Season premier of season 8 of Dancing With the Stars
Tonight was the first show in season 8 of Dancing with the Stars. Finally! The set was redesigned a bit and during introductions some of the celebrities looked really nervous (Shawn Johnson stumbled coming down the steps). But hey, isn’t that the beauty of live television? The scores from this week will be combined with the scores from next week to determine the first eliminated couple. At the top of the show we’re reminded that Jewel and Nancy O’Dell were forced to withdraw due to injury. We get a teaser that we’ll find out soon who is replacing them.
Here’s what I thought of the show, in the order of performance.
Lil’ Kim and Derek Hough. I thought it was so hysterical that the first time Lil’ Kim saw this show was when she was in prison. As the first celebrity dancing tonight (doing the Cha Cha Cha) I thought she did a nice job. She does have some potential but appeared nervous. The judges thought she did a good job overall. All three agreed that she has potential. Bruno called her nasty but tasty. They did pretty well, scoring 21 out of 30.
Belinda Carlisle and Jonathan Roberts. They performed a waltz. As much as I love Jonathan it pains me to say this was a boring performance. Bruno was quite unkind, comparing her to Cloris Leachman. Len and Carrie Ann were not so brutal in their comments. Len said that while there were awkward moments, it was overall a good job. Carrie Ann told her that she needs to trust Jonathan. They got a score of 17 out of 30.
Lawrence Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska. I have to admit that I was distracted when watching this performance. Is it me or are Edyta’s costumes getting even more smaller? I looked at the front of her costume at how low it rode below the belly button and all I could think about was a Brazilian wax job. But LT seemed to be really fun and loveable if not a bit timid on the dance floor during his Cha Cha Cha. Hard to believe this guy is the same LT we saw on the football field. I loved how he said if Edyta can get Jason Taylor to the finals then he should have no problem. Bruno was brutal in his comments, saying that he’s got something but we haven’t seen it. Carrie Ann was a bit more tactful, telling him he needed to go on the offense and perform bigger. I’m not quite sure what has happened to Len. Three performances, and three really nice and kind comments. He said that he enjoyed watching this performance, that it had a fun about it. They got a score of 16 out of 30.
Steve-O and Lacey Schwimmer. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this Jackass star, and especially with performing the Waltz. I was kind of impressed, strange to say. Steve-O seems to have this determination, this desire to show his seriousness in being clean and sober by working hard and being successful on DWTS. His performance was kind of weird. Len was somewhat kind (AGAIN, believe it or not) saying that he expected this performance to be much worse than it was. Carrie Ann said that his determination is inspiring. He got 17 out of 30.
Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke. All I have to say is wow. I could watch that Cha Cha Cha over and over. Thanks to my DVR I’ll be able to do that. Cheryl said that Gilles had to work harder than anyone because he doesn’t have a fan base. I beg to differ. I think anyone who has seen the Sex and the City movie and has a pulse is a fan. The judges loved it. I thought Carrie Ann and Bruno were going to hurdle the desk to jump him. And who could blame them – not me, that’s for sure. Len called it absolutely fabulous; Bruno said that with or without his clothes he knows how to strut his stuff; Carrie Ann just looked like she needed a cigarette. They got 24 out of 30.
Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough. This is the first real life couple who has competed together on the show. They were kind of sick sweet in their performance of the Waltz, with all their lovey dovey attitude. The judges thought that there was potential in Chuck. Len said it was a bit hectic at times, while Bruno said he needed to calm down. Carrie Ann said he was the most graceful man they’ve had on the show in a while, but pointed out a lift at the end of the Waltz. They got 20 out of 30.
Holly Madison and Dmitry Chaplin. Holly was a last minute replacement for the injured Jewel. Dmitry is adorable and a really nice addition to the show. Holly and Dmitry have had less than a week to prepare for this Cha Cha Cha, and let me tell you she was better than some of the celebrities who had the full four weeks of training. And her scores were better than them too. Tom Bergeron said that the judges had to base scores on what they saw tonight, but I think that they were a bit kind to them based on the circumstances. They ended up with 18 out of 30.
Ty Murray and Chelsie Hightower. My only comment on their Cha Cha Cha is Yikes! I’m not sure what happened to the old Len Goodman, because this one is a much kindler and gentler Len Goodman. He said that the beauty of this show was the fact that people stepped out of their comfort zones. Carrie Ann called him one cute cowboy (I agree!) and Brno said it looked more like an Army drill than a Cha Cha. They got 14 out of 30.
Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas. I had a feeling that Shawn would be amazing. You don’t become an Olympic gold medalist by being afraid of hard work or by having less than a competitive spirit. Their Waltz was beautiful and amazing. Carrie Ann said that she had the power to move people; Bruno called it surprisingly refined and elegant for someone of her age (she’s the youngest ever on the show). Len called it very appealing and overall fantastic. They got a score of 23 out of 30.
Steve Wozniak and Karina Smirnoff. I thought the performance of Ty Murray left me speechless. At least I had one word to say after that performance. This one is unexplainable. But I have to say this about Karina’s costume. Didn’t Cher get banned from VH1, or wouldn’t they only play the “If I could turn back time” video after 10 pm because her costume was so skimpy? I ask, what is the difference between that outfit and the one on Karina with the exception of some fringe? The judges, for the most part, were kind in telling Steve that his performance stunk. They ended up with 13 out of 30.
David Alan Grier and Kym Johnson. I wasn’t sure what to expect of this celebrity and the Waltz. I was surprised – pleasantly surprised. This performance made me smile. He is so charming and funny I think he’s going to be one of my favorites on the show. You know the judges see potential when they comment on technique and not on stupid things. Bruno mentioned the holds and Len said the bum stuck out because he wasn’t standing properly. This is a good thing. Even though the judges didn’t come right out and say it, they see potential in him. They ended up with a 19 out of 20.
Denise Richards and Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Denise and Maks performed the Cha Cha Cha. I do think Maks is going to get a run for his money for sexiest man on the show by Gilles and Dmitry. But is it really such a bad thing to have so many good looking men on the show this season? I think not. Denise seemed really nervous and shaky in this performance. The judges all saw potential in her – Carrie Ann said she had great potential, while Bruno said she had it all but didn’t know what to do with it. They got a score of 18 out of 30.
Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovoloni. With only 48 hours of rehearsal time, last minute replacement for Nancy O’Dell, Rycroft is definitely gutsy. Like Tom Bergeron said, we all saw her get the proposal of her dreams from that snake Bachelor Jason only to have him “take it back” the next night on the After the Rose Show when he decided he couldn’t get Molly off his mind. But I digress. She did a fantastic job. I loved how the crowd booed when they saw the clip from the After the Rose show. The judges loved her. Len said it was obvious she had previous dance experience (she did do ballet and was most recently a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader). Len also said that the bachelor’s loss was DWTS’ gain. Bruno said he didn’t know the bachelor guy but he was a big loser. Carrie Ann said she id a wonderful job, that she was a natural. They ended up with a 23 out of 30, higher than some of the couples training together for four weeks.
All of the couples will dance again next week. On Tuesday’s elimination show the bottom two couples will perform in a dance off. What is that all about? I guess ABC is trying to keep things new and fresh with this popular show.
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March 10th, 2009 at 8:15 am
Isn’t it nice to see Maks having some “manly” competition for a change? You are right, good for the eyes of all the ladies!