S21.E01: Season Premiere (1) / S21.E02 Season Premiere (2)

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

Carrie-Ann is starting to wander into Paula-Abdul-on-American-Idol-her-last-few-seasons territory - wonder which contestant she is going to say "how cute that I want to pop your head off and hang it from my rear view mirror" 

 

 

I'm not sure I'd qualify Nick Carter as a ringer; sure he some choreographed stage dance as a member of the Backstreet Boys .... if you've ever seen video of the Backstreet Boys you'd know he wasn't very good and often was placed in the back to 'hide' is lack of movement.

Bless his heart, Nick does try really hard! I thought his dancing was good but. . . odd. . . at times he appeared to be doing a Michael Jackson impression. . as if he had no partner and was dancing in front of a mirror. Hopefully he will get more connection with his partner as the season goes on. 

 

The fangirling over Nick was really funny - although I've seen him in person several times and he's a really good looking guy (although I'm way too old to hang his picture in my locker, lol)

[BW Manilowe]

He was in a motorcycle accident, I believe, and suffered brain damage from that.

Around the time he was on either the "regular" or "all-star" version of The Celebrity Apprentice, it was apparently discovered he also has/had a fairly bad hearing loss, which I think was mentioned in the press. Marlee Matlin--the hearing-impaired Oscar-winning actress--was 1 of his teammates on whichever CA version was involved & he later thanked her on Twitter for helping him get assistance with his hearing problem (I follow her & she ReTweeted the Tweet so her followers could see it). So hearing issues may also be part of his problems (along with the motorcycle accident/resulting brain damage & substance abuse issues I remember him having after his Oscar-nominated role in The Buddy Holly Story which was back in the late 1970's (I think it was released in 1978 or 1979).

I had to watch most of the dances on YouTube (I've had a long-term illness for about a year & tend to need afternoon naps now if I wanna watch a lotta Primetime TV, & my family kept me up yesterday so I fell asleep after Victor & Karina danced). Something interesting I noticed is, Gary & Anna's clip, as posted by the show, is the *only* 1 which includes the "1st meeting"/rehearsal bits with the couple, the performance from last night, the Skybox interview with Erin & the announcement of the scores after. All the other clips consist of the "1st meeting/rehearsal" package & the performance. Then they cut off where Tom starts announcing the couple after the dance (shrugs).

Edited September 15, 2015 by BW Manilowe

[OakGoblinFly]

No, I never have wished that.

 

And having a regular person violates the entire premise of the show. This premise is to take "stars" -- people who are famous for some other public occupation (actor, singer, reality tv star, athlete, politician, etc.) and put them in an unfamiliar role as a dancer. 

That's what's entertaining about the show.

 

The other soldiers -- Galloway and Martinez -- were not just soldiers.  They both had entertainment careers before appearing on DWTS. Galloway was a fitness celebrity and a model, and Martinez was a soap opera star.  

 

 

While I agree that there is a difference between boy band dance moves and ballroom dancing, he's definitely  a ringer to me.  I would consider all of those people with some kind of dance training (Kristi Yamaguchi, Nicole Scherzinger, Sabrina Bryan, Drew Lachey, Meryl Davis, Charlie White, etc.) to be ringers.  There's a huge difference between people like that and people like Paula Deen and Housewife Kim.  Just look at Nick's dance, he just seemed so comfortable and his moves were crisp and deliberate.  As opposed to Paula who was literally hanging on for dear life.

 

 

Honestly, I like having a combination of people (be they media stars, television personalities, athletes, motivational speakers, ordinary blokes) with a variety of experience (performance and/or dance).  If every contestant were like Paula, I would find the show to be too one-note and not very entertaining (and remember, this is first and foremost a television show where ratings and money rules all).

 

I didn't think Nick looked anymore comfortable than Bindi, Carlos, or even Alek.  What Nick's boy band experience has taught him/given him is an understanding of performance and how to handle nerves.

 

Part of the fun of this show is watching a variety of people learn and perform routines .... there's a bit of self-discovery that often happens that I find enjoyable.  I don't know what journeys these particular contestants will eventually be on, it's part of the weird charm of this show to learn that (and to sometimes see some really interesting routines).

[BW Manilowe]

Did the married couple flip off the camera? They both did a hand gesture and I didn't catch it (and didn't feel like rewinding), but it looked like they said something like "We're married!' and flipped off the camera. It was really weird.

They were cute in general, and I didn't mind the married stuff because it's the first week, so who cares? But if they keep it going every week, with them getting their scores together and performing one right after the other... no. Stop that, ABC.

Paula... you'd think after everything you've been through lately, you'd learn to STOP TALKING. Seriously. Stop before you say the wrong thing. Again.

No, the married couple didn't flip off the camera. They were trying to show their wedding rings, as "proof" to accompany their "We're married!" comment. At least that's the way I took it.

[saber5055]

About Gary:

He's being exploited and doesn't know it.

He's getting paid and he DOES know it. (So is his agent getting paid.)

 

I tuned in to see Victor, and thank goodness he went first so I could turn back to Ninja Warrior. I was embarrassed for him. I only knew he was on this show because of an interview he did several weeks back while racing at Saratoga. He said then his partner (only found out later it's Karina) was flying in and they were practicing between rides and racing meets.

 

How much are Karina, Anna and Louis being paid to come back and have such dolts (sorry, Victor) for partners. And poor Tony, he's always such a good sport. I feel sorry for all of them.

 

Caught Bindi's dance. She was irritating as a little kid when her dad was still alive. Always "ON" and SO peppy. I couldn't stand her then. She actually was a bit toned down here, if you can believe that!

 

I turned back and saw one couple dancing a pretty good routine, but I didn't know which was the pro and which the "star." Neither could I recognize.

[dahling]

Tony explained on Instagram that the thing with the cook was a scripted skit. They almost always know who their partner is ahead of time before the "surprise" meeting.

 

As a fat person (and former VERY fat person), I can't imagine agreeing to what was presented on screen.

[sinkwriter]

Tony explained on Instagram that the thing with the cook was a scripted skit. They almost always know who their partner is ahead of time before the "surprise" meeting.

 

I thought it was very UN-funny. It actually made Tony go down a few pegs in my estimation because I thought was an offensive thing to do. That "whew, my partner's not this heavy person answering the door" was pretty insulting and cruel. To know it was scripted is even worse because it means the showrunners thought that it would be funny or somehow entertaining. Newsflash, showrunners... it's NOT. You denigrated a person who doesn't even get to defend herself or allow us to get to know her - you used her as a quick and easy punchline. Not cool.

And the orchestra still destroys any song they do live.

 

Oy... what they did to Crocodile Rock... I was praying for Elton John to show up and save it. 

[katha]

I think the pros have it tough in that respect. The show is very heavily scripted and manipulated. You're kind of expected to go along with their soap opera writing. If you don't, you risk falling out of favour with your employer. Various different pros have talked about this. Then you get situations like Val participating in a showmance yet also being resentful that he's accused of showmancing. Yeah, sure, he agrees to do it, but the producers are clearly encouraging that. Or apparently the infamous gorilla costume Bristol wore was a joke Mark made then the producers thought it was a splendid idea. Of course you can say no, but if they're insisting strongly, at which point are you jeopardizing your job? It's a very scripted show and the pros have to put up with a lot of BS.

[majormama]

I couldn't watch live thanks to my Ninja Warrior-obsessed family, and I don't have a DVR, so watched online today. I only saw the intro packages and dances, no judges comments/scores or after interviews, so my thoughts are not influenced by anyone's antics outside of that.

 

People I want to see more of: Tamar, Alek, Bindi, and Nick.

People I'm okay with hanging around for a while: Carlos, Alexa, and Andy.

People who need to go first: Gary, Paula, and Kim. Gary first, please! Then Victor, Chaka, and Hayes in some order.

 

Did they put the contestant's name and dance style on screen live? Because it wasn't on the recorded version. At one point I was pretty sure Paula was doing a Foxtrot, and then I saw a Quickstep move and was like wait, is this actually a QS? Because if so, it was about the slowest in history.

 

I felt extremely uncomfortable throughout Gary's whole segment. Like could barely bring myself to watch it.

 

Alek impressed me. He had decent technique and showed potential to learn. Seemed like a nice, humble guy. While he himself is unknown, he has the potential to draw in the Conservative, RahRah America vote. He could actually be a contender.

 

The "joke" with the cook first came off to me as if Tony was reacting to his "celebrity" being someone he did not recognize, a star who wasn't famous, rather than her being ugly/fat. It would have been funny if he had then reacted the same way to Kim as someone he doesn't recognize, the show poking fun at itself for the quality of the Stars lately. But yeah, I can definitely see the fat-shaming angle and understand why others are upset.

[boyznkatz]

Kim Z was the worst dancer I've ever seen. I hope she goes first! At least Paula and Gary looked like they tried, and Victor is a cutie pie even though he's so bad. I think it's going to be Tamar, Bindi and Nick in the finals. Andy might sneak in there just because the Pena Vegas, while they can dance, were sort of annoying. He looks like he's going to improve. 

[Morrigan]

At live events, Tony makes fun of his partners a lot. He even has a sort of standard joke, "If the celebrity fails their psychological test, they're assigned to me." He'll name names - like Kate Gosselin. Or he'll laugh at what horrible dancers they were, like Wynonna. And he brags a lot, too. "Not only did I win with Melissa, but we won the CHAMPIONS' version..."  Interesting that he's out of shape. Strictly has a 49 year old pro but he's funny -  Tony isn't. Maybe it's time he moves on? I assume he's about 40 - when they usually age out of these things.

Edited September 15, 2015 by Morrigan

[iMonrey]

Believe me, when I heard about Alek Skarlatos being on this show, I rolled my eyes so hard they about fell out of my head. But he turned out to be the biggest and most pleasant surprise of the night for me. He just seemed so humble and earnest and danced so well. That said, I'd still like to know how the heck he wound up on DWtS. Like, did he run out and hire a publicist the second he found himself in the limelight? I'd just like to see more info on this.

 

I have never heard of Carlos or Alexa PenaVega in my entire life, and I never wanted to. The show is going to push this married gimmick for all it's worth, and frankly I don't think it's going to work. They're going to get lost in the shuffle because nobody else has ever heard of them either. And seriously, what is up with that "man bun" thing Carlos and Mark Ballas have going on? Is this a real thing? Like, is it supposed be look "gangsta" or something? It looks absurd. And Carlos isn't a bad looking guy either, why make himself look like a fool with that? Now get offa my lawn, whippersnappers.

 

I'm loathe to root for Derek but Bindi has adorable dialed up to eleven. Although I dread the inevitable, tear-filled "this one's for my dead dad" dance that's coming up in the next few weeks.

 

I wasn't really bothered by anything Carrie Ann said about Hayes Grier. When I was that age it wasn't uncommon for adults to say things like "If only I was 20 years younger" without having everyone start screaming about child molestation. The kid himself is going on and on about attracting "the ladies" and frankly I don't think he minds the attention. At all. He's a fifteen year old boy after all. 

 

I have zero familiarity with Tamar Braxton but she came off as kind of a bitch I thought. I don't think Val is going to repeat a win this season. I think Bindi, Alek and Nick Carter are going to run away with the votes.

[friendperidot]

Kim Z was not good, but I don't think she was Master P bad, more like Kate Gosslin bad.

[TaxNerd]

As a fat person (and former VERY fat person), I can't imagine agreeing to what was presented on screen.

To stick up for Tracy, the "fat cook", she has a VERY deadpan sense of humor. The episode of Kim's show last week was Tracy pointing herself out as a slob on a date, and she once convinced Kim she was a klepto as a joke. I would not be surprised if she came up with bit herself with Tony after they hung out for a few hours. I believe she was on a season of Top Chef.

Bindi has a special place in my heart, I can't help it. I remember watching her speak at her Dad's funeral, and she definitely has a stage presence. I'm glad she can actually dance, she will be entertaining.

[truthaboutluv]

The kid himself is going on and on about attracting "the ladies" and frankly I don't think he minds the attention. At all. He's a fifteen year old boy after all.

 

 

That right there is the problem though and the double standard that exists in our society. It's not a big deal because he's a 15 year old boy so you know he must love adult women giving him attention. Flip the script here and say Len or Bruno had mentioned last season how if they were 30 years younger they'd be dating Willow and the reaction would have been a lot different.

 

And as I noted, when Bruno made the comment that Willow looked sexy in the team dance, there was an awkward gasp by some and Mark "jokingly" shoved Willow behind him. And for the record, I don't think Carrie Ann's comment was necessarily that awful but more that Carrie Ann being her weird self it was delivered awkwardly. However, I just feel there is something of a double standard with how they're treating Hayes versus when they've had the underage girls.

 

Even Hayes' dance, with Emma going for the sexy cheerleader flirting with the guy -  I feel like Val and Mark would have never gone with that kind of theme when they danced with someone underage. And again that's not necessarily a judgement on Emma because in my opinion, this is on the producers for casting someone so young, but more that there just doesn't seem to be the same politeness and modesty if you will with regards to him versus the female underage celebrities. And I have an issue with that because teenage boy or not, he's still a 15 year old child.

Edited September 15, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[BW Manilowe]

Believe me, when I heard about Alek Skarlatos being on this show, I rolled my eyes so hard they about fell out of my head. But he turned out to be the biggest and most pleasant surprise of the night for me. He just seemed so humble and earnest and danced so well. That said, I'd still like to know how the heck he wound up on DWtS. Like, did he run out and hire a publicist the second he found himself in the limelight? I'd just like to see more info on this.

I have never heard of Carlos or Alexa PenaVega in my entire life, and I never wanted to. The show is going to push this married gimmick for all it's worth, and frankly I don't think it's going to work. They're going to get lost in the shuffle because nobody else has ever heard of them either. And seriously, what is up with that "man bun" thing Carlos and Mark Ballas have going on? Is this a real thing? Like, is it supposed be look "gangsta" or something? It looks absurd. And Carlos isn't a bad looking guy either, why make himself look like a fool with that? Now get offa my lawn, whippersnappers.

I'm loathe to root for Derek but Bindi has adorable dialed up to eleven. Although I dread the inevitable, tear-filled "this one's for my dead dad" dance that's coming up in the next few weeks.

I wasn't really bothered by anything Carrie Ann said about Hayes Grier. When I was that age it wasn't uncommon for adults to say things like "If only I was 20 years younger" without having everyone start screaming about child molestation. The kid himself is going on and on about attracting "the ladies" and frankly I don't think he minds the attention. At all. He's a fifteen year old boy after all.

I have zero familiarity with Tamar Braxton but she came off as kind of a bitch I thought. I don't think Val is going to repeat a win this season. I think Bindi, Alek and Nick Carter are going to run away with the votes.

Bindi's already said, either in the pre-dance "package" last night or elsewhere, she's dedicating her entire DWTS experience to her Dad. Which is cool. But I'm still betting her "Most Memorable Year" dance--assuming she gets that far, & right now I don't see that she won't--will probably touch on her father's death, or something involving him, too. Mostly because it's the first thing that jumped into my head when I thought about her & that week. I mean, it's probably what she's remembered for by most of the public--her father's untimely death when she was 8, & all the poise she really showed when giving her eulogy for him at his public memorial service at the zoo the family owns near Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

[CindyBee]

Believe me, when I heard about Alek Skarlatos being on this show, I rolled my eyes so hard they about fell out of my head. But he turned out to be the biggest and most pleasant surprise of the night for me. He just seemed so humble and earnest and danced so well. That said, I'd still like to know how the heck he wound up on DWtS. Like, did he run out and hire a publicist the second he found himself in the limelight? I'd just like to see more info on this.

 

 

This LA Times article on Alek has quotes from one of the producers about her tracking him down using social media:

 

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-from-hero-to-hoofer-alek-skarlatos-speedy-path-to-dancing-with-the-stars-story.html

 

So it sounds like the train incident happened, a producer went "I must have one of the guys on the show" and actively pursued him.

[cooksdelight]

There's a Most Memorable Year dance? Oh god, please let Kim be gone or I guarantee she'll dance to "Don't Be Tardy To The Party."

[Snarklepuss]

The "fat cook" being referred to is Tracey Bloom, Kim Zolciak's personal chef not Paula Deen. 

 

D'oh, well even if it's not about Paula, it's still insulting!  The whole thing with this woman was insulting, I don't care if it was staged or not.  And this episode didn't need to be any worse than it already was, which was pretty bad.  I've seen this show recover from bad starts but this one reaches such a new low I can't see it recuperating.

[Snarklepuss]

I don't get the bit with the married couple.  Who the F are they and why should I care?  Both of them look like attention whores, too.

To stick up for Tracy, the "fat cook", she has a VERY deadpan sense of humor. The episode of Kim's show last week was Tracy pointing herself out as a slob on a date, and she once convinced Kim she was a klepto as a joke. I would not be surprised if she came up with bit herself with Tony after they hung out for a few hours. I believe she was on a season of Top Chef.

 

I thought she seemed familiar, although I don't remember her specifically from Top Chef.  She obviously didn't make a big impression so maybe she got eliminated early.  I'm not a fan of self-deprecating humor that deprecates others in the process.

[blackwing]

I have never heard of Carlos or Alexa PenaVega in my entire life, and I never wanted to. The show is going to push this married gimmick for all it's worth, and frankly I don't think it's going to work. 

 

Alexa Vega is probably best known as the child star of Spy Kids.  http://prntscr.com/8gr0b7    If you were one of the 20 people who watched "The Tomorrow People" on the CW on its one and only season two years ago, you might recognise her as the tattletale Hillary who was always trying to one-up the character played by Robbie Amell.

 

I have never heard of her husband Carlos.  Apparently after they got married they both legally changed their last name to PenaVega.  I can't tell you how much it irritates me that there's no space in there.  What's wrong with Carlos Pena Vega and Alexa Pena Vega?  I can get over the names both being four letters and rhyming, but for some reason, the lack of a space and the capitalisation of the V irritate me.

[Danseur]

Quote:SteveAC10

["A bigger concern is her [Julianne's] very real tendency to under score her brother's biggest competitors - especially if they dance before him. It's a rare week when any other team gets a higher score from her than Derek does."]

This comment aroused my curiosity so I made a list of the scores Julianne gave to Derek and the scores she gave to his major competitors during Seasons 19 and 20. I didn't include the scores Len, Bruno and Carrie Ann gave, but in general they gave the same scores to the contestants as Julianne did with occasional exceptions. When the scores differed, it was rare for Julianne to give Derek a higher score, although it did happen. One time I recall is Disney Week during Nastia's season when Len and CAI gave Nastia 9s and Julianne and Bruno gave the dance a 10.

Here is Julianne's scoring record:

SEASON 19

Week One

1: Derek:8

2. Sadie:9

3: Alfonso:9

4. Lea: 8

5. Janel: 7

Week Two

1. Derek:8

2. Lea: 9

3. Janel:8

4. Sadie:8

5. Alfonso: 8

Week Three

1. Derek:10

2.Janel:10

3. Alfonso:8

4. Sadie: 8

5. Lea:8

All judges gave Derek and Bethany a 10 that week, Bruno gave Janel a 9

Week Four

1. Derek:8

2. Janel:9

3. Lea:10

4. Sadie:9

5. Alfonso:10

Week Five

1. Derek:9 (with Sadie)

2. Alfonso:9

CAI and Bruno gave him 8s

3. Janel:8

4. Sadie:9

5. Lea:8

Week Six

1. Derek:9

2. Janel:9

3. Alfonso:9

All other judges gave him 10s

4. Sadie:8

5.Lea:8

Week Seven

1. Derek:10

Len gave him a 9, the others gave him 10

2. Lea:9

3. Janel:8

4. Alfonso:9

5. Sadie:8

2. Derek's Team:9

All other judges gave him 9s

Week Eight

1. Derek:9

2. Sadie:10 She voted Bethany over Sadie for the Dance Off

3. Janel:10

4. Alfonso:9

Week Nine

1. Derek: 9 and 10

2. Janel: 10 and 10

3. Sadie: 10 and 8

4. Alfonso: 10 and 9

Week Ten

1. Derek: 9 and 10

2. Janel: 10 and 10

3. Sadie: 9 and 10

4. Alfonso: 9 and 10

Week Eleven

1. Derek:9 and 10

2. Sadie: 10 and 10

3. Janel: 9 and 10

4. Alfonso: 10 and 10

SEASON 20

Week One

1. Derek:8

2. Rumer:8

3. Riker:8

4. Willow:6

5. Noah:6

Week Two

1. Derek:8

She gave four other 8s that night no no score above 8

2. Rumer:8

3. Riker:8

4. Willow:8

5. Noah:7

Week Three

1.Derek: 9

2. Riker:9

3. Rumer:8

4. Willow:8

5. Noah: 8

Week Four

1. Derek: 9

2. Riker:9

3. Rumer:9

4. Willow:10

5. Noah:8

Week Five

1. Derek: 10

2. Rumer: 10

3. Riker:9

4. Willow:10

5. Noah: 8

Week Six

1. Derek:8

2. Rumer:10 Team Trouble:10 Team Yolo:10

3. Willow:8

4. Riker:9

5. Noah:7

Week Seven

1. Derek:10

2. Riker:9

3. Rumer:9

4. Noah:9

5. Willow:9

DANCE-OFF Willow, Noah, Rumer and Riker: 9 Dance-Off: Willow over Riker

Noah over Robert

Rumer over Chris

Week Eight

1. Derek (Sasha): 9 and 10

2. Rumer: 10 and 10

3. Riker: 10 and 10

4. Noah: 8 and 8

Week Nine

1. Derek (Sasha): 10 and 10

2. Rumer: 9 and 10

3. Riker: 10 and 10

4. Noah: 9 and 10

[truthaboutluv]

Two things - I was glad Alex did so well just for Lindsay's sake. I've always liked her and thought she really deserved a second chance as a Pro, certainly more so than them pushing Alison, an untrained ballroom dancer, in there. Two, I liked this new thing of them showing a split screen recap of the couples' dance while the judges are speaking. A few times it actually made me notice a thing or two I originally missed. 

[gohawks]

Bindi is truly one of the most annoying people I have ever seen on Television. I was not a fan of her father and find the same traits irritating in her.

[Boofish]

Even Hayes' dance, with Emma going for the sexy cheerleader flirting with the guy -  I feel like Val and Mark would have never gone with that kind of theme when they danced with someone underage. And again that's not necessarily a judgement on Emma because in my opinion, this is on the producers for casting someone so young, but more that there just doesn't seem to be the same politeness and modesty if you will with regards to him versus the female underage celebrities. And I have an issue with that because teenage boy or not, he's still a 15 year old child.

I agree with the entire post but alllll of this!! I thought Emma's and the other female dancers costumes were completely inappropriate considering his age. I know the female and male pros wear a lot less than this and children are in the audience/watching the show but to be paired with a child is completely different in my opinion. This show needs to just stick to the 18 and over crowd. There are plenty underserving, self-entitled, 0 list (when you run out of letters because your celebrity status is so low) celebrities no one has ever heard of over 18 who can be on this show. They need to quit accepting applications from Kinder Kare

[smiley13]

Why are people referring to Julianne as the new head judge??  Just because she is seated in the middle??  She is far from being head judge in my eyes.

 

And as sister of Golden Boy, she really should not even be a judge.  We have not seen Shirley Ballas judging Mark have we?

[SteveAC10]

 

I'm not sure I'd qualify Nick Carter as a ringer; sure he some choreographed stage dance as a member of the Backstreet Boys .... if you've ever seen video of the Backstreet Boys you'd know he wasn't very good and often was placed in the back to 'hide' is lack of movement.

Totally correct. Kevin was the best dancer in the group. When they have their number in "This is The End' - you only see Nick when he's singing lead. Kevin gets as much screentime as Seth Rogan and Jay Baruchel during the dance sequences. He would be a ringer.

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

 

Totally correct. Kevin was the best dancer in the group. When they have their number in "This is The End' - you only see Nick when he's singing lead. Kevin gets as much screentime as Seth Rogan and Jay Baruchel during the dance sequences. He would be a ringer.

And back in the day Kevin used to teach ballroom dancing. So that would be more of a ringer. Nick had a bunch of dance when he was a kid but it was dance school/ Show Stoppers type dance - not dancing with a partner. IMHO he may have problems down the line connecting with a partner because it's not ALL ABOUT HIM, but about THEM. 

 

And the man buns gotta go. I was making scissors hand movements at the screen the whole time. 

[anonymiss]

And the man buns gotta go. I was making scissors hand movements at the screen the whole time. 

 

I like this from an article NY Times tweeted out yesterday: "I want to walk around Brooklyn with a pair of scissors and snip off every man bun" http://nyti.ms/1QBGVxg

Edited September 15, 2015 by anonymiss

[Buggin]

At live events, Tony makes fun of his partners a lot. He even has a sort of standard joke, "If the celebrity fails their psychological test, they're assigned to me." He'll name names - like Kate Gosselin. Or he'll laugh at what horrible dancers they were, like Wynonna. And he brags a lot, too. "Not only did I win with Melissa, but we won the CHAMPIONS' version..."  Interesting that he's out of shape. Strictly has a 49 year old pro but he's funny -  Tony isn't. Maybe it's time he moves on? I assume he's about 40 - when they usually age out of these things.

 

Someone said he recently signed a 3-year extension to be on the show so I don't think we'll be rid of him anytime soon, unless they move him into a different position.

 

I don't care much for Kim but I think Artem could pull more out of her than Tony can.

[TiredMe]

I'm still bummed that Artem is only in background this year.

I have zero exposure to Paula Deen other than maybe a minute interview but holy fuckballs! Is she normally this annoying?

[KLovestoShop]

Yes, Paula has ALWAYS been annoying with her fake Ya-alls. She's just an egotistical witch.

I know this has been said in previous seasons, but this show should be titled "Dancing With the Who? And Who Cares". I don't know most of these people, and most are NOT stars. I also can't stand the husband wife thing. It's obvious it's nothing more than a ratings hook.

Edited September 18, 2015 by KLovestoShop

[Uke]

In short: Tony is a giant shithead for making fun of the fat cook who answered the door.

 Oh, I see. I totally didn't understand your earlier post. Thanks for explaining.

[Princess Sparkle]

Why are people referring to Julianne as the new head judge?? Just because she is seated in the middle?? She is far from being head judge in my eyes.

And as sister of Golden Boy, she really should not even be a judge. We have not seen Shirley Ballas judging Mark have we?

God, I wish we could have Shirley Ballas as a judge. I know that wasn't the point of your post, but it reminded me of a wish I've had for awhile - she would be such a great addition to the panel.

People have pretty much covered what I would say about the premiere, but one thing I have to throw in is how much I always respect the pros that will dance down to the ability of their celebrity in order to make them look good. Tony does it consistently, Anna and Karina did it last night, and Emma has done it with the majority of her partners. I like it because it shows a real willingness to let go of your own ego, and make sure you don't show up your partner just to prove you can dance (compare that to Maks, who used to bug me because he would always outdance his partners, particularly in the jive)

I will say, while I'm glad to have Anna and Karina back, I wish they had better partners. Having Gary Busey on any reality show (even though he's getting paid) always smacks me as being exploitative of a man with clear mental issues due to his accident. And while Victor is trying, bless his heart, rhythm appears to be eluding him.

[crowceilidh]

 

I was surprised by Alek, he was pretty good, but I swear, he and Lindsay could pass for siblings.

Interesting that he was originally cast with Peta, and it's kinda accidental that he ended with Lindsey.  I'm happy she gets a second chance with someone who will stay quite a while.

 

Keo duck walks.  Never in a million years would I think that someone who duck walks could be a championship dancer.

 

I ffed through the majority of the show.  I can't listen to Erin or CAI or Julianne who has to yell everything or Bruno and several of the celebrities were shockingly bad.  

[McManda]

Interesting that he was originally cast with Peta, and it's kinda accidental that he ended with Lindsey.

 

I've been pretty bad with following news about the show lately, but I thought Andy Grammer originally was going to be Peta's partner. Didn't he request her by name? And didn't she apologize to him in her public explanation of how she needed surgery and had to sit this season out?

 

Funny enough, I didn't miss her last night.

[TaxNerd]

Alexa Vega is probably best known as the child star of Spy Kids. http://prntscr.com/8gr0b7 If you were one of the 20 people who watched "The Tomorrow People" on the CW on its one and only season two years ago, you might recognise her as the tattletale Hillary who was always trying to one-up the character played by Robbie Amell.

I have never heard of her husband Carlos. Apparently after they got married they both legally changed their last name to PenaVega. I can't tell you how much it irritates me that there's no space in there. What's wrong with Carlos Pena Vega and Alexa Pena Vega? I can get over the names both being four letters and rhyming, but for some reason, the lack of a space and the capitalisation of the V irritate me.

Thanks for the background, I was curious about their last name.

I can't believe she was the KID from the Spy Kids movies. That makes me feel like the time I asked why I wasn't ID'd for alcohol and the cashier said "Not necessary Ma'am".

Edited September 16, 2015 by TaxNerd

[TeeMo]

Interesting that he was originally cast with Peta, and it's kinda accidental that he ended with Lindsey.  I'm happy she gets a second chance with someone who will stay quite a while.

 

Keo duck walks.  Never in a million years would I think that someone who duck walks could be a championship dancer.

 

I ffed through the majority of the show.  I can't listen to Erin or CAI or Julianne who has to yell everything or Bruno and several of the celebrities were shockingly bad.  

Andy was the celeb originally paired with Peta. They switched the pros around a bit when Peta dropped out. Anna was asked back at the last second so my guess is Allison was originally paired with Gary, they moved her to Andy when Peta dropped out and Alek was a last minute add so Lindsay got a promotion. 

[Mbeaker]

I've been pretty bad with following news about the show lately, but I thought Andy Grammer originally was going to be Peta's partner. Didn't he request her by name? And didn't she apologize to him in her public explanation of how she needed surgery and had to sit this season out?

Funny enough, I didn't miss her last night.

Correct. Before sidelined by injury, Peta was Andy's partner not Alek's.

[TeeMo]

I've been pretty bad with following news about the show lately, but I thought Andy Grammer originally was going to be Peta's partner. Didn't he request her by name? And didn't she apologize to him in her public explanation of how she needed surgery and had to sit this season out?

 

Funny enough, I didn't miss her last night.

Peta claimed that Andy asked for her by name but in his interview on Ryan Seacrest announcing he'd be on the show he definitely did not indicate that was the case. His description of their first meeting did not make it seem like he had any idea who Peta was before she walked up to him and introduced herself. I did think it was odd that she was not mentioned at all in his package and I am sure she was thrilled to hear Andy say "I got the best one! You're the best one!" when Allison walked into the room. 

 

I also did not miss Peta last night. 

[kazza]

Julianne ... girl. You are the new head judge. It'd be nice in your critiques to say at least ONE thing technical. Saying "you need to look at your partner" or "you need to fill the space." I'm sure when they watch the performances back the pro will be able to tell the partner that. If you're essentially replacing Len, it'd be great if you know... held to that standard of ballroom dancing since you've won international competitions and an Emmy.

 

Pardon my ignorance, but is the middle seat always head judge? From my untrained eye, it felt like Bruno was much more like Len in his techinical comments.

 

Like the wide range of skills and background and hoping we get someone who improves every week and enjoys the journey.

 

Bindi was so cute. Can't help but like her.

 

Paula Deen, you do not need to be crass all the time. I don't care if it's just your style or if it was calculated, but it's not necessary. You are in a beautiful gown with a respected dance partner.

 

The husband/wife team needs to tone it down a notch. When Meryl and Charlie competed (and granted not the same relationship but still a very tight partnership) it was very fun and light.

[sgomes]

Tony may have done better with the cook as a partner. 

 

The whole night was like a race to the bottom. 

 

I didn't mind Gary.  He's Gary.

 

This is the first season I'm totally meh on what I've seen the first week.  These are "stars?"  This is "dancing?"  O.K.

 

Watching this episode made me long  for a Susan Lucci, or Marlee Matlin.  Though not the most talented, they were pleasant, sincere, and tried their best to rise to the challenge.  For me, the jury is out, way out, possibly watching Monday night football this year. 

[McManda]

Based solely on views on the DWTS official Youtube channel, Hayes is actually the most popular. His dance has 57,000+ views. Nick is right behind him at 54,000+. Then comes Kim, Carlos, Paula, and Tamar, in that order, but Kim has less than half Nick's views (26,000+). Surprisingly Bindi's at the bottom with only 2,000+ views. All the videos went up within 4 hours of each other.

 

Not official or scientific at all, but I just thought the spread was interesting.

[crowceilidh]

 

Whoever scripted Tony's gesture and reaction at the door made him look like a colossal ass.

AND don't forget the editors...  Anyhow, he was relieved it wasn't the person at the door, but to make the assumption that it was her weight, rather than her somewhat sullen attitude and lack of glitz and make-up (both things he would not expect outta some "celebrity" partner who'd voluntarily signed up for the show) is a bit of a telling jump.  I don't like Tony, but he didn't deserve that script, that edit and I suspect he does not deserve the reaction to it either.

[TeeMo]

Based solely on views on the DWTS official Youtube channel, Hayes is actually the most popular. His dance has 57,000+ views. Nick is right behind him at 54,000+. Then comes Kim, Carlos, Paula, and Tamar, in that order, but Kim has less than half Nick's views (26,000+). Surprisingly Bindi's at the bottom with only 2,000+ views. All the videos went up within 4 hours of each other.

 

Not official or scientific at all, but I just thought the spread was interesting.

Bindi's video actually has more than 200,000 views  - she is killing everyone else. Same with her Whip/Nae Nae video, it had something like 600,000 views. She was good last night but I am surprised by her seemingly vast popularity relative to everyone else. 

[McManda]

Oh ... oops. What I thought was the "official" channel was in fact, not. Which I should have known, I did think it was weird that they took down all the other videos. But to be fair, it didn't look like a fan page. You are correct. I take back everything I mentioned. I'm chalking that misstep up to personal stresses.

 

I'm not surprised by Bindi's popularity. She's got the nostalgia, she's got the heartstring vote, she's not awful, and she's paired with Derek. I think lots of views and interesting is going to be par for the course.

[Danseur]

There has been no official announcement about Julianne being head judge as far as I know. Last night on AllAccess, Kym Johnson said Julianne is the new head judge. That may be why people are saying it with confidence today. I'm always a little bit out of the loop so don't take this as a fact. I listened to the entire AllAccess broadcast last night and it IS a fact that Kym Johnson said JH is head judge.

As for Tony's partners, over the years I've heard varioua Pros say that Tony is the only one with the patience to work with the most difficult people. He also said that his wife is more comfortable with him being paired with older partners. I hope they subsidize him well for all the abuse he takes from all the "pain in the ass" women. I had never heard about Tony's mocking his partners until reading it here today. It's very disappointing. He has his flaws and pouts a little bit, but he has always seemed like a true gentleman.

[truthaboutluv]

There has been no official announcement about Julianne being head judge as far as I know. Last night on AllAccess, Kym Johnson said Julianne is the new head judge. That may be why people are saying it with confidence today. I'm always a little bit out of the loop so don't take this as a fact. I listened to the entire AllAccess broadcast last night and it IS a fact that Kym Johnson said JH is head judge.

 

 

I actually think many are basing it on Tom's welcoming her to the center seat, right after he sent a shout-out to Len. She was really the only judge he gave a special acknowledgement. Of course part of that was also to congratulate her on the Emmy win, but I definitely think many took it as his not so subtle way of confirming that she's now the new head judge.

Edited September 16, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[ToukieSmith]

Yes, except that Kim's 37.

 

I am like the birthers; I need to see a birth certificate.

 

I don't think Julianne is anywhere near as awful or inappropriate as a judge as Carrie Ann.  Sometimes she'll make a comment that her juvenile co-judges will turn into something sleazy (much like Nigel does to Paula Abdul).  Other than Julianne occasionally fan-girling over a contestant (like she did with Nick Carter last night) I do not think she crosses the line.  Sure, she will occasionally be a bit to effusive in her praise; as I said earlier, I think this is due to her love of dance and her enthusiasm/eagerness to share dance with non-dancers.  As you point out I do think her positivity was a nice counter-balance to Len's curmedgeon-ness.  I would have loved to have those two be the permanent judge with a third rotating guest judge; toss Carrie Ann and Bruno to the curb.

 

I like Len's gruffness.  The show is so fluffy and light that I think it needs someone like Len to give it more balance and gravitas.  He definitely helps offset the sacchariney performance/presentation of Carrie Ann.  Now, we have sugary sweet Carrie Ann and Julianne.  My teeth hurt thinking about it.

 

Kim Z was not good, but I don't think she was Master P bad, more like Kate Gosslin bad.

 

I agree.  Kim was scared and I thought that made her a little endearing; however, she lost me when she pretended to be demure.  I hope she does better next week.  For some reason, I expect her to be a better competitor.

 

I thought Gary was Master P bad.  I did not see any dance movement from Gary so I am not sure why anyone received a score lower than his.  At least Kim performed a routine versus walking to various marks on stage.  I would have scored Chaka, Paula, and Kim higher than Gary.

 

My favorite performances were Tamar and the VegaPenas.

Edited September 16, 2015 by ToukieSmith

[wanderingstar]

Now I remember why I stopped watching this show 5 years ago: resentment at its unnecessarily taking up 4 hours of my week.