Getty BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 18: Abby Lee Miller attends the "Biography: Farrah Fawcett Forever" Screening and Q&A at The Paley Center
With TV production on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, networks are being forced to get increasingly creative with their programming. The latest virtual show offering is Dance Moms: Abby’s Virtual Dance Off, premiering Wednesday, May 13 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime.
If you don’t have cable, here’s how to watch Dance Moms: Abby’s Virtual Dance Off on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV or other streaming device for free:
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Watch Lifetime on Philo TV
Lifetime is included in Philo’s main 59-channel bundle, which is the cheapest among all streaming services if you plan on keeping it long-term. It comes with a free seven-day trial, and no credit card is required to sign up:
Once signed up for Philo, you can then watch Dance Moms: Abby’s Virtual Dance Off live on your computer via the Philo website, or on your phone (iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV or or other supported device via the Philo app.
If you can’t watch live, Philo also allows you to DVR programs and watch them up to 30 days later. And even if you forget to DVR something, Philo also comes with a 72-hour rewind feature, which allows you to replay shows that have aired in the last three days.
Watch Lifetime on FuboTV
Lifetime is one of 95-plus live TV channels included in the main FuboTV bundle, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can then watch Dance Moms: Abby’s Virtual Dance Off live on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of Cloud DVR (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours), as well as a “72-Hour Lookback” feature, which allows you to watch most shows up to three days after they air (and sometimes longer) even if you don’t record them.
Watch Lifetime on Sling TV
Sling TV’s “Sling Blue” package comes with 47 channels, including Lifetime. Moreover, as part of Sling’s special “Happy Hour” promotion, you can sign up for Sling Blue anytime for free (no credit card required) and then watch for free between 5 p.m. and midnight ET:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch Dance Moms: Abby’s Virtual Dance Off live on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes with 10 hours of cloud DVR.
Dance Moms: Abby’s Virtual Dance Off Preview
In late April, Lifetime gave the green light to Abby Lee Miller’s new series, Dance Moms: Abby’s Virtual Dance Off, which sees the dance instructor return to Lifetime for the first time since September 2019. It will run for 12 episodes.
The press release from Lifetime teases: “In each self-contained episode, Abby Lee Miller invites dancers from across the country to submit their best moves and footwork to see who has what it takes to impress her enough to be named ‘The Abby Dancer.'”
“Who says you need a big shiny stage to show off your skills? On Abby’s Virtual Dance Off, kids from across the country will show off their best dance moves from the comfort of their own homes! A hip-hop routine in the kitchen or a ballet recital in the backyard — anything goes!”
“More than ever, our audiences need those familiar faces they love, and with the explosion of people filming their dance moves to be shared, Abby’s Virtual Dance Off provides us the opportunity to bring some of the most talented dancers to the forefront on television,” said Gena McCarthy, EVP Unscripted Development and Programming, Lifetime and Head of Programming, FYI.
Miller has had some struggles in recent years. In June 2016, she pleaded guilty to felony bankruptcy fraud and was sentenced in May 2017 to a year in federal prison. Miller was released early, in March 2018, but was subsequently diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma and had to undergo chemotherapy and two surgeries. Afterward, she was wheelchair-bound but cancer-free.
In a piece for Women’s Health Magazine, Miller wrote that being in a wheelchair has been tough — but not because of the physical challenges. She said it made her invisible to people.
“The physical challenges are awful, but humanity disappoints me even more. When you’re in a wheelchair, you’re invisible to people. Picture this: When I’m driving down the sidewalk, people walk right into me and trip over my chair. You’re not at eye-level, so people don’t notice you.”
Dance Moms: Abby’s Virtual Dance Off airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime.
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