- Dancing With the Stars 2019 will start on Monday, September 16 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
- In late August, Good Morning America disclosed the 2019 cast, and it includes Hannah Brown, Christie Brinkley, Lamar Odom, and Sean Spicer.
- Here's all we know about Dancing With the Stars this fall.
If it feels like Dancing With the Stars has been off air for a long time now, it's because it has.
Since ABC decided to skip the springtime installment of the ballroom dance competition, fans have had to patiently wait a full year to watch DWTS again. While the network's reasoning behind skipping the spring cycle of the show remains a mystery, it's been great for season 27 winner Bobby Bones, who has held onto the title since last November.
Thankfully, fans won't have to wait much longer. Here's what viewers can expect from season 28:
When does Dancing With the Stars start again in 2019?
Past fall seasons of Dancing With the Stars have typically run between September and Thanksgiving. Season 28 will be no different: The show will begin at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, September 16 on ABC.
This year marks the first time DWTS hasn't had a spring season since 2007. If we had to guess, last year's controversial results may have something to do with it.
Despite receiving weekly low scores from the judges, Bobby was declared last season's winner thanks to fan votes. The finale results caused a major uproar online and prompted viewers to demand that the show change its voting system.
So ... is Dancing With the Stars tweaking the voting system then?
Though it's not certain that the voting process will dramatically change in season 28, longtime host Tom Bergeron hinted on Twitter that the show's producers have definitely been talking about it.
"Just had first meeting re: Season 28 of @DancingABC. Major takeaway, we hear you #DWTS," he tweeted in early June.
In late July, Tom hopped on social media again to drop another clue about the scoring system. This time, he teased that the 10 paddles the judges use to reward outstanding performances will be going away.
In prior seasons, the show gave equal weight to the judges' scores and viewer votes. As a consequence though, many claimed that the show was simply turning into a popularity contest and didn't properly award talent and skill.
ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke told Deadline that format changes were still in the works, but that fans should expect a “big season.”
“The producers were just in last week talking about the casting and the creative evolution," she said in early August. "It’s all very exciting. It won’t be major format changes, just tweaking and tinkering."
She went on to add that she hopes the small "tweaks and tinkering" will make the show more everlasting.
Who will be a part of the Dancing With the Stars 2019 cast?
As announced on Good Morning America, the DWTS 2019 cast of season 28 includes:
- Hannah Brown, Bachelor and Bachelorette alum
- Lauren Alaina, singer and songwriter
- James Van Der Beek, Dawson's Creek and Pose actor
- Ray Lewis, former Baltimore Ravens linebacker
- Kate Flannery, a.k.a. Meredith from The Office
- Ally Brooke, former singer of the girl group Fifth Harmony
- Lamar Odom, NBA star
- Kel Mitchell, actor and comedian
- Sean Spicer, former White House Press Secretary
- Christie Brinkley, model
- Mary Wilson, "The Supremes" singer
- Karamo Brown, Netflix Queer Eye star
As far as the judging panel goes, fans can expect to see all three of their favorites again — Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, and Carrie Ann Inaba.
What about pro dancers Sharna Burgess and Artem Chigvintsev?
Shockingly, the two longtime Dancing With the Stars pros are not coming back for season 28. In recent weeks, Bobby Bones, Val Chmerkovskiy, Tom Bergeron, and many more from the DWTS family have talked about how "shocked" they are that ABC dropped them.
Artem, who had been on the program for 10 years, told Nikki Bella on her podcast The Bellas that he found out the Friday before the GMA cast announcement. Up until then, he had been having "positive conversations" with the crew.
“I dedicated 10 years of my life to that company,” he said. “And getting let go three days before an announcement, that’s like a punch in the stomach, really.”
Likewise, Sharna made it clear on Instagram that she, too, was upset about the decision.
"I am unbelievably sad to not be back!!!" she wrote. "However, what i can whole heartedly tell you is that It’s all good, ALL love and in this moment."
Wait ... Carrie Ann Inaba is for sure returning even though she's on The Talk?
Carrie Ann may have picked up a daytime gig on CBS's The Talk since last season, but that doesn't mean she's giving up on DWTS anytime soon.
She confirmed to GoodHousekeeping.com that she was "looking forward" to the fall and is anxious to see who will be a part of next season's cast.
How can I watch season 28 of DWTS?
Dancing With the Stars airs Monday nights live on ABC from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET.
If you're not parked in front of your TV at home, you can always use your cable login and access ABC’s Go Watch Live service online, or watch through the ABC app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, Samsung smart TVs, or Roku. The live streaming service from ABC is only available in certain locations across the country, so check out ABC’s website to make sure you’re covered.
Apart from that, you can watch episodes after they air on ABC.com, which lets you view them a week after they air without signing in. If you have a cable login, you can watch them much sooner than that, whether on ABC.com or through the ABC app on various devices.
If you've got a Hulu + Live TV account, you're also in luck. You can catch the show there live and on demand and also access Hulu's library of exclusive series, movies, and more.
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Kayla Keegan leads Good Housekeeping’s editorial growth strategies in the partnership, news, social, branded, membership and newsletter spaces. Prior to her new position, she was the Senior News and Entertainment Editor for the brand, covering and editing all things in the entertainment, pop culture and celebrity world for Good Housekeeping. She’s also worked as a social editor for House Beautiful and had previous writing stints at Redbook, Cosmopolitan and Seventeen.