The new season of “Dancing With the Stars” premieres on September 17 and showrunner Conrad Green is ready for what’s ahead.
“What we hit last season was a really good groove. Alfonso [Ribeiro] and Julianne [Hough] are incredible. Our judging panel was really tight and not replacing Len [Goodman] allows us a bit more room to play and bring other people in. And the way that ABC, Disney+, and Hulu all broadcast the show feels like we’re really connected to all the audiences who watch. We’re plugged into the 21st century fully,” Green told EW.
He also said that there will be “new curve balls toward celebrities.”
“It’s very much evolution rather than revolution. We’ve got some new things planned along the way, but essentially we want to make it the show that so many people have watched across generations,” he added.
Green joined DWTS on season 1 and remained the showrunner through season 18 in 2014. He left for a few years, but returned for season 30.
Conrad Green Said Season 33 Will Be ‘Demanding’ of Competitors
While the main format of “Dancing With the Stars” won’t change much, Green said that there will be some news things thrown into the mix. Keeping things vague, the executive producer hinted that the final few weeks will be quite challenging.
“There’s going to be some rounds of competition that are going to be the most demanding we’ve ever done later in the run. We’re trying to tell the story of dance and music in America through a lot of different views. Sometimes it might be through movies, sometimes it might be through music, sometimes it might be through TV shows, as well as through artists and those kind of things,” he told EW.
Green isn’t the only person excited for what’s to come, either. Co-host Alfonso Ribeiro is really amped up for the new season.
“I think it’s gonna be an excellent season. I think that this is one of the few seasons where there really isn’t an automatic frontrunner. Like, I don’t know who’s gonna be a good dancer or not. So it’s kind of, like, on our premiere night … it’s gonna be like, ‘Here you go. Who’s great? We don’t know,'” he told Us Weekly on September 4.
Fans Are Already Making Finale Predictions
As for which season 33 competitors will be participating in Green’s “curve balls,” well, fans have already made their predictions. Discussions have been ongoing on various Reddit threads since the cast was announced.
For the most part, fans are convinced that Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold will made the top four.
“Stephen/Rylee, Jenn/Sasha, and either a mix of either Deight/Dani, Danny/Witney or Ilona/Alan. These are my early guesses, but I’m so confident the first two will make it to the finals,” one person commented on a preseason predictions thread.
“If Stephen can dance decently I think he’s in the finale. Rylee has a VERY dedicated fan base and Stephen is America’s Olympian sweetheart. Even if he can’t dance he’ll probably make it somewhat far. It was a smart move engagement-wise putting those two together,” someone else added.
“I think Chandler and Brandon could make it to the finale. PLL Original Sin is very popular, and she’s a Disney star as well, so even if she doesn’t have her own large fan base, her costars sure do! I just need Brandon to step it up,” a third Redditor weighed in.
“I think the final 4 will be: Rylee and Stephen, Alan and Ilona, Joey and Jenna, Danny and Witney,” a fourth comment read.
