According to USA Today, ABC has announced that Dancing with the Stars will return on March 19 with a two-hour season premiere. The big news, however, is that they will be shifting time slots. The ninety-minute performance shows will air every Monday at 8 PM ET/PT and the one-hour results shows will air on Tuesdays at 9 PM ET/PT. There is one reason and one reason only for this change in schedule: American Idol.
Although Dancing with the Stars is one of the top-rated shows on TV, nothing can go against the mighty American Idol without being beaten into a bloody, lifeless pulp. Dancing with the Stars, actually, could probably do all right against Idol, at least better than most shows could.
It’s incredible the degree to which networks are scared of American Idol. I understand it, of course, but you’re going to have to put up some competition against the Idol juggernaut eventually. Who better than Dancing with the Stars?
What this does ensure, however, is that Dancing with the Stars will continue to find itself in the top 5 of the Nielsen ratings, slotted somewhere behind American Idol. Of course, this news is best for those who are fans of both American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. Which seems to be most of the country.
-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
