DWTS Season 17: Week 1 Preview

We are just days away from the kickoff episode of Season 17 of Dancing With the Stars. It's been a long summer without you, but a big "thanks" to those who joined me and Jake for Season 10 of SYTYCD. We had a blast with some amazing guests. We are hoping to keep that tradition going with this season of DWTS.

The entire crew is back on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. PT this season: me, Suri Serano, Jake DuPree, Anna Trebunskaya...and one small addition: Baby Bump Trebunskaya! We are so excited for our co-host and her exciting new adventure.

Our first guest is locked and ready to go, so get those questions in for Julian Tocker, one of Season 16's troupe members. Questions go in the comments section below.

You can watch the show live here on Tuesday at 8 p.m. PT on AfterBuzz TV.

Our guest list is published here so you can mark your calendars for your DWTS favorites.

AfterBuzz TV DWTS: Sharna Burgess & Lindsay Arnold

Ahhh, what a season! I cannot believe it's over.  It's been a wild ride over the last 10 weeks. My wish for next season is that we are all good to each other...no matter who we are rooting for. We are so lucky to live in a world where we can have our own opinions and thoughts, but it is important to be respectful of the opposing side.  Kellie and Zendaya are both beautiful dancers and women. While they each brought different things to the table, we watched because we love dance.  While Kellie went home with that mirror ball trophy, I think we are all going to watch Zendaya become a superstar in Hollywood...way beyond the confines of Disney/ABC. Whether she hits the music scene or takes on the film world, mark my words, she will be wildly successful.

My SheKnows.com article about the DWTS finale >>

I know many of you aren't satisfied with the voting explanation. ABC should have done a better job with explaining what happened much like NBC did with The Voice when they had a similar issue in early May. Legally, they did the right thing by throwing out the ABC.com votes. It leveled the playing field for both coasts.  While viewers were left with phone, text, and Facebook votes, I know some of you will argue it isn't fair.  Well, I can never text since I'm not an AT&T customer.....so that's not fair. I also only have a public FB page, so I cannot vote via social media. I have to pick up the phone. We could go in circles about this over and over. Remember, all networks have to abide by FCC regulations and Broadcast Standards and Practices. Here are ABC's guidelines for their entire network. What ABC failed to do is explain the situation to the viewers...that is a PR misstep.

Our pre-show Vine video >>

I also think Lindsay and Sharna addressed the footwear issue very well.  There are so many other issues to deal with when you are trying to teach a celebrity to dance.  While it may not be the preferable choice for viewers with a dance background, the pros chose what they felt was best for their celebs. I prefer the line of a heel, but once I heard Lindsay and Sharna's explanations, I feel like I understand the reasoning a bit better...even if I prefer true ballroom footwear.

One crazy photo post-show >>

Thank you all for such a great season. We really cannot do it without you. Your input, comments, questions and artful debate have been so much fun. Even when we don't agree, I love discussing the show with you.  For those of you that are fans of SYTYCD, I hope you join me, Jake, AJ Gibson, and Chloe West for a fun season. Next week, we will slide into DWTS' old time slot on AfterBuzz TV at 9pm PT, so you know where to find us. We will also be bringing in some DWTS and SYTYCD guests to join us once the Top 20 is announced.



The podcast is available to listen to here. 

Now feel free to comment away about the season, but be respectful of others and their opinions. Thank you! 

AfterBuzz TV's DWTS: Henry Byalikov

This was such a fun show. I'm so glad we had Henry Byalikov back on this season for a second time so he was able to give us the inside scoop on his work with Baz Lurhmann on Gatsby.  He's always a great guest and we all know his fans are legendary.

Catch our pre-show Vine video here.

It was our last show with Anna Trebunskaya and we are going to miss her next week. She's been a great addition to the show this season on AfterBuzz TV. However, we do have two pros currently confirmed for next week's show. Be sure to come back here on Tuesday to find out who it is. I am really excited to end the season in a big way. It will be an awesome finish to a fascinating season.

I wanted to list everyone's Top 4 predictions for next week. I think our answers shocked a few of you and none of us had the same answer. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments below. See you all next week!

Predictions:

Suri                        Anna
1st: Jacoby              1st/2nd: Kellie/Jacoby (She couldn't decide.)
2nd:  Kellie              3rd: Aly
3rd: Zendaya           4th: Zendaya
4th: Aly

Henry                     Jake:
1st: Kellie                1st: Kellie
2nd: Jacoby            2nd: Zendaya
3rd:  Aly                  3rd: Jacoby
4th: Zendaya           4th: Aly

Kristyn
1st: Kellie
2nd: Jacoby
3rd: Zendaya
4th: Aly

If you missed the show, you can watch below.

AfterBuzz TV DWTS: Week 9 Preview

We are welcoming back a return guest for us this week on AfterBuzz TV, in honor of the release of the Baz Luhrmann's Gatsby, it's Henry Byalikov. We will have the opportunity to ask him about the film and what it was like working with stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, so get those questions in now!  Remember, add them to the comments below.

You can find the AfterBuzz TV DWTS show here, Wednesday at 9pm PT.

Suri, Jake and I are definitely back this week. We are waiting for confirmation from Anna. UPDATE: Anna will be joining us. Hooray!

It's semifinals week and you KNOW we have a lot to say!

AfterBuzz TV's DWTS, Week 5: Witney Carson

I personally had more fun on this show versus any other episode we have done so far. Anna and our awesome guest, Witney Carson, did a great job of giving us more inside information than we have ever seen. From learning about Anna's time spent with Zendaya to get her ready for the Tango to Aly's mindset after hearing about the tragic Boston events earlier in the day, Witney and Anna both delivered.

The other thing that has been fun guessing is where Witney will turn up this summer. Most of you seem to think she will be a SYTYCD All-Star on Fox. It's a great guess and it makes a lot of sense.

Finally, we addressed the Zendaya "ringer" comment that has been coming up so much. We discussed it at length. You are welcome to add your thoughts in the comments below and I will definitely respond if you have more to add to the discussion.  Otherwise, I think we have exhausted the topic on the show, but let me know if you think we missed something during our debate.

Thank you all for your fan questions. We are trying to incorporate them as much as possible into the show whether it is on the red carpet, via a phone call, or from my blog, I think you all have added so much to our show.  It's really amazing!

If you missed the show, you can download it here on iTunes or watch it below.

See you next week!

AfterBuzz TV Week 4 DWTS Preview

What did you guys think of last night's DWTS show?  The competition is definitely stepping it up! Suri and I appreciate all of your comments, so we made a fun little video addressing some of your feedback from Week 3. If you haven't seen it yet, you can watch it below:



There is one thing I want to address that was not in the video...placement of the guests in the studio.  We have added to our panel and Jake DuPree and Anna Trebunskaya have done a tremendous job with their thoughts and opinions. It is nice to have an uncensored pro who tells it like it is and who can explain why certain things happened they way they did.  With four of us on the panel, that means our guests are on the couch.  It is set up like Howard Stern's show. Click here to see an example.

It is not a slight, it is designed to give the guests maximum exposure while we interview them and it creates a clean camera angle for the crew to shoot them.  Please understand that while we are the faces of the AfterBuzz TV show, there are many who work tirelessly behind the camera to make this show happen.  We want to make it the best show possible for all of you. If you have feedback that I cannot address or you want to take it to the executive producer level, email here: info@afterbuzztv.com

If you missed last week's show, watch it here.
California DWTS fans, click here to read about a DWTS ticket opportunity.


We will see you on Wednesday at 9pm PT on AfterBuzzTV.com
with Anna Trebunskaya, Sean Lowe, Peta Murgatroyd, and Victor Ortiz. (Reminder: Schedules announced guests are subject to change.)

Don't forget to put your questions for Peta, Sean, and Victor in the comments below. We might read your question on the air!

AfterBuzz TV, Dancing with the Stars: Week 2 with Anna Trebunskaya

My notes, gossip, and Twitter page ready for last night's show.

I want to thank everyone for joining us last night on AfterBuzz TV for Dancing with the Stars. I had a blast tweeting live with many of you at our official hashtag:  #ABTVDance.  It was interesting to see the show from a different perspective since I joined via phone from New York.

One thing I want to address is our current time slot. Many of you on the East Coast have asked about the time of our show.  This season, we are locked into a 9pm PT time slot.  This will remain a fixed time for Season 16.  I know this is late for most you on the East Coast (I know firsthand, since I was up until after 1am ET chatting with you!) We will definitely take this into consideration for next season, but I want to let you know why we are on so late:

1.  AfterBuzz TV is a full working studio with many shows scheduled before and after us.  Since Season 16 of DWTS falls mid-season, we have to take the available studio slots.

2.  The times that were available were not always convenient for our DWTS guests, so we took the best slot that would make our show more attractive for the pros and celebs to come on our show. If we schedule it too early, we cut into rehearsal time. If we schedule it on a broadcast day, we won't get anyone.

3. AfterBuzz TV actually moved around the schedule to accommodate our 9pm PT slot. Originally, it was going to be at 10pm PT...which is even worse for you East Coasters.  So, the crew and I are very grateful that they made this happen.

So, don't worry, we hear you!  We will take your comments and suggestions and use them for Season 17. In the meantime, please enjoy last night's broadcast below or download the podcast in iTunes here.

AfterBuzz TV DWTS Week #1 Guests Are...

We are coming back on Wednesday, March 20th at 9pm PT LIVE on AfterBuzz TV for the after show of Dancing with the Stars!

Have you heard who our first guests are?

New pro Sharna Burgess and her celeb partner Andy Dick!  

Suri Serano and I are so excited to be back and joining you for Season 16! Get ready for all of the fun and the drama.

A huge thanks to AfterBuzz TV supporter, Adrian, for creating this amazing promo for our new season.  If you have questions for Sharna or Andy, hit me up in the comments below.  See you on Wednesday!

KB Linkapalooza

My view in Chicago......

I am enjoying a nice fall weekend in Chicago away from the heat of LA and the onslaught of Carmageddon, Part 2, Electric Boogaloo (for all of you '80s kids out there.)  It's been a busy week, so take a look at what I've been up to.  Pick your path and enjoy the ride!

I summed up my time at the Emmys backstage gifting suite for the presenters here for Starpulse.

We are kicking some nice butt with our Afterbuzz TV recap show for The New Normal.  It continues to be in the Top 5 on our iTunes podcast list.   Watch last week's episode here.

I'm super excited about this opportunity!  I will be co-hosting the after show for Dancing With The Stars: All-Stars this season on AfterBuzz TV.  We are going to have amazing guests from the show all season long.  Check out our first episode with my co-host Suri Serano and our guest, Karl Warden.  

Some of my favorite articles this week from SheKnows:
Experience the Oscars red carpet firsthand
Arnold Schwarzenegger opens up about his affair (See my photos with the Governor from 2010 and get your mind out of the gutter.....they are work-related!)
Brooke Shields caught smoking pot?

Finally, one of my favorite gigs lately is with The Radio Dish in Kansas City.  Here is my entertainment segment, The Hollywood Bling, at the 21:00 mark.

Okay, that's it for this week!  Let me know what you liked the most so I know where to focus all of my crazy energy.