So You Think You Can Dance season 14: Mary Murphy returning

Great news moving into So You Think You Can Dance season 14 — Mary Murphy and the hot tamale train are back!

Today, Fox confirmed that Murphy will be returning for the “back to basics” season, which is eradicating some of the recent twists in favor of something more traditional. Executive producer Nigel Lythgoe will also be back once more, and he had the following to say in a statement:

“I am thrilled that Mary will return to So You Think You Can Dance and I’m sure the fans will be, as well. She brings an energy and enthusiasm that’s contagious and I can’t wait for her to join me on the judging panel.”

There is no word on a third judge, but we’d almost prefer if there was no permanent person. We feel like the rotating guest panel over the years worked really well, especially since it meant that you could get a wide array of different dance luminaries in there. Think along the lines of Lil C, Adam Shankman, Wayne Brady, and Kristin Chenoweth. There are so many great, uniquely qualified people who could come on the show and offer up some feedback that it’d be a shame if we didn’t have a chances to hear some of their voices on the series on a little bit more of a regular basis.

For the record, host Cat Deeley will also return, which is great for furthering along the show’s pattern of consistency. She remains one of the best in the business, and she knows exactly how to have fun with the show without getting too hammy or out-of-touch with what the remainder of the competition is meant to be.

New episodes of So You Think You Can Dance will start airing this summer. Let’s hope for more unique styles, dancers, and people who are willing to shake things up and give us something new. Few series ever give us a chance to see routines quite like the ones that we end up getting here.

What do you think about the return of Mary to the show? Share in the comments below! We’ll have more news on the show very soon.