Well kids, this is it! It's been just over two months since this crazy season started and now it's all coming to an end. Who would be taking home the crown and who would go home in utter defeat? More importantly, who is being booted right away and settling for third place? I'm anticipating an interesting (yet long!) night ahead, so let's dive into it one last time!After a short interview with our finalists, Usher entered the ballroom and I shouted with glee. He's sexy and talented and he really hasn't had a song I haven't liked. Despite having a headset, I definitely think he wasn't singing his new hit song "Love in This Club" but that's really fine with me. It's a dancing show and if singing live would have made it hard for him to break it down at the end then he shouldn't have sang. I also think every performer on this show has lip-synched so this isn't abnormal. We've had some pretty great performances this year. Which was your favorite? Then the first big moment of the night arr...
read more
He predicted it even before the dancing started. Magician Penn Jillette said that if you looked at the big picture, booking him for the show and then booting him out first wouldn't be a bad move for the producers of Dancing with the Stars. "I like a little bit of game theory," Jillette said in his first interview about the show. "The producers could have me on and say: 'We're booking Sasquatch and isn't that funny? And then when he loses, it'll be funny, too.'" But once he signed on the dotted line, Jillette committed himself fully. He got a trainer in Las Vegas that he calls "the Nazi. He's a very, very bad man." He dropped an astonishing 48 pounds before the show went on the air. He got special orthopedic shoes for feet that have been battered by his more than three decades in show business, starting with circus training. "The producers made me promise that I would try as hard as I could," he says.And he did. "He did his best," said his wife, Emily, after Tuesday...
read more
All the magic in the world couldn't keep Penn Jillette and Monica Seles in the competition. Good job, America. I wonder how long Adam Carolla will hang on? Marissa and him may be hanging on by the skin of their teeth. In the midst of the hour-long fluff that is the results show, I started thinking about what a colossal waste of time it is. Do I need two performances by the Jonas Brothers? Do I need to see people flying in mid-air? No, I don't. With the sixth installment under way, I must say this show is in need of a makeover. So let's get a discussion started: What do you want to see changed for next season of Dancing with the Stars? Maybe if we make enough noise, ABC will listen. Mmmm
not bloody likely. But at least we can say we tried! Here are a few of my suggestions: Enough with the fluffThose two hour shows could easily be 90 or 60 minutes if they cut out the intro pieces before the contestants dance. Another option would be to considerably shorten them (do I need...
read more
Phew! Tonight was a marathon, not a sprint. As much as I love this show, 2 hours and all 12 competitors was a bit much for me. Luckily, there was nothing a good mambo couldn't fix. Raise your hand if you totally fantasize about being a competitor on this show. I do, I do! I always have the coolest dress, the best technique and a song that doesn't stink! Oh, and Maksim is my partner every time. Yeah, you know it!But enough about my delusions of grandeur, it's D-List casserole time. So get yourself a plate and I'll serve up some recap for ya! Mahoney Could he be any cuter? Despite some major stiffness (hehe), he seemed to be enjoying himself. I hope he sticks around long enough to revive his career. ABC get this man a pilot! Mambo 16Cristián The military bit was ridiculous but his dancing was not. Thankfully, Cheryl has someone who can keep up with her this year.Quickstep 20Monica It wasn't as big of a disaster as I thought, but it wasn't pretty eith...
read more
Heya, Matt here. The latest edition of the increasingly prolific Mitovich Mega Minute features my video Q&A with Dancing stars Steve Guttenberg and Monica Seles. Is Steve at an unfair advantage because of his past "experience" with the Village People? Will Monica's trademark grunts make their way onto the dance floor? And why are they picking on my dancing skills?! It's all in here. Enjoy! — Matt Webb Mitovich
read more