The most astounding feat of Dancing with the Stars? For a few months each summer it has catapulted the second (or third, or fourth) bananas from soap operas, defunct boy bands and long-gone sitcoms into the American subconscious - or at least its living rooms. Millions were willing to put up with Tom Bergeron to watch what fate awaited Muhammad Ali's daughter, Nick Lachey's brother and the exes of Rod Stewart and Paul McCartney.

But they were also easy to root for, in their C-list celebrity way. We didn't begrudge John O'Hurley his hoofing success just because he was eternally destined to be nothing more than Seinfeld's J. Peterman. And so what if Joey Fatone would be working at Applebee's if it weren't for Justin Timberlake? That didn't make him so detestable that we weren't wishing to see the big boy bust another move on the dance floor.

And that, we believe, is where Ty Murray's Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge goes all wrong.

A scorecard of who we'll be rooting for when the show's unlikable lot of bottom-of-the-barrel stars climb into the chute:

Vanilla Ice

Still claims the riff to Ice Ice Baby was different than Under Pressure.

Leif Garrett

Long-gone Tiger Beat stardom built on deplorable covers of The Wanderer and Runaround Sue.

Raghib "Rocket" Ismail

Face facts, Golden Domers: The refs were right to call clipping in the '91 Orange Bowl.

Stephen Baldwin

Not the least of the Baldwin brothers (Daniel wears that crown), but you can't hang your hat on the The Usual Suspects forever.

Jonny "Fairplay" Dalton

We're still talking about the guy who told Survivor contestants his grandma was dead when she was really home watching Jeopardy? Seriously?

Francisco Quinn

He's Anthony Quinn's son. OK - he was also in Platoon.

Kenny Bartram

An X Games veteran with a plate in his jaw and a ruptured blood vessel in his brain. He's a ringer!

Dan Clark

"Nitro" on American Gladiators in the early '90s - which is really stretching our definition of celebrity.

Josh Haynes

Appeared on The Ultimate Fighter - which actually makes Dan Clark's so-called celebrity look legit.

• Ty Murray's Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge debuts at 7 p.m. Friday on CMT

Dressed to kill

"I can tell you this with affording impunity: It is the most talented group of designers (yet), in terms of point of view and execution."

Tim Gunn, talking to E! Online after production on Project Runway finished. Unfortunately for fans, they must wait until this winter for the fourth season to premiere.

Are we there yet?

If you're waiting for the top summer reality shows to start coming to a close, you're almost there. Where they stand:

• Top Chef Down to nine finalists. The winner won't be crowned until later this fall in a live telecast, the first time Bravo has gone live to reveal a winner.

• On The Lot Down to four finalists. The finale is scheduled for Aug. 21

• America's Got Talent Down to eight finalists. The final performances will be Tuesday, and the winner will be crowned Aug. 21.

• Last Comic Standing Down to eight finalists. The fifth season of the show doesn't conclude until Sept. 19.

Back to Top