Dancing with the Stars

Dancing with the Stars, ABC's unscripted celeb dance competition that continues to enthrall TV viewers, is hitting the road again. It just finished its fifth season, and according to Nielsen Media Research, it was the third most popular show of 2007, losing the top two spots only to Fox's American Idol. In addition to being a boon for ABC, the show has also been good to B-list celebrities on the brink of losing all name recognition. Joey Lawrence, the flannel-clad older brother in Blossom who had us all saying "Whoa!" in the mid-1990s, is back in the spotlight because of his third-place performance in the show's third season. Also appearing will be Wayne Newton, who owes the show a big danke schone for garnering him a little extra fame and popularity more than 40 years after he started his Las Vegas singing act. And Joey Fatone, formerly of N'SYNC, appeared in season four and proved that he could dance just as well with a woman as he had with the boy band. But regardless of the dancers' previous fame or infamy, there is no denying their popularity and skill under the tutelage of the best in the world.
Thu., Jan. 3, 7:30 p.m., 2008