This thread is for discussing the serious mishaps that can occur on live television, how the show deals with them, and how you think the show should deal with them. Also the various injuries that occur off-screen, how the stars deal with them, and whether these are hyped up or really painful.

First, the producers are lucky to have Tom Bergeron, who's a cool-headed improv king at dealing with dancers who pass out (Marie Osmond), dancers who are about to pass out (Shannon Elizabeth), sick dancers (Derek Hough), dancers absent from the results show (Jane Seymour), and injuries on the floor (Cristian de la Fuente).

If Cristian has to withdraw, how should the producers handle it? They're in a bind. If he withdraws before tomorrow night, there's no point in holding a results show unless they eliminate someone else. They'll have to go into week eight with only four couples. Good luck finding filler material.

Dear Samantha: yes, I know you had to follow a script, but never ask someone in obvious pain if he's in pain. Just say, "Okay, you got sevens, good luck at the hospital" and stand aside before he body checks you.

It's a tricky situation. If Christian has to withdraw, they have some options... If he had the lowest total score they can continue with the normal elimination - but some might wonder if he "truly" had the lowest total or if it was just convenient to eliminate him. Conspiracy theories will abound. If someone else has the lowest total - will they eliminate them AND have Christian withdraw? My guess, is if he has to withdraw - then he goes tonight, but everyone's scores for this week carry on to next week so that they count for something. At any rate, I hope Christian doesn't have to withdraw.

Why not? They did this in S3 when Sara Evans left - went right through the safe/red light thing and called a Bottom Two, made them sweat it out... and then didn't eliminate anyone.

First off, I hope Cristian is alright. If he withdraws the only options the producers have imo are:

A. Announce at some point tonight that no one will go home.
B. Eliminate someone and end the season a week early.
D. Eliminate someone and have 2 couples in the finals instead of 3. That way it still ends on Week 10.

This would be the most likely outcome. Not only is there ample precedent for it, both on this show and on other versions of DWTS, but it would avoid numerous headaches that would arise if one of the other two solutions were implemented:

First, having an elimination, and thus ending the show a week early, would mean losing an entire week's worth of advertising revenue (since it would have to be refunded to the sponsors), and both the sponsors and TPTB at ABC would take an extremely dim view of costing them so much money in order to solve the problem.

Second, going to a final 2 would bring back the very problem that the final 3 was instituted to prevent in the first place, namely, having lopsided scoring and viewer voting taint the outcome more than some people already feel that they do.

No, if Cristián is forced out of the show, the producers will have no other alternative but to go to the solution that they've already used in the past, which is not to have an elimination tonight, and simply have everyone's scores and phone votes this week carried over and added onto next week's scores and phone votes, at which point an elimination would take place as usual, based upon the combined results from both weeks.

I agree that this will most likely be the case in the event of Cristian's withdrawal. But I would like to suggest eliminating the lowest scoring couple anyway (if it wasn't Cristian to begin with) and give us a week of pro dances to fill in the extra week. But I highly doubt this will happen.

A side benefit to this approach -- if the extra "exhibition week" were to be placed between semifinals and the finals -- is that everyone would have more rehearsal time for the finals, thus possibly decreasing the odds of the final dances being the suck-fest they have all too often become....

Nah, I don't think it's gonna happen either, but a girl can dream, can't she?

I always wanted them to have an extra week between the semi-finals and finals. An exhibition week or even showing highlights from the tour (great dances during the winter tour) too would be fine by me. But I doubt it. Or maybe the producers want Shannon off the screen as much as me so if she is suppose to leave tonight, they'll just follow through on the elimination.

The thing is, I think a lot of the casual viewers tune in solely for the celebrities, so the exhibition week would probably be a ratings disaster if they featured only the pros. Maybe they could have more group dances, or try a little partner-switching among the celebrities (nothing that would be graded/judged, so the celebs don't have to get all stressed out). I don’t know. It seems like that one extra week could provide DWTS a window of opportunity to do some alternative stuff.

Doubt this will happen, of course.

An extra week of something whether partner switching or more of Adam and his unicycle would work for me.

I'd love to see some past season couples, like Drew and Cheryl, Apolo and Julianne (although they are already performing next week), Mel and Maks (again, already performing next week, but I'll take as much M&M as I can get), Lisa and Louis, Anna and Jerry, etc.

This seems to be a very relevant topic to the show again. Not just to list the many many injuries, but as 3tigers astutely noted, to talk about how the show SHOULD be managing all of this.

Of greatest interest to me are what strategies we think they could implement to get "back up contestants" set and ready to go, and when they should use that option instead of some kind of non-elimination week, bringing an ejected couple back, etc.

I personally think they should be taking this more seriously, and less off the cuff, than they are. At least one of the replacements this year worked out really well, because she was a freakin' cheerleader and at least well conditioned to train hard, and was also immensely popular with ABC's reality audience, but they won't always be that lucky. The show needs to actually have solid backup strategies from now on--contracting a few "standby" celebs who actually train at least part-time for weeks before the premiere with some standby pros. As actually happened this time, these standbys will probably almost always be D-list reality people, but at least having some part-time training in the weeks before would mean that the show would be relying less on "getting lucky" or casting in an emergency fashion for "almost dancers".

If they're never needed, the huge marketing muscle of Disney/ABC (and maybe even Granada Media, which is huge internationally) rewards them somehow with some neat personal pimping opportunity elsewhere. But changes are they WILL be needed if the past few years are any indication. Up until about the season halfway point, when bringing in a backup would be too inherently unfair, and then the show can instead yank back the last eliminated couple.

Opinions?

What I have been wondering about regarding all of the injuries is the insurance issue. Who is paying for all of the ambulance runs and Xrays and MRIs, etc.? Will the insurer/s eventually tell ABC that they have to do something about all of the injuries before something catastrophic happens?

Does anybody have an idea of why there seem to be more injuries than every before? Are people doing more stunts than they used to, or rehearsing for longer?

Even if its just bad luck, or fate, the show needs to plan better.

What shocks me is how unprepared they seemed to be THIS season, after a major disaster last season, plus a number of other close calls at other times.

Misty left right after Week 3. Theoretically early enough to not be THAT unfair to bring in a backup (although probably right near the limit of what would be fair). This is versus, lets say... Sara Evans... who left more than half way through.

And it probably has a lot to do with the training. I think part of the blame may be on the pros - (although not entirely so in Steve-O's case, because while Lacey should've said something, can she stop him from ACTUALLY doing it while performing if he so wants to?) - because maybe they're going beyond what the celebrities can handle and not teaching them proper technique, warm-ups, et cetera... but I can't hlep the producers are also going "BIGGER. FLASHIER. WORK IT HARDER. MAKE IT BETTER. DO IT FASTER. MAKE IT STRONGER. THAT THAT THAT THAT THAT WON'T KILL YOU."

They gotta calm their shit down before somebody breaks their head or busts an implant.

I have to admit, every time this thread or the "DWTS In the Media" one gets bumped up, I'm always worried I'll be reading about yet another injury. Stupid show. God I love it.

There's a banner on Woz's blog which states: Possible disabling injury happened to Woz Friday Mar. 20 2:30 p.m. PST.

ETA: banner removed as of Saturday. Other source mentioned in Woz's "Stars" thread.

I imagine insurance pays for most of it ... but I often wonder why everyone needs an ambulance. It looked like they took Wozniak in an ambulance, but it was a pulled hamstring. I thought ambulances were for debilitating issues, like heart attacks. If one of us pulled a hamstring, we'd simply ask a friend or family member for a ride. Are ambulances a perquisite of the rich and famous?

...I could've sworn they stuffed him in a fire truck, but I think I saw the words "FD" and automatically assumed they meant "Fire Department."

That still would've been quite odd, though.

He and Steve-O really need to back out for their health. Granted, I think the Woz is a terrible dancer anyway (Steve-O's alright), but between the obvious pain Steve-O was in and Woz's shattered foot and now the hamstring, I think the competition would only take its toll on them and worsen their physical health drastically the longer they stayed in.

Yeah, I am not fond of dancing while seriously injured. My dream would be that tonight they drop the stupid dance off (ugh) and both Woz and Steve leave for health reasons.

Then they could just do a non-elimination, combined scores and votes for the next two dances for the others and we would be back even. I kind of like that anyway, because each team would have to do a latin and a standard dance before leaving.

I do wonder if the required high heels for women are part of the reason female injury has taken them out before the guys. If Woz had to be in heels, or even Steve in heels with his back? Maybe they would have already bowed out. I know that I couldn't put on a pair of heels right now, and I just have the banged up knee and twisted ankle...guys can get away with the flat supportive shoes, but the women just look bad without those heels.

The reason for the ambulance is for legal issues as it is a workman's comp injury. The FD did stand for fire department, Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD)

Here is a question from Mr. Boton regarding injuries (I looked, and I think this is the closest thread to the issue I am addressing): For those who watch DWTS analogs from other cultures, do they have the degree of injuries that we have seen this season? And if not, do you have the perception that the teams are traning less, training over a longer period of time, or attempting fewer tricks?

I haven't noticed a particularly heavy trend towards injuries on the versions that I watch, Boton. I'm sure that there have been a few, but it hasn't yet risen to anywhere near the level that I've seen on DWTS this year. The teams on the other versions have the same amount of training time that ours do (four weeks to start, and a week per dance until they reach the two-dances-a-week phase.) However, interestingly enough, most of the European versions that I've seen (Poland, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Romania, and Italy) not only allow lifts and other tricks, but they almost seem to require them, so I actually see more tricks being done on the other versions than I do on our own. The one exception is the British original, Strictly Come Dancing, where lifts are as a rule prohibited except for in American Smooth, Argentine Tango, and Showdance (Freestyle.)

Thanks legaleagel44! Always value your dance opinion!

According to this article about Shawn Johnson's contract, the show has no liability for injuries:

It's reasonable to assume that all the stars have their own insurance that would pay for their direct medical expenses. The contract provision is probably intended to protect the show from being sued for things like pain, suffering, and loss of income from other employment opportunities.

Holly is hurt.

But she's committed to the dance and to Dmitry. Me too!

That was the first report. Later reports have Holly's rep confirm she didn't break her rib, only bruised and she is resting and taking pain meds, and is expected to stay in the competition.

I would like to see the show require that the celebs do a few weeks with a personal trainer working on general fitness and strength training (on a more reasonable schedule) before they even meet their dance partners and start learning to dance. I think that could really cut down on the injuries.

I'm not sure what to think about the injuries. There have been 2 groups of dancers that have had no injuries: the athletes (as expected) and the older people. I would have expected Cloris Leachman to keel over, and she didn't.

I don't think Cloris and the older set push themselves quite as hard as the younger people vying for their spot for perhaps face time on TV.

Misty would be the exception to the athletes, right? She had a season ending injury.

legaleagle or other lawyer types: is that sort of liability waiver as useful as most waivers (that is to say not at all?)

I am still trying to figure out what the HECK Jewel was doing that she broke both legs. Torn meniscus, yeah, that kind of stuff happens, but two legs. Really?

What are the commonalities among those injured? Nancy, Jewel, Woz, Steve-O, and now Holly: all I can come up with is that none of these folks had regular jobs that required the kind of baseline strength and body awareness that might help protect until foundational technique is learned. Now, if one of the athletes gets hurt, I'm going to have to revise my opinion. But until then, I can at least hope that this teaches the home viewers that this sport is actually diffcult. [/grumble]

Misty May had to drop out last season because she tore something. She was an athlete who had just competed in the Olympics a month or two before.

Reposting from Jewel's thread - Here's a quote from Jewel's blog about how she got stress fractures in both legs (according to her doctor):

Or non-athletes, as the case may be :)


I think maybe Misty's injury was either something that occurred after years of stress from her volleyball career, or one of those freak things where she landed on her foot wrong, with a lot of force, and her Achilles tendon just ruptured. I may not be remembering correctly, but I think for the most part athletes have fared quite well in the past (aside from the usual aches and pains that come with practicing something new for many hours a day).

It'll be interesting to see how they handle Melissa's cracked rib. She really can't dance on that and may have to drop out to avoid puncturing a lung, even if she and Tony exclude lifts.

The doc said IT”S MOST LIKELY ( he didn't actually see one) a hairline fracture. He didn’t say she’s suffering from cracked ribs. As far as we know she didn’t dance last night because of an allergic reaction that causes her to have difficulty breathing.

According to her boyfriend Tye she broke 3 ribs. That's quite different than a hairline fracture. But at the same time Tony said she had a bad reaction to treatment. I wonder what is really going on with her.

I hope she's able to continue. It'll be such an extreme loss if shes not able to be in the finals and/or win.

Whenever we lose celebs it's sad, but it's gut wrenching to lose someone with a huge shot at winning.

I hope she'll be safe tonight and able to continue.

My completely uneducated guess is that they gave her something for the pain of the fractured/cracked/whatever ribs and she had an allergic reaction to it. It's the fact that both Tom and Tony made reference to a reaction to treatment, not to the injury itself, that was keeping her from performing. Maybe we'll get more info tonight. Maybe not.

If it was an allergic reaction to a medication, she can probably continue dancing. If it really is 3 cracked/broken ribs, however, I can't see how she can safely continue.

It's a shame. I think she had the finale locked up, and a shot at the mirror ball (although I still want Gilles to win). Now, even if she can continue, I doubt she'll be able to dance to her full potential. Of course, that may not matter. Between producer manipulation and people's sympathy votes, she may get to the finale anyway. But I doubt she could win.

As far as athletes go, didn't Laila Ali have knee issues? IIRC, it was something that she came into the show with, but I remember her wearing flats for a number of dances towards the end of her season, as her knees got really bad.

Laila also wrenched her back picking Apolo Ohno up! She did it two or three times. And what tripped her up was the stupid high heels. I bet barefoot she wouldn't have had any problem lifting him, though he's was heavier than he looked - his legs are enormous - so I think maybe 160 lbs? And I think she had back problems before the season - and knee ones as well. But most athletes have had all manner of injuries.