It’s almost time to return to the ballroom for Season 32 of Dancing with the Stars. The long-running competition series will look a little different in the upcoming season, however. For starters, the program is moving back to ABC following an exclusive stint on Disney+. Julianne Hough is also replacing Tyra Banks as co-host, and some DWTS veterans are leaving the fold. This season will also happen without longtime judge Len Goodman, who passed away in April. Now, yet another change is happening, and it may take fans some time to get used to it.
ABC has finally announced a premiere date for the new season of DWTS. Season 32 will premiere on Tuesday, September 26, per TVLine, and it marks a switch from its normal Monday night slot. It’s a notable change from the network's original fall schedule, which released not long after the WGA writers’ strike began. At that time, revealed a schedule that featured mostly unscripted offerings -- except for some reruns of Abbott Elementary.
The show’s switch on ABC's fall schedule is surprising, but there's a bigger piece of information to make note of here. DWTS has been a Monday night staple on the network since it landed their in 2007 amid Season 4. That's a long time for a show to hold onto a time slot, and the reasoning behind the shift is unclear. At the same time, it should also be noted that The Golden Bachelor also switched nights.
The upcoming season will also have an extended premiere and will then be followed by a special DWTS-themed Celebrity Family Feud. While it will be a little weird to watch Dancing With the Stars on a new night, I'm sure fans will get adjusted to the change in time. It should also be mentioned that while the show is back on network TV, anyone with a Disney+ subscription will also be able to watch Season 32 live on the platform as well.
Although a full cast for the upcoming season has yet to be revealed, there have been some announcements on that front. Vanderpump Rules’ Ariana Madix and The Bachelorette’s Charity Lawson were the first two celebrities announced. Ahead of the full reveal tomorrow, September 13, Jamie Lynn Spears has also been confirmed to be joining the cast, according to Entertainment Weekly. The news comes after Spears’ very public exchanges with big sister Britney and the Zoey 101 sequel movie, Zoey 102, which drew responses from fans.
Even though Dancing With the Stars will look different this season, I'm just glad it's still part of the 2023 TV schedule. Hopefully, the new episodes succeed in delivering the fun, competitive spirit that the show has come to exude. And don't forget to mark you calendar for its new day, of course. Don’t miss the Season 32 premiere of DWTS on its new night, Tuesday, September 26 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
