Say this for the new season of Dancing with the Stars: It has some cultural relevance.
The celebrity dancing competition show has generously used the term “stars” for most of its run, providing a platform for retreads and edge dwellers looking to relaunch their careers. This season, the ABC show’s 17th, the group of dancers chosen will provide a number of compelling story lines, whether you’re interested in struggling waltzers or not.
First up, as a treat for all you ’90s kids, is Bill Nye, the PBS Science Guy. An education and climate change activist, he has held onto a fan base that adores him, and we can only hope he will wear a bow tie with all costumes.
In what should be the show’s inspirational/emotional story line, ABC has signed up Valerie Harper, the Mary Tyler Moore star who announced in January that she was dying of terminal brain cancer. It was thought that she might not last through the spring, but now she’ll be dancing this fall, an impressive feat.
“I feel much better,” Harper, 74, told People magazine . “And my brain scans are looking better too. The doctors tell me there’s less evidence of cancer, which is very unusual. However, they both say it’s not a case of if, but when. And I can live with that.”
Source: buzzfeed
