Ba pa da pa ba da da, ba pa da pa ba.
The “Dancing with the Stars” theme song is a staple every Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the fall.
The show has been on the air since 2005 and has undergone many changes in its nearly two decade television run.
On its 33rd season, the show still does well for itself. Bringing celebrities from Olympic athletes, (shoutout to Penn State alum Stephen Nedoroscik) to former bachelor Joey Graziadei.
However, “DWTS” hit a low a few seasons back. In 2019, it decided to not air a spring season. This decision was due to the controversial nature of the show, according to a 2020 Distractify article.
From contestants receiving low scores to front-runner’s early eliminations, many fans were angered at how the show was being conducted. The show had faced a decline in ratings and viewership.
However, “DWTS” was able to make a comeback. Its viewership and voting are at an all-time high this season, according to Alfonso Ribeiro, a co-host of the show.
How did they do this?
Through smart casting.
In 2022, the show casted Charli D’Amelio. This casting brought in an entirely new audience for the show, attracting more young teens to watch the show and vote for the TikTok star every week.
In fact, she ended up winning the Mirrorball that year.
The following year, in season 32, Harry Jowsey, made famous for the first season of “Too Hot to Handle” on Netflix, brought his dancing shoes to ABC and competed on the floor.
He was an awful dancer, receiving low scores week after week whilst his competition improved. However, he was not eliminated until two episode before the finale, placing 6th.
Elimination is a combination of the judges’ scores and viewer votes. Meaning, that Jowsey fans voted for him until he succumbed to his bad scores.
What kept fans voting for him?
It could have to do with the rumored romance between Jowsey, then 26, and his professional dance partner Rylee Arnold, then 18. The rumored romance brought more viewers to the screen, curious if they could spot sparks flying between the pair.
“Dancing with the Stars” started casting for the younger generation, but that is not all they did.
Last season, they included a “Taylor Swift Night,” in which all the dancers chose their favorite of Swift’s songs and the professional dancers choreographed several routines of their own.
This theme night appealed to younger viewers and brought in more viewers who were interested in viewing the episode.
It was the most-watched episode of the season.
All this to say, a switch happened.
The show started considering how to attract younger viewers. Instead of random actors and former Housewives, they started to appeal to celebrities known among teenagers and young adults.
They even started casting extremely controversial people, a felon in the case of Anna Delvey, whose crimes were the plot of a 2022 Netflix show created by Shonda Rhimes.
The controversial casting buzzed excitement about the show. As of Tuesday’s Halloween episode of “DWTS,” more people are voting this season than any other before it.
With only six pairs left, the season is coming to a close. However, if viewers keep tuning in and voting, it will be one of the most successful seasons of the competition reality show. Showcasing how a revamp can turn a dying show into an exciting one.