SEASON PREMIERE

THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED, LIVE TWO-HOUR SEASON 17 PREMIERE OF ABC'S HIT SHOW "DANCING WITH THE STARS," AIRS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

"Episode 1701" -- "Dancing with the Stars" is back with an all-new cast and fresh show format. The competition begins with the two-hour season premiere, live, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. "Dancing with the Stars" will shake things up this season by transitioning to a one night, two-hour format. The premiere episode will kick off with a spectacular opening number featuring the entire cast. Each couple will then perform a Cha Cha, Foxtrot or Contemporary routine, vying for America's vote for the first time. Beginning with the second episode on Monday, September 23, one couple will be eliminated at the end of the show by combining the judges' scores from the first two weeks with the public votes from the previous week.

Hosted by Emmy(R) Award-winning host Tom Bergeron ("America's Funniest Home Videos") and Brooke Burke-Charvet ("Dancing with the Stars" Season 7 Champion), "Dancing with the Stars" is the hit series in which celebrities perform choreographed dance routines which are judged by renowned ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.

The celebrities and their partners for Season 17 of "Dancing with the Stars" are:

Elizabeth Berkley Lauren & Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Corbin Bleu & Karina Smirnoff
Brant Daugherty & Peta Murgatroyd
Bill Engvall & Emma Slater
Valerie Harper & Tristan MacManus
Keyshawn Johnson & Sharna Burgess
Christina Milian & Mark Ballas
Bill Nye & Tyne Stecklein
Jack Osbourne & Cheryl Burke
Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi & Sasha Farber
Leah Remini & Tony Dovolani
Amber Riley & Derek Hough

Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday nights during and up to 60 minutes after the end of the "Dancing with the Stars" broadcast in each time zone. Online voting at www.ABC.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dancingwiththestars is open for 24 hours, beginning from the start of each episode on the East Coast at 8:00 p.m., ET/5:00 p.m., PT and closing at 8:00 p.m., ET/5:00 p.m., PT on Tuesday evenings. For the final week, on Monday, November 25, online voting will open for 15 hours, beginning from the start of the episode on the East Coast at 8:00 p.m., ET/5:00 p.m., PT and closing at 11:00 a.m., ET/8:00 a.m., PT the next day. A custom Facebook app lets fans vote, share whom they voted for and say why, as well as see whom friends voted for.

"Dancing with the Stars" is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. Conrad Green, Ashley Edens-Shaffer and Joe Sungkur are executive producers. Alex Rudzinski directs. "Dancing with the Stars" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound. This program carries a TV-PG, L parental guideline.

About BBC Worldwide Productions

BBC Worldwide Productions is one of five core businesses under BBC Worldwide America, the U.S. division of the main commercial arm and wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), BBC Worldwide. Led by Jane Tranter, BBC Worldwide Productions is based in Los Angeles and develops and produces scripted and non-scripted projects for U.S. cable and broadcast networks, as well as digital platforms. The production company is responsible for various titles including the upcoming "Getting On" (HBO), "Criminal Justice" (HBO), "Us & Them" (FOX), "Americans in Bed" (HBO), as well as "Top Gear" (HISTORY), "What Not to Wear" (TLC), "Richard Hammond's Crash Course" (BBC AMERICA), "Torchwood: Miracle Day" (Starz) and the cultural phenomenon "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC).