The new season is only a week away, but the chance is here Dancing with the stars could be canceled for a 32nd season before the stars and pros even hit the dance floor.
Dancing with the stars is an ABC dance competition reality television series that pairs celebrities with professional dancers. Each week, couples compete against each other in choreographed dances for judges’ points and audience votes. The couple with the lowest number of points and audience votes is eliminated until only one couple remains. The pair are declared champions and win the coveted Mirrorball Trophy.
The upcoming season — Season 32 — is set to premiere on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, with hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro; judges Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli; and contestants such as Jamie Lyn Spears, Alyson Hannigan, Tyson Beckford and Mira Sorvino.
But he could Season of Dancing with the Stars 32 be canceled before it even starts? Read why Dancing with the stars could be canceled for season 32 and the one alum who supports it.
Will Dancing with the stars be canceled for season 32?
Will Dancing with the stars be canceled for season 32? At least one ex-pro thinks so. In an interview with Variety in September 2023, Cheryl Burke, who was a professional dancer Dancing with the stars in seasons 2 through 31 – revealed that she thinks Dancing with the stars Season 32 should be canceled or at least delayed until the Writers Guild of America strike is over.
“Well, I have mixed feelings about the Drew Barrymore thing. Even during a pandemic, people can say, ‘Why would you do that?'” Burke said, referring to the drama surrounding The Drew Barrymore Showwhich, after backlash, paused and resumed filming amid the WGA strike.
Burke continued: “When you’re talking about the entertainment industry, it’s a touchy subject. For things to change, we have to stick together, not to mention, because if one show decides to think about the show on its own, it won’t make much of a difference. It won’t change the way these other people—the opposing team—think. At the end of the day, we have to stick together because that’s the only way to make any meaningful change.”
Burke also made comparisons Dancing with the stars to the cast of friends, who remained the favored nations throughout the series’ run and were each paid $1 million per episode for the six main cast members. “Even the cast Friends, when they asked for more money, they all held together,” she said. “The problem is, if we don’t do that, we’re setting a precedent and I don’t think that’s going to be good for the show, to be quite honest, in the long run.” I understand what he’s thinking and I get it. It’s a business, but it’s not a business without the rest of the business.”
She continued: “I think they should hold tight. I think we must stand as one. We must really unite and not just say we are united.’
Burke also confirmed that she didn’t think it would be a good idea for Dancing With the Stars to return in an interview with Entertainment Tonight Canada in September 2023. “You know, I wasn’t really sure if the show was going to go on, but, you know, part of me is, I think I do,” she said. “But then there are also people who would love to see the show and just, you know, obviously put a smile on their face. But I just, I guess, out of respect for the industry, right? Like, you know, Drew Barrymore, I mean, she recently pulled. And I think to really make changes, we have to stick together 100 percent.”
As a television writer David Slack stated in a series of tweets, Dancing with the stars is a WGA-covered show, meaning its writers are on strike and would have to use non-union writers, also known as “scab,” if filming continued. “By making everyone who appears on Dancing With the Stars appear on a WGA-covered show using scab writing, they encourage AMPTP to refuse to make deals while they wait to see if scab writing works,” Slack tweeted September 17, 2023, referring to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which is under attack by both the WGA and the Screen Actor’s Guild after a series of failed negotiations.
He continued: “The writers have been on strike for 139 days and counting. Most shows are closed. By giving the studios a scabby show, the strike lasts longer, leaving every other team in Hollywood out of a job. I know you are all under contract and this is a difficult situation. But if Drew Barrymore can step up and do the right thing on her own, I hope you can do it together in solidarity.”
If Dancing with the stars Season 32 is moving forward, the season will be hosted by former pro and judge Julianne Hough and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Alfonso Ribeiro. Season 32 judges include Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli. Season 32 first season Dancing with the stars to have three judges following former judge Len Goodman’s death from bone cancer in 2023. In her interview with Variety, Burke explained why she was not selected as a judge after she gathered to join the panel following her departure as a pro after season 31.
“I know they wanted to go back to three judges and fair enough. At the end of the day, people would probably rather see more interaction between the couples than the judges talking,” she said. “I will always be a fan of the show. This is in no way a dig at the show. I know where I came from, I would never bite the hand that fed me and continues to be me. I will be the number one fan they know I am. This podcast is more just because we don’t get a chance to talk to other celebrities for that long. I talked to Heather Morris, who I wasn’t on that season, but I took her and her conspiracy theory about why she thinks she was eliminated… That was also part of my grieving process with this show because it’s it would be a shame just to keep all those things to yourself.”
In an interview with People in September 2023, Ribeiro teased how Dancing with the stars will honor Goodman after his death. “I can guarantee you that each of these professionals will make sure that the routines are still designed for Leno,” Riberio said. “I know I’ve talked to a few of them and they’re going to take specific steps that Len loved just to make sure the content is still for Len.” He continued: “It’s going to be amazing. I mean, he was the best.” He also said People that: “There won’t be a dry eye in the house.”
Dancing with the stars Season 32 is scheduled to premiere on Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at 8:00 PM on ABC and Disney Plus.
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