DWTS Season 31 Announces Elvis-Themed Episode

Dancing With The Stars season 31 executive producer Conrad Green revealed that when the dancing competition show returns, there will be an entire episode dedicated to the music of Elvis Presley. Conrad is the original DWTS executive producer who started when DWTS premiered in 2005. He left the competition series in 2014 and was replaced by Rob Wade. Andrew Llinares became the new showrunner in 2017 and was behind the controversial decision to fire longtime DWTS host Tom Bergeron in 2020 and hire Tyra Banks. Andrew got fired after DWTS season 30, and in June, ABC announced that Conrad would return to helm DWTS.

DWTS season 31 premieres on Disney+ later this month. DWTS aired on ABC for 30 seasons, but the network revealed in the spring that the popular competition show would move to Disney’s streaming service. The cast of DWTS season 31 was announced on Good Morning America recently, with 16 celebrities vying for the Mirrorball Trophy. The stars include Wayne Brady, Selma Blair, Jordin Sparks, Teresa Giudice and Vinny Guadagnino. Two veteran professional dancers are also returning to DWTS after lengthy absences: Mark Ballas, last on the show in 2017; and Louis Van Amstel, who last appeared in 2015.

In an interview with EW, Conrad teased upcoming theme nights for DWTS season 31, including an Elvis-themed episode. Conrad said, “In week 2 of the show, we’re going to be doing an Elvis night. We’ve got full access to all of the Elvis catalogue.” He also gave more detail on the Michael Bublé-themed episode, where the singer will be performing and guest judging, saying it’s “going to be a really special night.” The final theme that the DWTS producer touched on was a new “Disney+ night,” including routines inspired by “everything from Marvel to Disney Pixar, all of the animated films, all of their live-action films.”

Conrad also shared that a live audience will return to DWTS for the first time in two years. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last two seasons of DWTS had no live audiences or limited ones composed mainly of friends and families of the cast. Conrad said that having the audience back is crucial to “recreate that energy” of DWTS before the pandemic. Finally, when asked who he thought could be an early contender for the Mirrorball Trophy, Conrad mentioned Jordin, though he said a lot of people showed “promise.”

DWTS has some exciting theme nights coming up in the new season. It’s always a treat to watch the couples pay tribute to different musical artists, and Elvis’ songs will create memorable routines. Conrad is bringing the magic back to DWTS, and even though the show has a new home on Disney+, it will still have an exciting feel for viewers. With the DWTSpremiere only days away, the anticipation for the new season is higher than ever.

Dancing With The Stars season 31 premieres September 19 on Disney+.

Source: EW