neutral judging/scoring her brother (and his partner). She'll take a few teasing pokes at him (like her Barbie doll story) and claim that as proof she's not favoring him. (btw I was not in favor of Maks being a judge either for the assumption of favoritism towards Val and Tony).

 

Interestingly, in the People Mag. article she's quoted saying "I'm not there to be harsh or cause a controversy. I won't be mean or malicious. That's not who I am. That's not my role at all."  My first thought at reading that was that she's seeing the negative reaction to the announcement.  Whether that's enough to make her control her behavior, well, maybe for week 1.  But I think her need to be center of attention will win out.

 

In the EOnline article she's quoted as saying "she hasn't "gotten the butter-me-up requests yet," she said, the sucking up might not start until season 19 is actually underway!"  That kind of puzzled me because I had heard that Len, Bruno and Carrie Ann try to minimize interaction with the pros and stars during the season except when the show has each judge coach a finalist just before the finale.

 

I'm not in favor of a 4th judge anyways-waste of time. I'm guessing this is a phase-down for Len. It's got to be tough on him flying London/LA/London every week. That's maybe a little too much wear and tear on him now.  Also, I'm not sure what the point would be in bringing in a qualified DanceSport judge. DWTS has always been slippery about holding some to the rules and allowing others to get away with anything. Plus, they seem to be moving away from ballroom/latin in favor of Jazz, Contemporary, mashups, fusions etc. 

My preference would be replace Carrie Ann with Toni Basil (ex. AfterBuzz S17 Wk6), replace Len with Kym (make her an offer she can't refuse), keep Bruno (for now) and show Julianne the door. Oddly enough, when Bruno calms down and actually critiques, I think he's very on target.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I'll never be able to prove it, but I am pretty sure Len wanted out altogether on the USA show and TPTB pleaded and made it worth his while to be a half-timer.

 

Hiring JH reeks of desperation to me.  As does dumping Sharna for someone NEW NEW NEW.

 

With all the injuries and the old fogeys (like me) who can't take the wear and tear, what is one thing you could do?  Reduce the routines!  How can you do that?  More jidges! 

[MortysCleaningLady]

From what I heard on gma, Lean will be gone for 6-7 weeks. They will have guest judges, but it looks more like they're trying to phase Len out.

 

Why? Of the original three, he's the only one that knows ballroom.  Of all four, I think he's the least biased.  (Julianne seems to dislike Maks and Val; Carrie Ann falls for any showmance; Bruno wants the good looking men undressed; Len just wants good dancing that sticks to the rules.)  I'm waiting for the contestants to be announced to determine if I'm going to watch this year.

[Serendi]

Len has said that he's tired of the commute between the two shows in the fall and that he would drop DWTS over Strictly Come Dancing. Bruno said if Len doesn't commute it'll be that much more miserable for him to commute, so he might also quit. (This is from memory, but I *think* it's right.) Plus didn't Len get married like a year ago? That might increase the appeal of staying home.

Edited August 26, 2014 by Serendi

[Lamb18]

I don't know much about Julianne but I'm against her being a judge because of the conflict of interest in her brother being one of the competitors.  Too easy to sway - sometimes the scoring is very close and even giving Derek a one-point higher score than the other judges' scores could make a difference in staying or elimination.

[Lisa4106]

Personally I think the show just wanted Julianne back on the show and didn't know where else to put her. I imagine they've been asking her back all along, since she was a popular pro and is a bit of a name outside of the show. Up until now she's had music, movies or dating Ryan Seacrest and either didn't have the time or the interest to return. I'm sure her handlers told her it would be a step back if she was trying to be a movie star. Now she's either decided she wants to return to her roots (more Move tours) or most of her other options have dried up. 

My guess is the show really wanted her as a pro but she probably nixed that idea. I've heard lots of reports that her dancing was a lot weaker than a lot of the dancers on the Move tour. That's not surprising considering the long break she took. I also doubt she wanted to return as a pro because it would look like her other careers had totally flopped and she was back to where we started.

They couldn't give her Erin's job. Can you imagine how bad she would be at that? So the only thing they could come up with is add a judge. It's a promotion for Julianne and if she says condescending things in the name of honesty, it's publicity for the show. While all the judges have said nasty things, it's going to come off as more mean spirited when a former co-worker says them.

[onthebrink03]

My guess is the show really wanted her as a pro but she probably nixed that idea. I've heard lots of reports that her dancing was a lot weaker than a lot of the dancers on the Move tour. That's not surprising considering the long break she took. I also doubt she wanted to return as a pro because it would look like her other careers had totally flopped and she was back to where we started.

 

It looks that way anyway.  Anyone honestly think if her other career aspirations were going the way she wanted, she would be back in the DWTS judge's chair?  No, her music career went nowhere.  And her movie career has been less than stellar - bad reviews and low box office returns.  I don't think she's in demand and I think her returning to DWTS is an attempt to keep her name and face in the public eye and, hopefully, re-spark some interest.  To my mind, she was a good dancer.  The rest of it?  Don't quit your day job honey.

 

They couldn't give her Erin's job. Can you imagine how bad she would be at that? So the only thing they could come up with is add a judge. It's a promotion for Julianne and if she says condescending things in the name of honesty, it's publicity for the show. While all the judges have said nasty things, it's going to come off as more mean spirited when a former co-worker says them.

 

Yep, this is, IMO, just what the show wants.  So many of these tired and dying shows now look to court some controversy in order to get people to tune in.  I suppose it works for a viewing or two.  But does it build and hold an audience?  If I tune into these types of shows I am watching for the dancing, for the singing, for the interaction of contestants.  I don't give a rip if so and so hates so and so or if this judge is feuding with that contestant.  Or who is showmancing this season.  It becomes tiresome after awhile.  Especially when you know it's probably all scripted and orchestrated to tweak public interest, in the show and the willing participants.

 

Bet on Julienne saying something nasty, something stupid.  She did it the two times she guest judged.  She'll do it again.  It's what they hired for, after all.

[Uke]

Len has said that he's tired of the commute between the two shows in the fall and that he would drop DWTS over Strictly Come Dancing. Bruno said if Len doesn't commute it'll be that much more miserable for him to commute, so he might also quit. (This is from memory, but I *think* it's right.) Plus didn't Len get married like a year ago? That might increase the appeal of staying home.

 

Yes, I recall Bruno saying that. I don't remember the source so I can't find the exact quote, but that was the gist of it.  But seriously, both Len + Bruno have got to be making some serious bucks after all these seasons. Bruno would give that up if he lost a travel companion? Doubt it.

[galax-arena]

I've heard lots of reports that her dancing was a lot weaker than a lot of the dancers on the Move tour.

Julianne’s come back to perform a couple of times on the results show since leaving DWTS, and at one point I noticed that her dancing looked considerably less sharp compared to the other pros she was dancing with. I don’t remember when that was, though. 

Anyone honestly think if her other career aspirations were going the way she wanted, she would be back in the DWTS judge's chair?

Yep, this. 

Edited August 27, 2014 by galax-arena

[truthaboutluv]

Karina shares her thoughts on Julianne being a judge. In short, she questions the ethics of her judging while her brother is competing.

 

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/karina-smirnoff-questions-julianne-houghs-dancing-with-the-stars-gig-2014298

 

Honestly, while I maintain I had no interest in watching Julianne on the judging panel, same as I felt about the rumor of Maks getting the gig, I think all the "bias" stuff is slightly exaggerated and pretty much agree with this quote.

 

Eh, I don't know that I buy Julianne will be tougher, but I don't buy that it's some massive advantage for him either. In her last few appearances, she's kept her remarks on the celebrity when she's judging Derek - that is something I could see her being more conscious of. I'm also still not convinced that the judges scores do a damn thing in swaying the outcome of the show. Are they going to hand out an 8, 9, or a 10, oooooh the suspense!

 

 

Yes the judges scores matter but honestly, in my opinion this show has always been won on fanbase. That's why it's never been and never will be fair. We've seen people go home through multiple seasons having high scores, sometimes the highest score. Hell the week Derek and Maria left they were leading on the scoreboard. Look at Val with Elizabeth Berkeley.

 

It's exactly why Derek has said flat out on the show that it's more important to have a performance the audience loves rather than pleasing the judges which yes, I know is one more thing about him that pisses people off. But that is the reality of DWTS. It's largely who appeals to more people and/or has the most dedicated and vigilant voting base. See Bill Engvall's run on the show. How many times was he last in judges' scores?

[Padma]

I would've preferred that they stick to three judges, and completely replace Len, Bruno and Carrie Ann.  Len is a pompous asshole, Bruno is so overly dramatic it comes across as fake, and Carrie Ann always has these fangirly.reactions to the hot guys.  When the same judges stay on popular reality competition shows for a long time, it seems that they get big egos, become more exaggerated versions of themselves, and become more interested in hogging attention than honest critiquing of the contestants.  Get brand new judges who are experienced dance judges or dance instructors - people with real credentials.

 

Four judges just means more air time given to the judging panel.  As it is, during the previous season of DWTS, I only watched the dance performances and often muted my TV when the judges started talking - esp. given how they attempted to manipulate the viewers' votes.  And now with the news of the new judge being Julianne Hough, I think I'm done with this show. 

I feel four judges is too many and that Julianne--while I liked her guest judging last season well enough--has too much personal involvement with Derek and Mark to be objective.

 

That said, I'd support it if she replaced CAA, who has outlived her time and ability to intelligently critique, Bruno whose hysterics are just ridiculous time-wasters now, and Len, who wants to leave anyway.

 

Thjree--not four--new judges would be fine. My preference would be Anna, Maks (or someone more objective if Vals on), and someone "old" who has a lot of knowledge and is articulate (not a Ballas). The current three have been fine--they helped make it a hit--but their schtick is tired now. Time for a change.

[legaleagle53]

I disagree.  As I've noted before, this version is the only one in the entire franchise that hasn't had four judges until now, and those other versions have done just fine.  They simply stagger the judges so that only two at any one time give an opinion on the dances, and having four judges results in a far more balanced critique between technique (the objective factor) and "feeling" (the subjective factor on which Derek overrelies, in my opinion).  It might do Derek some good to have a fourth judge who will actually make him stick to the rules for a change, so even though it's Julianne (ugh), I say bring on the fourth judge!

[truthaboutluv]

The thing is though, yes these other versions have had four judges and it's worked but there are other things to factor in with the US version. For example I've heard there are almost no commercials during the airing of Strictly Come Dancing (UK version), which is absolutely not the case with the U.S. version as most American television, network television anyway, is practically built around commercials. So when you factor in all the time taken away for commercials which pays the bills, interaction with Tom and then interaction with Erin, that's already a lot for then four people to speak.

 

And it's not like these four are all like Len who pretty much gets to his point fairly quickly. Bruno babbles on incoherently sometimes for goodness knows how long, same with Carrie Ann and now there's Julianne to speak as well. I mean sure, Tom does a really good job of trying to move things along with the producers screaming in his ear but it just has the possibility of making things incredibly rushed and again, yes it may work for other versions but that does not mean it's necessary which is what I think many are saying. The show has worked for 18 seasons just fine with three judges, a fourth judge is not necessary in my opinion, simply because other versions have always had four.

Edited August 30, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[peggy06]

At least this means no guest judges, right? I mean they wouldn't subject us to 5 judges? Other than that, I can't say I'm thrilled to have Julianne on as a regular. When she guest-judged last season, she made it about her and was, IMO, pretty nasty. I hope she can get over herself. Not that the other judges are anything to write home about, but they at least don't carry the baggage of having been in the same position as the people they're judging.

[chocolatine]

Not that the other judges are anything to write home about, but they at least don't carry the baggage of having been in the same position as the people they're judging.

 

 

I wouldn't pin any of Julianne's nastiness on the baggage - that was all her. Kym somehow managed to be a fair and reasonable judge on DWTS Australia despite the baggage.

[crowceilidh]

I'm pretty sure I may be bowing out of watching - CAI and Bruno have become ridiculous caricatures of themselves and that's AMAZEBALLS because they started that way, too, but 18 seasons later my tolerance is so low that I never ever watch anything they say.  Len is also a caricature of himself, but he was always a little more interesting than the other two (although I do agree with the comment that Bruno used to occasionally say cogent things, it's been a LLLLLLOOOOOONNNNNNNGGGG time since then) and yet I barely listen to him.  I could never stand JH as a person (she was a great dancer and did fast sparkly choreo in her time) and I thought she was horrible as a judge.  They are probably grooming her to replace Len.  Shudder.  So you watch the whole thing ffing through the commercials and judges and it turns out that it takes as much time to ff (or more) than it does to watch the minute to minute and half long dances???  Why bother?

[Fishy]

Julianne looks like an old lady. 

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Somebody got new boobies.

[radishcake]

Guys watch the body snark. Pretty sure you can find other things to be annoyed by. 

[WhitneyWhit]

I could have went my whole life without hearing Bruno say the word "lactating"

 

What an absolute mess this panel has become.

[Uke]

It really shows how rushed the show was that they had to keep skipping judges comments. I wonder if anything is to be made of who got all 4 judges remarks and who got cut short.  13 couples is just too much IMO.

 

Glad (relieved) that Julianne minded her manners and kept her comments respectful.  That dress, though, ummmm....I'll refrain from comment.

[MortysCleaningLady]

Did anyone else have screen visual problems? Carrie Ann kept disappearing from view!  And I liked her (Carrie Ann Inaba's) dress.

Edited September 16, 2014 by MortysCleaningLady

[Fannysue]

I watched the show for a short time last night and decided that I am over it! I have watched every season but not this one. Four judges is too many and JH should never have been hired. With her brother on the show dancing, it is definitely a conflict of interest.

[Packerbrewerbadger]

The dances were all so short!! They needed the time given to allow 4 judges to basically parrot each other. They don't need 4 judges!

[truthaboutluv]

So Carrie Ann blogs about the show for Parade magazine and this week she said this about Janel and Val's chemistry:

 

“#2 Janel Parrish and Valentin Chmerkovskiy had that Jennifer Lopez and Maks chemistry happening.

 

 

Note who she compared them to. Now what I can't figure out is if this is more of Carrie Ann being incredibly loopy and she meant to write Meryl and Maks and somehow mentioned JLo instead or this was just some really awesome shade at the Maks/Meryl shipping. If it's the latter, I may just start to love Carrie Ann. 

Edited September 17, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[kitcloudkicker]

Huh, Carrie Ann also completely forgot to mention Derek and Bethany in her blog. Can't keep track of all the couples, Carrie Ann?

[truthaboutluv]

I noticed the omission of Bethany and Derek which I guess doesn't bode well for them in regards to her because clearly they weren't memorable enough to her.