The Dancing with the Stars television franchise is officially expanding. ABC debuted a promo Wednesday at Disney’s Get Real unscripted TV event confirming Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro will arrive later this year.
The spinoff will be hosted by DWTS Season 34 champ Robert Irwin, just as Deadline reported on spec in February. It’s set to premiere July 13 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC with episodes available the next day on Hulu.
The series involves the search for the franchise’s next pro dancer, but there’s a twist. Per the logline revealed Wednesday, 12 up-and-coming dancers will move into one house and compete in a grueling audition process for the coveted Season 35 slot.
Mark Ballas and his mother, Shirley Ballas, also a pro ballroom dancer and head judge on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, will serve as judges. They will be joined by a rotating lineup of returning pros who will serve as mentors and guest judges. Details about the returning pros and contestants are expected at a later date.
This marks the first time that the franchise is pulling back the curtain on its audition process and is the first major expansion of the Dancing with the Stars since it premiered in 2005. Over the years, the series has gone through dozens of pro dancers, many of whom returned for last season’s 20th anniversary celebration. Ballas has been with DWTS on and off since 2007, most recently dancing with Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt for Season 34.
Dancing with the Stars exploded in popularity last season, raking in its largest audience in years driven by interest from younger viewers. In November, Season 34 posted the show’s highest-rated finale in nearly a decade.
The series is produced by BBC Studios. Conrad Green serves as showrunner and executive producer. Ryan O’Dowd, Krystal Whitney, Alex Cross and Jenny Groom are executive producers. Deena Katz and Quinn Lipton are co-executive producers.
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