# "Dancing With The Stars" All-Stars Cast Revealed



## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Well dear friends, here it is, the _DWTS_ All Stars cast:

Kirstie Alley 
Emmitt Smith
Bristol Palin
Pamela Anderson
Joey Fatone
Helio Castroneves
Melissa Rycroft
Shawn Johnson
Kelly Monaco
Drew Lachey
Apolo Anton Ohno
Gilles Marini.

The final contestant will be determined by fans, who can vote for Kyle Massey, Sabrina Bryan or Carson Kressley to round out the "Dancing With The Stars: All-Stars" cast. (_Source:Huffington Post TV_)

I am so, so, incredibly disappointed in ABC for including young Ms. Palin. I wish her well in her private life but it is my utmost wish that she keep that life private. This move, especially in an election year, is a huge mistake and extremely irresponsible of ABC in my own opinion.

While I hold no ill will toward Ms. Palin, it was a mistake to call her a "star" in the first place, as she had no claim to fame prior to her first appearance on the show other than as the daughter of a vice-presidential nominee and governor of Alaska.

Ms. Palin has continued, presumably with the help of a shrewd press agent, to foist herself and her family upon the public at large in the years since her appearance and I have done my level best to ignore her; I feel any publicity I may inadvertently give to this person would simply encourage her.

I have yet to decide whether I will watch this program at all, or simply wait until Ms. Palin is eliminated. I simply wish to express my incredible disappointment at ABC for even offering to include Ms. Palin.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

This is certainly an interesting hodge-podge "all-star" group.

Not at all what I would have expected.


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## yosoyellobo (Nov 1, 2006)

Don't watch DWTS but most of those names seem familiar. I do watch Jimmy Kimmel and see them burn their shoes.


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## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

I think the producers are probably saying that Palin's first appearance on DWTS _makes_ her a celebrity. I'd rather see Carson and his antics, but I'll take Palin as a consolation.

Let's just remember that it's a show about dancing ... no more ... no less.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Stuart Sweet said:


> Well dear friends, here it is, the _DWTS_ All Stars cast:
> 
> Kirstie Alley
> Emmitt Smith
> ...


I wanted to watch DWTS the season Kathy Ireland was on, but only recorded the first episode. Between time, and the fact that she was voted off early, I didn't bother watching the show.

Years later, they were making such a big deal about Bristol, I tuned in because I expected her to fail HARD. To my surprise, I liked the show. I found Florence (Henderson) entertaining, Kurt Warner and Rick Fox very pleasant to watch, and thoroughly enjoyed seeing Jennifer Grey, Brandy, Audrina Patridge, and to my big surprise, Kyle Massey. Bristol did better than I expected, and to my surprise, actually impressed me one sole week, but I found it ridiculous that she made it past Audrina, Rick, Kurt, and especially Brandy, when it was obvious that she should NOT have made it that far.

I watched Hines win it the following year, and though I still haven't caught up on those final episodes from last year after I experienced a loss in my personal life, I was thrilled to hear that J.R. won it. Due to lack of time, and partial disinterest, I did not watch it this past season.

Looking at the list above, I see names I'd like to see again (Kirstie Alley, and hopefully Kyle Massey), as well as a few I'd like to see more of besides old footage (Johnson, Ohno, Marini, etc.), so we'll see about this season...



Stuart Sweet said:


> I have yet to decide whether I will watch this program at all, or simply wait until Ms. Palin is eliminated. I simply wish to express my incredible disappointment at ABC for even offering to include Ms. Palin.


She made it to the finale the last time, so you may be boycotting this year, LOL!!! :lol:

That being said, she was the biggest disappointment on the list for me as well, only slightly edging out Pammy, who I'd actually enjoy seeing less than Bristol. This is due to the fact that while one could argue her "accomplishments", she was indeed a "star" during the 1990s.

~Alan


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Bristol is not in the same class as the rest. She can dance better than I can, but that's no recommendation for an all star.

I suspect that Kyle Massey will be chosen as he's a real hard worker and has appeared in the audience many, many times since he competed.

I'm not sure I would have taken Melissa Rycroft over Stacy Kiebler (also a former pro football cheerleader). Melissa may be cute as a bug's ear, but she's not the dancer that Stacy is. I'd like to see Stacy dancing with Dmitry Chaplin.


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## jodyguercio (Aug 16, 2007)

Stuart Sweet said:


> ......
> I have yet to decide whether I will watch this program at all, or simply wait until Ms. Palin is eliminated. I simply wish to express my incredible disappointment at ABC for even offering to include Ms. Palin.


The cast is what it is, my wife and I haven't truly followed the show for several seasons now for various reasons, "casting" being one of them. I remember most of the former "stars" from their respective seasons and while some truly became good dancers, others were there as "eye candy" (yes Ms Anderson I'm speaking squarely at you).


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## renbutler (Oct 17, 2008)

Stuart Sweet said:


> I am so, so, incredibly disappointed in ABC for including young Ms. Palin. I wish her well in her private life but it is my utmost wish that she keep that life private. This move, especially in an election year, is a huge mistake and extremely irresponsible of ABC in my own opinion.
> 
> While I hold no ill will toward Ms. Palin, it was a mistake to call her a "star" in the first place, as she had no claim to fame prior to her first appearance on the show other than as the daughter of a vice-presidential nominee and governor of Alaska.
> 
> ...


That's a .... bizarre reaction. I'm not sure how else to describe it.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

renbutler said:


> That's a .... bizarre reaction. I'm not sure how else to describe it.


I share it...

While she is more of a "star" now due to her "reality show" than she was her first time on, she doesn't have enough "star power" to overcompensate for the fact that she's not that great of a dancer... or at least not the last time she was on.

~Alan


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

renbutler said:


> That's a .... bizarre reaction. I'm not sure how else to describe it.


I respect your post, and let me elaborate as much as forum rules allow.

When Ms. Palin was a contestant in the past, there was a lot of discussion as to "why" she was cast and "why" she went as far as she did. There were many who felt that it was a stunt by ABC to create controversy and that it was not her skill but the political stylings of her mother that contributed to her long tenure on the program.

As many here know I used to write exhaustive reviews of this program and I stopped in 2010 for many reasons. I understand that _DWTS_ is an entertainment program, and as such I stopped writing about it when it stopped entertaining me and started infuriating me.

It is my personal assertion that ABC is acting irresponsibly in including Ms. Palin in this season. "Fan favorite" or "political pawn," that's not my call to make. That said, ABC would have been far wiser to avoid anyone with a political connection in an election year.

I hope that helps you understand my first post.


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## renbutler (Oct 17, 2008)

Thanks, it sounds a bit more rational now.

However, if Sarah Palin were running for ANYTHING this year, the point would be much stronger. And Bristol Palin herself is not a political figure. She shouldn't be excluded just because her mom is a political lightning rod.

The whole issue is ratings though. It is most definitely about being a "fan favorite." She will certainly draw a lot of attention from specific demographics. She might have become famous because of her mother, but she has branched out on her own.

Obviously, they should draw the line at clearly inappropriate people who might draw viewers, like if they included a convicted criminal (just an example). But Palin doesn't fall anywhere near that line.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

renbutler said:


> Thanks, it sounds a bit more rational now.
> 
> However, if Sarah Palin were running for ANYTHING this year, the point would be much stronger. And Bristol Palin herself is not a political figure. She shouldn't be excluded just because her mom is a political lightning rod.
> 
> ...


To me, it comes down to expectations!

When I heard they were doing an All-Stars show, I had expectations of some of their greatest dancers going head to head, and a good portion of their line-up includes some GREAT dancers, but Bristol was simply middle of the pack the year she was on. I mean, I might even can see picking some "fan-favorites," but of all the seasons of DWTS, she's the one they go for?!

She and Pamela Anderson are the two names that really surprised me as coming from out of left field. PA's one of the few, if not the only contestant listed above whom I don't think I've ever seen dance via clips shown on the show, and if she was that big of an "All-Star", I'm surprised by that.

~Alan


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

renbutler said:


> Thanks, it sounds a bit more rational now.
> 
> However, if Sarah Palin were running for ANYTHING this year, the point would be much stronger. And Bristol Palin herself is not a political figure. She shouldn't be excluded just because her mom is a political lightning rod.
> 
> ...


In my opinion, including a close family member of an outspoken politician in an election year, regardless of whom they are, is inappropriate in an election year. Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago is not running for national office but his close association with the sitting President means that if his daughter were on _Dancing With the Stars_ I would object just as loudly.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Can we all not agree that the definition of "star" has been stretched beyond all recognition? 

:nono2:


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## renbutler (Oct 17, 2008)

Alan Gordon said:


> To me, it comes down to expectations!
> 
> When I heard they were doing an All-Stars show, I had expectations of some of their greatest dancers going head to head, and a good portion of their line-up includes some GREAT dancers, but Bristol was simply middle of the pack the year she was on. I mean, I might even can see picking some "fan-favorites," but of all the seasons of DWTS, she's the one they go for?!
> 
> ...


I don't really follow the show or its news (the most attention I ever gave the show was when IndyCar driver Castroneves was on). Do we know whether there were other dancers, perhaps more legitimate in your eyes, who rejected an invitation?

In other words, are we sure Palin and Anderson were on the top-12 target list?


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## renbutler (Oct 17, 2008)

Stuart Sweet said:


> In my opinion, including a close family member of an outspoken politician in an election year, regardless of whom they are, is inappropriate in an election year.


Are you concerned that the show might somehow be used for some kind of propaganda?

I respect your right to be upset, but I simply don't get it yet.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

"Laxguy" said:


> Can we all not agree that the definition of "star" has been stretched beyond all recognition?
> 
> :nono2:


Most of these shows generally have B list stars, or big stars that just have a sense of humor and want to have some fun.

I think there are 5 on the list I have no idea who they are. Around here, Nick Lachey is more popular than Drew.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

renbutler said:


> I don't really follow the show or its news (the most attention I ever gave the show was when IndyCar driver Castroneves was on). Do we know whether there were other dancers, perhaps more legitimate in your eyes, who rejected an invitation?
> 
> In other words, are we sure Palin and Anderson were on the top-12 target list?


An article I read implied, or heck, maybe it flat out quoted them as saying that this was the cast they wanted... I honestly don't remember, but I have no reason to doubt this.

BTW, I wanted to add a disclaimer. While I do not care for the Palin family (they're right up there with the Kardashians, except that I actually really enjoyed Rob on DWTS), it's not a political thing. While I keep my own political beliefs personal, I will state for the record that most of the people I know, many of whom I care about greatly, share many of the political beliefs of the Palin family, and some of them are even big fans of her family. I would also like to add that Bristol was better on DWTS than I expected her to be, and that she showed improvement during the show's run, and even had ONE dance that I thought she did a really good job on. Add in the fact that she appears to have lost more of her pregnancy weight (at least it looked that way to me in the pictures they had during the cast announcement) and she may very well have continued some sort of training after her last appearance on the show, and she may indeed be VERY good now.

To me, it comes down to the fact that I believe they chose her for the same reason they chose her the first time, and though she made it to the Top 3 her first time around, I do not believe she got there because she belonged in it, but rather that her mother's fan base supported her enough to get her there, and I could see her possibly doing that again over many of the other cast members... many of whom are far (or at least used to be) more talented than her.

To me, she's a cheap ratings tactic thrown in by DWTS.

~Alan


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

dpeters11 said:


> Most of these shows generally have B list stars, or big stars that just have a sense of humor and want to have some fun.
> 
> I think there are 5 on the list I have no idea who they are. Around here, Nick Lachey is more popular than Drew.


Most of the cast members on this list are former winners... many of whom had dances that made the list of greatest dances on the show's history.

Drew Lachey won the show during it's second season.

~Alan


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## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

Might want to read up on Bristol. She's had done more than just the being the daughter of Sarah:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Palin

I wouldn't call her a "star", but she has has been doing her own thing.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Chris Blount said:


> Might want to read up on Bristol. She's had done more than just the being the daughter of Sarah:
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Palin
> 
> I wouldn't call her a "star", but she has has been doing her own thing.


I don't know if you're referring to one of my posts, but yeah, I'm aware.

Like I stated, I look at her like a Kardashian...

Not my idea of a "star," but you can always expect that with DWTS. I personally have more of a problem with the term "All-Star."

~Alan


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Alan Gordon said:


> Most of the cast members on this list are former winners... many of whom had dances that made the list of greatest dances on the show's history.


So, then, definitely not "stars" except in the limited world of that particular show.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

At the end of the day....this is a new approach to this particular show.

It is clear there are different views on how it aligns to each person's preference and/or forecast of success...but it is clearly a new approach.

It will be interesting to see how the mass audience embraces it.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Laxguy said:


> So, then, definitely not "stars" except in the limited world of that particular show.


It depends on how you look at it... Many of the above "stars" are "stars" in their respective fields.

Sure, Joey Fatone and Drew Lachey might not have the same "star" power as Justin Timberlake, or heck, Drew doesn't even have the same "star" power as his brother, who is no JT either.

Either way, outside of Bristol, whom is the weakest dancer of the above bunch that I've seen (I've never seen Pamela Anderson dance... thankfully), these are a TALENTED bunch of dancers, and it should be a nail biter unlike most seasons where the alpha dogs are often fairly easy to spot early on in the competition.



hdtvfan0001 said:


> At the end of the day....this is a new approach to this particular show.
> 
> It is clear there are different views on how it aligns to each person's preference and/or forecast of success...but it is clearly a new approach.
> 
> It will be interesting to see how the mass audience embraces it.


As I stated above (outside of one particularly glaring individual, and another questionable individual), this is indeed an All-Stars cast. It may be a few years before this is attempted again due to the impressiveness of this lineup, and if it is, it may not be as impressive of one.

~Alan


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Let's just leave it that we have wildly different definitions of what a "star" is.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Laxguy said:


> Let's just leave it that we have wildly different definitions of what a "star" is.


I certainly agree with that.

As stated earlier...this is a new approach. It could sink or swim. I suspect it will gain some traction...but the ratings will rule (as usual) in the end if the use this format again in the future.


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## renbutler (Oct 17, 2008)

Alan Gordon said:


> An article I read implied, or heck, maybe it flat out quoted them as saying that this was the cast they wanted... I honestly don't remember, but I have no reason to doubt this.


Well, it's not like they're going to publicly say "We really wanted so-and-so, but Bristol Palin will have to do."


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Laxguy said:


> Let's just leave it that we have wildly different definitions of what a "star" is.


If you're talking to me, I doubt we're really far apart.


Kirstie Alley
Star + DWTS All-Star (Runner-Up - Season #12)
Emmitt Smith
Star + DWTS All-Star (WINNER - Season #3)
Bristol Palin (Third Place - Season #11)
Pamela Anderson
.... sadly, star... (Sixth Place - Season #10)
Joey Fatone
Ehhh... + DWTS All-Star (Runner-Up - Season #4)
Helio Castroneves
DWTS All-Star (WINNER - Season #5)
Melissa Rycroft (Third Place - Season #8)
Shawn Johnson
Star + DWTS All-Star (WINNER - Season #8)
Kelly Monaco 
DWTS All-Star (WINNER - Season #1)
Drew Lachey
DWTS All-Star (WINNER - Season #2)
Apolo Anton Ohno
DWTS All-Star (WINNER - Season #4)
Gilles Marini
DWTS All-Star (Runner-Up - Season #8)


I find Fatone could go either way when labeling him, but I'm not sure I'd consider him a "star."
Ohno is an Olympic gold medal winner, and can be seen quite often in Subway commercials, but I probably wouldn't know who he was had it not been for DWTS.
Monaco is a Daytime Emmy nominated actress, though much of her success has come from DWTS and Playboy. I could sort of go either way on her... 
Castroneves is a three time winner of the Indy 500, but I wouldn't know who he was if it wasn't for DWTS.

However, when I think of DWTS: All-Stars, I think of the All-Stars of the show, and the amount of winners and runners-up is very impressive.

Four of those contestants (Marini, Lachey, Ohno, Fatone) are among the top ten highest scoring couples on the show.

Six of the contestants (Lachey, Castroneves, Fatone, Ohno, Smith, and Monaco) had dances listed among the Top Ten greatest perfect scoring dances on the first five seasons. While I'm hoping Kyle Massey returns, Sabrina Bryan had a dance on the list as well.

For the 200th episode (season 11), viewers at home voted on the ten greatest dances of the show out of 30 dances. Lachey came in first, Marini second, Ohno third, Ohno seventh, Castroneves eighth, and Johnson tenth.

~Alan


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Alan Gordon said:


> Either way, outside of Bristol, whom is the weakest dancer of the above bunch that I've seen (I've never seen Pamela Anderson dance... thankfully)


Pamela is actually a very good dancer. Her character doesn't fit the profile of the show (nor do the characters she channeled during the show play all that well).

Many people thought Pamela must have been stoned the whole time she was on the show but I think appearing to be stoned is a defense mechanism she uses in public appearances.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Alan Gordon said:


> Sabrina Bryan had a dance on the list as well.


Sabrina got a huge vote of ho hum from the viewing audience. She's a talented and exciting dancer.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

renbutler said:


> Well, it's not like they're going to publicly say "We really wanted so-and-so, but Bristol Palin will have to do."


True, but I suspect they wanted her.

While I may not care for her personally, if she comes out and has greatly improved, I'll be impressed. I just think the judges were too soft on her the last go around, and I feel like people voted her past other more talented dancers due to their own personal reasons. That's their right, but to bring her back for an all-stars show is kind of fishy in my mind?!

For the life of me, I can't figure out WHY they'd bring Pamela back... 

~Alan


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

harsh said:


> Pamela is actually a very good dancer. Her character doesn't fit the profile of the show (nor do the characters she channeled during the show play all that well).
> 
> Many people thought Pamela must have been stoned the whole time she was on the show but I think appearing to be stoned is a defense mechanism she uses in public appearances.


I don't really expect it to hit home with me personally either. Personally, I'd give Bristol better odds of impressing me on a given week. She had one week where I thought she was pretty impressive on the show...



harsh said:


> Sabrina got a huge vote of ho hum from the viewing audience. She's a talented and exciting dancer.


I'm not really familiar with her, but good to know...

I LOVED Kyle, so I'm still hoping for him. He'd be fun to see again...

Ohno, Lachey, Johnson, Marini, and Fatone interest me a LOT. Monaco and Smith would be interesting, and I thoroughly enjoyed Alley and Massey their first go arounds.

~Alan


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