Will Jennie trip the light fantastic? Jennie Garth, Derek Hough by Carol Kaelson/ABC
The way models have been disappearing from this show, you'd think they were stick figures banned from Fashion Week catwalks in Madrid. Alas, though it came as a surprise to everyone last week, middle-of-the-pack clotheshorse Albert Reed joined Josie Maran as one more pretty face that launched another pink slip. So much for Len Goodman's comment about Albert being this season's dark horse, because now he's just a dead one. As for the remaining hoofers, next up the ten couples perform the jive or the tango. — Joe FriedrichCan't get enough of Dancing With the Stars? Pick up the new issue of TV Guide Magazine for a cover story packed with behind-the-scenes scoops and cast interviews!
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Will Sabrina clobber the competition again? Sabrina Bryan, Mark Ballas by Carol Kaelson/ABC
Josie Maran's dismissal marks the second season in a row that the first star to be eliminated is a supermodel. Paulina Porizkova went last time, and, coincidentally, she was also paired with Alec Mazo. (What did he do to deserve such a fate?) Are they too accustomed to the straight line of the runway? Or are these swimsuit mannequins simply not used to wearing so many clothes? In any case, with Sabrina Bryan taking the early lead going into the second round, it just goes to show you that sometimes Cheetahs do prosper. — Joe Friedrich
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Dolly Parton
Some stars can cause a commotion just by walking into the room. And that was certainly the case with country legend Dolly Parton, who brought the crowd to its feet without any prompting from Dancing with the Stars' warm-up Cory Almeida. Rarely has the ballroom seen this kind of over-the-top reception for a guest performer. The only question was whether the 500 members of the studio audience would settle down long enough to let her sing. "I didn't have to say a word," says Almeida. "Come on, it's Dolly Parton."
Like most television shows that go out live to the satellite, Dancing with the Stars pretapes special segments that require too much extra setup to be done on the fly. There might be special staging, as there was for the exceptional performance by tap dancer
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Back to the runway for Josie Maran? Dancing With the Stars by Adam Larkey
Episode Recap: "Eviction 1" So Josie Maran was the night's ballroom roadkill. Was anyone really surprised? Didn't think so! Sorry Josie, I'm just being honest. Very classy of Alec to ask the viewers to vote for his new wife Edyta and Cameron Mathison, though. I was not happy about Mark Cuban being in the bottom two! And who voted for Wayne Newton? Please shout if you're out there, because I don't get it. On a lighter note, Dolly Parton sang "9 to 5"! (And some new song I had no interest in.) Question: Does anyone know when she started straightening her hair? I loved the Dolly with the gigantic mane of curls. It just wasn't the same!I thought Kenny Mayne's bit was really funny! How about those old photos of Len Goodman? He looked the same only with more hair! So, the first week is over! Was it all you thought it would be? Who got your vote this week? My eyes are already on next week and the next victim. Start making your predictions now, because it will be here before you know it.For...
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Will Floyd Mayweather survive this decision? Dancing With the Stars by Isaac Brekken/ABC
I don't see a big surprise coming our way tonight. There is a very solid bottom three in Wayne Newton, Floyd Mayweather and Josie Maran.The only injustice will be if Floyd Mayweather goes home too soon. He has a lot left to give.So who do you think will go? Are we in for an unexpected ousting? And don't forget, Dolly Parton's in the ballroom tonight! Let's chew the fat during the show and be sure to check back later for my thoughts on who was sent packing!
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Jane Seymour's still got it! Dancing With the Stars by Carol Kaelson/ABC
Episode Recap: "Premiere" (Sept. 24, 2007)Wow! Before the premiere of DWTS, I had no idea who Sabrina Bryan was — but now I won't forget her! That was some cha-cha. The best ever on the show, according to Carrie Ann Inaba. I agree. This girl is the one to beat!If anyone can go toe-to-toe with Sabrina, it's Mel B. She looks fantastic and she can shake it too! Her energy is surprising, considering she has an infant at home! Speaking of infants, congratulations go to Samantha Harris on the birth of her baby girl! It is different without her, is it not? It surprises me to say it, but I miss her. Drew Lachey is a welcome addition as host, but the backstage interviews just aren't the same.But back to the dancing! I love Jennie Garth. Is it me, or is she more beautiful now than during her 90210 days? Once she finds her confidence, I think she has major potential. I am rooting for her all the way!Someone else to look out for is Jane Seymour. She is grace personified! But maybe that sh...
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Josie Maran
Cover girl Josie Maran has never been a fan of Dancing with the Stars. "I didn't watch the show," says Maran, 29, a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model who has also been the face of Maybelline cosmetics. "And when I did see a little bit, I would say, 'I can't watch this show.' I didn't really see the appeal. To me, it looked kind of cheesy."
When the producers asked the 5-foot, 6-inch beauty to dance this season, she told them, "No way." So how did she end up on the show? It took an intimate 29th birthday party in May and the advice of some media-savvy friends to knock some sense into her. Not quite a supermodel nor a household name, Maran's friends convinced her that she could use a little more media exposure if she was going to successfully launch her own business, Josie Maran Cosmetics. "My friends said, 'You know what? You're
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Will Josie Maran and pro Alec Mazo waltz their way to a win? Dancing With the Stars by Adam Larkey/ABC
Sure, it may sound like the beginning of a lame joke: "A boxer, a Spice Girl and a Mormon waltz into a ballroom...." But there's nothing funny about the spirit of competition in this blockbuster reality series, which opens Season 5 with 12 hot-to-foxtrot contestants. The roster includes the aforementioned Floyd Mayweather Jr., Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown and crooner Marie Osmond, respectively — as well as Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan, pro racecar driver Helio Castroneves, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, 90210 alum Jennie Garth, actress Josie Maran, soap stud Cameron Mathison, legend Wayne Newton, model Albert Reed and Jane Seymour (yep, the Medicine Woman is gonna shake it!). We'll meet everyone, but the first round of performances on the premiere will feature female competitors only, while the men strut their stuff in another 90-minute episode the following night. — Joe Friedrich
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Cameron Mathison by Donna Svennevik/ABC; Jennie Garth by Stephen Lovekin/WireImage.com; Wayne Newton by Steve Granitz/Wireimage.com
Jane Seymour. Floyd Mayweather Jr. Wayne Newton. Jennie Garth. The lineup for the fifth season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars — premiering Sept. 24 — will again showcase actors and singers not known for their dancing, as well as former teen idols, models, athletes, and names many have never heard of. "The people who work best for us have a good story, who come from a field where you think, 'Wow, why are they doing this?'" says executive producer Conrad Green. That includes "Mr. Las Vegas," Wayne Newton, whom producers have been trying to land for two years. "I've worked my entire life doing two shows a night, seven nights a week," says the 65-year-old. "But this is a whole different ball of wax."The casting may seem arbitrary, but it's a very precise process. Explains Green, "We tend to start by thinking about a few key people we'd love to get on the show, or professions we haven't had. There are certain professions and personality types that the audience really engages w...
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