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Dancing with the Stars 13

Tom Bergeron’s great idea: one season a year of Dancing with the Stars, which has its final four

by Andy Dehnart 9 Nov. 2011 | 6:39 am

Despite generating headlines with its cast at the start of the season, Dancing with the Stars‘ ratings are down significantly, nearly 14 percent. Its host, Tom Bergeron, has a solution: cut one season.

“One season a year works very well for American Idol. I certainly think that’s one of the things that should be considered going forward. I would be looking at the spring season very carefully,” he told TV Guide.

Besides attention to CBS’ Monday comedies, Bergeron said the ratings might be down because of the cast. “You wonder if the cast isn’t resonating with people.”

That cast is down to its final four: Rob Kardashian, Ricki Lake, J.R. Martinez, and Hope Solo, having dumped Nancy Grace during last night’s results show. While they may not have generated headlines like Chaz Bono did, they have “have shown the most improvement and best moves,” according to msnbc.com.

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about Andy Dehnart

Andy Dehnart’s writing and criticism about television, culture, and media has appeared on NPR and in Vulture, Pacific Standard, The Los Angeles Times, and other publications. He has covered reality television for more than 18 years, and created reality blurred in 2000.

A member of the Television Critics Association who serves on its board of directors, Andy, 41, also directs the journalism program at Stetson University in Florida, where he teaches creative nonfiction and journalism. He has an M.F.A. in nonfiction writing and literature from Bennington College. Learn more about reality blurred and Andy.

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about reality blurred

reality blurred is your guide to the world of reality TV and unscripted entertainment, with reality show reviews, news, and analysis. It was created in 2000 by Andy Dehnart. He's still writing and publishing it today.

reality blurred is regularly updated with highlights from the world of reality TV: news and analysis; behind-the-scenes reports; interviews with reality TV show cast members and producers; and recaps and reviews of these reality TV shows, including Survivor, Big Brother, The Great British Baking Show, Shark Tank, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor, Project Runway, Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, and many more.

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