Welcome to TBO.com. Skip directly to: our Keyword Search, Section Navigation, Content.

TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Television

TBO > Entertainment > Television

TV contestants pushed to dance their booty off

By WALT BELCHER

wbelcher@tampatrib.com

Published: June 29, 2009

Billed as a cross between "Biggest Loser" and "Dancing With the Stars," a new Oxygen network series asks contestants to shake their booty until it shrinks.

"Dance Your Ass Off," debuting at 10 tonight, pits 12 contestants with a combined weight of nearly 3,000 pounds against each other in a dance competition.

They are judged on dancing skills and weight loss. The winner gets $100,000.

The series is hosted by plus-size actress Marissa Jaret Winokur, who won a Tony Award for her portrayal of Tracy Turnblad in "Hairspray" on Broadway. She also is an alumnus of "Dancing With the Stars."

Winokur reportedly lost 60 pounds but gained back 25 pounds while awaiting the birth of her son (through a surrogate). She's trying to bring it down and blogging about it for People magazine.

Each contestant is paired with a professional dance partner who trains them for their weekly stage performances, including hip-hop, ballroom and even pole dancing.

The panel of judges includes choreographer Danny Teeson, dancer/choreographer Mayte Garcia, and dancer/actress Lisa Ann Walter.

The contestants also get coaching from a team of weight-loss specialists. And they must face temptations, including a "cheat pantry," in the house where they are staying. It's stocked with snacks and sweets.

WAIT FOR JON & KATE: So much has happened to snatch the media attention away from sad-sack couple Jon and Kate Gosselin that they haven't garnered tabloid coverage in about a week.

The deaths of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon and the disappearing act and love affair of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford almost made us forget about the divorcing couple who are going to have to find new ways to exploit their eight children.

Was it only last week that they announced they were splitting? The breakup episode was watched by a record 10.6 million viewers.

In case you missed the news, "Jon & Kate Plus 8" is on hiatus until Aug. 3. Tonight, TLC is airing a nostalgic retrospective of the series (watching the clips, one wonders how much of it was a lie).

The big question is, can this show survive? Even though the public should be fed up with the Gosselins, the kids are cute. It probably will evolve into something like "Kate Keeps Half of 8" or whatever. VH1 managed to spin off "Hogan Knows Best" into "Brooke (Hogan) Knows Best" after that family fell apart.

ICON TRIBUTE: NBC and Ed McMahon's family are planning a memorial celebration for Wednesday at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in North Hollywood. But so far there are no plans to air it on TV. McMahon died last week at age 86.

At 8 tonight, Fox will air an encore of a Michael Jackson themed "American Idol" performance show featuring contestants performing Jackson hits "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Black or White," "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)," "Remember The Time" and the seminal hit "Beat It."

And at 10 p.m. tonight on the BIO Channel is "Bio Remembers: Farrah Fawcett."

TUNE IN TONIGHT

"Secret Life of the America Teenager," 8 p.m., ABC Family

This well-crafted drama about a 15-year-old girl who became pregnant opened its second season last week. Amy (Shailene Woodley) now has a baby, and it's not easy being a teen mom.

Share this:

* To:
Your Name:
Your Email Address:
Personal Message [optional]: