ABC tributes Len Goodman before American Idol 21 episode
For those who were not aware, the former Dancing with the Stars judge passed away this week at the age of 78. Many who worked on the show were stunned by his passing, and the tributes were immense. While Len had at times an on-screen persona of being a curmudgeon, behind the scenes he was lovely, kind, and caring to so many.
With all of this in mind, the network aired a short tribute to Goodman at the start of American Idol alongside an “In Memoriam.” They likely recognize that these two shows do share a good chunk of their audience, and are both thought of as legitimate pioneers within the reality TV space. Many of their contestants past and present have mingled over the years.
For the majority of the run on Dancing with the Stars Len was a part of the panel, and until recently, the entirety of the show aired on ABC. More recently, the series shifted over to Disney+, where it will also be airing again this fall. Len had an emotional retirement last year and it is that very thing that makes this passing even more devastating. We had hoped he would have so much more time to spend with his loved ones, and continue to be a valuable light in the world of ballroom dance.
This tribute will be there for anyone who watched American Idol tonight and beyond that, it will be present in all future airings and streams, as well. It is a reminder of how much love ABC and Disney have for their own when it comes to the world of unscripted programming. We do imagine that DWTS will do some sort of proper tribute as well to Len, but we may need to wait a good while in order to see that.
As we mentioned in our piece earlier today, our thoughts and condolences go out to Goodman and his family during this difficult time.
(Photo: ABC)
This article was written by Jessica BunBun.