ABC, ‘Stars’ in step for 2nd season

By Andrew Wallenstein

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – The ABC summer hit
“Dancing With the Stars” has waltzed its way to a quick renewal
for early 2006, the network said Tuesday.

ABC hasn’t decided which celebrities will be recruited to
rumba the second time around or how many episodes or format
changes might be in store. A specific airdate has yet to be
determined.

The “Stars” renewal was a no-brainer for ABC, which scored
the most-watched summer series on any network in the past five
years. The show averaged 16.8 million viewers in the Wednesday
9 p.m. slot, more than doubling the total for No. 2 NBC.

But don’t expect to see “Stars” return to the same time
slot, since ABC powerhouse “Lost” is likely to move to that
hour in the fall.

“Stars” is based on the British hit show “Strictly Come
Dancing.”

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter