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Premiered September 2009 · Fox

The Fall Season

The only season in the franchise's run to air in the fall, season six premieres in September instead of May and runs through December — a scheduling experiment the show never repeats.

Filmed
Boston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City
Auditions in Boston, Atlanta, LA, New Orleans, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City
Premiered
Sep 9, 2009
Fox · September 2009 premiere
Episodes
24
Twenty-four-episode sixth run
Format
Only fall-scheduled season
Sept–Dec broadcast window, reverted the following year
Cast size
20 players
Ten men, ten women drawn from a 152-dancer Vegas pool
Host
Cat Deeley
Cat Deeley's fifth season as host
On this page6 sections
  1. 01The take
  2. 02The shape of the season
  3. 03Where it sits in the canon
  4. 04What to watch for
  5. 05Adjacent in the canon
  6. 06In this canon
01The take

The Fall Season.

A fall broadcast window, a World Series scheduling conflict, and a mid-season replacement test whether the live-show format can hold up outside its usual summer slot.
02The shape of the season

A rhythm worth tracking.

Season six is the only entry in the franchise to air in the fall, running September through December instead of the usual summer window — a scheduling experiment the show reverts the following year. World Series coverage bumps the first two results episodes off the air entirely. A 152-dancer Vegas callback pool narrows to 38 before the Top 20 is named, and one original finalist withdraws due to illness before the live shows begin.

03Where it sits in the canon

The #13 slot.

Slot #13 of 18 in the So You Think You Can Dance Editor's Canon. Season six lands in the B-tier for an experiment the show tried once and never repeated. It's the only entry in the franchise to air in the fall, running September through December instead of the usual summer window, and the shift shows: World Series coverage bumps the first two results episodes off the air entirely, disrupting the rhythm the format usually runs on. A 152-dancer Vegas callback pool narrows to 38 before the Top 20 is named, and one original finalist withdraws due to illness before the live shows even begin. None of this sinks the season — the talent is still there — but the scheduling strain keeps it from running as cleanly as its neighbors.

No spoilers. Every page is reviewed before it goes live.
04What to watch for

5 moments, no spoilers.

  • Ep 1 · a new slot on the calendar

    The season premieres in September instead of the usual May start, the only time the franchise runs a fall broadcast.

  • Ep 2 · the results shows on hold

    World Series scheduling bumps the first two results episodes off the air, an outside conflict the show has to work around.

  • Ep 5 · the Top 20 from a bigger pool

    A 152-dancer Vegas callback pool narrows to 38 before the season's Top 20 gets named.

  • Ep 8 · a late swap

    One original Top 20 dancer withdraws before the live shows begin due to illness, and a replacement steps in.

  • Ep 18 · the format holds

    Despite the scheduling shakeup, the season runs its usual live-show structure through to a shortened December close.

06In this canon

Its Editor's Canon entry.

So You Think You Can Dance S6 — The Fall Season — tiered.tv