Now that the couples have officially been announced, use this thread to discuss the couples, speculate on who will win, etc. Spoilers (who will be on, what dances they will be doing, what songs they will be dancing to) belong in the spoiler thread.

To kick things off? Misty May-Treanor, FTW!

ETA: Here's the full list of contestants:

Lance Bass (with Lacey Schwimmer)
Toni Braxton (with Alec Mazo)
Brooke Burke (with Derek Hough)
Rocco DiSpirito (with Karina Smirnoff)
Maurice Greene (with Cheryl Burke)
Kim Kardashian (with Mark Ballas)
Cloris Leachman (with Corky Ballas)
Cody Linley (with Julianne Hough)
Susan Lucci (with Tony Dovolani)
Misty May-Treanor (with Maksim Chmerkovskiy)
Ted McGinley (with Inna Brayer)
Jeffrey Ross (with Edyta Sliwinska)
Warren Sapp (with Kym Johnson)

Initial thoughts:

Who the hell did Lacey sleep with to get someone like Lance Bass in her first season??? I call shennanigans. UGH.

I think Misty and Lance have the best shot at winning, with Susan Lucci making a good run with all those soapies voting for her. I have no idea who Cody Linley is besides the fact that he's on that Hannah Montana show so I don't know how well that will translate over to DWTS, but being paired with Julianne can't hurt. Plus they have the young, cute, blonde thing going on so who knows. Can't wait to see what kind of spunk Cloris Leachman brings to the table, but I doubt she'll last very long. Rocco and Karina could have potential. Edyta and Kym got the shaft again this year.

Tony got the shaft again, and again, and again. Seriously!

Wow. This lineup is seriously horrendous. Pass.

How to make thread titles out of this sad sack of "contenders?" Oy!

At least Maks is back.

I half-expected Nick Kosovich to come back and get stuck with Kim K. Just because that would be his luck.

ABC -

Wow. Really not a great cast. It's like the producers forgot that there would be dancing involved. Just because you can break out the superlatives, doesn't mean it's a great idea! I mean realistically how long can Cloris Leachman or Toni Braxton last? And Susan Lucci is unlikely to win. Not a great line-up for competition. And Kim Kardashian... ick.

With all this engineered *drama* it looks like DWTS might be ramping up to jump the shark. And it's not even Ted McGinley's fault!

Cody and Julianne could be too saccharine to stomach.

I'm just happy that Alec got someone who actually might not be the first one out.

Toni Braxton has a heart condition which led to her canceling the last part of her Vegas show earlier this year. If there is one person who I DON'T want to see faint on live TV, it's her.

Forgive my ignorance. But what does "jump the shark" mean?

Well, I'm officially underwhelmed. I'm not excited about any of the "stars" this year, so I think I'll be voting based on the pros. In which case, Maks and Misti for the win!!

I suppose one of the stars could win me over, and maybe coming into it without any clear favorite will make me focus more on their dancing, which wouldn't be a bad thing.

ETA - Ted McGinley's appearance on this show is utterly confusing. When one of the biggest show-killers in the history of television appears on one of the most popular tv shows currently airing, whose power wins out? And by the way, this is nothing against Ted, who from all accounts is lovely person with a ridiculously long resume. He just happens to join the cast of shows right before they tank.

In my excitement over Alec being back, I missed that Johnathan and Anna aren't listed. Bummer.

Corky and no Jonathan - that's just not right.



That's for sure.

ITA. Corky Ballas? And no Jonathan? or Anna? Ugh.

What happened to Ashly Delgrosso? I thought she was going to be back this season?

Poor Kym..how come they won't give her a contender?

Well, I have mixed feelings about this season's cast. I'm excited about Misty May-Treanor and Cloris Leachman. I was a fan of Lacey Schwimmner when she danced on SYTYCD, so despite all the negative comments, I'm excited to see her dance again. The pros have to be really, really obnoxious for me to dislike them, whereas just a little obnoxiousness from a star annoys me. Double standard? Yes, but I give the pros a lot more leeway because they're such great dancers, and I get so much enjoyment from watching them. In the category of who the hell are these people, are Brooke Burke, Rocco DiSpirito, Cody Linley and Jeffrey Ross. Looks like I have a lot of googling to do later today.

Biggest season's disappointment: No Tom Selleck. But even without him I'm still looking forward to this season. I love this show!

Kym got Warren Sapp. He's definitely on the top 4. Why poor Kym? I guess she's used to big celeb.

I am really suprised that Maks got another young fit partner. The reason I say this is that on both his own website and ABC there is a lot of talk of him deserving an older but sexy 50+ partner. It is his time to make an older woman shine and prove that she can dance just as well and be as sexy as the younger ones. They want to see how would handle an older woman and since his fan base is primarily women who are older women consisting of moms and grandmas I thought ABC would try to give the fans what they wanted. I thought he would get the older partner this year too. When I say older I mean in her 50s or 60s, not 30s or 40s.

I like him being with matched with Misty but I have a feeling that a lot of his fans feel let down this year with another young partner. I am sure they will still vote because they love him and he is a star. Maybe if he is back in the spring he will finally get his sexy cougar partner and give Tony or Jonathan the younger partner for a change.

Why do you think he always gets the younger ones?

Jonathan and Anna both have other things to do--they're do remarkably well competing with their new partners. Jonathan and his partner even beat the reigning Smooth champions at one competition, which is something that generally doesn't happen.

As for Corky, well...it should be entertaining, at least. In some sense of the world. (I want to see Cloris Leachman put the smackdown on him. THAT would be cracklin' good television.)

From www.jumptheshark.com, which claims to have invented the term...

Q. What is jumping the shark?
A. It's a moment. A defining moment when you know that your favorite television program has reached its peak. That instant that you know from now on...it's all downhill. Some call it the climax. We call it "Jumping the Shark." From that moment on, the program will simply never be the same.
The term "jump the shark" was coined by site founder Jon Hein's college roommate of 4 years, Sean J. Connolly, in Ann Arbor, Michigan back in 1985. This web site, book, film, and all other material surrounding shark jumping, are hereby dedicated to "the Colonel."

The aforementioned expression refers to the telltale sign of the demise of Happy Days, our favorite example, when Fonzie actually "jumped the shark." The rest is history.


And incidentally, they consider Ted McGinley their "patron saint" for all the shows he's been on (Happy Days included) when or after said show has jumped the shark.

I'm so glad to know this. The thought of either one of them being shoved aside for Corky made my stomach turn.

Is it wrong that I'm crazy happy about Ted McGinley?

Exactly! I was going to say something here about a pattern here, but rather not. The reason Tony seemed happier last season was because he didn't have an old partner for a change. Maks said himself that working with old people is hard work. Well, it was about time he did some work. I would rather see Tony with someone younger with no fanbase then someone old like Susan Lucci.

I think it is because they think he will have a better chance of surviving longer with a younger partner. They know that a LOT of women tune in to see Maks *cough*me*cough* and they want those women tuning in for as much of the season as possible. Now, will I stop watching if Maks is eliminated early, probably not, unless the season is REALLY boring. But I'm compulsive that way. I'm sure there are many viewers who stop watching when their fav is eliminated.

Also, Maks' looks and sex appeal aside, his personality alone makes for good television. Love him or hate him, you want to see what he's going to do next.



Is there going to be a spring season? Have we gotten confirmation whether they are going to one season per year? Just wondering...

Yep. But wouldn't his fans keep him on? If they are watching the show for him it doesn't who he is dancing with and in fact his fan base would be even more excited if he were dancing with an older partner who was closer to thier own age?

I dunno... Sapp's a retired football player. So far, they've got a pretty good track record. He may not win the whole enchilada, but he's got a halfway decent chance at the top five, just simply because he's a football player. Unless he turns out to be another Penn.

Any thoughts about Roco and how he will do? I find him an interesting candidate. I wonder how he will get along with Karina?

Not that Warren isn't athletic, because he's a former football star, but she has a big celeb already last season. And I guess I expected her to be with Lance Bass since she partnered with Joey F last time.

I don't, I've seen enought to know that he won't win. He'll make to the finals becasue he has Misty but he won't win.

I think height has more to do with this pairing than anything. Misty is 5'9", which makes her taller or at least as tall as all of the male pros. Once you add the high heels, Maks is the only partner she wouldn't look ridiculous with - he's the only one of the guys who's over 6 feet tall. I mean, I'd like to see Tony get a great partner as much as anyone else, but he's 5'6".

See, I would think they would NOT pair her with Lance for that very reason.

Re; Rocco DiSpirito, I don't know the first thing about him but in my mind, for some reason, celebrity chef = big ego. If that's true, pairing him with Karina could make for some major fireworks. Of course, he could be a total pussycat, I have no actual idea.

"His name is Lance and my name is Lacey and together that makes us Lancey! And I made one for him too!"

Lacey and Lance together is going to be such a wonderful mess of mugging and actual dance skill. I'm really sick of the Mark/Derek/Julianne praise and someone new and even more popular coming along is going to be awesome. I think Lacey can out-mug all three of them on her own.



Way to stick the new girl with someone not all that famous. These two are probably gone in the first couple of weeks since neither of them has a rabid fanbase. Which is a shame, because I kind of love Ted McGinley.



Rocco was quite the asshole on The Restaurant, his reality show a few years back. Major ego and really quite a jerk. Those to together should be interesting.

Tony had Stacy ( 5'10") and Leeza ( 5'9") - height has nothing to do with it. He's 6ft, btw.

I only have one gripe on this list - Kim. K. I wish someone would tell her she's not a star. Her mug is everywhere and for no good reason. I hope she's the first to go.

Based on this comment and a few others, I'd say Ted's got a bit of a stealth fanbase. Just think, if every person who's ever watched just one episode of any of the programs he's been on in the last 25 years were to vote for him, he'd be UNSTOPPABLE!




I'd like to think so, but I have a feeling he'll be "The Gute" of this season. Unless he has mad dance skillz, he'll get by for a while on charm and the viewers' general affection, but then be eliminated as competition gets tougher. But hey, come on Ted, prove me wrong.

Isn't Fabian a tall guy? Why isn't he back?

Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill) participated in a DWTS-type charity event in Chicago, and wound up winning - he did a routine where he used chef's tongs as castinets. Chefs are by nature creative - I think he can be a lot of fun.

Aside from being the Saint of Jump The Shark, he is a regular sub for Regis Philbin on his show. I think he's the dark horse in terms of fan base this year.

I'm with you. I'm unaware of all the stuff about Lacey's mom or whatever homophobic thing happened with her and Dominic and Hok or whoever. All I know is I loved watching that girl dance like no one else ('cept maybe Danny) last season of SYTYCD and I am most definitely looking forward to seeing her on the show.

Plus anything that might draw some attention away from the Hough/Ballas trifecta (or really it's not a trifecta anymore since Corky's on) with the younger fans of the show, I'm all for it. Speaking of Corky, who exactly thought this was a good idea?

Out of curiosity, there are no more kids lurking around in that family is there because seriously at this point, I fear we'll be over-run with the entire damn family (and extended family in the case of Derek/Julianne) soon. Aren't there other talented, famous dancers in the world of ballroom?

Interesting that the Wonder Triplets were paired with relative unknowns. Well, unknown to me anyway, except for Cody Linley, and I only know who he is because I have Hannah Montana-crazed daughters. But even he isn't a Hannah Montana regular, he's an occasional guest star. And I'm guessing anyone who doesn't have HM fans aren't going to know him from Adam.

It looks like they are looking to eliminate the Triplets early on. Fear of backlash?

ETA - sunalsosets we were posting at the same time so I didn't see your post before I wrote mine, but your attitude towards the Ballas/Hough clan may answer my question re backlash.

My sentiments exactly. I really like Jonathan and Anna and, by the end of last season, really started to dislike Mark (which was too bad since I enjoyed seeing Kristi perform). Having his dad around will be like rubbing salt into a wound.

I only know two things about her: that she's a reality show camera whore and that she's dating Reggie Bush. Since I have a very low tolerance for camera whores and Reggie is a former USC Trojan, I'm rooting against Kim K. on principle alone.

I was going to say the same thing. Every show TM has been on has jumped the shark the season he joins it.

"Jump the Shark" basically means that the show was good until "that point" and after "that point" it sucked. "That point" in this example being, TM joining the show.

I don't see that. Yes people may not know who Cody Linley is but think about it, Julianne was the perfect partner for him. He's young, cute, adorable, the young tween/teen fans of the show will probably love him and she's ridiculosly popular with that set. With some flashy choreography from her, I could very honestly see them making it to the end.

Unless you were a short-track fan or remembered the Salt Lake City Olympics, how many people really knew Apolo and coupled with that, Julianne was a new pro that season and they won. My guess is she and Cody will probably develop a decent size teen/tween following and you know the rumors will start even if she apparently has a boyfriend. They'll be fine.

As for Derek and Mark. I can see the Kim K. backlash by some and I could see a Sabrina type situation where she doesn't have a strong fanbase so one bad week and they'll be out but she must have some kind of fanbase considering how popular her E! show is despite her being famous for nothing and Brooke Burke I think is fairly known and she's hot.

I'm thinking if she has some decent dancing abilities, she could last awhile. I don't see any kind of manipulation on the producers' part with who those three were paired up with. Truly the only person it seems they hate is Kym. Has she had a contender since Joey Fatone?

Since Joey she's had Mark Cuban and Penn Jilette. Ouch.

I'm really looking forward to this season. I like almost everyone except for 3 of the celebs. Still don't understand how the hell Kim K got on but all I can hope is that she is gone early. Hopefully Lance can help me enjoy Lacey for once. Toni Braxton is the one celeb I am really looking forward to watching. I have been a fan of hers for ages. I just hope she can make it through the show without a terrible incident. Cloris I think is going to be a blast. Overall I am happy with this cast.

I am so glad that Susan Lucci is finally appearing. She and Ted McGinley are my early favorites.

But the same could be said for the Sabrina/Mark pairing. She was a Disney star, well known among the tweens, unknown among anyone else, with a new-to-the-show young partner who favored flashy routines. Everyone expected them to make it to the end, and were shocked when she was eliminated early. Bottom line, she wasn't well-known enough to the majority of the show's voting viewers. And Sabrina was a dancer, whereas I have never seen Cody Linley dance, not even on the Disney Channel. Finally, Sabrina was probably better known among the tweens than Cody Linley is. He's at best a second-level Disney "star".

I would be extremely surprised if Cody and Julianne make it past the midway mark, even with Julianne's popularity.

Yes but the point is the producers did expect them to make it far, which is why their elimination was shocking. The point I thought you were making was that somehow the show had it out for the three and was trying to get them eliminated early and I'm saying I don't see that. Now whether the viewers vote for them, who knows.
It's hard to predict exactly how the season will go and what people will do just based on the contestants' names being released. We've seen over and over unexpected people last longer than expected. However I just cannot see how there's any kind of plan to have the three eliminated early based on who they were paired with.

Again I just don't see in the case of Cody Linley anyone else he could have been paired up with than Julianne. Visually, age wise, popularity wise, etc. and a whole lot of other factors, that pairing makes a lot of sense to me. Also, regarding the Mark/Sabrina issue, I got the sense that a lot of the Sabrina backlash was due to many thinking she was a ringer and should not have been on the show. I don't see that happening with Cody. If anyone will get that label it'll probably Lance, just like some felt Joey was a ringer.

And see, I see the Brooke/Derek pairing as being too much like Shannon v.2.0. Speaking of which, are those two crazy kids still dating?

One thing I noticed.... No potential hook-up this season. What!

Yup, that was my point. I guess I was thinking that the producers would have realized from the Sabrina/Mark pairing that fanbase is just as or more important than scores and you know, actual dance talent, and would have assumed that Cody wouldn't have enough of a fanbase. Of course, they could have been thinking that Julianne has enough of a fanbase of her own. Also, I thought he was younger than he actually is, because he plays younger on tv, so I was thinking the showmance angle would be nonexistent or icky, but it turns out he's 19, so only a year or two younger than Julianne.

I agree that Cody Linley couldn't possibly have been paired with anyone other than Julianne, and if Disney decided they wanted him on the show, they wouldn't have had another choice.



Are you kidding? Cloris and Corky! "Clorky--a showmance for the ages." They've got a cute nickname and a slogan and everything just waiting for them.

(Yes, I'm kidding... mostly)

How true. Probably no shippers this year. I wonder which couple will come out on top as having the most chemistry? I cannot imagine Maks being affectionate with Misty the way he was with Mel with Misty's newlywed husband in the audience. Although she may dance well I don't he will have the chemistry that he had with Laila or Mel. I could be wrong but I don't think so.

I wonder if Rocco and Karina will have chemistry? You never know.

In that case ……. Erica Kane and Tony Dovolani ---Who has a bigger eggo (misspelled on purpose) :)