So You Think You Can Dance season 17 canceled; is this the end?
It remains to be seen what the future is going to hold for So You Think You Can Dance as a franchise. Yet, it does look as though we’re at the end of the road for the show this summer.
Today, Fox confirmed that they have canceled season 17, which was originally set to launch this summer. In a statement, they explained that it has everything to do with the current health crisis:
“Production on Season 17 of SYTYCD will not be moving forward due to health and governmental restrictions in response to the [present] pandemic … As a result, while we were looking forward to its return this summer, we cannot meet the standards we’ve set for viewers and contestants in light of the show’s unique format, intricate production schedule and limited time.”
Honestly, we’re surprised that it took this long in order for this announcement to be made. The show was never on Fox’s fall schedule, and it didn’t seem viable for a show like this to happen in these current conditions. So much of dance is about intimacy and physical contact; in addition, performances are held in auditoriums. While you could probably do shows without an audience, there were still so many logistical hurdles that needed to be jumped over.
As for whether or not season 17 could happen at some other point down the road, that currently remains to be seen. We do think that Fox likes the franchise — it garners them awards-show attention and the dancing is beautiful — but the ratings haven’t been great in recent years. What we feel like they are probably going to do is regroup, see where the country is in 2021, and then figure out where they want to go from there. We hope that there will be another season next year, but it’s hard to sit here and guarantee that when it doesn’t feel like anything is guaranteed at the moment.
What do you think about So You Think You Can Dance being canceled?
Be sure to share right now in the comments below! Meanwhile, remember to stick around in the event you want some other news.