Welcome back to another season of
Dancing with the Stars. As usual, I'm familiar with some of the participants, and it's my pleasure to kick off the season with my hopes and concerns for each one:
Susan Lucci: I think Ms. Lucci will probably do very well but in the tradition of other over-40 contestants, her charm and grace will likely take her to midseason and no further.
Toni Braxton: If she takes the competition seriously, she could also make it to midseason, when the athletic component of the competition starts to become more important.
Lance Bass: Mr. Bass comes in with a solid dancing background, and like Mr. Lachey and Mr. Fatone before him, brings built-in appeal from women (and likely some men) who grew up in the 1990s. I expect him to go far.
Cloris Leachman: I would have to check but it is possible that Ms. Leachman is the oldest contestant ever on the American version of
Dancing with the Stars. She is certainly the funniest; her parts in Mel Brooks films and her stint on the
Mary Tyler Moore show are legendary. I wonder if she'll connect with the 18-34 demographic, though. Certainly she will be unable to compete athletically.
Ted McGinley: Mr. McGinley is a bit of an in-joke...
www.jumptheshark.com identified him as one of the first true showkillers. When Ted McGinley joins the cast, you haven't got very long. I don't know if he can dance, though.
Brooke Burke: As cheesecake models go, Ms. Burke seems harmless, and while she is certainly athletic enough to compete in the early competition, this sort of contestant doesn't always connect with the more female audience.
Warren Sapp, Misty May-Treanor, and Maurice Greene: I hope these athletes don't mind being lumped together but I simply don't know anything about them.
Rocco DiSpirito and Kim Kardashian: When reality shows start pulling people from other reality shows, perhaps it's time to rethink the whole formula. I wish both these individuals the best after their hopefully short run on
Dancing with the Stars ends.
Cody Linley: Anyone? I apologize, I'm a little outside of that target demographic.
Jeffrey Ross: Mr. Ross is a brilliant comedian, but never struck me as a dancer. Let's see where he goes.
Well friends, there's the early handicap. I expect to see Mr. Bass go far, but other than that I think the field's wide open!
