ABC "Dancing With the Stars"
“Dancing With the Stars” seasons 31 and 32 will be airing live on Disney+ in a first for the streaming service. The show will not be airing on ABC, or at least, most of the episodes will not make it to the network.
The official schedule for ABC’s fall slate was released on Tuesday, May 17, and it includes “Bachelor in Paradise” airing in what used to be the spot for “Dancing With the Stars” on Monday nights at 8 p.m.
That doesn’t mean that “Dancing With the Stars” will be totally absent from the network, however.
‘Dancing With the Stars’ Is a ‘Key’ Priority
#DWTS “might” find its way back to ABC for the Season 31 finale (only that episode).
ABC Fall Schedule: Bachelor in Paradise to Dancing With the Stars Slot – Variety t.co/K3aAAhySIb
According to Variety, “Dancing With the Stars” remains a “key” priority for ABC going into the new season of the show.
“What I can say is I think you’ll see it be a key priority across all of the Disney ecosystem,” Craig Erwich, president of Hulu Originals & ABC Entertainment, told the outlet. “In the same way we focused messaging on ‘Abbott Elementary’ or the synergistic opportunities for the Oscars, I’m sure you’ll see the same thing for ‘Dancing With the Stars.'”
According to Kristyn Burtt, who often reports on “Dancing With the Stars,” that could mean the show will find its way to the network for the season finale.
“#DWTS “might” find its way back to ABC for the Season 31 finale (only that episode).,” she tweeted after the article was released.
Fans Have Mixed Reactions to the News
In a Reddit thread after the announcement, fans had mixed reactions to the news.
“they should’ve just let a different network pick it up bruh,” one person replied to the post.
Another wrote, “What’s the point in doing that? To rub it in the faces of those who aren’t willing to pay for one more streaming service? A big part of this show is connecting with the pros and ‘celebrities’ as they progress through the weeks of the competition. The finale will be such an easy pass. I’m willing to choose C-Span over it.”
“Really makes me sad that this show basically got the axe so that a bunch of 20 year olds that don’t want to work and just want to be influencers can make out on a beach,” one reply reads.
“Bachelor in Paradise” airing on two nights a week is new, and the network explained why they made that decision during the Disney upfront, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“The ‘Bachelor franchise has always had expressions on both Monday and Tuesday nights, so we know the audience expects to find [those shows] across those nights,” Erwich told the outlet. “‘Bachelor in Paradise,’ in terms of live plus same-day numbers, matched or exceeded ‘Dancing With the Stars.'”
He added, “So in terms of bringing a powerhouse show to fill that spot, it was a natural candidate.”
He added that the show has “so many storylines and so many characters that it’s able to successfully expand over the course of the two nights. It’s one of the shows I always get the most conversation around – people love to watch it, and they really love to talk about it. So it’s a great way to kick off the week.”
“Dancing With the Stars” will return in the fall of 2022 in a new home. The show will now air live exclusively on Disney+ instead of on ABC.
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