‘So You Think You Can Dance’ renewed for season 13 … with kids, All-Stars

Remember the days when “So You Think You Can Dance” was a fairly straightforward show about young adults pursuing the dream of being professional dancers without all of the frills? Well, those days seem to be done.

Today, Fox announced that they have renewed the series for a 13th season, albeit with a twist that we far from enjoy. The contestants for this season will be between the ages of 8 and 13, and they will be paired with All-Stars from over the course of the series’ run. We’re fine with All-Stars, since we all like the opportunity to see some of the show’s best back on TV. What we’re not a fan of in the slightest is the idea of bringing kids on board.

Watching children deal with reality television is often uncomfortable. We struggled watching 13-year olds break down in tears on “The X Factor” a couple of years ago, and to us this is even worse since these are kids who really should just be focusing on their craft and preparing for the future. Sure, Fox has figured out how to produce big ratings with kids over on “MasterChef Junior,” but that’s a very different sort of show. You’re not having young children performing dances that we tend to think of as very adult, and some of that passion is going to be lost here.

Personally, we would’ve preferred either going back to the show’s roots this summer, or potentially having a full All-Star season where there were no auditions, and we just saw seven or eight live shows this summer where returning favorites came back to see who was the best of the best in America’s eyes. We feel like this is the pinnacle of dance shows on TV, and we want that exemplary quality to stay.

Do you think this theme could work for “So You Think You Can Dance”? Share below, and head over here to get some other TV news on everything we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: Fox.)