I Like to Watch

June 29, 2008 | What could be more suspicious than a trend? Trends reek of impermanence and fickleness and reflect badly on those easily seduced by their empty promise. The trendy may feel stubbornly proud as they sip on pomegranate-sake cocktails while texting in a Thai delivery order on their iPhones, but the rest of us look at them and feel pity in our hearts. We can't help imagining them 20 years ago, tossed helplessly on a churning sea of shoulder pads, fried cheese, leg warmers and boxed wine.

If trends are inherently questionable, TV trends are downright incriminatory. Serial dramas, game shows, talent competitions, anything involving celebrities -- these are the Members Only jackets and mullets of the TV world. No one really wants to be associated with such TV trends, since they're seen as the purview of the ignorant and the unimaginative, the sorts of people who sit down in front of their TV screens and tune in to whatever flashy, repetitive foolishness everyone else is watching. Ostensibly, my job as a TV critic is to direct you away from the sort of empty slop lapped up by the braying, wild-eyed, trend-driven herd.

Dances with wolves
But what if a trend is popular because it's good? If you consider some of the trends that have stood the test of time -- sushi, personal computers, soft pants, peanut butter cups -- it's clear that no trend can be dismissed by dint of its sudden swelling popularity alone.

Take dance shows. First of all, who knew that dance shows, the ultra-corny rainbow suspenders of televised entertainments, could ever make a comeback? From "American Bandstand" to "Soul Train" to "Dance Fever" to those unforgettable writhing groove machines of "Solid Gold," dance shows have always appealed more to melodramatic teenagers and drug-addled club-hoppers than to real human beings. Once our collective fever for dance was quelled, TV dance contests seemed out of the question, carrying a willfully dorky taint.

When "Dancing With the Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance" burst onto our TV screens during the summer of 2005, most of us laughed and rolled our eyes. And, indeed, these shows were festooned with much cheesiness: foolish hosts, garish graphics, silly theme songs, ridiculous costumes, clownish judges and fraudiences packed full of demi-celebrities and high-strung preteens.

But the ratings hit the roof. "Dancing With the Stars" launched its way into ABC's fall prime-time lineup, while "So You Think You Can Dance" (8 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 p.m. Thursdays) continues to hold its own as one of Fox's prime offerings during the summer months.

And while "So You Think You Can Dance" certainly appears to suck, what with its tacky opening credits and its awful set and its screaming tween fans, in fact, it's a really good show that showcases great dancing. The young dancers of "SYTYCD" range from talented to downright breathtaking.

Each week, the dancers are asked to perform a different style of dance with an assigned partner, and somehow almost all of the couples manage to pull it off. After the judges weigh in, America votes for their favorite couples, and the bottom three are asked to "dance for their lives" in very short, solo performances, after which the judges decide on a female and male dancer to send home.

As disagreeable as that format sounds, it works very well in terms of featuring interesting and varied performances. Best of all, the dancers are electrified by the screaming crowds, and occasionally find themselves in some sort of magical, inspired zone. Dancers trained at hip-hop are suddenly fantastic at salsa, ballroom dancers become impressive contemporary dancers, jazz dancers wow the crowds with their disco, and watching it all feels like a real privilege.

Judges Nigel Lythgoe (a dancer and TV producer), Mary Murphy (a ballroom dancer and choreographer) and a rotating guest judge often swerve into severely gushing, unhinged or egomaniacal territory (Hello, Mia Michaels!), but that's part of the show's awkward charms. What's more important is that the judges are smart, honest and often genuinely, visibly moved by the fantastic performances.

Also, aside from the crappy sets and the general goofiness, there are really good artistic choices being made here: The show's producers play (mostly) good music, they hire innovative, talented choreographers, and they reward emotional, inspired dancing and dramatic improvement in the performers.

Compare those smart decisions to the awful ones made by the producers of "Step It Up & Dance": Several less-than-talented competitors, clearly chosen for their odd or flashy personalities, compete in uninteresting, unoriginal challenges, discuss their troubles with a lame Tim Gunn-substitute mentor, and deliver crappy performances that clearly don't impress the (somewhat lackluster) judges. What did it all add up to? A show that never gained momentum, never pulled us into rooting for one dancer or another, and ended in a fizzle when Cody, a professional dancer who remained remote and somewhat uninspired throughout, won. Despite wishful comments by the judges after Cody tried to at least appear emotive during his final performance, he really didn't grow much over the course of the competition, yet it was obvious from the very start that he'd win the whole thing given the weak competition (except for Michelle, of course).

Those who didn't watch might assume that "Step It Up & Dance" follows in "Project Runway's" hallowed footsteps, while "So You Think You Can Dance" is a cold nacho platter or a broken Sit 'n' Spin, i.e., just another crappy summer version of "American Idol." Those who do watch, however, know that "SYTYCD" is created by passionate people with high standards, and that level of quality is infectious: You can see it among the choreographers, you can see it among the dancers, and you can see it in the enthusiasm and intelligent comments of the judges. Whether you're a preteen or someone who just knows good dancing when they see it, "So You Think You Can Dance" dishes up an addictive, satisfying summer fix.

Next page: "Randomizer, who's our next dancer?"