Comment: Watched the first episode of Dancing With The Stars. Tyra Banks seems to think she is the star. The music was not very good. I’ve watched all 28 seasons and really enjoyed them. Back to American Ninja Warrior. —Tim W.
Matt Roush: I’m not surprised at this early reaction. I actually expected more, although considering how much mail I got from longtime fans saying they refused to tune in after the firing of Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews, maybe that explains it. (Though not perhaps explaining the ratings, which were the best for a Dancing premiere in three years
— again not saying much, considering recent slippage.) I’ll give them a pass on the music, because that process is so different this year, and it seemed about the same
to me. As for the new host: I couldn’t help thinking how Tom Bergeron would have found a way to be gracious and witty about these bizarre circumstances, whereas Tyra Banks strained to be hip and glam. And apparently she’ll be doing what passes for interviews with the dancers while they’re standing there? I get that they can’t have the skybox of old, but this was absolutely the wrong year to make this kind of change in the show. [Another change: Six-time champion Derek Hough replaced Len Goodman as a judge]. I’m not sure how much longer I will watch this train wreck.
To submit questions to TV Critic Matt Roush, go to: tvinsider.com