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Speculation is mounting that Dancing With The Stars might be considering a shift in its format rather than its lineup. Former host Tom Bergeron recently took the spotlight as a guest judge and expressed his views on reinstating the show’s original two-episode-per-week format, applauding how it fostered a sense of community among viewers.
Given Tom Bergeron’s extensive tenure with the beloved dance competition series, his insights could significantly influence both the network and the show’s producers. So, how did ABC react to Tom’s straightforward suggestion that a return to the classic format might enhance the show?
It was indeed Tom Bergeron who initiated the conversation about reverting to the two-episode format. As the show’s host from its debut through Season 28, which concluded in 2019, Tom’s familiarity with the program’s history lends weight to his perspective.
Former Host Tom Bergeron Wants The Old Format Back
It was the show’s original host, Tom Bergeron, who originally brought up the conversation about the show reverting back to its two episodes a week format. Tom was the host of the show from its original season all the way through Season 28, which aired in 2019.
Longtime viewers of the show will recall that, with this old structure, viewers used to watch all the dance performances on one night, send in their votes, then hear the elimination results on the second night in a completely separate episode. In recent years, parent network ABC has decided to scale back to one show a week, bringing everything into one episode instead.
Tom took on the role of guest judge on DWTS earlier this month, and he used the opportunity to note how much he missed the second episode of the week, also known as the “results show:”
The results show was great. It was like a variety show with an elimination at the end. I think the ratings now would really speak to it being time to bring that back. It made the voting more fair across the country because the West Coast can’t vote now unless they’re watching on wherever the h*** you’d watch it streamed live.
Tom even appealed to the executives at ABC in charge of the decision. “In my last comments as a judge, I want to talk directly to the network. This show is setting ratings records again, so next season bring back the results show. Let the whole country vote. Let everybody vote,” he added.
The Network Says They Likely Won’t Change The Structure
Unfortunately for Tom, it seems like the one-episode structure is here to stay. One of the main executives behind the show, Deena Katz, explained in a recent conversation with TV Insider that the shorter format was performing well for them:
It’d be fun to do those again, but I feel we’re doing great right now. I’m thrilled with what we’re doing.
With the ratings going strong, it seems like there’s little incentive to revert back to the old ways. Despite Tom’s heartfelt plea, it sounds like the separate results episode will remain a thing of the past.
In the meantime, the battle for the mirrorball trophy in Season 34 continues on. New episodes of DWTS air every Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST and stream on Hulu the following day.
