Dancing With the Stars once made Tuesdays as essential as Mondays. For years, ABC’s ballroom blockbuster aired twice weekly: one night for the show-stopping routines, another for a dedicated results hour packed with suspense, live music, and behind-the-scenes insights. That changed in 2013, when ABC condensed the competition into a single weekly broadcast, folding eliminations into the performance night and shrinking the window for viewer voting.
Now, longtime host Tom Bergeron — who helmed DWTS for 28 seasons — is publicly calling for the classic two-night setup to make a comeback. Serving as a guest judge on season 34 this week, Bergeron used the moment to renew a familiar plea to producers, telling The Hollywood Reporter: "The ratings have proven it’s time to bring back the results show. I always mourned the loss of that Tuesday show."
His comments arrive during one of the franchise’s strongest stretches in years. Current cohosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough have repeatedly touted record-breaking voting totals this season, and social media chatter has surged alongside the ratings. Much of that fan energy now echoes Bergeron’s call, with viewers advocating for a reinstated results episode that restores the series’ original rhythm — and gives more people time to participate in the vote.
What The DWTS Results Show Added To The Ballroom
The DWTS results hour was a pressure-cooker with personality. Beyond the climactic reveals, the episode often featured performances from chart-topping artists and exclusive rehearsal packages that deepened the storytelling around each couple’s journey. The extra night let the audience digest the previous performance show — rewatching standout numbers, debating scores, and engaging with the competition’s narratives before eliminations were handed down.
Crucially, that schedule also expanded the voting window across time zones. When ABC merged the performance and elimination segments into a single episode, the process became faster and tighter, particularly for viewers on the West Coast. As the franchise leaned into live voting and real-time results, fans in later time zones — and those with scheduling conflicts — found it harder to weigh in before a couple’s fate was sealed. The dedicated results show used to bridge that gap, building anticipation while better accommodating audience participation.
Bergeron’s nostalgia for the "Tuesday show" taps into what made DWTS feel like an event across the week: escalating tension, room for celebration, and a platform for the series’ broader entertainment footprint. It wasn’t just about who went home — it was about turning the elimination process into a second, distinctive hour of television with its own character and momentum.
Why ABC Cut It — And Why Fans Want It Back
Back in 2013, ABC streamlined its primetime schedule by condensing DWTS into a single two-hour broadcast. From a programming standpoint, simplifying the franchise made sense. But for fans, the change reshaped the show’s pacing and participation mechanics. All the dancing, voting, and results were suddenly crammed into one night, altering the cadence that had helped DWTS grow into a water-cooler staple.
This season’s strong ratings have reignited that conversation. With voting numbers soaring and online engagement high, the argument for revisiting the two-night format has returned to the forefront — not as a nostalgic novelty, but as a way to maximize audience involvement without sacrificing the live stakes that define the series.
The debate intensified after this week’s elimination, which sent fan-favorite contestant Andy Richter and pro partner Emma Slater home just before the semifinals. The immediate reaction across social platforms was swift and passionate, with many viewers advocating for the results show that once offered more breathing room between standout routines and sudden exits. For longtime watchers, the split-night structure heightened drama without feeling rushed; for newer fans, it could offer a clearer, more inclusive path to vote and engage.
Bergeron’s Voice Carries Weight — And Fans Are Listening
Few figures are as synonymous with DWTS as Tom Bergeron. His steady hand and quick wit helped define the series over 28 seasons, and his perspective resonates with those who grew up with the franchise in its heyday. Calling the results hour "the Tuesday show" isn’t just fond remembrance — it’s a reminder of how the format used to serve the audience, the pros, and the show’s storytelling simultaneously.
What makes Bergeron’s latest push notable is the context: DWTS is thriving again. Ribeiro and Hough have energized the ballroom, and the fandom’s week-to-week investment is demonstrably high. Against that backdrop, the ask isn’t radical — it’s a return to a proven formula that once amplified the competition’s drama and gave viewers more agency in shaping the outcome.
Whether the series ultimately reinstates a dedicated results episode remains to be seen. But Bergeron’s comments have sharpened a conversation that’s never fully gone away. DWTS has always been at its best when it balances spectacle with stakes, and the results show was designed to do exactly that — stretching the suspense, spotlighting the pros and celebrities beyond their scores, and letting the audience fully take part. With momentum on its side and fans rallying behind a format they loved, the ballroom might be ready for its second night to dance again.
