In The Media: DWTS

[Lonesome Rhodes]

If they go fully remote for performances, it could be all taped in advance, like AGT, and they could get away with any number of hosts reading from scripts.  The public voting is not necessary, in the end.  AGT proved that.

[howmanywords]

Wow well guess I'm done. Tom goes I and I'm sure many others will go to.

[quickjessie]

All done.  If they're dumping the best part of the show they certainly don't need me watching.

[RealHousewife]

Anyone know why they were let go?

[TVFan17]

You know... this year, of all years, doesn't seem like the right time to experiment with new formats and hosts, and remove the host who has been on the show since the beginning. 

It may sound trite and silly, but I kind of think that because this year has been so awful in so many ways (and continues to be awful), and sooooooo many annual events and shows are being postponed and canceled left and right, people need something consistent and comforting as a distraction.  At least in my case, I need the reliable hosts and cast members of these goofy shows that have been around for many, many years -- and that includes people like Tom, Ryan Seacrest, Julie Chen, Jeff Probst, etc.  I need familiarity because there is something vaguely secure in it, while this whole year just feels very unsettled and unpredictable in the worst way.

ABC should have waited until a season when things were closer to "normal" again to try new hosts and formats.  This is not the right season to do that.

Edited July 14, 2020 by TVFan17

[seaELare]

27 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

Anyone know why they were let go?

I’ve a feeling Tom’s voicing his disgust over the casting of Spicer may have had a little something to do with it. I think Erin is just collateral damage. 

[LexieLily]

3 hours ago, seaELare said:

I’ve a feeling Tom’s voicing his disgust over the casting of Spicer may have had a little something to do with it. I think Erin is just collateral damage. 

That was the first thing I thought of, to be honest, but he wasn't wrong. Spicer wasn't the only one. Just about every season since the middle of the show (I didn't watch the early years; started watching when the original SYTYCD'ers [Lacey, Chelsie, Dmitry] transferred over) DWTS cast someone of some form of the political spectrum and it hung over the show for as long as the person stayed on especially if they were a crappy dancer. (Hi, Bristol Palin!) The show either hasn't learned or is actively courting the controversy, and it's not a good controversy notably when the quality of celebrity has, shall we say, declined over the years.

And now the show that the show has started dipping into the pool of celebrities that have hurt people: looking at you, Tonya Harding, the season after they had Nancy Kerrigan. 

Edited July 14, 2020 by LexieLily

[Sister Havana]

That sucks. Tom was one of the best things about the show! I like Erin too. 
 

[DollEyes]

To quote the late, great Bernie Mac, "This is some bullshit." The show has not only been on a downward spiral for years, Bobby Bones' win and Sean Spicer were the last nails in the coffin.

  Tom has been the heart and soul of the show from the start. He's been the best thing about it for millions of people, including me. Tom has made me laugh, he's made me cry and sometimes he's even made me think. Losing Tom will kill the show and good riddance, as far as I'm concerned.

Edited July 14, 2020 by DollEyes

[nickp1991]

 I wonder if part of the new creative direction is about diversity

[Good Queen Jane]

I don't think TPTB realize how hard it is to keep a live show moving in a pleasant manner and finish on time, especially with the runaway mouths the judges get sometimes. Tom made it look easy and was funny too. If Tom's gone, so am I.

[Lady Calypso]

It does suck if Erin was let go only because Tom was and not on her own merit. It's hard to tell exactly what happened, but I do echo the opinion that they simply want younger hosts. 

I wouldn't be surprised if the judges are next, since they got rid of the hosts as a "creative decision". 

[boyznkatz]

Does anyone else see Alfonso (or Jordan) and Hannah Brown being the next hosts? 

Edited July 14, 2020 by boyznkatz

[Omeletsmom]

13 hours ago, howmanywords said:

Wow well guess I'm done. Tom goes I and I'm sure many others will go to.

Yup.  He was pretty much the only reason I watched anymore.

[howmanywords]

I had a thought, is it possible there wont even be live shows since there may not even be an audience?

1 hour ago, boyznkatz said:

Does anyone else see Alfonso (or Jordan) and Hannah Brown being the next hosts? 

I was thinking maybe Rashad or yeah Alfonso for sure. He's a favorite of theirs, is part of the ABC family (has already taken Tom's place as host of AFV) and he just got an emmy nomination for game show host. Jordan though has a lot of young fans so he would be good to target the demo they are interested in.

[RealHousewife]

1 hour ago, boyznkatz said:

Does anyone else see Alfonso (or Jordan) and Hannah Brown being the next hosts? 

I like Alfonso. Jordan who? Please no Hannah!!! 

Even if I like whoever they hire, I’m still going to be bitter. 😞

I don’t always watch DWTS consistently. I’m often in a dance studio when it’s live, at least prior to covid. But for many years I tune in to catch at least some episodes for the comfort it brings me, a big part of that being Tom. I like the familiar face, his humor, and have always admired how quick he is. The job isn’t as easy as he makes it look. There aren’t a lot of shows that combine dance, music, laughter, and heart and have been on air for so many seasons. There’s a certain magic to DWTS, and Tom was absolutely perfect for it. I can’t say enough how much he will be missed. He was my absolute favorite person on the show.

I also think Erin was fun, bubbly, and sweet. I haven’t watched her nearly as much, but I can’t figure out a good reason to get rid of her either. She was perfect to me too. Way better than Brooke. 

What’s strange is I’m reading mixed things. I’ve read the audience is more old and conservative so Tom’s politics were an issue. Then I read here maybe it’s because they want more youth and diversity. I’m all for leaving politics out of this show, diversity in general, and get they want as large an audience as possible. But that doesn’t mean firing such a beloved host. Everyone I know, including the young and people of color, loves Tom!!! I don’t remember the last time I was so shocked by a host’s firing. 

[Babalooie]

I have a job for Tom Bergeron.  I read a blind item that Nick Cannon is going to be fired  from "The Mask"  for some political statements he made.  If so, they can hire Tom for that hosting job since he is already known by the powers that be of that show because he appeared as The Taco.

Edited July 14, 2020 by Babalooie

[seaELare]

TPTB probably took a look at how the KPop stans and Tik Tokkers mobilized to make the Tulsa rally a fiasco and thought Let’s get them mobilized for US!!!  Because that’s the only way they’ll bring in a younger audience. This show‘s viewership has always skewed older. Good luck with your “new direction”.  Bleh. 

[mtlchick]

5 hours ago, nickp1991 said:

 I wonder if part of the new creative direction is about diversity

That could be true, but for this show, more likely they want to skew younger.  DWTS is one of the oldest skewing shows on broadcast TV and the dwindling numbers support that. 

 

53 minutes ago, Babalooie said:

If so, they can hire Tom for that hosting job since he is already known by the powers that be of that show because he appeared as The Taco.

He mentioned that he really had to be careful on The Masked Singer because they used the same stage as DWTS so it's the same crew members. 

[Fellaway]

18 hours ago, Jobo05 said:

Read his tweet. Has ABC lost their damn mind? He’s the heart and soul of the show! Buh bye, DWTS.

Yep, Tom Bergeron was one of the very few assets this show had left.  And the words "new creative direction" always strike fear in my heart.  The judges and pros had best watch out.  Some of them are probably next.

[seacliffsal]

Actually, I'm totally relieved that I can stop watching this show without any lingering guilt over it.  Whew!  I couldn't bring myself to watch very much of Hannah Brown's season and I was dreading Kaitlyn Bristrow from The Bachelorette being on the show (I know that I totally got her name wrong-it's not intentional, it's just that I can't remember it).

So, I guess that I owe the producers a big old "thank you" as I can totally delete this from my dvr...

Having written that though, the news does make me sad as this show and Tom have been a part of my life for 15 years.  He is delightful and I hope another show picks him up.

Edited July 14, 2020 by seacliffsal

[Babalooie]

1 hour ago, mtlchick said:

they used the same stage as DWTS so it's the same crew members. 

But it's a different network.  It would be cool to hire him.

 

[boyznkatz]

3 hours ago, Babalooie said:

I have a job for Tom Bergeron.  I read a blind item that Nick Cannon is going to be fired  from "The Mask"  for some political statements he made.  If so, they can hire Tom for that hosting job since he is already known by the powers that be of that show because he appeared as The Taco.

Tom would be pretty funny on the Mask. I don't see anyone watching DWTS without him. That was probably the final nail on the coffin, unless they get some big star for the host or contestants (highly unlikely).

[boyznkatz]

3 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

I like Alfonso. Jordan who? Please no Hannah!!! 

Jordan Fisher, a former winner of DWTS. I liked him and Alfonso on the show, but they aren't Tom.

As for Hannah, yeah she's annoying, but ABC is determined to make her happen.

 

[RealHousewife]

6 minutes ago, boyznkatz said:

Jordan Fisher, a former winner of DWTS. I liked him and Alfonso on the show, but they aren't Tom.

As for Hannah, yeah she's annoying, but ABC is determined to make her happen.

 

Ohh, thank you. And agreed.

[WhyAmIHere]

19 hours ago, TVFan17 said:

You know... this year, of all years, doesn't seem like the right time to experiment with new formats and hosts, and remove the host who has been on the show since the beginning. 

It may sound trite and silly, but I kind of think that because this year has been so awful in so many ways (and continues to be awful), and sooooooo many annual events and shows are being postponed and canceled left and right, people need something consistent and comforting as a distraction.  At least in my case, I need the reliable hosts and cast members of these goofy shows that have been around for many, many years -- and that includes people like Tom, Ryan Seacrest, Julie Chen, Jeff Probst, etc.  I need familiarity because there is something vaguely secure in it, while this whole year just feels very unsettled and unpredictable in the worst way.

ABC should have waited until a season when things were closer to "normal" again to try new hosts and formats.  This is not the right season to do that.

I couldn't agree more with this post.  I'm no longer looking forward to DWTS coming back, in a year when a lot of us really need things to look forward to.   Like you said DWTS is a silly show, but it's TV comfort food and Tom was a huge part of that.   I can't wrap my mind around TPTB looking at DWTS and thinking "you know what will make this show better - getting rid of Tom."  How does one come to that conclusion?  I thought getting rid of Sharna & Artem was ridiculous but this decision is on another level. 

I saw someone mention Hannah Brown as a possibility for replacing Erin.  No, just no.  

[luvthepros]

Bergeron and Andrews EXIT DWTS

[Recyclorette]

20 hours ago, TVFan17 said:

You know... this year, of all years, doesn't seem like the right time to experiment with new formats and hosts, and remove the host who has been on the show since the beginning. 

It may sound trite and silly, but I kind of think that because this year has been so awful in so many ways (and continues to be awful), and sooooooo many annual events and shows are being postponed and canceled left and right, people need something consistent and comforting as a distraction.  At least in my case, I need the reliable hosts and cast members of these goofy shows that have been around for many, many years -- and that includes people like Tom, Ryan Seacrest, Julie Chen, Jeff Probst, etc.  I need familiarity because there is something vaguely secure in it, while this whole year just feels very unsettled and unpredictable in the worst way.

ABC should have waited until a season when things were closer to "normal" again to try new hosts and formats.  This is not the right season to do that.

Amen to this!  This is not silly; it is wise.  We need the comfort of familiarity right now and Tom Bergeron is just that.  I'll pass on any more change, thank you!  I think this show just nailed its own coffin.

9 hours ago, boyznkatz said:

Does anyone else see Alfonso (or Jordan) and Hannah Brown being the next hosts? 

No, no no!  We don't need hyper anything right now, and Alfonso and Hannah make me jittery.  Also, Hannah is simply obnoxious!

20 hours ago, seaELare said:

I’ve a feeling Tom’s voicing his disgust over the casting of Spicer may have had a little something to do with it. I think Erin is just collateral damage. 

They should have listened to Tom.  I'd bet this is more about low ratings because of their venture into politics.  We need an escape right now, and the likes of Rick Perry, Marla Maples and Sean Spicer are not that.  I was seriously done after Sean Spicer, and there's no chance now of changing that with Tom gone.  Over and out!

[luvthepros]

More information.........

Some reasons why Bergeron was let go

[Toonces464]

New host spoiler from TMZ:

 

Spoiler

TYRA BANKS NEW HOST OF 'DANCING WITH THE STARS'

 

[Annber03]

....uhhhhh, really? 

 

[TVFan17]

16 minutes ago, Toonces464 said:

New host spoiler from TMZ:

 

  Hide contents

TYRA BANKS NEW HOST OF 'DANCING WITH THE STARS'

 

Oh good grief....

[truthaboutluv]

That rumor of the new host is just laughable. When I see things like this, I just sit in awe that people making huge salaries are the ones who sit around making these dumb ass decisions. Like seriously, who asked for this? No, really WHO?

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it. DWTS may have started to show the usual wear and tear of a show that's been on the air for years but the real destruction of the show came as a result of ABC and the producers' dumb-ass decisions. On ABC's end that pointless 4-week season and essentially gutting the show in favor of their Idol reboot. 

And then to further push their Idol reboot, we got Bobby fucking Bones on the show and we saw how that went. And it's just been shit decision after shit decision. Just an all around mess. And then they figure oh we'll get rid of the one guy on the show that viewers seem to universally love. Like people have always been split on all the co-hosts - Erin, Brooke Burke, etc. Same with the judges. Every judge have viewers who either like or hate them. 

But Tom, really? Even the Pros freaking love Tom. But sure replace him and again, if the rumor is true, with someone that is universally loathed by some people. Really, what could possibly go wrong?

Edited July 15, 2020 by truthaboutluv

[Toonces464]

11 minutes ago, truthaboutluv said:

That rumor of the new host is just laughable.

Apparently it's not a rumor. The DWTS Twitter account just made the announcement and it's being reported by Variety, Hollywood Reporter and a number of other outlets.

 

[scorpio1031]

New host and also now one of the executive producers

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Simon says, "Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha."

Disney has lost their minds.

[MerBearHou]

Seeing this all over the place now.  Hold on, they’ve already named a new host and it’s Tyra Banks????????  Incredible.  She seems perfectly nice but I do not see her as being so great, so sharp, so witty, so deft with judges and dancers that this would justify letting Tom go.  I am shocked.  

Edited July 15, 2020 by MerBearHou

[RealHousewife]

Agreed. I’m a Tyra fan actually. I think she’s wonderful, but she’s not Tom. 

[Sile]

Well, if their goal was to get people talking about the show, I guess they've succeeded...

[LexieLily]

1 hour ago, Toonces464 said:

Apparently it's not a rumor. The DWTS Twitter account just made the announcement and it's being reported by Variety, Hollywood Reporter and a number of other outlets.

 

She was the host of America's Got Talent for one or two seasons and she wasn't very good there. WTF.

[MerBearHou]

1 minute ago, Sile said:

Well, if their goal was to get people talking about the show, I guess they've succeeded...

The thing is - at least for me - I’m talking about the show but the tiny bit of interest I had in watching is now totally gone.  From season one, I was a faithful DWTS watcher and enjoyed it so much w friends — great, mediocre, wacky dancers and all.  But it stopped being “must-see” for me after Bobby Bones and the judges wore thin for me too.  Now it’s just sad - TPTB just screwed w it too many times and this is the final blow. 

[vdw84]

16 hours ago, nickp1991 said:

 I wonder if part of the new creative direction is about diversity

Diversity with the hosts was never the problem. People and fans of the show were complaining about the lack of diversity on the pro side esp. the females and its true. For all the seasons the only female pro that remotely filled the diversity pole was Cheryl but once she stopped tanning so much she looked like all the rest of the female pros.  Hell it took them forever to get black male pro. I think getting rid of Tom was mistake, a huge mistake and I dont see the show going up from this. Erin to me is replaceable so I dont care either way about her but Tom was out of the question.

[vdw84]

37 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

Agreed. I’m a Tyra fan actually. I think she’s wonderful, but she’s not Tom. 

I dont think im going to like Tyra for this role tho. I feel like they are setting her up to be brutally dragged all over sm and news outlets and thats what I hate but she is big girl and she will take it but its just not cool. If she was replacing Erin, then I would feel better about her being a cohost than the main host.

[Sile]

8 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

The thing is - at least for me - I’m talking about the show but the tiny bit of interest I had in watching is now totally gone.  From season one, I was a faithful DWTS watcher and enjoyed it so much w friends — great, mediocre, wacky dancers and all.  But it stopped being “must-see” for me after Bobby Bones and the judges wore thin for me too.  Now it’s just sad - TPTB just screwed w it too many times and this is the final blow. 

Tom and Erin were the sole reason that I've tuned in for the last several years and, for the last couple of seasons, not even Tom could keep me interested for more than a few minutes for a couple of episodes. 

Every single time they've gone in "new" and "creative" directions, it's only served to make the show worse.  I seriously can't think of any change they've made in the last dozen years that has actually been an improvement.

Going with such an out there choice in a new host (seriously, would anybody even have Tyra as a wild assed guess?) might make some people tune in to see how it goes and hope to gawk at the train wreck.  I admit that I will probably be one of them.  But I predict that it will take one episode or less to satisfy my morbid curiosity and I'll be done with it for good.

[853fisher]

I find this baffling.  I don't dislike Tyra and think she has done quite well on other shows.  However, she's very me-me-me, not IMO a natural for a show with a large ensemble or one in which she is not intended to be a mentor/coach.

I'm trying to imagine which of the many problems with the show they thought this would fix, and the only one I can imagine is their abysmal demographics.  In another world, it wouldn't be a problem that older people prefer a certain show, but one thing at a time.  Now, Tyra alone isn't going to do that: I'm put in mind a bit of some of my fellow docents at a museum where I once volunteered, who professed great surprise that putting me in front of the crowds when I was in my early 20s didn't make them the hottest weekend hangout.  It's still what it is, deep down.

That's where I assume the "new creative direction" comes in, but if they're going to be doing more big shifts in the style of dance and other elements of production, why not just cancel DWTS and make a new show?  It's not, as far as I can recall, like it was a very garlanded show, other than for Tom's hosting.  As a well established brand, there are a lot of associations that would not be favorable to this new demographic.  I'm not even convinced that Tyra is right for that anyway: ANTM and so on are sort of jokes among younger people now, while "dad jokes" and so on are in.

But I don't get paid the big bucks in Burbank, so they didn't ask me.  What a hot mess.

[MsTree]

2 hours ago, LexieLily said:

She was the host of America's Got Talent for one or two seasons and she wasn't very good there. WTF.

Exactly! So who the hell is she blowing?

[mtlchick]

I don’t mind Tyra and I thought she was ok on AGT but is she going to make nervous contestants smize all the time? 
 

I sort of feel sorry for her because she’s replacing one of the GOATs of hosting. 

[Suzysite]

Between this and The Masked Singer, space on my DVR is suddenly freeing up.

[vdw84]

2 hours ago, mtlchick said:

I don’t mind Tyra and I thought she was ok on AGT but is she going to make nervous contestants smize all the time? 
 

I sort of feel sorry for her because she’s replacing one of the GOATs of hosting. 

I feel sorry for her because I just know she is setting herself up to be dragged all over the place by fans of the show. She is not going to be accepted easily at all. This is going to be disaster and that is what the show gets.

[Yeah No]

8 hours ago, Sile said:

Tom and Erin were the sole reason that I've tuned in for the last several years and, for the last couple of seasons, not even Tom could keep me interested for more than a few minutes for a couple of episodes. 

Every single time they've gone in "new" and "creative" directions, it's only served to make the show worse.  I seriously can't think of any change they've made in the last dozen years that has actually been an improvement.

Going with such an out there choice in a new host (seriously, would anybody even have Tyra as a wild assed guess?) might make some people tune in to see how it goes and hope to gawk at the train wreck.  I admit that I will probably be one of them.  But I predict that it will take one episode or less to satisfy my morbid curiosity and I'll be done with it for good.

I came here to say pretty much exactly this.  Every time this show thinks it's going to reinvent itself to attract more of a certain demographic, it fails miserably and this is IMO like the final self-imposed nail in the coffin as far as I'm concerned.  These days TV execs. can't make one right decision.