‘DWTS’ crowns champ as show ponders future

The 16th season of “Dancing with the
Stars” came to a close Tuesday night,
and the first “American Idol” contestant
to compete on the ABC series ended
up on top.
Country singer Kellie Pickler overcame
tough challenges from actress Zendaya,
gymnast Aly Raisman and football star
Jacoby Jones to take home the Mirror
Ball Trophy. Pickler closed out her run
with a trio of perfect 30s in the two-
night finale.
Pro partner Derek Hough took home his
fourth Mirror Ball, the first pro dancer
to do so. He won previously with
Brooke Burke-Charvet, Nicole
Scherzinger and Jennifer Grey.
The finale was not without its share of
controversy, as host Tom Bergeron
announced that viewer votes tallied on
ABC’s website would not be counted
due to issues that occurred during
Monday’s East coast broadcast. Phone,
text and Facebook votes were the ones
tallied for Tuesday’s finale. It is not
known if the ABC votes would have
mattered in the final tally.
Tuesday’s finale also marked the likely
end of an era for the long-running
show. Beginning in September, “Dancing
with the Stars” will air just one night a
week. Three hours of weekly
programming will now became two and,
as a result, changes will be made —
maybe even at the judges’ table.
Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman and
Bruno Tonioli have all been there from
the beginning, and their unique
chemistry and personalities have been a
show hallmark. But familiarity breeds
predictability, and viewers may be
looking for a fresh face or three to bring
new perspectives. Goodman and Tonioli
also judge on the British series that
inspired it all, “Strictly Come Dancing,”
so perhaps a departure from one of the
programs would be a welcome relief.
And what about the professional
dancers? Cheryl Burke and Tony
Dovolani have been with the show since
season two, Karina Smirnoff and Kym
Johnson first appeared in season
three, while Hough and Mark Ballas
joined in season five. Could the
inclusion of three new pros this season
be the start of a changing of
the ballroom guard?
Do you agree with Kellie Picker winning
this season? And what changes would
you like to see on “DWTS” this fall?