Dancing with the Stars has been a strong performer for ABC, and
American Idol is consistently a ratings powerhouse that can't be beat. So combining some elements of each show - as new series
Dance War somewhat has - seems like a sure thing, right?
Well, it turns out that it might not be such a slam-dunk for
Dance War.
Carrie Ann Inaba,
Bruno Tonioli, and
Drew Lachey all have their fans, but the premiere this past week didn't necessarily end up as an unqualified success.
From a ratings perspective,
American Gladiator won with a 4.8 rating to
Dance War's 3.0, 53% lower than the March 2007
Dancing with the Stars premiere.
From a critical perspective, reviewers seem to all share one opinion: it's not a total loss, but there's definitely some improvement needed.
The Daily Emerald noted that its formula could be its weakness, saying, “people may not want to watch a program that feels like something they've already seen.” However, the same reviewer sees the potential, saying, "what sets
Dance War apart from other reality competitions is a heavy emphasis on true talent and the idea that these performers are hand-picked for superstar training by Tonioli and Inaba.”
Variety thought the show, “suffered from a hodge-podge quality…judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli pluck the familiar chords for all they're worth, but inasmuch as everybody has seen these steps before, this is a
War with a flawed battle plan.”
Film.com spelled out the general feeling, “Was it great? Certainly not. Was it good? No. Was it awful? Not quite. Was it bad? Yes.”
Starpulse took a charitable tone, saying, it “started off slow but has potential.”
Of course, with the ongoing writers' strike, both the audience and the network are likely to also be more charitable. If ABC had a whole stockpile of great potential new shows, the ambivalent response to
Dance War might be a cause for concern for the show. As it stands, with the scripted series dropping like flies, and the need for reality programming to fill the void, a lukewarm reception might be enough to keep
Dance War's battles raging.
- Leslie Seaton, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: The Daily Emerald, Variety, TVWeek, Starpulse, Film.com
(Image courtesy of ABC)
