Surprise: So You Think You Can Dance gets a 10th season

Fox’s dance competition So You Think You Can Dance has been renewed for its 10th season, an unlikely but welcome development for a show that is still the best studio-based talent competition on network television.

Co-creator and judge Nigel Lythgoe announced the renewal on Twitter, calling it in a hashtag, “#MyBestChristmasGift.” He said auditions will start in Austin, Texas, though he did not say when.

That is a surprise, because last season wasn’t very strong, hurt by the Olympics and its new one-night-a-week format, never mind really bad choices such as its awful Mia Michaels rerun episode. Ratings dropped throughout the season. (If you missed season nine or want to re-watch it for some reason, Ovation will air it from start to finish starting January 4.)

But I’m thrilled Fox is giving it another chance; at the very least, that’s only fair, since they renewed that expensive shitshow The X Factor.