It’s no secret, I’m kind of a sucker for the uplifting/inspiring/positive/turn-your-life around reality shows. I can’t even get through a 30-second promo for NBC’s The Biggest Loser or ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition without blubbering all the way to my box of tissues. Well, now the kids at Oxygen can join that list with their new dancing-weight-loss reality series, Dance Your Ass Off.
And yes, it is as entertaining as the title sounds.
Enthusiastic and determined, the 12 contestants, many of which definitely have larger-than-life personalities (see: Karla and Trice, just to name two), shimmy their way through high-energy dance routines (the theme changes weekly) with professional (and very supportive) dance partners, in the hopes of losing the most weight and gaining the end-of-the-series cash prize of $100,000. The show also includes a long-term educational focus, with the contestants learning how to prepare healthier foods and modify their eating habits/lifestyle. And of course, this is when the tissue moments come out.
For those of you obsessed with the three judge format, yes, this show has that, AND BONUS, they have the token British judge, because, discovered through rigorous marketing research, Americans think that judges with British accents tend to be more authoritative/credible/the pompous thing is easier to rip on.
And hosting the show, you ask? Well, none other then the delightful Tony Award-winning actress, Marissa Jaret Winokur (Hairspray, DWTS), who I had the pleasure of chatting with (btw, one of the nicest celebs I’ve ever met…and I’ve met/worked with/casually followed down the street many celebs, so take my word, she’s one of the good ones). Anyway, for you fans out there, her favorite kind of dancing, other than the Broadway/Fosse thing, is the tango. Oh, and her plans to get back to Broadway?
“If anyone writes me a show I’ll go back!”
You hear that out-of-work Broadway writers?
WRITE MARISSA A SHOW, DAMN IT!
Anyway, DYAO airs Monday nights at 10/9 PM, so go to the Oxygen website to find out more about the show and the contestants. And below is the premiere episode, in case you missed it…enjoy!
Oops…so, when I caught this photo online this morning, I was like, “What in the world is Elijah Wood wearing??” Yeah, not so much, it’s Johnny Depp! He’s playing the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s film adaptation of “Alice in Wonderland” set to hit theaters next year. But does anyone (anyone?…anyone? Bueller?) sort of see the resemblance of the two actors’ smile/stare here?… or am I totally on crack, and now forever cursed to confuse hot and not so hot actors?…I mean, maybe it’s the crazy hair, crazy makeup and general craziness of the whole thing that threw me off. In any other circumstance, even possibly a moonlit forest at midnight, I don’t think I would ever confuse the two. Well, whatever…Elijah, you better enjoy this moment of mistaken identity, and Johnny, ugh, so, so sorry…at least I didn’t think you were Carrot Top.
