Dancing With the Stars: Tom Bergeron Says Less Is More
Tom Bergeron
It's still a Top 10 hit, but this season ABC's Dancing With the Stars is down nearly 14 percent from last fall, to an average of 18 million viewers. Host Tom Bergeron has a suggestion to keep viewers interested: Only air the show once a year, rather than in both fall and spring.
"One season a year works very well for American Idol," says Bergeron, who thinks the longer wait creates more viewer anticipation. "I certainly think that's one of the things that should be considered going forward. I would be looking at the spring season very carefully."
Bergeron believes a number of factors contributed to the ratings slide, especially the rejuvenation of CBS' Monday comedy slate: "The whole transition from Charlie Sheen to Ashton Kutcher [on Two and a Half Men] was handled brilliantly."
Another possibility? "You wonder if the cast isn't resonating with people," he adds. Bergeron is pragmatic about reclaiming viewers. "You can only be the new kid on the block once," he says. "The challenge is on."
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