On New Year's Day, So You Think You Can Dance executive producer Nigel Lythgoe (you know, the one who looks like Michael Caine in Austin Powers, but more orange) announced via Twitter that Fox has canceled the results show portion of his reality dance competition show. To be honest, I really couldn't care less about SYTYCD (unless it was The Bachelor), but my predisposition to hate Fox and everything they stand for leads me to be extremely outraged by this news. I mean, sure, I never watch the results show anyway, and I think it's pretty much a waste of an hour of television and an excuse for host Cat Deeley to wear one more ridiculously shiny dress each week, but if Dancing with the Stars and American Idol get to have boring, superfluous results shows, then SYTYCD deserves to have one too. This is especially true when you consider the fact that the SYTYCD results show is actually mildly important because it's where the dancers with the lowest number of votes have to "dance for their lives," after which the judges decide who will be sent home. Take that, Ryan Seacrest and your insufferably dramatic dragging-out of an announcement that could have been made in a telegram!
This is one of the only things that I really like about SYTYCD, because unlike its singing-oriented sister show American Idol, the dancers sent home are ultimately chosen by the judges, who are actually good at what they do, despite often appearing to be rather batty. The viewers still maintain some form of power in that their votes determine who is in the bottom every week, but as we've seen in the past, American can't always be trusted to vote for the right people (see: Taylor Hicks), so it's nice to have judges who actually do something other than make suggestive comments to underage contestants and promote their own upcoming albums. By eliminating the results show, Fox is changing the format of SYTYCD, which could either help or hurt the show's already struggling ratings. However they manage to retool the format of SYTYCD, I hope it still gives the judges the final say on who stays and who goes home.
The new setup might actually be good news for the contestants, who will have one less routine to learn each week, since the results show typically features a group number with all the dancers. On the downside, without the results show, where will we get to watch Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull perform their latest pop/reggaeton crossover hit? (Okay, so I may have actually watched one or two episodes of the results show.)
For the most part, I'm just upset that the only good reality dancing competition show is in danger of being canceled. (Granted, I'm not sure how likely it is that Fox would cancel the show altogether, but it's obviously at risk if they're making such a dramatic change.) SYTYCD is the one show that features talented dancers, well-choreographed routines (it's won four Emmys for Outstanding Choreography), and most importantly, no D-list celebrities trying to do the Cha-Cha.
I'll be interested to see what Fox puts in SYTYCD's time slot instead. At least the SYTYCD results show already had a built-in audience, even if it wasn't a huge one. What are they so sure will perform better on Thursday nights? Unless it's new episodes of Firefly, I'm pretty sure I won't be tuning in.
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I can't say I am too upset about nixing the results show, I never really liked that format to begin with. Plus, I think one of the things that frustrates me about reality competition shows is that they never change...it's the same format season after season after season. So, I hope Nigel and co. take this as an oppurtunity to re-tool and come back with something fresh and exciting for the new season of SYTYCD.
Ms Neveker is certainly entitled to her opinion, but if Taylor Hicks doesn't float her boat, she has 9 other winners to choose from, and more on the way. I don't see the point in singling him out out of ignorance or whatever. Taylor Hicks isn't heard on top 40, but he is certainly one of the most original, versatile and memorable artists to emerge from the show, and a respected musician to boot. I'll take that over commercial fodder any day.
What I think would be great would be to give Nigel Lythgoe total freedom in whatever redesign of the show takes place....which is what FOX would do if their concern was with quality....because the ratings would follow. Some of the ratings are because of time and season assignments as well as what other shows are competing for audience....and therefore not necessarily a decent measure of potential audience interest.
Certainly their results show remain the best as there are real things happening during that hour instead of the rehashing filler that happens on other shows. I will also miss the the professional dancers they showcase during the results show because while i love dance i'm not likely to see most of these people unless its on TV, and some of these professionals are so incredible!