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ShowsDancing with the StarsSeason 7
Aired fall 2008 · The oldest cast the show had assembled to that point

Cloris and Company

Season seven ran thirteen episodes in fall 2008 with a cast notable for its range in age and background. Cloris Leachman, at 82, became the oldest competitor in the show's history — a casting choice that shifted the usual narrative frame and gave the season an unusual texture.

Filmed
Los Angeles, California
CBS Television City, Los Angeles
Premiered
Sep 22, 2008
ABC · September 2008
Episodes
13
Format
Celebrity ballroom · 13 episodes
Oldest contestant in show history at the time
Host
Tom Bergeron
seventh season with Tom Bergeron at the helm
On this page
  1. 01The take
  2. 02The shape of the season
  3. 03Where it sits in the canon
  4. 05Adjacent in the canon
  5. 06Also appears in
01The take

Cloris and Company.

At 82, Cloris Leachman changed what the format was willing to ask of its cast.
02The shape of the season

A rhythm worth tracking.

Season seven ran thirteen episodes with a cast wider in age and profile than the show had previously assembled. Cloris Leachman's participation at 82 anchored the season's identity — not as a novelty act but as a genuine expansion of what the format was willing to attempt. The rest of the cast brought strong athletic and entertainment credentials. The elimination arc had room to develop real competitive stakes in the back half as stronger partnerships moved to the front.

03Where it sits in the canon

The #11 slot.

Slot #11 of 16 in the Dancing with the Stars Editor's Canon. The seasons on either side show what I ranked it against.

No spoilers. Every page is reviewed before it goes live.
06Also appears in

Cross-references.

Dancing with the Stars — Editor's CanonEditor's Canon · #11
Dancing with the Stars S7 — Cloris and Company — tiered.tv