GSN has acquired exclusive off-network rights to ABC's Dancing With The Stars from Disney-ABC Domestic Television, including the current season (13) that is wrapping up tonight (Nov. 22).
GSN will be the only network on which previous seasons of the mega-hit dance competition can be seen, the network said. It acquired seasons 4 through 13 and will begin airing them in January 2012.
The agreement also includes the upcoming 14th season.
"Many of the most popular shows on television today, including Dancing With The Stars, are essentially game shows at their core," Amy Introcaso-Davis, the recently appointed EVP of Programming at GSN, said in a release. "GSN is all about the potent combination of games, competition, entertainment and fun, and we know that Dancing With The Stars is a show our female audience already loves."
Last month, GSN picked up off-network rights to Fox's Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Celebrities who have appeared on seasons 4-13 of Dancing include Chaz Bono, Bristol Palin, Kim Kardashian, Cloris Leachman, Susan Lucci, Tom DeLay, Kate Gosselin, David Hasselhoff, Mario Lopez, Emmitt Smith, Michael Bolton, Florence Henderson, Jennifer Grey, Wayne Newton, Marie Osmond, Donnie Osmond, Melissa Joan Hart, Kelly Osbourne, Nancy Grace, Ricki Lake, J.R. Martinez, and Kirstie Alley.
Dancing is the U.S. version of the international hit, Strictly Come Dancing. This version is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. Conrad Green serves as executive producer and Ashley Edens-Shaffer and Joe Sungkur are co-executive producers.
Season 4, the first in line for GSN, includes (pictured): Apolo Anton Ohno & Julianne Hough (eventual winners); Paulina Porizkova & Alec Mazo; Shandi Finnessey & Brian Fortuna; Leeza Gibbons & Tony Dovolani;
Clyde Drexler & Elena Grinenko; Heather Mills & Jonathan Roberts; John Ratzenberger & Edyta Sliwinska; Billy Ray Cyrus & Karina Smirnoff; Ian Ziering & Cheryl Burke; Laila Ali & Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Joey Fatone & Kym Johnson.
