Dancing with the Stars Season 33 has just one more episode left this season, but its runtime has been expanded to an unprecedented three hours.
In the past, extended episodes of unscripted shows have been bursting at the seams with filler to the point it’s evident network executives are trying to fill a timeslot.
Of course, Dancing with the Stars Season 33 has been a return to form, both in the ratings and creatively, so ABC can make advertisers happy with a longer episode.
Sadly, that decision led some disgruntled fans to voice their displeasure about it before the episode premieres.
One viewer used a scene of Big Ed Brown on 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days to get their point across.
“A 3 hour finale??? On a weekday??” the viewer added.
Indeed, it is a bit of a tough sell for a Tuesday night.
Has ABC made a mistake with the DWTS finale?
Another DWTS fan was confused by the decision to have an extended season finale.
“The winner announcement better not be 30 seconds long,” the critic wrote.
It makes sense that viewers would want to spend more time with the actual winner because the show typically ends before the winner has much to say about the big moment.
A third viewer used an iconic GIF of Julia Louis Dreyfus waking up and looking worse for wear.
“3 HOUR FINALE ??? #DWTS,” they posted.
The long-running competition series already offended fans this week when the semi-final episode concluded with zero eliminations.
The decision means Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong, Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson, Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten, Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold, and Danny Amendola and Witney Carson are all in the final.
It will be interesting to see how this impacts the last episode’s pace, as plenty of dance routines are peppered throughout.
Will the DWTS Season 33 finale be a bust?
There’s a cause for concern because the semi-finals were pretty much the grand scheme of things.
What if the next couple eliminated leaves before even performing on finale night?
We already know the judges’ scores and viewer votes from the semi-finals will play a significant role in this crucial episode.
But it’s very difficult to tell who will win the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy because the talent level this season has been exceptional.
What are your thoughts on the three-hour-long season finale? Do you think it’s a bad idea?
Dancing with the Stars airs on ABC on Tuesdays at 8/7c. You can stream full episodes on Disney+ and Hulu.