Season 24: Speculation, Rumors & Red Herrings

[boyznkatz]

I agree, KLovestoShop. What an uninspired bunch. It does seem like some of these people can dance though, so maybe it will be better than expected.

Yeah Hawkeye720, Nancy was pretty on the ice but she couldn't dance. Nicole Bobek could move, but she is probably in jail by now. Hey, she would be perfect for DWTS!

[UYI]

1 hour ago, boyznkatz said:

I agree, KLovestoShop. What an uninspired bunch. It does seem like some of these people can dance though, so maybe it will be better than expected.

Yeah Hawkeye720, Nancy was pretty on the ice but she couldn't dance. Nicole Bobek could move, but she is probably in jail by now. Hey, she would be perfect for DWTS!

 

Nicole has actually really turned her life around in the years since she kicked her drug addiction (these are a few years old, sorry). I'm really happy and proud of her.

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2014/11/06/100507978/after-running-away-with-the-circus-bobek-thriving

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/ct-spt-0122-hersh-nicole-bobek--20120122-column.html

And David "Grandpa Rossy" Ross needs more love, damn it. World Series Champion Chicago Cubs, guys! Come on now! :)

ETA: Never mind, he's getting love. I was behind. :) 

Edited March 1, 2017 by UYI

[mtlchick]

Early prediction: Chris Katten will dance to "What Is Love" as a Cha Cha.  And I do not rule out a Mango get up either. 

Weird mix.  Simone and Heather are the early picks to win, but I cannot rule out Normani who will get the 5th Harmony power vote. 

[boyznkatz]

20 minutes ago, UYI said:

 

Nicole has actually really turned her life around in the years since she kicked her drug addiction (these are a few years old, sorry). I'm really happy and proud of her.

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2014/11/06/100507978/after-running-away-with-the-circus-bobek-thriving

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/ct-spt-0122-hersh-nicole-bobek--20120122-column.html

And David "Grandpa Rossy" Ross needs more love, damn it. World Series Champion Chicago Cubs, guys! Come on now! :)

ETA: Never mind, he's getting love. I was behind. :) 

That is good to hear about Nicole. She was really talented and I loved her skating. It's a shame she didn't get it together back then, because she could have won an Olympic medal IMO.

[WhosThatGirl]

Don't forget the Bachelor guy is destined to be around for a while. I don't watch it but I know a lot of viewers who watch DTWS are also probably Bachelor viewers as well. I'm rooting for Heather and Simone.

[ban1o]

normani is a pretty good dancer. But obviously she has't done ball room and she'll get fifth harmony fans to vote for her 

[blackwing]

What is it with this show and the obsession with Real Housewives?  Must there be one on every season?  I guess I am in the minority because I have never seen one single episode of any of the various iterations, nor do I ever have any desire to do so.

Horseface Nancy Kerrigan is one of those people that just inspires a very visceral reaction in me.  She was a snotty, stuck up ice princess.  I'm not sure if she's changed, but I hope she goes out first.

Seems like a lot of female ringers.  Beyonce back up dancer, Fifth Harmony singer/dancer, Simone Biles, possibly Nancy Kerrigan.

[Nutjob]

Quote

And David "Grandpa Rossy" Ross needs more love, damn it. World Series Champion Chicago Cubs, guys! Come on now! :)

ETA: Never mind, he's getting love. I was behind. :) 

I am here to give him more love. I rarely watch this show, but dadgummit... now I'm gonna have to tune in just for Grandpa Rossy!

[Tvtimebomb]

11 hours ago, WhosThatGirl said:

Is it bad that I don't mind we have a lot of ringers? I only get mad of Ringers clearly a ringer advantage of one to the rest. Then I find the show boring. Even if I'm rooting for the ringer like I was with Laurie last season. I wanted her to win but by the third to last week, I knew she was probably going to be the winner and I became bored. I'm excited for this season, we are in for some good dancing! 

I'm very much in favor of better dancers.  I'm so over watching old people try to dance or people with no rhythm "dance."  I don't care if there are ringers because it's better T.V.

My money is on Heather Morris.  She could be one of the professionals.

 

I haven't watched this show in many many seasons but after seeing this lineup, I am putting it on the DVR recording list.  It should be very entertaining.

It's interesting that Nancy Kerrigan seems to have the most chatter on this board.  I would have thought the singer from "work, work, work" would get the most buzz.

To the poster above:  Chris Kattan dancing to What is Love?  Good catch.  I hope he incorporates the side head bop.

Edited March 1, 2017 by Tvtimebomb
Additional thoughts

[galax-arena]

I wouldn't want an entire show full of ringers because I like seeing the "journey" that a lot of non-dancing celebs go on, but I like having one or two. They sort of act as the rabbit that greyhounds chase around the track lmao. Plus, imagine if there were no ringers and all of the celebs ended up being tragically bad. At least the ringers guarantee a couple of good performances a week. 

Anyway, I can see Heather Morris being another Sabrina Bryan in how well (or not) she connects with the audience...

[blackwing]

3 hours ago, mtlchick said:

Early prediction: Chris Katten will dance to "What Is Love" as a Cha Cha.  And I do not rule out a Mango get up either. 

I think both are absolutely guaranteed.  That's the only notable thing about him.  I want to say he left Saturday Night Live sometime in the early 2000s and I really don't think he has been doing much of anything since.  He's like Vanilla Ice, known pretty much for just one or two things and now thrust back into the public eye even though nobody really was clamoring for him.

Not sure how old he is now... I'd say he's maybe 50 or thereabouts?  It was funny when he was young but I don't really need to see a 50 year old guy in a shiny tight gold speedo.

Edited March 1, 2017 by blackwing

[Emily-D]

1 hour ago, Tvtimebomb said:

I'm very much in favor of better dancers.  I'm so over watching old people try to dance or people with no rhythm "dance."  I don't care if there are ringers because it's better T.V.

My money is on Heather Morris.  She could be one of the professionals.

 

I haven't watched this show in many many seasons but after seeing this lineup, I am putting it on the DVR recording list.  It should be very entertaining.

It's interesting that Nancy Kerrigan seems to have the most chatter on this board.  I would have thought the singer from "work, work, work" would get the most buzz.

To the poster above:  Chris Kattan dancing to What is Love?  Good catch.  I hope he incorporates the side head bop.

I think Nancy has a lot of chatter because she's partnered up with a pro that a lot of fans want to see with a serious contender who can make it to the end. Ice skaters have huge pedigree on this show, hell two of them have won it! But she's the oldest to compete so far other than Dorothy Hammill so it's hard to judge whether she'll be good or not. Plus this season is full of female contenders, you'd imagine Simone, Normani and obviously Heather will all be better than her so she might not last.

[quickjessie]

5 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

Wow, what a group.  Mostly a lot of Who's? and has beens.  Misogynist Bachelor Nick, aging Charo, and of course a Real Housewife who's latest dance single is called "How Many Fucks".  Way to keep it classy, ABC. They're so desperate for viewers that maybe they'll bring Tonya Harding on to punch Nancy in the face.  Well, at least you can bet that Cubs fans will keep Ross on until the finals, even if his dancing resembles the mating dance of the Arctic Beetle. 

Just having a quick read before I'm off to the Seventh Circle of Hell - aka work - and this post made me spew lemonade all over everything.  So worth it - this is hilarious.  And I agree with every word.  I would never ask for another thing in this lifetime if your Tonya fantasy came true.  Oh, be still my heart.

[kitcloudkicker]

1 hour ago, Emily-D said:

I think Nancy has a lot of chatter because she's partnered up with a pro that a lot of fans want to see with a serious contender who can make it to the end. Ice skaters have huge pedigree on this show, hell two of them have won it! But she's the oldest to compete so far other than Dorothy Hammill so it's hard to judge whether she'll be good or not. Plus this season is full of female contenders, you'd imagine Simone, Normani and obviously Heather will all be better than her so she might not last.

I think it may be interesting to see which of the "contenders" goes down first. You've got a bunch of dance trained or athletic women, who usually do really well. There's talk of how that stacks it to the female contestant side, but I think you also have a bunch of guys on the men's side that could easily fall into the "charming/affable guy, who is better than he thought he'd be at dancing and everyone likes him because he's so easygoing" sort that usually does well for the men. (See James Hinchcliffe.) I'd put the Cubs guy, the bullrider, and maybe the football player into this bucket. I could easily see them making the finals if they perform well, which would leave out one of our "ringers" earlier than you might expect, round mid-season. I'm curious to see which one it might be. (Simone because she's too similar to Laurie? The 5th Harmony girl because her online fans don't translate? Heather because of dance training backlash? Who falls first?) 

[LizDC]

4 hours ago, blackwing said:

I think both are absolutely guaranteed.  That's the only notable thing about him.  I want to say he left Saturday Night Live sometime in the early 2000s and I really don't think he has been doing much of anything since.  He's like Vanilla Ice, known pretty much for just one or two things and now thrust back into the public eye even though nobody really was clamoring for him.

Not sure how old he is now... I'd say he's maybe 50 or thereabouts?  It was funny when he was young but I don't really need to see a 50 year old guy in a shiny tight gold speedo.

He is 46.  Just looked it up.  I though he was a bit older. 

[SnarkyTart]

I don't mind all the ringers at all.  I watch the show because I love to see good dancing.  My two biggest disappointments are: no Mark Ballas and no Property Brother.  Waaaaah!

[Emily-D]

2 hours ago, kitcloudkicker said:

I think it may be interesting to see which of the "contenders" goes down first. You've got a bunch of dance trained or athletic women, who usually do really well. There's talk of how that stacks it to the female contestant side, but I think you also have a bunch of guys on the men's side that could easily fall into the "charming/affable guy, who is better than he thought he'd be at dancing and everyone likes him because he's so easygoing" sort that usually does well for the men. (See James Hinchcliffe.) I'd put the Cubs guy, the bullrider, and maybe the football player into this bucket. I could easily see them making the finals if they perform well, which would leave out one of our "ringers" earlier than you might expect, round mid-season. I'm curious to see which one it might be. (Simone because she's too similar to Laurie? The 5th Harmony girl because her online fans don't translate? Heather because of dance training backlash? Who falls first?) 

Same, it's feasible that all three make up the final. If I had to pick one to fall first of the three I'd pick Heather right now. I'm already seeing backlash online over her dance experience and that's a stigma that will probably follow her throughout the season. Simone is a national treasure and Normani has Val as a partner and a gigantic fanbase. I wouldn't be surprised if they make up the final two tbh, unless one of the men surprises us.

[Vyk]

5 hours ago, blackwing said:

I want to say he left Saturday Night Live sometime in the early 2000s and I really don't think he has been doing much of anything since.  He's like Vanilla Ice, known pretty much for just one or two things and now thrust back into the public eye even though nobody really was clamoring for him.

Well, here's a third.  He was also Mr. Feather, the top flunky of The Man in Undercover Brother.  But since that movie didn't get much press, it's easy to forget that.

[blackwing]

8 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

Wow, what a group.  Mostly a lot of Who's? and has beens.  Misogynist Bachelor Nick, aging Charo, and of course a Real Housewife who's latest dance single is called "How Many Fucks".  Way to keep it classy, ABC. They're so desperate for viewers that maybe they'll bring Tonya Harding on to punch Nancy in the face.  Well, at least you can bet that Cubs fans will keep Ross on until the finals, even if his dancing resembles the mating dance of the Arctic Beetle. 

If this happens, I will find a way somehow to vote for Tonya.  I would not at all be surprised if Tonya is a contestant on this show in the near future.

[crowceilidh]

I'm feeling that the whole cast has been linked and leaked this time.  Is that right?  Is that the first time that's happened?

[blaase]

I feel I know more of these people than before at least no social media "celebrities" and spawn of politicians!

I want cutie pie Simone to win but Normani will be tough to beat, she CAN dance has Val and a absolute rabid fan base, fifth harmony fans can outvote one direction/bieber fans in online things.

[McManda]

I'll admit that I don't listen to the radio much, but is Fifth Harmony that popular? I think they performed on DWTS once, maybe twice, but that's all I've got. I couldn't pick any members or their songs out of a lineup if my life depended on it.

Edited March 2, 2017 by McManda

[Uke]

2 hours ago, crowceilidh said:

I'm feeling that the whole cast has been linked and leaked this time.  Is that right?  Is that the first time that's happened?

Typically between ET and E! pretty much the whole cast gets leaked the weekend+Monday before the GMA announcement and basically that's what happened this time again.  You'd think TPTB would have figured out who is doing all the leaking by now.

[BoogieBurns]

15 hours ago, Uke said:

You'd think TPTB would have figured out who is doing all the leaking by now.

Pretty sure the leakers are TPTB. 

[dwtsgueststars]

I'm pretty sure the producers did the leaking this time. If you noticed, ET & People did the leaking  not TMZ & dwts gossip sites. Producers were in control.

[Steph619]

On 3/1/2017 at 11:10 AM, mtlchick said:

Early prediction: Chris Katten will dance to "What Is Love" as a Cha Cha.  

I would love this! It would be awesome if Will Ferrell joined him, but I know that won't happen. 

The front-runners for me at this point are Simone and Heather. I'm looking forward to seeing Simone dancing with Sasha because that's who I originally wanted to see Laurie paired up with last season. However, I think that Simone will constantly be compared to Laurie.

[kitcloudkicker]

If anyone's keeping track of troupe stuff, besides the 4 who were on GMA (Hayley/Alan/Britt Stewart/Brandon Armstrong), Britney Cherry has also confirmed that she's back in. Dennis (the German dude dating Leona Lewis) has confirmed that he's out. And all 5 of those confirmed troupers are performing at the Beauty and the Beast premier tonight and they have Paul Karmiryan with them, which I hope means he's our 3rd guy. (I like him! I keep thinking he'd make a good pro.) 

Edited March 3, 2017 by kitcloudkicker

[lavenderblue]

Oh, I'd love to see them bring him on finally, if they go for a 3-3 balance instead of last year's 3-2 (I'd also request they pair him with Brittany C when needed). Based on how well he seemed to acquit himself as the All-Star partner and mentor for a young dancer on last season's SYTYCD Next Generation, he could possibly be the type who could be groomed for the future (I can see it more easily than with Alan, who reads too overeager to me at this point), if that ever informs their decision-making process.

[seacliffsal]

Chris Kattan was on the first couple of seasons of The Middle.  Although he hasn't been on it for a while, the show is in constant reruns on a couple of channels, so there may be more generational knowledge of him than from just SNL.

I am so excited to see Nancy Kerrigan.  I always felt she was just more reserved than other skaters, but I always enjoyed her.  This is a tough (by which I mean good) line-up of talent so I don't think she'll go that far.

I like a lot of these contestants-Mr. T and Charro should be really entertaining, as well many others.

[jjjmoss]

The male side is more lifeless than usual. 

[kitcloudkicker]

Week 1 songs and dances http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Scoop-DANCING-WITH-THE-STARS-on-ABC-Monday-March-20-2017-20170314

Quote

Each Couple Will Dance to the Following Songs (in alphabetical order):

Simone Biles & Sasha Farber – Tango – “Untouchable” by Tritonal and Cash Cash

Bonner Bolton & Sharna Burgess – Cha Cha – “Move” by Luke Bryan

Charo & Keo Motsepe – Salsa – “Cuban Pete” by Mambo Compañeros

Erika Jayne & Gleb Savchenko – Salsa – “XXPEN$IVE” by Erika Jayne

Rashad Jennings & Emma Slater – Cha Cha – “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars

Chris Kattan & Witney Carson – Cha Cha – “What is Love” by Haddaway

Nancy Kerrigan & Artem Chigvintsev – Viennese Waltz – “She’s Always a Woman” by Billy Joel

Normani Kordei & Valentin Chmerkovskiy – Quickstep – “Good Time Good Life” by Erin Bowman

Heather Morris & Maksim Chmerkovskiy – Viennese Waltz – “Make Something Beautiful” by Ben Rector

Mr. T & Kym Herjavec – Cha Cha – “Theme from the A-Team” by Mike Post, Pete Carpenter and The Daniel Caine Orchestra

David Ross & Lindsay Arnold – Quickstep – “Go Cubs Go” by Steve Goodman

Nick Viall & Peta Murgatroyd – Cha Cha – “Let Me Love You” by DJ Snake and Tiësto featuring Justin Bieber

Getting "Go Cubs Go" and "What is Love" out of the way right out of the gate. 

[McManda]

Too many of those songs are too on the nose. Erika dancing to her own song? Mr T dancing to the A-Team theme? I'm not excited about that.

I'm surprised that Nancy and Artem and Heather and Maks are who I'm must looking forward to, considering neither is dancing a traditionally flashy and exciting dance. 

[legaleagle53]

And of course Charo gets a Salsa to a song that's the only really Latin one in the bunch.

[katha]

They're going way easier on the male celebs with the dance assignments, which I guess makes sense. Tango in first week seems unusual, so does quickstep. But Simone and Normani seem capable of producing good dancing. Val usually does nice quicksteps anyway, Tamar's in her first week was fun as well. Nancy might do well with ballroom, so I'm looking forward to that. Maks has done his fair share of good waltzes and the song is nice, so I'm looking forward to that as well. It won't be in Heather's comfort zone, though, relatively speaking. But then I have a hunch that's what they're planning to do anyway: Not give her things that are close to the styles she's trained in (including assigning her Maks as a pro....the furthest from cross-trained you can get in this pro line-up).

Edited March 15, 2017 by katha

[Uke]

15 hours ago, katha said:

They're going way easier on the male celebs with the dance assignments, which I guess makes sense. Tango in first week seems unusual, so does quickstep. But Simone and Normani seem capable of producing good dancing. Val usually does nice quicksteps anyway, Tamar's in her first week was fun as well. Nancy might do well with ballroom, so I'm looking forward to that. Maks has done his fair share of good waltzes and the song is nice, so I'm looking forward to that as well. It won't be in Heather's comfort zone, though, relatively speaking. But then I have a hunch that's what they're planning to do anyway: Not give her things that are close to the styles she's trained in (including assigning her Maks as a pro....the furthest from cross-trained you can get in this pro line-up).

Last season, before they first danced, Laurie had no real competition. (James & Calvin were real surprises.)  I think there was some backlash about knowing who would "win" before the season even started.  They knew Simone would be signing on for this season so I think they brought in some real competition for her (or at least the appearance of competition) so it wouldn't look like they were just handing out trophies to the gymnasts.    I don't know how they plan to factor in Maks' lack of cross-training in the dance styles in Heather's comfort zone in order to appear somewhat evenly matched with Simone & Sasha.

[gimmeegimmeegim]

Rumor is the damn dog is in the back seat again. Someone told me it had jumped out, but no such luck.

[katha]

6 minutes ago, Uke said:

Last season, before they first danced, Laurie had no real competition. (James & Calvin were real surprises.)  I think there was some backlash about knowing who would "win" before the season even started.  They knew Simone would be signing on for this season so I think they brought in some real competition for her (or at least the appearance of competition) so it wouldn't look like they were just handing out trophies to the gymnasts.    I don't know how they plan to factor in Maks' lack of cross-training in the dance styles in Heather's comfort zone in order to appear somewhat evenly matched with Simone & Sasha.

Personally, I'd be totally fine if Heather didn't do any contemporary, jazz, Broadway or any of that stuff. I'm generally annoyed with the ringer complaints every season, but she does have a clear advantage in those styles. But then, I'd be totally fine if DWTS did away with those styles in general (though I don't mind them from time to time and some programs have been nice) or at least scaled down on assigning them, so I'm biased. It would perhaps also cut down on resentment for Heather? Like, for example, giving Zendaya hip hop was such an unnecessary move on the part of the show IMO. Mostly it seemed to create further backlash from the "she's already got dance training, so unfair!" crowd. And right before the finals, too.  How about some swing or lindy hop or mambo instead? They used to do those in the earlier seasons and I always found them enjoyable.

[SnarkyTart]

I don't mind so-called "ringers" at all, especially if there's more than one who can keep the ultimate winner from being a foregone conclusion from the get go.  I'm more interested in seeing great dancing, with as many "stars" as possible in the top tier.  I'm not familiar with Heather, but after watching her audition video from SYTYCD, I'm not surprised she didn't make it onto that show.   I was equally unimpressed with her abilities as a back-up dancer for Beyonce on the youtube vids I watched.  I'm actually hoping she can retain her perceived ringer status alongside Simone, Nancy and Normani.  It sure does look like we're destined to have a female winner this season, maybe even an all-female final three.  Given that, let's at least see some real suspense here, and possibly a surprise or two.

I expect the older, nostalgic voting demographic to keep Mr. T in longer than would otherwise be expected, especially partnered with Kym, who will know how to bring some humor to such an unlikely contestant.  Charo would have had similar possibilities if paired with a different pro.  Her schtick is all about being ridiculous and over the top, but Keo doesn't have enough of a personality or sense of humor to take advantage of it, imo.  I'd love to see Keo prove me wrong about that.  Anyway, I predict Charo will be booted within the first three eliminations, and that I'll be sad to see her go.

[Uke]

22 minutes ago, katha said:

Personally, I'd be totally fine if Heather didn't do any contemporary, jazz, Broadway or any of that stuff. I'm generally annoyed with the ringer complaints every season, but she does have a clear advantage in those styles. But then, I'd be totally fine if DWTS did away with those styles in general (though I don't mind them from time to time and some programs have been nice) or at least scaled down on assigning them, so I'm biased. It would perhaps also cut down on resentment for Heather? Like, for example, giving Zendaya hip hop was such an unnecessary move on the part of the show IMO. Mostly it seemed to create further backlash from the "she's already got dance training, so unfair!" crowd. And right before the finals, too.  How about some swing or lindy hop or mambo instead? They used to do those in the earlier seasons and I always found them enjoyable.

I don't mind jazz or Broadway numbers towards the end of the season.  I'd prefer they dropped contemporary completely.  And a big yes! to Swing, lindy hop, and the like. The "ringer" complaints are generally annoying but Heather IMO takes the ringer argument to a whole other level.  Being proficient in some styles makes other styles very much easier to learn - this is what she does for a living.  I see her as basically similar to Allison. Who knows why Allison made the top 20 and Heather didn't on SYTYCD S2 - not necessarily for dance ability, could have been personality, looks, etc.  

[Beatrice]

49 minutes ago, Uke said:

Last season, before they first danced, Laurie had no real competition. (James & Calvin were real surprises.)  I think there was some backlash about knowing who would "win" before the season even started.  They knew Simone would be signing on for this season so I think they brought in some real competition for her (or at least the appearance of competition) so it wouldn't look like they were just handing out trophies to the gymnasts.    I don't know how they plan to factor in Maks' lack of cross-training in the dance styles in Heather's comfort zone in order to appear somewhat evenly matched with Simone & Sasha.

I saw an interview with Val and his partner, sorry the name is escaping me, and she said she was a competitive dancer in the past. So that is another one to challenge Simone. I'm in the camp that would rather have people with dance experience than contestants like Mr. T, who you know have no chance what so ever. I think they were fair in partnering Heather with Maks because there's no way imo that he will utilize her full potential.

[Uke]

13 minutes ago, SnarkyTart said:

Charo would have had similar possibilities if paired with a different pro.  Her schtick is all about being ridiculous and over the top, but Keo doesn't have enough of a personality or sense of humor to take advantage of it, imo.  I'd love to see Keo prove me wrong about that.  Anyway, I predict Charo will be booted within the first three eliminations, and that I'll be sad to see her go.

Yes I agree.  Her 1st dance is salsa so basically Keo just has to frame-out some choreo and follow her lead.  But will he be able to keep control when it comes to a waltz or quickstep or anything she doesn't already know. It'll be interesting to see how this pairing plays out.

[Uke]

5 minutes ago, Beatrice said:

I saw an interview with Val and his partner, sorry the name is escaping me, and she said she was a competitive dancer in the past. So that is another one to challenge Simone. 

I thought Normani's dancing was as a small child, the under-10 set, she took some classes and participated in a few competitions.  I didn't think it was anything serious.   It was in one of the interviews right after the cast announcement but I can't remember which one. 

[GreyBunny]

On 2/28/2017 at 6:06 AM, Harry24 said:

She was also dull as dishwater as a personality.

And dumber than a box of rocks.  It's painful listening to marble mouth Nancy try to string a sentence together.  Obviously her married boyfriend didn't marry her for her brains.