TVSquad

Our pals over at AOL have a list up of those celebrities that have seen a boost to their careers after appearing on Dancing With The Stars. Head over there to see what John, Tatum, Stacy, and eight others are up to.

A gig on a show that counts itself as two of the top ten most watched programs every week certainly offers ample opportunities. But, like KISS said, there are two sides of the coin to choose from. So... after the jump, a look at those celebrities that have been somewhat less successful after their time in the ballroom.

(S04E05) Another week, another "shocking" elimination. The hosts were all about hyping the "jam-packed" results show, bragging that there was more music and dancing "than ever before." What else would there be on a dancing show? An ad for a workout DVD? Oh, wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.

The behind-the-scenes interviews were combined with recap footage from last night's performances. A big deal was made of the unprecedented four-way tie. Joey Fatone was offended by Len's butt comment, and stuck out his rear (and his visible panty line) in protest during his interview. Heather wanted to advance even farther than Jonathan's previous two-legged partners. I'm still hoping that Heather's dancing talents will start to overshadow her disability. It was a valid topic in the first few episodes, but enough is enough.

(S04E04) We're back for another week of dancing, and the lovely Paulina is no longer with us. Many of the dances were inspired by movies this week; we had Star Wars, Pulp Fiction, and even Goldfinger. Contestants danced either the Jive or the Tango, and the results were very entertaining.

Shandi Finnessey and Brian Fortuna (Jive) - Shandi and Brian's Jive was good, but forgettable after all of the performances were finished. Their performance was fun and spirited, and Shandi wisely showed as much skin as possible. She can't compete with the other contestants' technical skills, but she's doing her best to corner the market on hotness. The judges were impressed with her progress and gave the couple a 21 (7, 7, 7).

(S04E03) I'm always amazed at just how much programming ABC is able to mine from Dancing With The Stars. The performance recap show that led up to the live results show was another good example. Not that there's anything wrong with it. I'm guessing that when the numbers come in that recap show will do two, if not three, times as many viewers as George Lopez and According To Jim would in the same slot.

(S04E02) Two weeks in and I have to say that this is a pretty good group of contestants. The new format with two weeks of performances before the first elimination was a good idea. Sometimes a contestant just doesn't handle a particular dance well, so it's nice to see them get a second shot. Lots of contestants, so a lot to cover. Let's get to it.

Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough (Quick Step) - At its base, the show is about the "Stars." The partners certainly factor in though, and I continue to be impressed with Julianne. She might be just 18 years old, but she carries herself as well as any of the other pros. It doesn't hurt that she is absolutely adorable either. Apollo has officially impressed me now. I didn't have high expectations for him coming in, but he really shows the potential to be a contender. Len said Apollo is going to stay for weeks and weeks. Bruno called it cool, fresh, young, and exciting. Carrie Ann was impressed with the footwork and sync. High praise all around, and deservedly so. The scores, (8, 9, 9) I like that score. A great start to the night.

(S04E01) Another season of Dancing With The Stars is upon us, and I could not be more excited. Some important changes have been made this time around. Contestants were given four weeks to practice for the premiere instead of six, and there will be two weeks of dancing before the first elimination. The premiere was entertaining and surprising, as always. Let's get right to it!

Ian Ziering and Cheryl Burke (Cha Cha Cha) - It's tough to be the first dancers of the night, but Ian and Cheryl did a tremendous job. Their energetic performance included some decent footwork; those two definitely know how to have fun and work the crowd. Cheryl's hair was gorgeous, as usual, but I wasn't a fan of the Ziering facial hair. The judges gave Ian some technical criticism, but the pair walked away with a fair score of 21 (Carrie: 7, Len: 7, Bruno: 7).

It just gets stranger and stranger...

This morning, ABC announced the new slate of celebrities that will be participating in this upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars, which starts on Monday, March 19.

Some of the rumored selections, like Ian Ziering of 90210, and Billy Ray Cyrus of Hanna Montana, and Paul McCartney's bitter one-legged ex, Heather Mills, were right on the money. The other participants? Well, how would you like to see Big Pussy cutting a rug? Thaaat's right, Vincent Pastore is on board. So is basketball great Clyde Drexler, Olympic gold medalist Apolo Anton Ohno, former Entertainment Tonight host Leeza Gibbons, former supermodel Paulina Porizkova, former *NSYNCer Joey Fatone, Miss USA 2004 Shandi Finnessey, and boxer Laila Ali (yes, she's Muhammad Ali's daughter).

The full press release is after the jump. And the full story and photos are on the Good Morning America web site.

I've been wondering if this show was even still in production. Every time I turn it on it seems to be an episode that I've already seen, or even if I haven't seen it, it's an episode from a year or two ago. But now GSN has announced that the Chuck Woolery-hosted spelling game show will be back for a sixth season. Shandi Finnessey will be back as his co-host, typing away at the computer and starting each game, and there will be four special episodes where online champions face off against TV champions.

OK, so this game isn't exactly Jeopardy. It might not even be Wheel Of Fortune, but I enjoy it. And as I've said here before, I like it when Shandi says "Lingo balls."

The new season starts on April 2.