Fall Television Preview: Dancing With The Stars

By Bill Ivie The Screen 09/15/2014

The popularity of reality television has produced numerous series that have made extensive runs on television. One of the most popular will start season 19 tonight as Dancing With The Stars takes center stage once again.

Tom Bergeron serves as the show’s host and comic relief alongside veteran sports reporter Erin Andrews. Dancing With The Stars features famous people from all walks of life as they are paired with professional dancers to compete against each other. Each week, the competitors will take the dance floor to impress judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Julianne Hough.

Prior to premier, fans of the show consistently discuss the upcoming cast and their parings with the professional dancers. Always a diverse group, season 19 will not be any different. Here are the stars and their paired dancers:

Lolo Jones will bring her Olympic experience to the show while dancing alongside Keo Motsepe.
Michael Waltrip of racing fame will pair with Emma Slater.
Duck Dynasty‘s Sadie Robertson will join Mark Ballas.
Randy Couture, MMA Hall of Famer, will partner with Karina Smimoff.
Betsey Johnson will step away from her fashion design and take the floor with Tony Dovolani.
Alfonso Riberio, who achieved fame as Carlton on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air will pair with Witney Carson.
Pretty Little Liar‘s alumn Janel Parrish will dance with Val Chmerkovskly.
Antonio Sabato, Jr., often associated with Bold And The Beautiful, dances with Cheryl Burke.
Tommy Chong, of Cheech & Chong and That 70’s Show, will perform with Peta Murgatroyd.
Aaron Samuels from Mean Girls, actor Jonathan Bennett, will dance alongside Allison Hooker.
Lea Thompson, who is often remembered for her work on the Back To The Future franchise, will pair up with Artem Chigvintsev.
Tavis Smiley will take a break from PBS to dance with Sharna Burgess.